Background Context to Question: With numerous stories of Catholic conversions and reversions, these ideas and testimonies can encourage anyone with loved ones away from God and the Church. Fr Mark's Reply: I recommend that all our Mystical Mothers read the Article on link below entitled: "How to rescue souls: One mom’s response" This is great advice and direction especially for some of last Saturday's struggling mum attendees.   Jesus' words to Faustina are powerful...“My daughter, I want to instruct you on how you are to rescue souls through sacrifice and prayer. You will save more souls through prayer and suffering than will a missionary through his teachings and sermons alone. I want to see you as a sacrifice of living love, which only then carries weight before me.” Link: https://aleteia.org/2026/05/06/how-to-rescue-souls-one-moms-response/

Background Context to Question: Dear Father Mark, I had been following the Mystical Mothers for a time and was so enthralled by it I decided to adopt a priest. Now I am having doubts, thinking I cannot keep up with everything I have to do and I am a poor mother. Can you please help me to sort this all out with some advice, I feel like I have been a traitor. Thank you for your much needed direction dear Father. Fiat Fr. Mark's Reply: Bless your heart, dear XXX, as we enter this new Jubilee Year of Hope and follow Our Lady, Star of the Sea, as she guides us through the tides and currents of our life in Christ. Please feel free to withdraw from your decision to adopt a priest. Having doubts may be the sign from the Lord and Our Lady that they have a different way for you to gift yourself to them. It is not a betrayal. You responded in the generosity of your heart and the Lord is moved by your desire to love him. That is enough. We must never think in sentences that begin, 'I must.... I have to...I should...' but rather say to ourselves 'I will as God wills....' whatever this day brings. A Mystical Mother does not do something in particular such as prayers and reading all the information posted. Instead, she gives the gift of her life to a priest as a mother, and his life is gifted to her, as a son, through the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Sonship of Christ the Lord. It is a sharing of lives, whatever you may be doing at any moment, each day. Your life flows to the priest and his life flows to you if you want. Your life is already 'in flow' in the life of the Holy Trinity and the Saints. Mystical Mothers just ask for that life to be directed into giving life to a priest. And so there is nothing for you 'to keep up with' as you phrased it. We carry you in our hearts and our prayers before the Lord and Our Lady and we delight to share our lives together in the communion of the People of God which is the Church. Peace to you, Fr. Mark

Background Context to Question: Hoping this message can get to Fr Byrne or Fr Celso. Very interested in being a spiritual / mystical mother for priests in the Divine will if God so calls. I have consecrated myself and my family to our Blessed mother. I belong to the Apostolate of family consecration for the benefit and lifting up for families. Since I gave my all to Mary to Jesus am I able to make this consecration, which is specifically for priests, to Mary also? Or is this something I have to discern what God wants from me? Does it take the place of my original giving of myself to Jesus through Mary. So, I always let Mary decide who needs the prayers the most even as I hold dear ones to my heart especially families as families are under attack and need His grace and prayer. Mary ultimately knows best. [ I also belong to 7 sisters apostolate in the United States where I take turns during the week praying for our associate priest with 6 other ladies. My day is Thursday we each make a holy hour for the priest and all the benefit for it go to our priest and in my heart all priests too, so our parish priests are always covered in prayer. I always pray it in the divine will for the priest as if Jesus is doing it and I pray that God will repair and redo the priest whole life with other prayers for him. If I join mystical mothers for priest, does it mean, I have 2 priests I pray for in the divine will? ] Looking for some guidance on these 2 questions. Thank you and God bless! Looking forward to understanding better and thank you for your help. Fr. Mark's Reply: Bless your heart, dear XXX, as we enter this new Jubilee Year of Hope and follow Our Lady, Star of the Sea, as she guides us through the tides and currents of our life in Christ. I enjoyed your email. You seemed to me to be someone who lives in a rich, spiritual palace, with many rooms and much fruitful gardens to delight the King. If you want to add another room to your soul or plant another flower patch and extend your garden you could become a Mystical Mother. Mystical Mothers would fit very well into the house the Lord has already built in your soul and also with the consecration you have made to give all your merits and blessings to Our Lady to be distributed as she wills. But Mystical Mothers is different from the other expressions you have embraced in your love for priests. A Mystical Mother does not do something in particular such as prayers and reading all the information posted. Instead, she gives the gift of her life to a priest as a mother, and his life is gifted to her, as a son, through the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Sonship of Christ the Lord. It is a sharing of lives, whatever you may be doing at any moment, each day. Your life flows to the priest and his life flows to you if you want. It is like the LASER light. It takes some of the light radiating in all directions from the light source and enhances it by increasing the intensity of the light and directing it in one, particular direction. You have your lights on but this commitment would take some of that light and focus it in a special expression of life. We must never think in sentences that begin, 'I must.... I have to...I should...' but rather say to ourselves 'I will as God wills....' whatever this day brings. Your life is already 'in flow' in the life of the Holy Trinity and the Saints. Mystical Mothers just ask for that life to be directed into giving life to a priest. It replaces nothing of what you are doing at the moment but rather bears a new fruit; and, yes, you'll have at least one more priest in the Divine Will - and he'll have you for his mother. We carry you in our hearts and our prayers before the Lord and Our Lady and we delight to share our lives together in the communion of the People of God which is the Church. Peace to you, Fr. Mark, solt

