Church guide

Today, some of the Novices visited St. Matthew’s Cathedral in downtown Washington, D.C. For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to see this beautiful Church, here are some photos! God bless you all.

Congratulations to our new Novice, Fr. James Devine! He entered the Novitiate on February 1 at the Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA. Please keep him and the rest of the novices in your prayers as they continue to follow the Lord through the guidance of the Immaculate Conception.

The Novices had a great time exploring some amazing light displays nearby! We hope and pray that everyone is enjoying their Octave of Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all from the Marian Novices!

This weekend was filled with many blessings! Yesterday night, the Novices spent the evening with a good friend of the Marians, Teresa. She invited us over for dinner and made a wonderful spread of food! Nick's parents were also able to come for the weekend, visiting all the way from New Mexico! Thank you Mary, and thank you God for faith, fellowship, and communion with friends and family.

Yesterday the novices were grateful to have Fr. Gerry, one of our priests visiting from Alaska, give a class on the history of the Marians in the United States. Thank you Fr. Gerry for your vocation and may God continue to sustain you and bless you in the years to come!

Yesterday evening, the novices visited Steve Castellano's home parish, St. John Neumann Catholic Church, to attend a vocations meeting. We were grateful to God to give our own personal witness in our vocational journey and share the ways that God has worked in our lives. Thank you St. John Neumann for the prayers you pray for men and women in formation and all religious!

Yesterday, the Novices were blessed to go to the Pentagon and get a tour from our dear friend, Teresa Flahive. We specifically saw the 4 Star General of the U.S. Army's office but were able to see other sections of the Pentagon as well. We also met Michelle Talley, the General's secretary, who showed us around his office. Thank you, Michelle and Teresa and may God continue to bless you and your families!

Happy 28th week in Ordinary Time! If you send us your prayer intentions, we will be offering a holy hour for your personal requests and will be praying for you by name. God bless you all and have a wonderful week!

Good morning and happy Sunday! As we did last week, we would invite you all to message us your prayer requests and we will be praying for them by name this week. The novices are currently in Stockbridge, MA at the Divine Mercy Shrine. On October 5th, we will be celebrating St. Faustina Day at the Shrine and will lift up all your prayers to St. Faustina. For those of you who do not know, St. Faustina is known as the "apostle of mercy" and she spread the message of the Divine Mercy as we know today. In case you are interested in learning more about the Divine Mercy message, we attached a link in this post that explains it all in detail. God bless you all! https://www.marian.org/whatwedo/whatisit.php

This year, the novices would like to give you all a gift: the gift of our prayers. Starting this weekend and every weekend we would invite you to send us a private message and share with us your special intentions and prayer requests. During the week, we will offer a holy hour for your personal intentions, by name. The Catholic Church is truly and authentically one and we are all called to be partakers in her holy community. If one of the members suffers, then the rest will suffer with them. Let us then lift each other up in prayer and service to one another. Thank you all for your prayers to us and be assured of our prayers for you.

Meet Benancio Bobadilla. Ben comes from the Diocese of Los Angeles. Although he grew up in a traditionally Catholic family, Ben and his family were not actively practicing their faith. In 2006, however, when a Spanish Catholic radio station called “Guadalupe Radio” came to LA, Ben’s mom had a conversion experience. Because she was always tuning into this radio station, Ben was exposed to the beauty and rationality of the Catholic Faith. As the Lord slowly began to tug at his heart, Ben realized that he had to leave his current lifestyle of parties and bad influences. At first, Ben found it difficult to conform himself to the ways of the Lord but through divine providence, Ben soon discovered the promises to those who are devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by going to Communion for the first Friday of nine consecutive months with the intention of making reparation to the Sacred Heart. One of the promises in this devotion is the grace of conversion. Ben thought to himself, “hot dog, this is the grace that I need!” In March of 2012, he began this devotion as well as the first five Saturdays devotion. In November, God seemed to rain down an abundance of grace and Ben was completely overturned to God. At the end of 2014, one of Ben’s friends was invited to join the Marian Missionaries of Divine Mercy. When Ben’s friend came home, he would tell him stories about the Marian Missionaries which invoked a desire for Ben to join the missionaries as well. After careful prayer and discernment, Ben felt the Lord’s call to the missionaries and he joined them in the Fall of 2017. Because their home base is down the road from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy, Ben was able to develop a relationship with the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. Before long, Ben began to discern the call to the priesthood with the Marians. He went on a ‘come and see’ retreat in December of 2017 and was accepted in the Spring of 2018. Ben began a shortened postulancy on July 3rd and entered his novitiate year on August 14th.

