The Third Order is an association of lay people integrated into the Mercedarian family, which participates in the redemptive spirit (Constitutions of the Order of the B.V.M. of Mercy, #117). Each Mercedarian community also has these lay people who commit themselves to pray and work for the Christian captives. In this article, Fr Ken, Vicar Provincial, and Fr Eugene, Novice Master, share some of the events and work done by the 3rd Order in LeRoy.
Fr Ken enjoys some fish with some friends.
“In this little town of LeRoy, NY, the third order is making a difference for the captivity of the world and the aspirations of our New Evangelization. St. Peter Nolasco’s spirit is alive in our lay organization in helping the poor, truly being a witness and a sign for those in the plight of suffering and abandonment.
Recently in this Year of Faith, we are publicly praying the Rosary for an end to immorality, abortion and Euthanasia. We conclude this Rosary on the first of the month with the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. On the 3rd Saturday of each month, we also offer after the 4:30 Vigil Mass, the Rosary and a dedicated prayer for the success of the New Evangelization.
Included in our many charitable works, are the Fish Bake we did for the benefit of the victims of Hurricane Sandy and also for liberation from human trafficking. We also have an annual sale of St. Joseph’s Bread and in the past many breakfasts and bake sales for charity especially for families without resources.
Truly as a Marian family, we continue to pray for our Country and the world so that we make inroads in combating secularization and atheism. Our charism of Mercy is not only here in LeRoy, but wherever our Mercedarian love and mercy are shown. May Our St. Peter Nolasco and Our Holy Mother of Mercy enable us to bring about a true conversion for us and for the many. ”
The following is a homily given by Fr. Matthew Phelan, O. de M. a Mercedarian Friars.It refers to the end of the Benedict XVI’s pontificate and the beginning of the conclave to elect a new Pope.
Pope Benedict XVI goes off into the sunset.
Today’s readings in the Ordinary Form of the Mass (Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Lent), as well as in the Extra-Ordinary Form (Feria Quarta infra Hebdomadam II in Quadragesima) are apropos as we enter the last hours of the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.
In the first reading, from the prophet Jeremiah (18:8-20), we hear the classic human response to the difficult prophetic word that flows from God: “Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah. It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests, nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets. And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word” (NAB). They represent the words of the denial of truth and reality. “We’ll believe what we want to believe.” “Who are YOU to tell me what to do?”
The prayer of Jeremiah — “Heed me, O LORD, and listen to what my adversaries say. Must good be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life?” (NAB) — expresses a similar sentiment to that of Esther that we hear today in the Extraordinary Form: And now, O Lord, O king, O God of Abraham, have mercy on thy people, because our enemies resolve to destroy us, and extinguish thy inheritance (Douay-Rheims).
These words ring just as true for us today.
The role of the prophet is not to tell us what we want to hear—although that can legitimately happen when we are in a state of Grace and our wills are tuned to God’s will. Rather, the role of the prophet is to tell us what we need to hear. What happens then? There are those who do not like the message. (If we are honest, we must admit that we are among them at times.) Rather than changing their ways, those who do not like the message shoot the messenger. (Pardon the use of such an expression while so many are apoplectic about the mention of firearms—but it is the expression that fits.) People want a messenger that tells them that everything is fine and dandy—even if it is not. “It makes us FEEL better.” “It doesn’t hurt our FEELINGS.” “Don’t OFFEND me.” That’s why our nation (and Western Civilization) is in such trouble. People do not want to face truth—but they want to pretend everything is fine. So, we believe those who lie to us and make us feel good.
“The Titanic is filling with water!” But some say, “She is unsinkable!” I’ll believe them. “Um…. Excuse me…. The ship is listing.” But we say, “Impossible! Unthinkable. Unsinkable.” So, we refuse to take the women and children to the lifeboats, and order another drink from the bartender.