Background Context to Question: Hoping this message can get to Fr Byrne or Fr Celso. Very interested in being a spiritual / mystical mother for priests in the Divine will if God so calls. [ I have consecrated myself and my family to our Blessed mother. I belong to the Apostolate of family consecration for the benefit and lifting up for families. Since I gave my all to Mary to Jesus am I able to make this consecration, which is specifically for priests, to Mary also? Or is this something I have to discern what God wants from me? Does it take the place of my original giving of myself to Jesus through Mary. So, I always let Mary decide who needs the prayers the most even as I hold dear ones to my heart especially families as families are under attack and need His grace and prayer. Mary ultimately knows best. ] I also belong to 7 sisters apostolate in the United States where I take turns during the week praying for our associate priest with 6 other ladies. My day is Thursday we each make a holy hour for the priest and all the benefit for it go to our priest and in my heart all priests too, so our parish priests are always covered in prayer. I always pray it in the divine will for the priest as if Jesus is doing it and I pray that God will repair and redo the priest whole life with other prayers for him. If I join mystical mothers for priest, does it mean, I have 2 priests I pray for in the divine will? Looking for some guidance on these 2 questions. Thank you and God bless! Looking forward to understanding better and thank you for your help. Fr. Mark's Reply: Bless your heart, dear XXX, as we enter this new Jubilee Year of Hope and follow Our Lady, Star of the Sea, as she guides us through the tides and currents of our life in Christ. I enjoyed your email. You seemed to me to be someone who lives in a rich, spiritual palace, with many rooms and much fruitful gardens to delight the King. If you want to add another room to your soul or plant another flower patch and extend your garden you could become a Mystical Mother. Mystical Mothers would fit very well into the house the Lord has already built in your soul and also with the consecration you have made to give all your merits and blessings to Our Lady to be distributed as she wills. But Mystical Mothers is different from the other expressions you have embraced in your love for priests. A Mystical Mother does not do something in particular such as prayers and reading all the information posted. Instead, she gives the gift of her life to a priest as a mother, and his life is gifted to her, as a son, through the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Sonship of Christ the Lord. It is a sharing of lives, whatever you may be doing at any moment, each day. Your life flows to the priest and his life flows to you if you want. It is like the LASER light. It takes some of the light radiating in all directions from the light source and enhances it by increasing the intensity of the light and directing it in one, particular direction. You have your lights on but this commitment would take some of that light and focus it in a special expression of life. We must never think in sentences that begin, 'I must.... I have to...I should...' but rather say to ourselves 'I will as God wills....' whatever this day brings. Your life is already 'in flow' in the life of the Holy Trinity and the Saints. Mystical Mothers just ask for that life to be directed into giving life to a priest. It replaces nothing of what you are doing at the moment but rather bears a new fruit; and, yes, you'll have at least one more priest in the Divine Will - and he'll have you for his mother. We carry you in our hearts and our prayers before the Lord and Our Lady and we delight to share our lives together in the communion of the People of God which is the Church. Peace to you, Fr. Mark, solt

Background Context to Question: When one adopts a Priest, if I recall correctly you referred to the bond of mother and baby using the analogy of baby in the womb attached to the placenta, the flow from one to the other and all the benefits etc. Also, therefore between the mystical mother and the adopted priest, there is a flow between the two souls, spiritually and with reference to suffering etc. (good and bad). To me this would suggest perhaps such a bond would create a 'Soul Tie' and whilst soul ties can have either positive or negative effects - to my knowledge it would not be wise to enter into such a bond. I did ask a priest regarding the matter, but he wasn't familiar with the term 'Soul Tie'. I am assuming you may be familiar with the term; I would refer Sr. Miriam James Heidland SOLT as a point of reference who would be very familiar with the term in her work and Fr. Chris Alar MIC comments on the subject. Fr. Mark's Reply: A 'Soul Tie' is any affective bond we make from the heart with someone special such as a friend, a spiritual companion, a family member, or a romantic interest. It can be either natural or supernatural or both. And it generally begins quite naturally. This is an overflow of the Covenant bond of the Communion of the Most Holy Trinity and a promise of the Communion of Saints when the number of the elect is complete. We are created for 'Soul Ties'. But these bonds can become toxic if one or both in the relationship loses Divine grace and the human will dominates. Then they should be unloosed. It is more likely to happen when we chose someone for self-affirmation or selfish reasons. In the adoption of a priest it cannot happen that the relationship would become toxic to your harm because you do not choose the priest directly but give the gift of yourself to Our Lady and let her choose. And your do not even know who the priest is. This way, through her Motherly care and the protection of the Divine Will. you cannot be harmed.

