Marian Helper Fall 2012

32 M arian H elper • F all 2012 •  www.marian.org A s aMarian Helper and Knight of Malta, I am the vol- unteer publisher of a newsletter offering Catholic spirituality to the incarcerated. My experience as a volunteer in Catholic prison min- istry has allowed me to witness a whole new understanding of the Lord’s mercy upon us sinners. After all, Jesus did say, “I came not to call the righ- teous, but sinners” (Mk 2:17). One of the most Spirit-filled experiences of my life has been attending Holy Mass and prayer services behind the walls of prisons with fellow Catholics and others seeking to draw closer to God. My first such experience was in a medium-security setting with 60 men. While the prayers were the same ones I had heard weekly at my home parish, the feeling was very different. They ardently sought the mercy of the Lord, and their desire was clear. Many such souls genuinely struggle with shame and low self-regard as a result of the damage that they have caused to their victims and their own families. The role of Catholic prison ministry is to help assure these men and women that God’s love and mercy is readily available to them. I have brought others who have shared their own witness of the wonder of mercy felt by all who attended. So I encourage you to support your diocesan prison ministry. More than one prisoner has told me, “Thank you for coming out today. It’s comforting that someone knows we are alive in here — and actually cares.” Such a “ministry of pres- ence” itself becomes a sign of God’s mercy t o the prisoners who attend. I spend most of my time “on the road” trying to spread the message of Divine Mercy. I’m joined by two Marian semi- narians. We travel to parishes to give retreats and all-day workshops. Our mission is to instruct others so that they can live the message and share it with others. One of the parishes to which we were invited was a recent merger of three parishes. Because of disunity, they had lost three pastors in three years. The present pastor was ready to resign as well, but he hoped The Divine Mercy message and devotion might have a positive effect on his parish. Before we spoke, we were welcomed with a meal, and we each sat with a different group of people. Then, we gave our two-hour presentation on the message and devotion and prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. I ended by blessing the parishioners with the relic of St. Faustina. When I finally arrived at the reception hall, the pastor warmly greeted me and said, “It really worked!” For the first time in three years, people were relaxed and friendly, talking casually with each other without regard to old parish bound- aries. Before that night, he said, people from each of the former parishes would not mingle with those from the other two former parishes. For the first time, he saw people from parish “C” initiate something. They were suggesting how to make Divine Mercy part of parish out- reach. He saw people from both parish “A” and “B” agreeing with those suggestions. It marked a new beginning for that parish. It’s encouraging for the seminarians and me to witness such miracles of mercy on our travels. Us Between by a Marian and a Helper Mercy in my life Fr. Dan Marian Fr. Dan Cambra, MIC, is the director of the Marian Evangelization Team. He has been with the Congregation of Marian Fathers since 1982. “People were ... talking casually with each other without regard to old parish boundaries.” The prisoners “ardently sought the mercy of the Lord”. Steven G. Caron, KM, is a CPA financial advisor from the Boston area. He is the publisher of The Serving Brother newsletter of the Order of Malta. Steven Marian Helper See the Marian Fathers’ vocation video at marian.org/vocationvideo. ‘How I heard the call’ Write:  Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, Vocation Director Marians of the Immaculate Conception 515 Belleview Blvd., Steubenville, OH 43952 Fr. Donald invites you to attend a “VOCATION RETREAT” at the Marian House of Studies in Steubenville, Ohio. The next retreats will be on: Oct. 5-7, Nov. 2-4, Dec.14-16 E-mail: [email protected] Call toll free: 1-877-261-8806 Website: marian.org/vocations Want to know more about a religious vocation as a Marian? When considering the Marian Congregation, I went on a vocation retreat in September 2007. At the retreat, I received graces that showed our Lord and Our Lady were drawing me to join the Marians. This included that it fell on the weekend before the beatification of the Founder of the Marians, Blessed Stanislaus Papczynski. Further, I received graces of confirmation that God was leading me to be a Marian during my first retreat after entering the postulancy. This conviction has grown stronger through the years. Now, I have professed my perpetual vows, and I am convinced that God has called me to serve Him as a Marian. Three reasons I joined the Marians are: 3 Love of Mary Immaculate 3 Offering prayers and sacrifices for the souls in purgatory 3 The mission of promoting The Divine Mercy. — Brother Matthew Holladay, MIC Go to Index