Marian Mission in Philippines Builds Mother of Divine Mercy Village following Typhoon Disaster

On the devastating night of December 16, 2011, Typhoon Sendong ravaged the coastal areas of Cagayan de Oro, on the Philippine island of Mindanao, killing 1800 residents and leaving 12,000 families homeless. Many families lost their young children who were swept away and never found.

The following May, the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M., in partnership with other religious congregations, purchased 7.3 hectares of cleared land and started building the Mother of Divine Mercy Village. To date more than 550 homes have been built and given to destitute families, along with support services like a Day Care Center, Health Center, staff housing, and a multi-purpose building for gatherings.

Father Dariusz Drzewiecki, MIC (Fr. Darek), who has been with the project since the beginning, was named Village Administrator in 2021. He is a totally dedicated priest who feeds the people spiritually but also tries to alleviate their suffering. He knows the families, struggles, and brokenness, and understands the future of the Church is in the hands of the youth. He has students he is helping get an education, and each one on scholarship is actively involved in the Church as lectors, acolytes, choir members and more.

There are very important needs of the community, for which Fr. Darek is seeking additional support:

1. Drilling a new well and installing a water distribution system with elevated tank to serve more than 5000 residents - $200,000
2. Completing Mother of Mercy Chapel (started in 2022) - $50,000 needed for altar, walls, pews, baptismal font, confessional, and stained glass
3. Adoration Chapel attached to Church - $75,000
4. Expand Trade School beyond one room and with additional sewing machines to teach trade skills and support families
5. Expand small Medical Clinic for more regular doctor and dentist visits (weekly) and support for medications and medical supplies
6. Scholarships — $50/month provides a student with bus fees and food while at school; 60 students currently in needs, or $36,000 annually
7. Advanced degree scholarships – 10 students are studying advanced degrees like nursing, at an additional $1500 per year. $15,000 needed.

The small medical clinic needs to expand to allow a doctor and dentist to visit one day a week to care for the members of the village. This is a problem as people do not have access to routine care.

The Mother of Mercy Chapel will seat a few hundred people. There are so many activities that Fr. Darek has centered around the church, and it truly is a community where God is the centerpiece.

Dr. Bryan Thatcher visits children in El Salvador, Philippines.

Fr. Darek is adding on to the current one-room trade school structure, and sewing machines are being purchased. The women will be able to learn a trade to raise funds for their families.

Fr. Darek Drzewiecki, MIC, with a group of students he’s helping get an education.

Can you please help?

by Bryan Thatcher, MD

Jesus told Saint Faustina, "I demand from you deeds of mercy which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbor, always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from this" (Diary, 742).

Please help out of love of God and reflect on this short phrase that St. Faustina wrote: "God’s love is the flower – mercy the fruit" (Diary, 948).

Thank you for your generous and prayerful support of Fr. Darek’s efforts in the Philippines!

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