Jesus tells the world through St. Faustina, "I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it" (Diary of St. Faustina, 742).
We're called not only to preach mercy, but to practice it. How do we live up to this demand? Through ministering to the poor, praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, ministering to soldiers on the frontlines of battle, running missions in poor and war-torn countries, providing disaster relief to nations devastated by natural disasters, remembering Marian Helpers in our Masses, prayers, and good works (including praying for the tens of thousands of prayer requests that come to us each month through our Divine Mercy Intercessory Prayerline), and traveling North America year round delivering the Good News.
Through our Mercy for the Poor initiative, we have joined with a network of charities and religious communities that serve the poorest of the poor and have so far distributed free of charge nearly 2 million top-quality Divine Mercy images, prayercards, pamphlets, and books. The project relies 100 percent on donations. (To learn more, visit giftofmercy.com.) Congregations that help distribute the images have reported conversions through these Divine Mercy images. The second part of Mercy for the Poor includes street ministry led by Eric Mahl, a lay member of the Marian Fathers who lived with and ministered to the homeless in Cleveland, Ohio, before joining the Marians in the spring of 2013. The ministry's task, says Eric, is to take the light of faith found at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass., and introduce it into the lives of those in greatest spiritual and material need. The ministry includes a number of young men, some of whom live and work with the Marians in Stockbridge. All of them, including Eric, have been called to service through the Divine Mercy revelations of St. Faustina, for whom glorifying Christ's mercy became the exclusive task of her life. (Read more.)
Another key part of our mission is to pray for the deceased, the Holy Souls in Purgatory who suffer continually with an intense burning of love and longing to be with God. Blessed Stanislaus of Jesus Mary Papczynski (1631-1701), who founded the Marians in 1673, made it a main cause for all Marians to help the souls in purgatory shorten their time of separation from God. Today, we have redoubled those efforts through our Holy Souls Sodality. (Visit PrayForSouls.org)
Thanks to the generosity of our Marian Helpers, we've also been able to reach out to people in places devastated by natural disasters. This includes relief for victims of disasters in Haiti, Japan, and the Philippines, as well as for victims of Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina in the United States. We stand ready to assist victims of any future natural disasters as well.
Our Marians have ministered on the frontlines of battle. For instance, like Blessed Stanislaus before him, Fr. (Major) Donald Van Alstyne, MIC, has served as an Army chaplain in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Read more.)
Our Marian Evangelization Team logs thousands of miles annually to spread the Divine Mercy message and devotion to parishes throughout the country. (See upcoming events.) Book your own event by emailing [email protected].
Teams of Marians and Marian Helpers run missions in Cameroon, Rwanda, and the Philippines, catechizing the people, bringing them the Sacraments, building schools and retreat houses, and providing basic necessities such as food and clothing. (Read more.)
The Marians administer the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass., a place of beauty – a holy ground – where thousands of pilgrims visit each year seeking healing and spiritual renewal. (Learn more.)
Those are just a few examples. So join us in our efforts to show mercy "always and everywhere." Join the Association of Marian Helpers and assist us in deeds of mercy, which arise out of love for our Lord.