Fr. Patrick Lynch, MIC

Divine Mercy Apostolate
London, United Kingdom

First Vows: 8/15/2018
Final Vows: 12/8/2023
Priestly Ordination: 5/9/2026

Previous assignment and dates:
Mother of Mercy Parish, Buenos Aires, Argentina: 2022 - 2025

Do you have a devotion to a particular Saint?
I really love St. Dominic Savio. When I was a young teen, about the time I was starting to take my faith more seriously, I came across the biography that St. John Bosco wrote about his student, St. Dominic Savio. It's a little book, but it packs a punch. The spirituality of Dominic Savio is kind of like the "Little Way" of St. Thérèse, but more from a guy's perspective. As a young man, reading about this teenager who lived a life of extraordinary holiness in ordinary circumstances was inspiring to me, and it set my life on a path that eventually led me to religious life. 

Do you have a favorite story from your ministry?
When I was in Argentina, I started a group for young people at our parish there. The whole point of the group was to encourage these young men and women to ask whatever questions they had about the faith, about their life, about God, and not to shy away from the things that they found challenging.

That ministry taught me firsthand that since Catholicism is true, you never have to be afraid to question, to seek, and to bring all of life’s struggles to the Lord. The light of Truth will illuminate all of it, and it's never too much to ask those kinds of questions. I loved that ministry and will always be grateful to those young people for the lessons they taught me.

Favorite quote from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska?
1488 - "Conversation of the Merciful God with a Soul Striving after Perfection."

I like this passage because it gets to heart of what we experience as we strive to be saints. Jesus sees that the soul is sad, and he asks: "Tell Me, My child, what is the meaning of this sadness, and what is its cause?" And the soul says, "Lord, the reason for my sadness is that, in spite of my sincere resolutions, I fall again into the same faults." And the Lord says, "You see, My child, what you are of yourself. The cause of your falls is that you rely too much upon yourself and too little on Me." But the part that really hit me is this: Jesus says, "My child, know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an exaggerated anxiety. These will deprive you of the ability to practice virtue."

Favorite prayer to Our Lady?
The Hail Mary.

One of the translators for:
Saint Stanislaus Papczyński: Selected Writings

More on Fr. Patrick:
Holy Catholic Mass and the First Mass of newly ordained Fr. Patrick Lynch, MIC 
An Ordination Weekend to remember! 
Brother Patrick Lynch, MIC, is ordained to the diaconate 
Marian Brother ready for ordination to the diaconate 
Lent, an essential part of the Christian journey 
Three Marian brothers reach “the last step”: Perpetual Profession 
Four Marians Profess First Vows 
Call Them 'Brothers'!