The spirit of the world—popular culture and the media—keeps asking the question: What do you want to see in the next pope? Our answer should be—WHO CARES WHAT WE WANT!!! The proper question is—WHAT DO WE NEED? Not, what do we FEEL we need, or THINK we need, but what DO we NEED. Of course, that is a question that only God can answer to the full. What we can say, by faith is this: “No matter what—if the Pope is to be a true prophet, he should be a man of humility and courage.”
There is the old saying—He who enters the conclave as POPE, leaves it as CARDINAL. The one who desires to be pope is like the sons of Zebedee in today’s gospel (in both forms of the Mass) Matthew 20:17-28. Whether he politics himself (as they do in Mark’s gospel) or get’s someone else to do his bidding (as James and John send their mother to do in Matthew’s gospel), he is more concerned about his own glorification than in Christ’s. We have had popes like that in history, but God is in charge. Therefore, we survive. Our hope, however, is not only to survive, but to flourish. Ultimately, this is not measured merely in numbers, but in the depth of our union with God and one another.
The cup that a pope must drink is to be the same cup of the prophets and the cup of Christ himself—the cup He passed to his disciples: the cup of subversion and rejection, the cup of envy and contempt. Hence, courage is needed for the pope to be a prophet that tells us what we need to hear.
Of the four popes in my lifetime, the only pope that was not hated by the world was John Paul I. He was only pope for 33 days—so he did not have time to upset people. He smiled. But, if people followed the life and his actions of John Paul I, and delved into the beauty and truth in his literary works when he was (Albino Luciani) Patriarch of Venice, they would eventually find reason to hate him, too.
Fr Matthew Phelan, O. de M.
One might say that John XXIII was loved by the world. However, in this writer’s opinion, people loved the “caricature” of him more than the prophet that he truly was. The images created by modernists and “uber-traditionalists” do not necessarily match the reality of the man.
We have only hours left in the pontificate of a truly humble and courageous prophet. We pray for Pope Benedict and pray that God sends us another successor to Peter who has the humility and courage to tell us all what we need to hear. We pray, also, that we will not punish the messenger.
Rev. Fr. Matthew H. Phelan, O. de M. Local Superior, Monastery of Our Lady of Mercy, Philadelphia, PA
On May 23, 1980, the Holy Father received the twenty-six members of the ordinary general chapter of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Ransom, led by the Master General, Fr. Domenico Acquaro, O. de M. and by the Procurator General, Fr Bernardo Arrieta, O. de M.
Blessed John Paul II delivered the following address.
Blessed John Paul II
Beloved Brothers of the Order of Our Lady of Ransom,
With deep joy I share with you these moments of intimacy, at an informal meeting which, I trust, will serve to draw even closer the ties of affectionate communion between your institute and the Pope.
I know that you are gathered in Rome for the general chapter, to which all the religious of the Order, engaged in apostolic work in nineteen countries of different continents, are looking with such hope.
I thank you for your visit, with which you desire to manifest to me your feelings of faithful adherence to the Magisterium of the Church. I wish to take the opportunity to confirm my deep esteem for you ancient and well-deserving Order, which of for over seven and a half centuries has been doing everything in its power for the most afflicted and oppressed members of the Mystical Body of Christ.
The mission that your founder, St. Peter Nolasco, entrusted to you, in the direct work of ransom and help the prisoners, and by which all his apostolic activity in parishes, hospitals for the poor, teaching and missions was imbued, is prolonged today in a charism of service to the Faith, to project a ray of hope and to offer the assistance of Christ’s charity to all of those who find themselves subjected to new forms of captivity in our society: in prisons, in suburbs of poverty and hunger, among those addicted to drugs, in areas of materialism in which the Church is persecuted or reduced to silence, etc.
It is a vast field in which your religious spirit and the total availability opened up by the generous practice of the evangelical counsels and the profession of your fourth vow has to dedicate itself unreservedly. That will be the way to be faithful to your charism today, along the lines laid down by St. Peter Nolasco and already contained in the original constitutions of 1272.
