Small Christian Communities

In April of the year 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized Faustina Kowalska as the first saint of the new millennium and declared that day to be Divine Mercy Sunday for the whole Church. In August 2002, he consecrated the world to the mercy of God in Krakow, Poland and invited all in the Church to become apostles of mercy. Inspired by these events, and by Christ's call to announce His Mercy to the world, the John Paul II Centre for Divine Mercy invites all who wish, to become Apostles of the Divine Mercy.

This movement is not a specific community or organization but rather an inner attitude, an openness of heart and a desire to give witness to Christ, who is the Divine Mercy of God! This current of the Spirit is a longing to know and make known the Father of Mercies through Jesus and allow every man and woman to establish a personal relationship of trust with God.

In Ottawa, the John Paul II Centre for Divine Mercy www.mercypope.org has taken an initiative to embrace this message of mercy and love, and under the mantle of the Apostles of the Divine Mercy to support, and encourage the formation of small Christian communities (Cenacles) rooted in Eucharistic Adoration and the message of St. Faustina and Pope John Paul II.

On May 30 of 2008, a group of women, calling themselves Women of Mercy, met for the first time to begin monthly Eucharistic Adoration for the sanctification of priests, vocations to the priesthood and the abuse victims at the hands of some in the Church. This day coincided with the world day for the consecration of priests, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It also began as a result of the appeal from the Congregation of the Clergy on December 8, 2007 for the Catholic world to offer themselves for these intentions.

A group of men, calling themselves Men of the Eucharist, came together in prayer on Good Friday morning in 2009 to begin to immerce themselves in the message of mercy. They meet each Friday morning to share their lives as men committed to the Lord Jesus.

This is a time of great mercy and Jesus tells us that the world will not have peace until it turns in trust to His Mercy. 

For more information on activities and projects in Ottawa, contact the John Paul II Centre for Divine Mercy: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 
"The truth revealed in Christ, about God the Father of mercies (2 Cor. 1, 13) enables us to see Him as particularly close to man especially when he is suffering, when he is under threat at the very heart of his existence and dignity. And this is why, in the situation of the Church and the world today, many individuals and groups guided by a lively sense of faith are turning to the mercy of God." (Dives in Misericordia, 2)