OUR COMMUNITY (CDM)

The Community of Divine Mercy is a charismatic brotherhood made up of members of the laity at the service of the Lord, who lead a life of sacramental prayer and in community, whose main devotion is to spread the Divine Mercy message, Eucharistic Adoration, devotion to the Virgin Mary together with the Praying the Holy Rosary and its propagation, carrying out evangelisation and works of mercy.

We were founded by Flor Gaona and her husband Juan Vega in the city of London, United Kingdom. In 2004, shortly after the Latin Community that is now the Latin American Chaplaincy moved to the Church of St Anne, Vauxhall, a person invited them to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy; They began as members of this small group with devotion to Divine Mercy, where only the Chaplet, a short prayer accompanied with music, was prayed on Sundays in a room within the same Church, a group that was led by other people at that time.

After seeing the great spiritual need of the people and the lack of evangelisation, Flor offers to collaborate by giving the reflection of the Word of God, preparation that she had received in Ecuador, to which they gave a lot of pretext by saying that it was not necessary, after insisting so much, they accepted that she could be responsible for the Ministry of the Word and she continues to be so to this day in our Community.

The meetings took shape as a true prayer group that began with the most committed brothers to holding vigils and visiting the sick.

Soon young people thirsty for God began to arrive, so they had the need to form a group of young people, which they called “Jesus the Good Shepherd”, whom they began to encourage in the home of some prayerful brothers, who kindly welcomed them. Upon learning of this, Father Angel, who was the Chaplain of the Latin Community, invited them for the meetings to be held in St. Anne’s hall, Vauxhall, on Saturdays from 7.30pm-9.30pm as part and group of the Chaplaincy.

Unfortunately, due to the absence of Father Angel, may he rest in peace, they were left like sheep without a shepherd, they no longer had the same help, everything was different, despite everything they still had the help of Sister Margaret, who belonged to the Congregation of Our Lady and collaborated voluntarily for the Chaplaincy at that time.

Both the youth group and the one called “La Misericordia” held on Sundays, continued to work in activities they carried out to raise funds to help those most in need. The Sunday group started in 2003, they met after mass at 3:00 pm.

During this period, Sr. Margaret, asked them to help her in the cafeteria of St. Anne, Vauxhall, whose funds raised would be used to pay for the hall where the children met for the preparation of First Communion in Clapham Common and what was left, the sister donated for the Ministry to help those who are most in need. From her, they had great support in every way, especially in the difficulties with the youth group.

Flor, continuing with the responsibility of leading the meditation on the Word, every Sunday, one day as she was preparing the Word of God to give it in the group, she prayed and asked the Lord to give her the message, but it did not happen so she prepared another subject but did not feel convinced. At the beginning of the prayer group, a young man came forward to share his testimony, at that moment he began to cry with such sadness of all his suffering; As he spoke, in Flor’s head and heart this message resounded: “Then the King will say to those who are on his right: Come, blessed of my Father, and take possession of the kingdom that has been prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Because I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me into your home ……” (Matthew 25, 34 – 46), this was repeated so insistently in her that when she opened the Bible, she already had the message ready to give it as a reflection of the Word.

The Lord made it known that this would be the apostolate for the Community from which the different Ministries would be opened, including those of Evangelization, to help those who are most in need, of Intercession and reparation and that of Inner Healing.

When she came forward to read the Word of God, at that moment she felt a supernatural force of the Holy Spirit that sheltered her from head to toe, she felt a great authority, she felt as if her heart had grown as it was beating strongly, and like she was in the clouds; It is so difficult for her to explain and express everything she experienced on that occasion.

When she proclaimed the Holy Gospel, it seemed that every word she was saying came out of the Bible, it was like saying: this will have to be done from now on, referring to the biblical message mentioned, when she finished reading it, she wanted to lower her arms, but couldn’t; she would never have imagined that it was the Lord himself who spoke through the Holy Gospel. Gradually she came to feel like herself, as she relates, returning to normal.