Our Lady of Mercy
There is no doubt that your vocation calls you to a demanding ecclesial commitment. In order to keep this dedication alive, you must be souls of deep interior life and renew your strength in contact with the Model of all perfection: Christ Jesus, the Good Shepherd and Savior. Therefore, I repeat to you: “Your houses must be above all centers of prayer, meditation and dialogue—individual and communitarian—with Him who is and must be the first and principal interlocutor in the laborious succession of the hours of every day” (Address to Religious Superiors General, November 24, 1978). In this sublime school the religious will quench his thirst for God, which must be a characteristic of his life (cf. Ps. 63:1-2), and will be filled with that great love that gives a new meaning to his own existence (cf. Redemptor Hominis, no. 10).
Speaking to religious whose founder placed such importance on devotion to the Mother of God and ours, I cannot but exhort you to maintain and deepen this great Marian love which is a characteristic note of your Order. Take from the “Mother of mercy” and “Consolation of the afflicted” an example and inspiration at every moment. She will guide you to her Son and will teach you the value of every soul, on whom to lavish zealously the care of your ministry.
Encouraging you in your resolutions, I repeat to you my confidence; I pray for you and I impart my special blessing to each one of the members of your Order.
Josh LaPorte is a Postulant in Order. Here he answers questions about his childhood and vocation:
1) Tell us about your background? Where are you from? Where did you go to school?
Josh receives the shield of the Order.
I was born on July 18, 1989 in Suburban Detroit, in Sterling Heights, MI at Mt. Clemens General Hospital. I was adopted at birth. I grew up in the Sterling Heights area for the majority of my childhood until I was six years old when we moved to Rochester Hills, MI. We remained there for the rest of my life. We also have a vacation house in the north of Michigan.
My Father is a Certified Public Accountant working as a managing partner at an international firm called UHY advisors. He has been working there since college. My mother was and is still a homemaker. Prior to her being a homemaker, she was a practicing Psychologist.
I discovered my love for music when I was three and a half years old. It was then that I picked up my first violin and begin studies in music. I would find lots of success in that field of study, and pick up more instruments along the way, like percussion (drums, cymbals, etc.). I would study these privately until the age of 17.
I entered Montessori when I was five in September 1994 at Kensington Academy. I would make my first communion in April of 1998. I left Kensington Academy after completing the third grade in 1999. I would then continue studies at a private fine and liberal arts school in Auburn Hills, Michigan called Oakland Steiner where I would complete the rest of elementary and middle school. After that, I would be homeschooled for my freshman year of high school, and then complete the rest of my high school career at St. Mary’s Preparatory.
St Mary’s Prep School is strong Catholic Institution where I would begin discerning my vocation or exploring the possibilities of a vocation. We attended Mass in high school twice a week, and sometimes three times a week if it was a holy day of obligation. I would graduate there St Mary Preparatory School in May 2008. My crowning achievement was winning the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award.
After high school I started studies in philosophy at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Downtown Detroit. I remained there for 4 years until I finished discerning my call and entered the Mercedarian Friars.
2) When did you first start thinking about religious life and/or priesthood?
I started thinking of a vocation when I was a junior in High School during Mass.
The Shield was given to the Order by King James I 800 years ago.
3) How did you come to know about the Order of the BVM of Mercy? What drew you to this community?
I came to know about the Order of the BVM of Mercy and plenty of other orders through Vocation Placement Services on the internet. I was drawn to this community because of the way they live religious life and the Charism of order itself. The Mercedarians redeem those who are in captivity at risk of losing their faith.
4) Now that you are a postulant what is your favorite part of the Religious Life?
I enjoy as a postulant the community prayers, the common meal, and recreation time.
In the early morning on Sunday, January 6th one of the oldest friars in the US Vicariate passed on to the next life. Br Richard was laid to rest on Friday, January 11th after 44 years in Vows. REQUIESCAT IN PACE
Br. Richard Henry, O. de M.
BR. RICHARD HENRY, Ode.M was born May 6, 1932 in Brockville, Ontario, Canada. He was the beloved son of the late Hugh and Viola and step son of the late Helen Henry. The loving brother of the late Robert, twin Patricia and step brother of Gail Davis and Neil Pottruff. Br Richard was the dear uncle and friend of many. He was a U. S. Air Force Veteran who served 15 years in Special Services.
