NUESTRA COMUNIDAD

The Community of Divine Mercy is a charismatic brotherhood made up of lay people in the service of the Lord, who lead a sacramental life of prayer within community, whose main devotion is to spread Divine Mercy, Eucharistic Adoration, and devotion to the Virgin Mary together with the praying and spreading of the Holy Rosary, 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, which is now the Latin American Chaplaincy, moved to St. Anne's Church, Vauxhall, someone invited them to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. They began as members of this small group devoted to Divine Mercy, where only the Chaplet, a short prayer accompanied by music, was prayed on Sundays in a hall within the church, a group that at the time was led by other people.

Later, seeing the great spiritual need of the people and the lack of evangelisation, Flor offered to help by giving reflections on the Word of God, training she had received in Ecuador. This was met with many objections, as it was said not to be necessary, but after much insistence, they agreed that she would be responsible for the Ministry of the Word, a role she still holds in our Community to this day.

The meetings gradually took shape as a true prayer group, begun with some of the most committed brothers and sisters holding vigils and visiting the sick.

Soon young people thirsting for God began to arrive, so there was a need to form a youth group, which they called "Jesus the Good Shepherd." They began to encourage this group in the home of fellow prayer members, who kindly welcomed them. When Father Ángel, then Chaplain of the Latin Community, learned of this, he invited them to hold their meetings in the hall of St. Anne's, Vauxhall, on Saturdays from 7:30pm to 9:30pm as part of the Chaplaincy.

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

The two groups, the youth group and the Sunday group called “Mercy", continued working on activities to raise funds to help those most in need. The Sunday group began in 2003, meeting after Mass at 3:00pm.

During this period, Sister Margaret asked them to help in the St. Anne's, Vauxhall cafeteria, whose proceeds went toward paying for the hall where children met for First Communion preparation in Clapham Common, with the remainder donated to the Ministry of Help for the Needy. Sister Margaret gave them great support in every way, especially through the difficulties with the youth group.

Flor, continuing her responsibility of leading the Sunday meditation on the Word, one day was preparing the Word of God to share with the group. She prayed and asked the Lord to give her the message, but this didn't happen; she prepared another topic instead, not fully convinced. As the prayer group began, a young man came forward to share his testimony, and at that moment began to weep with deep sorrow over all his suffering. As he spoke, she felt this message resounding in her mind and heart: "Then the King will say to those on his right: Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in..." (Matthew 25:34–46). This repeated so insistently within her that when she opened the Bible, the message was already there, ready to be given as the reflection on the Word.

In this way, the Lord made known that this would be the apostolate for the Community, from which different Ministries would emerge, including Evangelisation, Help for the Needy, Intercession and Reparation, and Inner Healing.

As she came forward to read the Word of God, she felt a supernatural force of the Holy Spirit envelop her from head to toe; she felt an immense sense of authority, as though her heart had grown and was beating powerfully, feeling as if she were floating on clouds; it is difficult for her to explain and put into words all that she experienced that day.

As she proclaimed the Holy Gospel, it seemed as though every word she spoke leapt off the page of the Bible, as if to say: this is what you must do from now on, referring to the biblical message mentioned above. When she finished reading, she wanted to lower her arms but could not; she never imagined it was the Lord himself speaking through the Holy Gospel. Little by little, she came back to herself, as she describes it, returning to normal.

The Lord's work continued to grow, as did both spiritual and material needs. Soon their home became like a pilgrim's house, sheltering many brothers and sisters; as some left, others arrived. At one point as many as twenty people were living there; they managed as best they could, and food was never lacking, 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 priest then in charge of the Chaplaincy, to ask him to expose the Blessed Sacrament at least once a month, on the first Saturdays. The priest agreed and exposed it for one hour.

This Eucharistic Adoration began with just a few young people. For six years they carried it forward alone alongside the Lord, interceding for the Chaplaincy, with Flor's prayer being: "Lord, may many people come to adore and praise you." That prayer was answered, and starting in 2012 the new Chaplain began leading Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with a church full of faithful adoring Jesus in the Eucharist, as continues to this day.

This work of God moved forward, but as not everything is easy, problems began; when a work is of God, we know the enemy attacks, and envy and jealousy began to arise.

In November 2007, difficulties increased in the lead-up to preparations for the great Christmas celebration, an event organised every year with the youth group, some of whom had begun to evangelise and revive the Novena to the Divine Child, an evening of evangelisation held to celebrate the children of the Latin American Chaplaincy.

Due to the many difficult situations facing the Sunday prayer group, "Mercy," Juan and Flor called a meeting to discuss and get to the root of the problem; unfortunately, that meeting never took place. The group disbanded entirely,a very hard blow for them.

Thank God, He gave them the strength to bear all this, and in return the Lord, faithful to His word and never abandoning them, opened the doors of the Servants of Mary Convent for them to start a prayer group. The sisters received them with open arms and continue to support the Community to this day.

In 2008, after Holy Week, they were warmly welcomed and held their prayer group meetings for two years every Saturday from 3:00pm to 5:00pm. Around a year before that, Juan and Flor had also been leading another prayer group in Camberwell in the evenings.

Following all these events, and seeing that the needs of their brothers and sisters in Christ were even greater, and without support from their Chaplains, in September 2009 they launched a program called "Family Sundays," aimed at families, a wholesome program in every sense. The most committed members of the Community collaborated in this activity, and with the funds raised, they paid the rent, with the remainder used to help their brothers and sisters most in need, whether residing in this country or elsewhere in Latin America.

One of the first charitable works they undertook internationally was supporting a home for abandoned girls, "Marianitas de Jesús," in Loja, Ecuador, a work they continue to this day.

This work of assistance also extended here in London during the crisis in Spain, when they helped many immigrants. Many fundraising events were held, and with the funds raised they helped with food, bus fares, and even lodging, with single mothers given priority.

This work of the Ministry of Help for the Needy has since expanded to other cities in Ecuador, Venezuela, and Bolivia, becoming formally established as a non-profit charity in 2013.

On the spiritual side, growth and evangelisation retreats were held. On the first Saturdays of the month, there was intense prayer with intercession, reparation, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament alongside the Holy Eucharist, plus monthly vigils. All these activities were carried out by the grace of God for the Latin American Chaplaincy, visibly, until 2017.

From that point on, unfortunately due to lack of space and issues beyond their control, as well as attacks from the enemy, we blame no one, for there is only one true enemy and we all know who that is, they relocated to another parish.

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

Thank God, in continuing this fight and carrying out the mission entrusted to them by the Lord, they count on the support of Father Rolando Masache, Founder of "OPUS DEI MISERICORDIAE”, Loja, who generously assists them from Ecuador, and of Father Paul Hayward, Prelate of "OPUS DEI," as Flor María's Spiritual Guide.

Currently, the Community is based in Stockwell, London, at the Church of St Francis de Sales & St Gertrude the Great, while remaining part of the Chaplaincy.

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CONTACT US

+44 753355879 +44 7592892601
cdm@divinamisericordia.co.uk

The Community of Divine Mercy is a Charity registered with number 1153405

22 Hackington Crescent
Kent, BR3 1RZ