Marian Helper • Fall 2022 • Marian.org 23 books on business, conflict resolution, and organization. Nevertheless, I accepted the position, hoping to learn much and to serve well. Closer to God Arriving in late May, I was soon trained in the basic responsibilities of the Prayerline by the departing supervisor. When he left in June, however, I relied on my three staff members — Barbara, Miriam, and Br. Paul, OLA — to inform me of tasks and events that arose during the year. Each one contributes unique gifts and skills to the Prayerline, and all three have been very helpful and patient with me. The mission of the Divine Mercy Intercessory Prayerline is to lead others closer to God by our prayers, bringing them and their intentions to Him so that He can answer them in accordance with His holy will. Practically, this means that we receive calls from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (EST), and pray with each caller on the line. We pray with people for all kinds of prayer requests. Many times, people bring us their ordinary concerns for family, friends, healing, conversion of sinners, or the repose of a loved one’s soul. Major public concerns are also reflected in our callers’ intentions: COVID-19; war and suffering in Ukraine; countless fallen-away Catholics; violence in our cities and schools; abortion; the safety of public officials and their conversion. We receive calls from people struggling with mental illness, depression, guilt, loneliness, and even (rarely) suicidal thoughts. Answered prayers We also receive calls of praise and thanksgiving for answered prayers — some that appear to be genuine miracles. A woman who had surgery to remove part of her pancreatic cancer suddenly learned that it was entirely gone. A man who suffered serious trauma during brain surgery recovered enough to be re-hired by his former employer a few years after the surgery. Another man with a heart transplant lived for 16 years afterward — the longest known survivor of such a transplant — and his family credited it to faithfully praying the Chaplet. A baby whose intestines were growing outside him, for whom the doctors recommended an abortion, was born in perfect health. And a couple suffering infertility for 13 years, and considering the problematic in vitro option, called to thank God for giving them a son by natural conception. Every day, we have callers thank us for praying with them— some, indeed, see the Prayerline as a kind of lifeline connecting them to God. We try not to form personal attachments to callers —we are primarily ministers, not simple friends, and so we refer all thanks and glory to God fromWhom all good things come. We’ve also had some surprise calls. On one volunteer’s first day, a woman called to pray that a friend, just passed away, would be “raised from the dead”! The volunteer didn’t feel ready for this, and asked if I would take the call. After I spoke to the woman for a moment about her intention, I realized that she was not trying to force God’s hand, but genuinely believed He could do the miracle, so we prayed together. (I never found out the result of that one.) In addition to answering prayer requests, the Prayerline takes care of the Our Lady of Mercy Oratory and Candle Shrine. We prepare for the 11 a.m. weekday Masses and keep a supply of free pamphlets on Mary, Divine Mercy, and St. Joseph just outside the Oratory. The candle shrine contains over 2,500 seven-day candles, and we receive an average of 2,200 candle requests (by mail or online) per week. We light candles every Thursday. Work of Mercy Once I had learned my basic responsibilities, I quickly made them into daily or weekly routines, so that I could focus on larger priorities. The day is never long enough to get everything done, but there’s always time to work toward the most important goals. My first goal as supervisor of the Prayerline was to deepen my own prayer life so as to be a more effective intercessor and helper for my staff. I was happy to learn, then, that the Oratory held Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from our 11 a.m. Mass until 4 p.m., and that I was expected to take an hour each day. I thank God every day for the Prayerline, and for the privilege He has given me in serving our mission, our intercessors, and all those who request prayers. We practice constantly the seventh spiritual work of mercy— “To pray for the living and the dead” —and this is a natural outgrowth of the Marians’ commitment to Divine Mercy. The Prayerline receives phone calls (1-800-804-3823), voicemails, emails (Marian.org/prayerline), snail mail —more than 10,000 calls monthly, but staff are committed to pray with each one individually.
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