In 1967, Br Richard entered the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, The Mercederian Friars. On August 10th, 1969 he made his first profession of Simple Vows. Br Richard served in several apostolic assignments during his 44 years of religious life including: St. peter’s Church, LeRoy, New York: St. Barnabas, Brewers Mills, Ontario, Canada; Genesee College, Batavio, New York; Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Rocco Church, Cleveland, Ohio.
During his final years, Br. Richard suffered from a type of leukemia that slowly brought him to our Lord. In the suffering of his illness, he was an example of strength in the faith. Br Richard’s religious consecration has been a testimony of perseverance and we pray that our Lady of Mercy accompany him in his encounter with the Redeeming Christ.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Rocco Church, 3205 Fulton Road, Cleveland, OH 44109 on Friday January 11, 2013 at 10:30 AM. The Main Celebrant was Bishop A. James Quinn. The interment was at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Those who remember Br Richard have stated the following:
“I meet Brother Henry as a student at Eckerd College where he served as chaplain. He encouraged me to become more active in my faith and participate in the Student Mass on campus. Every year I could expect a kind card or phone call and it always came when I could use his encouragement the most. I am glad I got to talk to Brother Henry one last time this Christmas. Rest in God’s Peace Brother”–Brendan Kirkpatrick – Medford, MA Jan 11, 2013
“Brother Henry was a gentle and joyful presence at Eckerd College for many years. He was more concerned for others than for himself. He brought warmth and light into any room he entered. He was an example and inspiration, and is very much missed.”–Diane Elmore Listort – St. Petersburg, FL – Colleague at Eckerd College
“I’ll always remember his humor and the great lessons that would make the learning of our faith come alive! He was a true inspiration of faith. He taught me to serve at the altar and in the community. Thanks for all that you’ve done for all of us!” ~Opie—Richard Smith – Euclid, OH – Friend/Student Jan 10, 2013
“Brother Richard Henry was a dear friend and colleague who was beloved by all at Eckerd College–students, faculty, and staff. A person of deep faith and devotion to others, he truly was a sacrament of God’s presence on our campus for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. He was sorely missed when he retired from Campus Ministry at Eckerd after nearly a decade of service. His “signature” parting greeting, uttered at the end of every telephone conversation and meeting, was “Be good to yourself.” It was that sentiment of gentle and loving care for others that imbued every aspect of his life and ministry. The Eckerd College community mourns the loss and celebrates the life of our extraordinary friend, Brother Richard Henry.”–James J. Annarelli, Ph.D. – St. Petersburg, FL – Friend & colleague at Eckerd Jan 09, 2013
“Brother Richard was a good friend. He was encouraging and always showed you the brighter side of life. His deep devotion to our Lord and to Our Lady of Mercy was an inspiration to me. I will not forget what a blessing he was to my family and me.”–Dominic Tortelli – Cleveland, OH – friend Jan 08, 2013
The Mercedarian Friars and Sisters joined thousands of University Students at the FOCUS conference in Orlando, Florida January 2nd-6th. Here is an explanation of this event and the important work of FOCUS:
Sr Ana prays before the Blessed Sacrament.
Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) is a flourishing new organization dedicated to re-evangelize America’s college campuses. Fourteen years ago, the movement began with the simple purpose of inviting college students into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. Inspiring and equipping them for a lifetime of Christ-centered evangelization, discipleship, and friendship in which they lead others to do the same.
Like the Early Church, the FOCUS movement seeks plant “the mustard seed” of faith throughout the United States. Beginning with our nation’s future leaders, FOCUS sends teams of young, trained missionaries to the college campus in order to reach students with the gospel. In partnership with the university parish and/or Newman Center, FOCUS missionaries host large group outreach events, weekly Bible studies and offer one-on-one mentoring with student leaders. These FOCUS missionaries are now found in 74 campuses throughout the United States
Every two years, FOCUS has a natural conference, which inspires thousands of youth through dynamic orthodox talks, fellowship, and a strong emphasis on the Sacraments. This year’s conference is called “SEEK”. Over 6 thousand Catholic College students travel thousands of miles to Orlando, Florida in search of that which is “true, beautiful, and good”. They were not disappointed as they came face to face with Christ through Catholic orthodox teaching, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacraments.
