Evangelize and Celebrate!
August 2025
Deacon Alexander Pumphrey, MIC, joined the Divine Mercy Apostolate UK this month, working with Fr. Lukasz Mazurek, MIC. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, and a Catholic convert, he was ordained to the transitional diaconate in February, and will be ordained to the priesthood on 16 August. Here is his third monthly “corner” blog.
On the last weekend of July, 2,000 of my closest friends and I invaded the campus of St. Mary’s College, Oscott, for the WeBelieve Festival, a celebration of family, faith, and Catholic fellowship. To be honest, I was somewhat nervous, but my nerves were quickly put to rest on discovering not only a large contingent of religious brothers and sisters, but also quite a few Americans.
Even though it was only a few days, it was a time of learning and connection. I met so many priests, religious, lay faithful and even bishops, all of whom were excited for our mission at the Apostolate. I also learned that I’m very uncomfortable being filmed but will probably need to get used to it. I suppose it comes with the territory, though.
Excitement and hope
There was a palpable atmosphere of excitement and hope at the festival and all of us who attended — if I may speak for all of us — hope and pray that this will become an annual event. Catholics of all ages and states of life and from all over the UK, Europe, and the world gathered together to proudly and boldly proclaim the goodness, truth, and beauty of our Catholic faith and that together, united in Christ, we believe all that He has taught.
I was particularly blown away by all of the young men and women who were present, as well as the overwhelming number of young families. Kids were running around all over the place. There were also quite a few young men who spoke with me about the priesthood and religious life, trying to figure out where God is calling them. Please pray for them.
Octave of Evangelization
Over the next eight years, there are plans for an “Octave of Evangelization” in anticipation of the 2,000th anniversary of the Passion, Death, and Ascension of Jesus. Evangelization may sound daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Nor is it something done solely by those of us in habits or clerical collars. All of us are called to evangelize, to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.
That can be done in simple ways: living a life of prayer and humility, fulfilling the tasks of daily life with joy. It sometimes is done in profound ways: standing up for the truth when being silent would be easier or going against popular opinion when popular opinion is wrong.
This year’s festival served as the kick-off, the jump start for this time of evangelization. All of us, whether we’re cradle Catholics, converts, or hardened non-believers need to be evangelized. All of us need to allow the Good News of God’s love for us to take root more and more in our hearts. To take root in our lives.
It will be a process, a time of learning and of connection. We very well may begin certain evangelization efforts only to find out that they are not as effective as we had hoped or that we are not producing fruit in the ways or quantity that we desire.
But it’s not about us or our effort or our elbow grease, even though work and effort are vital parts of the equation! The work, ultimately, is the Lord’s and He will bring it to fruition in the time, way and manner that He sees fit.
Please pray
And so, as I usually ask in these writings, please continue to pray. Pray for me and for all of the clergy and staff here at the Apostolate. Pray for this nation and for its conversion. Pray that the octave of evangelization will be fruitful and that at the end of these eight years, we will be able to offer many souls, converted and faithful, to the Lord.
The Lord is at work! It’s no coincidence that Oscott was the site of St. John Henry Newman’s call for a Second Spring and was the site for what, God willing, will be the Third. And considering that Newman will be declared a Doctor of the Church soon, it certainly appears that a Third Spring very well may be just around the corner. So, let’s get to work and get praying that this Third Spring blooms and flowers!
May God bless you now and always!
Contact Deacon Alex at info@divinemercy.org.uk
Deacon Alex’s Corner, July 2025: click here
“Meet Deacon Alex Pumphrey, MIC”: click here
