Newsletter to the Marian Helpers, October 2025
DEAR MARIAN HELPERS!
DEAR APOSTLES OF DIVINE MERCY!
For centuries, the Marian devotion of the English people was strong.
Almost every town or village had a church or shrine dedicated to Our Lady, and those that didn’t, always had a town nearby that did. Pilgrimages to cathedrals, abbeys, and other religious sites were commonplace, and the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (above), by some accounts, was one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in all of England.
King Richard II officially dedicated England to Our Lady in 1381, but long before then, England was known as “Mary’s Dowry.” England had a special love for Mary, and the people here believed and knew that she had a special love for them as well.
However, history is not only full of important events and miraculous occurrences, but disasters and tragedies as well.
Listen to Fr Alex’s homily for the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham. 24 September: click here
Faith broken
The English Reformation (in which King Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church and attempted to create his own, called the Church of England) not only destroyed many of those sites, forcefully took those parishes from the Catholic Church, and placed them in the hands of Anglican ministers, but it lead to the outright banning of Catholicism, enforced by crippling fines, prison, and for many, death.
Catholicism went underground and with it, Marian devotion as well. But the faith did not die. For centuries, despite persecution and hardship, the faith endured, and those who remained true to Christ and His Church prayed and lived in the expectation that one day, the faith would flourish again.
Liberation
In 1829, Catholic Emancipation was proclaimed. Catholics were once again able to practice their faith freely, although social and cultural persecution still prevailed (and still does, one might argue). The glowing ember that had been hidden and waiting finally became a flame.
A flame that burns ever brighter, and is still burning today!
In 2020, just weeks before COVID caused the world to shut down, the bishops of England and Wales rededicated the United Kingdom to Our Lady, giving it back to her as her Dowry. To prepare the faithful for this momentous occasion, the bishops requested that Catholics pray the Rosary, which they did!
And the result?
That flame of faith is growing and growing; the Church has seen unprecedented rates of growth and interest, and hundreds, thousands of people are finding meaning, purpose, and salvation in the Catholic Church.
All of this, I know, is due to the prayers of Our Lady and those who have united their prayers with her through their Rosaries. Here at the Divine Mercy Apostolate in London, we offer our Chaplets of Divine Mercy for the conversion of the United Kingdom every day, and we also encourage our members to pray their Rosaries for that same intention, as well.
Pilgrimages to Marian shrines in the UK are up. People are interested in Marian devotion and praying the Rosary, especially young people. In fact, in September, I gave a talk at a youth conference on that very topic.
You can help!
Mary is reclaiming her Dowry for her Son and His Church, one soul at a time. I am excited to be part of that mission, and I invite you to be part of that mission too! Please include me, the clergy and staff of the Divine Mercy Apostolate, and all the people of the United Kingdom in your prayers, especially in your Rosaries, during this month of the Rosary!
Through our prayers and efforts, and most especially by God’s grace, the Catholic faith will flourish again in this land. My prayer is that, just as the men and women of England were once proud to be Mary’s Dowry, once again, the people of this nation will be honored to have a special place in Mary’s heart.
Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us and for England!
May God bless you now and always!