Sr Rosaria, SOLM with our display.
The Mercedarian Friars and Sisters attended the conference for the first time this January. They were edified by the enormous number of students and their openness to the Gospel message. This message included several talks on such counter-cultural topics as: chastity before marriage, Pro-life activism, combating relativism, respecting the dignity of women, and the deadly effects of sin on the soul.
The highlight of the weekend was on Friday night. On this evening, Fr. Michael Keating, a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, confronted the students with the deadly effects of sin on the soul and the need for conversion. The students were encouraged to adore the Most Blessed Sacrament and make a complete examination of conscience. They then were given the opportunity to receive God’s Mercy through the Sacrament of Confession. There 125 priests available to hear the confessions of thousands of students. The power of God’s grace was present as over 5 thousand students went to confession and received the Lord’s unfathomable mercy. With joy, the priests heard confessions for over 4 hours into the early morning on Saturday!
Fr Joseph hangs out with some hobbits at the Conference.
In these times when we can get discouraged with the increasing secularization of America, it is great to know that God is working powerfully through such groups as FOCUS. May the Lord continue to bless this organization, which seeks to evangelize the youth and bring them into an authentic relationship with their Savior Jesus Christ and His Body the Church!
Fr Richard Rasch, O. de M. has been blessed to serve the Order in a variety of capacities from Prision Ministry to Pastor to Vicar Provincial. Here Fr Richard answers some question about his vocation story:
Fr Richard Rasch, O. de M.
So, Father Richard, could you tell us a little about your family?
I grew up in a Middle class family. My father was Lutheran. My mother was Catholic. Many times we would go to Lutheran Services at 8am & Catholic Mass at 12noon. Both of my parents were very faithful and devoted to church. They gave good example to us in living Christianity in their daily lives.
When did you first consider Religious life and/or Priesthood?
I think the first time I thought about it was in High school. I always had the desire to go to Catholic High School, but my Father could not see spending the extra money. So I went to a public school all my life. After that I went to community college for two years. After saving some money, I was able to enroll in a Catholic College, Niagara University, to complete my bachelor’s degree.
How did you first discover the Mercedarian Friars?
I first knew Mercedarian from Niagara University. There were several friars attending the University. At that time the Order had a house near Niagara Falls on College Avenue. Different times I would stop by to pray with the community while I was in college.
What are some of positions that you have held in community and how have you served the Order over the years?
I have been in a variety of capacities from taking care of youth to prison chaplaincy, to hospital chaplaincy, to being pastor, to superior, and, also, Vicar Provincial. I was Vicar Provincial of the United States Vicariate for 4 terms (12 years).
Fr Eugene, Fr Tim, and Fr Richard chat inbetween meetings.
What have been your greatest joys in Religious Life?
One of my greatest joys is preparing people to die. One of the hospitals that I was chaplain at was mostly cancer patients. I got to know the patients and their families’ real well. I ended up doing many of the funerals of these patients as well. Just being there with them and going through those difficult times was powerful. There are people that still keep in touch with me even now years later. I had their mothers or fathers funerals and they still remember me. They send Christmas cards each year. It amazes me. This is one of my greatest joys.
Another great joy is taking care of community service workers (those assigned by the courts, in lieu of, or in addition to, other criminal justice sanctions). My background is in a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Criminal Justice. I have worked for several years as a Prison Chaplain. To me the prison and hospital suited me better personality wise and ministry wise.
Do you have any suggestions for those young men who are starting to begin to think about being religious and/or a priest?
The Holy Spirit will direct you where He wants you. Be patient with yourself and be patient with the community. The grace of God is there with you to guide you.