Background Context to Question: My other concern is in relation to what we might refer to as 'The Nine Levels of Prayer' or the 'The Seven Mansions of Teresa of Avila'. I would imagine for one to enter into this new work of Mystical Mother, one would perhaps have a prayer life that has reached the higher aspects of the Unitive Way, Transforming Union, Mystical Union etc. I appreciate that this work itself is incorporated into the Divine Will and we don't necessarily use the above terms. Fr. Mark's Reply: Yes, the gift of living in the Divine Will is granted by God to those who have died in their human will and supersedes the spiritualities and methods of prayer and even the levels of union that have been precursors in the history of the life of the Holy Spirit. Thus, it is not even a spirituality and has no method. Souls are given a very simple instruction - be attentive and do whatever you see your heavenly Father doing. Some souls have been lifted very high and very quickly without ever going through the nine levels of prayer or through the seven mansions. We stand on the shoulders of giants but even the saints of the past have not been enough to bring the world to the purpose for which God created us.

Background Context to Question: You made a reference to Frank Duff and the creative work of The Legion of Mary. Previously I was very involved and committed to The Legion of Mary for over 10 years; we had 3 months mandatory discernment prior to taking the 'Promise' and I feel this oath/commitment to Mystical Mothers requires even greater discernment (personally). Fr. Mark's Reply: Yes, it is not the same as the Legion of Mary. It is like it in some ways and the Legion was, as other works of the Church were, a preparation for this fullness of life in the Divine Will. Do you need great discernment? I don't think so. You are being asked by the Lord and Our Lady if you want to gift them your life to be united in the Mystical Body with the life of a priest and so you may become a giver of life. The only requirement is that you do so freely, free of fear and delighted to give yourself in gift. > It is not something that needs your full understanding because it is not something that takes place at the level of your intellect. It is, rather, an appeal to your will which is deeper than your memory and your intellect, and you may respond if you trust it is an invitation from the Lord himself. Thus, you simply entrust yourself or not, like a child who instinctual is drawn towards or withdraws from something that he senses are good or bad. > > Peace to you, > > Fr. Mark, solt P.s. I’ll be adopting all the Mystical Mothers of Priests and co-signing their certificates. Yikes But Jesus asks me to embrace all for all time in the Divine Will so as the little lamb of Mary I say ‘Fiat’

Background Context to Question: ( This query is from some one who is already consecrated to live in Divine Will) A few people have asked what is the difference between one who has been praying for priests for many years and offering up sacrifices for them and one who now consecrates themselves to adopting a priest and receives a certificate of adoption. They don’t understand the need for this adoption. Was it so one could get a signed adoption certificate. This question is coming from people who have consecrated themselves to live in the Divine Will, however they would have been praying and offering sacrifices for priests long before they heard about living in the Divine Will. Fr. Mark's Reply: There are some people who, with a caring heart and with generosity, make a visit to an orphanage maybe at Christmas time or Easter time, to give a donation and to spend a few hours with the children. Then they return to their own life and family. Maybe a special soul visits more often. This is like one who offers prayers and sacrifices. But then there is the person who visits and takes a child home with them to become part of their family, part of their life. It is a permanent bond and a life lived together. The one adopting gives new life to the one who has been adopted. A contract involves the exchange of goods between two persons. But a covenant is a contract in which the persons themselves are exchanged, are gifted each to the other such as a marriage or a religious vow or the consecration of a nation to the Lord. With the covenant, the Lord says, 'I am yours and you are mine.' So, Jesus makes a covenant with us of blood for ever - '...my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant..." Therefore, it involves your blood, your life-blood. God lives in an eternal covenant communion of three persons. The Communion of the Saints is the extension of that Trinitarian life. Mary did not pray only for the coming of the Messiah and for his ministry of Redemption and make sacrifices for that new priesthood; she became the Mother of God and he was her true Son. We can now all be the children of God by the adoption in grace. God does not simply visit us or give the donation of his grace; we are truly his children in the life of the Divine Communion by the grace of adoption. Only now, in our times, on the level of the Divine Will, can the words of Jesus be fulfilled: "Anyone who does the Will of my Father in Heaven is my ....mother." (Matthew 12:50). Note he does not say that they '...may be my mother' but rather that that one "is my mother". It is real motherhood and sonship in the Divine Will. It is a new order of grace being given to our generation. If you don't understand the need for adoption and if you think it is about getting a signed adoption certificate, I would not advise you to take the step. The certificate is just an outward sign of an inward movement of grace. But it is signed and God will ask you for an account of your word. Peace to you.

