Marian Helper • Winter 2025-26 • Marian.org 11 You’re one of 500,000 subscribers and as many as 2 million viewers of the Marian Fathers’ YouTube channel, Divine Mercy Official. You love the “Explaining the Faith” talks by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC; the daily Mass, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and Rosary; our weekly EWTN program, “Living Divine Mercy”; and a wide array of premium content from the Marian Fathers. But you loathe — and often find offensive — those advertisements that start at the beginning or pop up in the middle of a video, forcing you to wait patiently until you can hit “skip.” You’re not alone. But did you know you can watch the same content, at the same time, completely ad-free? You can — it’s all on the Marian Fathers’ streaming website, DivineMercyPlus.org. About those ads First, about those YouTube ads. Did you know the Marian Fathers have no control over those ads? It’s part and parcel of being on the world’s largest video platform, and now second-largest search engine after Google. “A few years ago, YouTube instituted a policy which puts ads on videos as they see fit, which is unfortunate because now everybody gets ads,” explains Zeke Chichester, financial and marketing analyst. “And, the ad choices are based on Google and other browsing histories, so people will get randomly weird ads based on their own browsing choices. Unfortunately, we have no control over that.” But you do! By switching over from YouTube to DivineMercyPlus.org, you can have uninterrupted viewing. There’s also a DivineMercyPlus app for your cellphone or smart TV. Unlike other streaming platforms, there is no subscription fee. By creating a free account, you can view all of the content from our YouTube channel and create your own watch list and playlist. “Our goal is to have the videos freely available for anyone to watch,” Zeke says. There’s also exclusive programming which only appears on DivineMercyPlus.org, a bonus to viewers. “Gospel Picnic,” for example, hosted by Fr. Andy Davy, MIC, introduces children to the Sunday Gospel reading, with a mix of storytelling and humor. “The main reason ‘Gospel Picnic” is exclusively on DivineMercyPlus.org is to shield young viewers from those YouTube ads,” notes Stacey Box, executive producer. “Parents appreciate this, and the program is growing its audience every week.” “Mercy Moments Bible Study” with Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC, is another exclusive program. With more than 100 episodes to date, these five-minute videos, arranged by themes like trust, mercy, and Mary, are ideal for Catholics looking for short-form reflections on biblical passages. “Whether you want a deep dive into theology, a documentary, or something the whole family can watch, it’s all right there, easy to find, and centered on the message of God’s mercy,” adds Stacey. As the heading on DivineMercyPlus.org states, “Discover free Catholic content, expand and enrich your faith, share with others.” Amen! Enjoy streaming! Download the DivineMercyPlus app for your phone or TV on Apple, Google, and Amazon, or visit DivineMercyPlus.org/app. Divine Mercy Plus: Ad-free and lots to see! By Julia Rose DivineMercyPlus.org allows you to watch, ad-free, “Gospel Picnic” every Wednesday and a new Advent series, premiering Dec. 4.
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