St. Peter Paschal or Paschasius was born at Valencia, Spain. When he grew up in years he embraced the ecclesiastical state, which he adorned by his many virtues. St. Peter left his post in 1250 to join the Order of Mercy and he received the habit in the Valencia Cathedral at the hands of Arnaldo of Carcassonne.
St Peter was one of the first theologians to say Mary was Immaculately Conceived.
His learning and his piety pointed him out as a worthy successor to the Bishop of Jaen, who had a short time previously been called to receive the reward of his labours ; and from the first moment of his promotion to that see he became renowned for his zeal in the redemption of the Christian slaves who were captured by the Moors, and for the conversion of the infidels. So powerful were his words that many of the Mussul mans renounced their errors to embrace the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
The followers of Mahomet were filled with anger when they heard of these things, and while the Bishop was on a visit to Grenada they seized him and cast him into prison. The faithful of Jaen learning that their beloved pastor had been reduced to slavery by these wicked men, collected a considerable sum of money and sent it to the Bishop, that he might thus procure his deliverance. The Saint received their gift with gratitude, but instead of spending it for his own ransom he employed it to procure the freedom of many women and children, whose weakness gave him cause to fear that they might not remain steadfast in the profession of their Religion.
St. Peter continued, therefore, to be a prisoner, and was treated with great cruelty by the infidels because of their hatred for the Christian name. One privilege they, strange to say, granted him that of offering up daily the. Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
One morning during his long imprisonment, when he had made his preparation for saying Mass, during which he had used the discipline to mortify himself in order to obtain from God strength and perseverance for his poor Christian slaves who were so inhumanly treated, he was disappointed at finding no one present to serve it. He went towards the door which led into the prison, to see if there was anyone near who could come to assist him. At that moment Jesus Christ Himself appeared to him under the appearance of a little boy of four or five years of age, clad in the poor garments of a slave, and asked him of what he was in search. “My dear child” replied the Saint, “I am looking for someone who may be able to serve Mass.” “I will gladly do that, my Father, if you will only accept of me.” The Saint, who had never before seen the child, asked him who he was. “I will tell you who I am when you have finished Mass.”
St. Peter Paschal then offered up the Holy Sacrifice with a feeling of great devotion, such as he had never before experienced ; and when he had finished his prayers of thanksgiving he asked the little boy several questions concerning the truths of our holy Faith, to all of which the child gave answers so full of wisdom that the holy man gazed upon him in wonder. Finally he put to him this question : “Tell me, my child, who is Jesus Christ ?” The little boy answered : “I am Jesus Christ ; it is I Who was crucified for your salvation, and for that of the whole world ; look at My hands, and My feet, and My side, and you will recognize the wounds I received during My Passion. Because you have of your own choice remained prisoner, in order that you might procure the freedom of my captive children, and because, to obtain their freedom, you spent the money sent to you to procure your own, you have made Me your prisoner.” Having said these words, the little boy suddenly disappeared, leaving the Saint filled with exceeding great joy.
The Mahometans, revering the sanctity of their prisoner, resolved to grant him his liberty if only he would promise never to write or to say anything against the law of Mahomet. The Saint, desiring to obey God rather than man, refused to agree to this, and continued, as he had always done, to write and to preach against it. The Moors became exceedingly angry, and beheaded him as he knelt at the altar making his thanksgiving after Mass. This took place on the sixth day of January in theyear 1300. vies dcs Saints, Petits Boll., xii. 55
Fr. James Chia, O. de M. has been assigned to the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle in St. Petersburg, FL. There he will be the Assistant Pastor. The Newly Ordained will be kept busy administering the Sacraments, visiting the sick, preparing couples for marriage, teaching catechism, and a variety of other pastoral tasks. Here are some pictures from Fr James’ Mass of Thanksgiving in St. Petersburg:
On November 24th, Deacon James Chia was Ordained to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. The liturgy took place at St. Ignatius Parish in Yardley, Pa. Present were friars, family and friends of Fr James. Here are some pictures from the weekend:
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A passionate Italian-born priest of an ancient men’s religious order with a presence in the United States explains how he entered the Mercedarian order.