The Lord’s work grew, as did the spiritual and material needs. Soon her house became like the pilgrim’s house, since they accommodated many brothers, while some left others arrived. There was a time when up to twenty people lived there, they managed as best they could, there was always enough food, it was a time of grace.

At the end of August 2006 upon her return from Ecuador, Flor proposed to Juan, her husband, the idea of ​​speaking with the Father who was in charge of the Chaplaincy at that time, to ask him to expose the Blessed Sacrament at least once a month. The first Saturday of each month. The Priest accepted and exposed it for an hour.

This Eucharistic Adoration was started with a few young people. For six years it was just them alone together with the Lord interceding for the Chaplaincy, Flor’s request was: Lord, that many people come to adore you and praise you, a prayer that was answered, and it was from 2012 that the new Chaplain would begin to lead the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with a Church full of parishioners adoring Jesus in the Eucharist which is held to this day.

This work of God progressed, but since not everything is rosy, the problems began; When the work belongs to God, we know that the evil attacks, envy and jealousy began.

In November 2007, the difficulties increased prior to the preparation of the big Christmas party, an event that was organized every year with the group of young people, some of whom began to evangelize and rekindle the Novena to the Divine Child, it was a Christmas evening to evangelize and entertain the children of the Latin American Chaplaincy.

Due to so many difficult situations that the Divine Mercy Sunday prayer group was going through, Juan and Flor wanted to organise a meeting to discuss and see the root of the problem, unfortunately the meeting never happened. This group completely disintegrated; it was a very hard blow for them.

Thank God, He gave them the strength to bear all this, but in return the Lord faithful to his word, never abandoned them, opened the doors to them in the Handmaids Of Mary Convent to run a prayer group, the sisters welcomed them with open arms and to this day they continue to help the Community.

In 2008, after Easter, where with great reception, they held the meetings as a prayer group for two years every Saturday from 3.00pm -5.00pm. Also, a year ago Juan and Flor had been leading another prayer group in Camberwell at night.

After all these incidents and seeing that the need of their brothers in Christ was greater and without the help of their Chaplains, in September 2009, they undertook a program which they called “Sundays in Family”, which was aimed at families, a totally healthy program. The most committed people within their Community collaborated in this activity and with the funds they collected, they paid the rent and what was left was used to help the people that was most in need, people who resided in this country or in other Latin American countries.

One of the first contributions that began internationally was to help an orphanage for girls “Marianitas de Jesús” in Loja, Ecuador, a work that is still being carried out to this day.

This aid work also spread here in London when there was the crisis in Spain, they helped many immigrants, many events were held, with the funds raised they helped with food, bus tickets and even accommodation, and single mothers who are a priority.

This work of the Ministry of aid to the most in need has been extended today to other cities in Ecuador, Venezuela and Bolivia, consolidating itself as a non-profit charity in 2013.

Spiritual retreats were held for growth and evangelization. On the first Saturdays of the month, intense prayer with intercession, reparation and Adoration to the Blessed Sacrament together with the Holy Eucharist, plus vigils once a month. All these activities we work with the grace of God for the Latin American Chaplaincy visibly until 2017.

From there, unfortunately due to the lack of space and due to problems beyond their control and due to evil attacks, we do not blame anyone, because only one is the enemy and we all know who he is, they moved to another location.

The Community continues to work for the Chaplaincy in an invisible way, offering its prayers for the conversion and protection of it and for all the people who have already received the grace of conversion.

Thanks to God for continuing to fight and carry out all this mission that the Lord has entrusted to them, they have the support of Father Rolando Masache, Founder of “OPUS MISERICORDIAE DEI” – Loja, who generously offers it from Ecuador, and Father Paul Hayward, Prelature of “OPUS DEI”, as Spiritual Guide of Flor María.

Currently, the Community is located in Brixton, London, at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, but they are still part of the Chaplaincy.