"Ask a Marian, with Fr. Joe Roesch, MIC...

"70 years of spreading Divine Mercy."


This brief snippet is adapted from Marian Helper. Winter 2010 - 2011.

www.marian.org.

"Q. Haven't the Marians been spreading The Divine Mercy message since 1941? How did they get started?"

"A. The stage was set when the Nazis started World War II by invading Poland in 1939, less than one year after St. Faustina's death.

"Then in the spring of 1940, Fr. Joseph Jarzebowski, MIC -- a Marian priest from Warsaw who had been blacklisted by the Nazi SS -- heard about the devotion to The Divine Mercy at a camp in Lithuania.

"That summer, he prayed to The Divine Mercy that he would be able to escape to America.

"Blessed Michael Sopocko, St. Faustina's spiritual director, heard of Fr. Joseph's plans, and on February 25, 1941, he gave him a Latin memorandum outlining the message and devotion to The Divine Mercy.

"Father Joseph promised to try to keep it safe and to publish it in America.

"He entrusted himself and his mission to the Merciful Savior, vowing to spread the message and devotion for the rest of his life if he safely reached the U.S."


Which he finally did in May 1941...


"Grateful for God's mercy, he began to share the message and to print materials.

"That same year, a small group of Marians in Washington, D.C., decided at a house meeting to undertake an apostolate of spreading the message and the devotion.

"The Marians began to print novena leaflets for the first time.

"Therefore, 2011 marks the 70th Anniversary Year of the Marians' spreading this message and devotion..."