“Spiritual But Not Religious”? What a Cop-Out!
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If you’re on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville on a sunny afternoon, you might see a few men clothed in white, horsing around for a photo op with the giant alligator statue that is the school’s mascot.
They would be the friars of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy - known more simply as the Order of Mercy.
Their youthfulness and joie de vivre point to new birth in a men’s religious order that saw itself almost disappear following the cultural upheaval of the 1960s. In 1970, there were only five members of this order in the United States. Today there are 24. Their latest addition has been that of Br. Peter Pottorff, who made his first profession of vows last August.
“Although our order has been around for eight hundred years, and in the United States for about a hundred, we were almost wiped off the map in this country,” said Fr. Daniel Bowen, O. de M., the order’s vocation director.
“God had other plans,” he added. We now have a lot of youth and vitality, and we expect even more growth.”
I met the community several years ago in Philadelphia when I was invited to give a series of lectures on social media. (Full disclosure: The Order of Mercy is a client of my business at VocationPromotion.com.) This group of friars is a chummy one, with both young and old. I found them to be both light-hearted and devout. Something that you don’t always find in a religious group.
One friar, Fr. Tony, was an older priest whose lyrical accent betrayed his Italian birthplace. He always had a smile on his face. I also shared my own faith experience with a man who was full of zeal and studying for the priesthood. And chanting the Divine Office with the men in their chapel was a special experience. I felt at home. A well-rounded group overall.
The order’s charism, or guiding spirit, is to redeem Christians whose faith is in danger of being lost. The order was founded by St. Peter Nolasco, who grew up in a merchant family and witnessed the plight of his fellow Christians who were taken captive by pirates and made into slaves.
“St. Peter Nolasco, our founder, would collect money to redeem Christians held as captives in Muslim countries,” Fr. Daniel said. “That took a lot of guts, you’ll have to admit. Today, we rescue Christians from modern forms of captivity, such as social, political, and psychological forms which place their faith in danger.”
Men of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy take a special fourth vow. In addition to the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, members pledge to give up their own selves for others whose faith is in danger. Their motto is “my life for your freedom.”
Today, the friars work in jails, marginal neighborhoods, among addicts, and in hospitals. In the United States, the Order of Mercy also gives special emphasis to preserving the faith of families through education and parish work. They now serve in the dioceses of Cleveland, Buffalo, Philadelphia and St. Petersburg, FL.
Read more about the Order of Mercy’s charism on their website, or visit their Facebook page. See the YouTube video of their history, “Redeeming Medieval Captives.”
Think you might have a Mercedarian vocation? Click to test your call, or ask about the friars’ next Come and See Discernment Retreat, by emailing Fr. Daniel at frdanielbowen@gmail.com. Click also to sign up for the friars’ Vocation Newsletter.
Kevin J. Banet is a journalist and publicist. He provides marketing for religious communities, non-profits and healthcare services. Kevin and his family live in the Chicago area. His website is VocationPromotion.com.