Meet Stephen Castellano. Steve is from the Archdiocese of Washington. Steve first received the call to seriously discern the priesthood after he graduated Mount Saint Mary’s University in 2013. He felt the Lord placing a desire on his heart for the priesthood, and that desire kept growing within him. Steve realized that the next step was to respond to this growing desire. At that point, he called the Archdiocesan vocations director to begin discernment with the Archdiocese of Washington. He attended various discernment events at the Archdiocesan seminary such as fellowship dinners and vocation retreats. While discerning with the Archdiocese, Steve received a call from the Lord to discern religious life as well. Over the course of a year, he visited three religious orders. After his last visit with these orders, Steve did not feel pulled in the direction of religious life. At that time he felt prompted by the Lord to apply for the Archdiocese of Washington where he spent two years of formation in the minor seminary in the Pre-theology program and one semester in the Theology program at the major seminary. One summer in between his studies, Steve went to the Institute for Priestly Formation, a summer program for diocesan seminarians. In the midst of plentiful time for silence and contemplation, the call to pursue religious life was reawakened within Steve’s heart. This time, however, he felt the call specifically for the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. For the next several months after receiving that initial invitation from the Lord, he discerned that call and put it to the test through prayer, spiritual direction, and visits to the Marian formation houses. After this process of discernment Steve then felt confident enough to apply to the Marians. Steve was accepted in the Spring of 2018 and began a brief postulancy on July 3rd, and started his novitiate year on August 14th.

Meet Nicholas Riccardi. Nicholas is from the Diocese of Metuchen in New Jersey. His vocational journey began in 4th grade when he made his first consecration to the Blessed Mother using the St. Louis de Montfort guide. Because his family happened to be visiting Washington D.C. at the time, Nicholas was blessed to make his consecration at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. After he consecrated himself to Mary, Nicholas began to desire a priestly vocation and expressed this desire to his family from time to time. In high school, he began to discern the priesthood for his diocese but in the waves of adolescence, he put it off for the time. Nicholas graduated on to Ave Maria University in Florida where he spent a few years studying Theology and Music. Because of the strong Catholic presence and availability of the Sacraments, Nicholas was able to deepen his faith, his devotion to Mary, and he developed a tender love for the Eucharist in Adoration. Before long and under spiritual direction, Nicholas began to discern the priesthood again. In his search, Nicholas was looking for a religious congregation that had a strong devotion to Mary and the Eucharist. The first link to come on the screen was the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. Nicholas had a feeling that his search was over. In August, 2017, Nicholas attended a ‘come and see’ retreat with the Marians and felt at peace and at home. That year, he applied and was accepted into the congregation in the Spring of 2018. Nicholas began a shortened postulancy on July 3rd and entered his novitiate year on August 14th at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy. Nicholas is forever grateful to his parents, Laura and Len, who have nurtured him in the spiritual life by their words and example and for their unfailing support during his vocational journey.

Meet Stanley Jean. Stanley was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti but grew up in Thomassique, Haiti . After attending a minor seminary in the diocese of Hinche, Stanley went to CICM (scheut), that is, the Congregation of the Immaculate Head of Mary. He studied in the CICM major seminary for five years. However, before making vows in this congregation, Stanley decided to take some time away from the congregation to discern God’s particular calling for him. In 2009, Stanley came to the U.S. and studied at the Divine Word College in Iowa for two years to learn the English language. He then moved to Boston and studied at Boston University and Boston College to continue his education. Stanley was blessed to be a part of a large Haitian community in Boston and they often made pilgrimages to the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge, MA. After several trips, Stanley became very familiar with the Marian congregation. Because he still felt a calling to the priesthood, Stanley decided to pursue his vocation with the Marians and in the fall of 2017, Stanley went on a ‘come and see’ retreat. Because of his love and devotion to Mary, and the fact that that devotion is so present within the Marian community, Stanley decided to apply. He was accepted in the Spring of 2018, began a shortened postulancy on July 3rd, and entered his novitiate year on August 14th.

