“Although our name is changing to the Marian Centre for Catholic Life, our mission is not. We remain the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, committed to the mission entrusted to us by Pope St. John Paul II as the official promoters of the Divine Mercy message and devotion.
“What is changing is that we are also embracing more fully the richness of our Marian vocation by giving renewed emphasis to all three pillars of our charism: foster a deeper love for Our Lady, encourage prayer for the souls in Purgatory, and serve the Church faithfully wherever Christ leads us.”
Dear Marian Helpers and Members of our Marian Family,
For more than 75 years, the Marian Fathers have served the Church in the United Kingdom in many different ways, always seeking to live out our charism of going where the need is greatest. We first served the Polish community after the Second World War, ministering in parishes, schools, and communities across the country.
More recently, we established the Divine Mercy Apostolate which, for almost two decades, has worked tirelessly to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and spread the life-changing message of God’s mercy. It has been a privilege to work alongside Fr. Lukasz this past year — I have learned a lot!
Recently, through prayer, careful discernment, and many important conversations, we have come to believe that God is inviting us to build upon this work and broaden the mission that you have helped make possible.
So, in the coming months, the Marian Fathers will continue the proud legacy of the Divine Mercy Apostolate in a new direction called the “Marian Centre for Catholic Life.”
Although our name is changing, our mission is not. We remain the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, committed to the mission entrusted to us by Pope St. John Paul II as the official promoters of the Divine Mercy message and devotion.
What is changing is that we are also embracing more fully the richness of our Marian vocation by giving renewed emphasis to all three pillars of our charism: foster a deeper love for Our Lady, encourage prayer for the souls in Purgatory, and serve the Church faithfully wherever Christ leads us.
As we have reflected on the needs of the Church today, we have become increasingly aware that many Catholics are searching not only for answers to difficult questions, but also for a deeper relationship with Christ and a stronger understanding of the beauty of the Catholic faith.
At the same time, parishes and clergy often seek resources and support to help them meet these needs. We believe the Marian Centre for Catholic Life will allow us to serve the Church throughout the United Kingdom even more effectively and help build the Kingdom of God for generations to come.
As we begin this new chapter, we warmly invite you to continue this journey with us. We cannot accomplish this mission alone! We need your prayers, your encouragement, and your support.
As members of our Marian family, this mission belongs to you just as much as it does to us. Every great work of the Church has been built by people who believed that God could accomplish extraordinary things through ordinary generosity. This new chapter is possible because of your faithfulness as much as ours.
We are deeply grateful for the generations of Marian Fathers and Marian Helpers who laid such a strong foundation before us, and for each of you who have supported our work through your prayers, generosity and friendship. Together, we look forward with hope to all that God has in store as we continue to proclaim Christ’s mercy, honour His Mother, and remember the souls being prepared for the joy of Heaven.
Finally, we entrust the Marian Centre for Catholic Life, the Marian Fathers, and all our Marian Helpers to the maternal intercession of Our Lady of Walsingham. May she watch over us, guide our work, and lead us ever closer to her Son, that together we may faithfully proclaim Christ’s mercy, honour His Mother and remember the souls entrusted to our prayers.
Here’s a prayer to Our Lady of Walsingham, and I hope you will pray it daily, and especially from 15-23 September, leading to her feast day on 24 September:
O Mary, Our Lady of Walsingham,
you desired that the joy of the Holy House of Nazareth
might be known in these lands,
drawing all your children ever closer to your Son.
Help us to welcome Jesus into our hearts and homes,
to grow in faith, hope and charity,
and to follow Him with generous and trusting hearts.
Watch over all the peoples of these islands.
Renew the Church in holiness, strengthen our families,
raise up holy vocations, and comfort the suffering.
Draw those who are searching into the fullness of the
Catholic faith, bring back those who have wandered from
Christ, and fill every heart with the hope of the Gospel.
Loving Mother, I now place before you my own intentions: _________.
I ask all these things through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us!
May God bless you now and always!
Fr Alex Pumphrey, MIC
______________________________
Contact Father Alex at info@divinemercy.org.uk
Please send us your prayer intentions! (click here). We will place them at the foot of our altar in our Chapel here in West Ealing, London and will remember them in our daily Chaplets of Divine Mercy.
