St. Joseph, the First “Marian Helper”
Dear Marian Helpers and Members of our Marian Family,
St. Joseph stands as a model to all of us, showing us that holiness consists not in grandiose deeds or fabulous miracles but in silence, hard work, and dedication to family and loved ones. He sets the standards especially for men and fathers showing that true masculinity is a matter of providing, serving and protecting.
In a way, St. Joseph (whose feast we celebrate on 19 March) was the first “Marian Helper”… after all, he helped Mary, just as she helped him! Theirs was a loving marriage and family life, dedicated to mutual service, love and faith.
You too, my friends, are Marian Helpers, serving Our Lord and Our Lady through your lives of service, love and faith, like just Mary and Joseph did. You are members of an international family of faith, numbering in the millions, made up of faithful Catholics dedicated to serving Christ and the Church by furthering the mission and charism of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception.
How do we further this mission, you may ask? By doing what you already do: praying for the souls in Purgatory, serving the Church in your parish and local communities, and spreading devotion to and seeking to imitate the life of Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception. Like St. Joseph, there may not be much fanfare around the things you do or the life you live, but remember: In silence and humble service, true holiness is found!
Further the Mission
There are only 500 Marian Fathers in the world … and as you know and can see, there is a lot of work to be done! That’s why you, the faithful people of God, are so important and key to our work and mission. Your prayers, your service and your help further our mission as we all seek to spread the Goods News of Jesus Christ to save souls and build up the Kingdom of God.
However, the Association of Marian Helpers (of which you are members), is not just a group of like-minded individuals united by a common goal. It is also a spiritual benefit society, meaning that you share in merits of all the good works, prayers, penances and sacrifices of the Marian Fathers around the world.
Mass is offered daily for your intentions, as well as Masses on First Fridays and Saturdays and on special feasts of Our Lord and Our Lady. You are included in various novenas said around the world including our Divine Mercy Chapel in West Ealing, London. Additionally, a candle has been placed in front of our altar here, burning night and day in your honour and for your intentions.
There are so many other benefits (Plenary Indulgences, additional prayers and Masses and many other wonderful things) that I can’t name them all…I don’t have enough room! For those who are not members, all we need is your name and contact information (address and/ or email address), so that we can enter you into our Membership Registry.
That’s it. No fees or additional paperwork needed. Click here to start the process!
Tell the World!
We want as many people as possible to join us in our mission of spreading the Gospel to the whole world, fulfilling the command of Jesus to “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15). Tell your friends, neighbours, and those in your parish about us and our mission. We are so grateful for all the ways you have supported the Marian Fathers and our mission of serving the Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland. May the Lord bless you and reward you for your prayers and generosity.
St. Joseph dedicated his life to serving Mary and Jesus, his Lord, King and foster Son. We too seek to imitate St. Joseph in serving Christ in our daily lives, just like he did. We might not live with the Holy Family in a physical sense, but we live with them spiritually, in our hearts and souls.
As Marian Helpers and members of our Marian Family, we are all part of a holy family as well: a family built around prayer, faith, service, a common mission and love for God and for one another. Pray for one another, as members of this Marian Family and as members of the People of God, the Catholic Church.
Pray for the mission of the Marian Fathers, that we will be faithful to our charism and religious call. And may St. Joseph, the patron of the Church, pray for all of us as we seek to grow in humble and quiet holiness.
In Jesus and Mary,
Fr. Alex Pumphrey, MIC
Contact Father Alex Pumphrey, MIC at info@divinemercy.org.uk
Please send us your prayer intentions! (click here).
We will place them at the foot of our altar in the Divine Mercy Apostolate’s Chapel here in West Ealing, London and will remember them in our daily Chaplets of Divine Mercy.