Meet Stephen Murphy. Stephen comes from the Diocese of Springfield, MA but grew up in Morgantown, WV. Growing up, Stephen’s parents showed him a devotion to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Mother attending Sunday Mass and praying the rosary together as a family. By his father’s encouragement, Stephen attended Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he was first introduced to the Divine Mercy message. At Franciscan, Stephen grew even closer to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary, joining the Militia Immaculata and consecrating himself. After graduation, Stephen worked various jobs both in the secular world and in the Church while growing in his Marian and Divine Mercy devotions. From 2007-2009 he was a teacher and then missionary with a lay missionary organization. In 2016, Stephen heard about the Marian Missionaries of Divine Mercy on EWTN and later joined them in the Fall of 2017. During this time, he grew in his relationship with the Lord, the Blessed Mother, and St. Joseph while continuing his vocational discernment. After attending a vocation’s retreat with the Marians, he considered a religious/priestly calling more seriously. Through spiritual direction and encouragement from Fr. Michael Gaitley, Stephen left the missionaries in March to apply for the Marians and was accepted in the Spring of 2018. Stephen began a shortened postulancy on July 3rd and entered the novitiate year on August 14th. Stephen owes a huge debt of gratitude to the Lord and His infinite love and mercy and for the intercession and tender love of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.

Meet Nick Medley. Nick comes from the diocese of Santa Fe in New Mexico. Nick is an alumni of Franciscan University, where he first encountered the Marians through various talks and conferences by Fr. Donald Calloway and Fr. Michael Gaitley. He was immediately struck by the Marian’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and their zeal for spreading the Divine Mercy message. After college, Nick looked into various religious communities but ended his search when he went on a ‘come and see’ retreat with the Marians in the spring of 2017. During this retreat, Nick had his “aha!” moment when he fell asleep in front of the Blessed Sacrament. After this peaceful experience, Nick knew that there was something special in the Marian community and spent that year in the application process. Nick was accepted into the congregation in the spring of 2018, began a shortened postulancy on July 3rd, and entered the novitiate on August 14th.

Over the next week, we would like to formally introduce you all to the novices. We will post a picture and short biography so that you can get to know them more and put their stories to their faces. So, without further ado, meet Fr. Fidele Malanga. Fr. Fidele is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, and was ordained to the diocesan priesthood on August 10th, 1986. After a few years of ministry in his diocese, Fr. Fidele received permission from his Bishop to come to America. Fr. Fidele journeyed to Washington D.C. in 2007 and since then, he has been assigned to various ministries in many places such as the Newman Center at Howard University as a chaplain and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception as a confessor. In June, 2017, Fr. Fidele came across the motto of the Marian Coat of Arms, “pro Christo et Ecclesia,” which translates, “for Christ and the Church.” He said to himself, “this is the way to go to clarify the world’s current state of confusion.” The Marian motto was a source of reflection for Fr. Fidele and he desired to know more about the Marian congregation. Providentially, on August 17th of 2017, Fr. Fidele happened to meet the Vicar General of the Marians, Fr. Joseph Roesch. He told Fr. Joe that he wanted to join the Marian congregation and before long, he went on a ‘come and see’ retreat at the Marian house in Steubenville, OH. When Fr. Fidele contacted his bishop in the Congo for permission to join a religious congregation, his bishop was delighted and gave his blessing. Fr. Fidele was soon accepted into the Marian congregation and began a shortened postulancy on July 3rd. On August 14th, he entered the novitiate and he is thankful to God who led him here and the entire Marian community who welcomed him so graciously into this Marian province.

On September 3rd, Father General came to the Washington D.C. house for the general visitation, concluding on September 7th. The D.C. priests, seminarians, and novices were incredibly blessed to have this time with him. Father General also gave all the men a rosary from Rome!

Dear friends, On August 14th, the Marians received seven new novices and were received at the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge, MA. There is another novice, Sebastian, who is currently residing in our Steubenville house in OH. Please keep us in your prayers this year as we prepare, discern, and learn about the Marian way of life. God bless you all!

We would like to greet our Novice Master, FatherJim McCormack a very happy and blessed birthday 🙂 We will forever be thankful for his kindness, his sincere fatherly love for each of us, and for all he has taught us about being a true and Holy Marian. We hope and pray that Jesus the Divine Mercy will continue to bless him and strengthen him as a priest and spiritual Father for men in formation. May Mary Immaculate perpetually cover you with her Mantle, Father Jim!❤️🙏🏼