A new video by the Mercedarian Fathers and Brothers talks about the Order of Mercy’s ongoing mission of rescuing Christians from various forms of captivity.
The 1950’s debuted rock and roll, pop art, and booming sales of television. That was part of the cultural scene in America. But what was going on in religious orders? And in Spain, especially with such men’s orders as the Mercedarian Friars?
The Spaniards endured a bitter civil war that lasted from 1936 to 1939. The official history of the Mercedarians, or Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, states that, “A collusion of liberals, socialists, Marxists and masons imposed the 1931 Constitution which was nothing less than a frontal attack against the Church and religious orders.”
In fact, 19 Mercedarian Friars who died during the war were named martyrs by the Vatican in 2011. The Nationalist force, however, led by General Francisco Franco, was eventually victorious, and now Christians were finally free to practice their faith.
Video Offers Glimpse
A black and white video – in Spanish naturally – that was filmed in 1951 by the Mercedarians has been made public by the Order recently. (See all of our videos on YouTube.) Although the clip sidesteps the recent civil strife — no doubt as to avoid bitter memories — it relates the noble calling of Mercedarian men that began centuries ago in this country.
With stirring music, it shows everyday community life: the celebration of the old Latin Mass, eager young friars studying subjects both ancient and new, chores, praying in choir, recreation, and the beautiful architecture of their monastery.
The video features Mercedarian seminarians in class.
The video discusses the Order’s foundation, the early martyrdom of its members, and life within their huge and ancient monastery. Only eleven minutes long, and clearly made to attract new vocations, it shows young men in clean white habits not only praying and studying, but sewing, reading the newspaper, playing handball against a wall, washing clothes in an outdoor cistern, and enjoying a lively game of ping pong.
“We don’t wash clothes in outdoor cisterns any more — at least in the U.S.,” joked Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M., vocation director of the U.S. province. “But the noble history of the Mercedarians, the devotion to communal prayer, and the spirit of fraternity among the friars is the same.”
At Work, Prayer, and Rest
In the video, two friars play chess while another, older friar is seen leaning back in his garden seat, apparently in quiet sleep with a prayer book in his lap. A group of friars say common prayers in an outdoor garden while one man reads the Hail, Holy Queen in Spanish. In another dramatic scene against the backdrop of the monastery’s tall arches and towers, hooded friars carry long, lit candles down a stairway and enter the chapel for a ceremony in which they receive a blessing from a priest shaking the aspergillum, a tool used to sprinkle holy water.
Mercedarian friars receive a blessing during the Saturday Salve.
The Saturday Mass and the Salve
This is the Saturday Mass of Saint Mary, along with the singing of the Salve in her honor, and it is a beautiful custom. It is a fact that in 1307, Galcerán de Miralles donated three pounds of wax to the church of Santa María de Bell-lloch so that, every Saturday, it would have lighted candles during the celebration of the Mass of the Virgin and the singing of the Salve.
“The friars in the video are taking part in one of the oldest rituals of our Order, ‘the Saturday Salve,’” Fr. Joseph said. “This beautiful rite, which we still do today, was started by our founder, St. Peter Nolasco to give honor to Mary on her day, Saturday. This immemorial Marian custom was also performed in thanksgiving when the redeemers returned with the redeemed Christian Captives.”
Singing with great gusto
At the end of the video, one priest walks down the hallway shaking the aspergillum, with holy water, at the doors as a good night blessing for the men.
Active in Four States
The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy is active in Pennsylvania, New York, Florida and Ohio in the United States, with its U.S. headquarters in Philadelphia. Active in twenty-two countries, it was founded in 1218 in Spain to support the work of ransoming Christian captives from the Saracens. The Mercedarians take a “Fourth Vow” — to give one’s life for someone in danger of losing their Christian faith.
Included in our many charitable works, are the Fish Bake we did for the benefit of the victims of Hurricane Sandy and also for liberation from human trafficking. We also have an annual sale of St. Joseph’s Bread and in the past many breakfasts and bake sales for charity especially for families without resources.