Background Context to Question: (Query from a consecrated religious) I am a cloister sister. At this time I am living in Italy. Knowing about DW, for me, is to get a pure oxygen, light and great hope in my consecrated live. Please pray for my community so that the Holy Spirit of God may dwell among us and guide us. As a cloistered sister, I feel my duty to pray for priests and the Church in a particular way. And I was very interested to know about the "Mystical Mothers for Priests in Divine Will", now when I read that there needs a consecration, since I am consecrated nun and it is my personal interest to know about the Mystical Mothers for Priests in Divine Will, a question comes to me, if it can create me some confusion, specially, I can't ask permission to do this consecration because I know that DW message is not accepted until now in my community. I don't know what to decide..... pray for me please. Fr. Mark's Reply: Bless your heart, my dear Sr. XXX I understand your fear that the consecration to be a mother of a priest might conflict with your consecration as a religious sister. They are not in competition. Because you are already consecrated to Our Lord and Our Lady, but because it is not possible to share the Divine Will teachings at this time with the rest of the community, you can just fold (in Italian, 'piega' or 'piegare all'interno) the little consecration of being a mystical mother within your greater consecration of your religious life. Make an interior act of consecration. And then give it to Our Lady and she will make any adjustments in your gift that need to be made and direct it as Mediatrix of All Graces to make your life flow in the Church and for priests to give them life as a mother. Only in the Divine Will can you finally fulfil completely the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:50, that those who do the Will of the Father can be his Mother (which Mary did as she lived in the Divine Will). If you have a trusted Spiritual Director you can run this by him or her. Peace to you. Thank you for the gift of your heart to priests. Fr. Mark, SOLT

Background Context to Question (Follow up query from a consecrated religious ) I agree with Fr Mark to make interior consecration, but just to help me how to do it or to have any reference/experience done by others on this area, mystical motherhood, please share with me what you can as you are doing already. Thanks a lot Fr. Mark's Reply Our Lord and Our Lady, bless you dear Sr. XXX. Regarding the right words to make an interior consecration, I would simply use your own words that express that desire of your heart to be a mother to a priest and to be assigned a specific priest as your spiritual son to be assigned to you by the Blessed Virgin Mary. She knows the best choice for this priest-son and for you to be his mother. Maybe say: Lord Jesus, you are the Eternal High Priest and you said that anyone who does the Will of the Father is your mother (Matt 12:50). I gift myself to you as your mother and to be the mother of a priest-son in union with your Mother and I welcome this gift of new life to be assigned to me by Our Mother Mary as an eternal covenant bond in the Communion of the Saints and the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church. I will attach here to this email, the 'Adoption Certificate' and you can pray the prayer on it. Peace to you. Fr. Mark, solt Link to consecration prayer on adoption certificate

Background Context to Question: I have been listening to Fr. Mark Byrne's Teachings and I know I want to give the all of my nothing to Jesus in His Divine Will for His priests. I have been a member of the Marian Movement of Priests since the 1980's, praying weekly in cenacle. That said, I have been hesitant in making a commitment. I remember hearing from someone in a Divine Will group online (I don't remember where or from whom) that Mystical Mothers is only for people advanced in the Divine Will. I don't really understand because this contradicts what I have read on the Mystical Mothers of Priests website. I know God's Mercy is forever upon me as is His Love and Forgiveness. I didn't want to think of myself as better than I am and called to this grace if I don't belong. Please give advice to this child of God. 1. Fr. Mark's Reply: Categorially NO, absolutely NOT - there is no need to be advanced in Divine Will before you opt to become a mystical mother of priests in Divine Will. For further clarification please listen to Fr Mark’s July 2025 Teaching. 2. Reply from Bernie, a Mystical Mothers Team Member: Regarding your query that ‘Mystical Mothers is only for people advanced in the Divine Will’ let me assure you that this is not correct. Mystical Mothers of priests in the Divine Will isn’t exclusive but open to anyone who, after a period of prayer and discernment, feels called to adopt a priest (who is given by Our Blessed Mother) commits by giving their fiat. Please see the Spiritual Commitments and the Apostolic Commitment on the attached, unsigned, Adoption Certificate which is, also, available on this webpage:

Background Context to Question: Can a Mystical Mother of Priests in Divine Will choose a priestly son and does my adopted priest have to know about it? Please clarify. Reply of Julianne, a Mystical Mothers Team member: I will forward your question to Fr. Mark as this very important question reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the spiritual adoption in the Divine Will of a priest son, which others, also, may have. Here is my own understanding, but let's also await confirmation from Fr. Mark, as he may tweak my reply or do a total rewrite!!! We do not know who our adopted priest son is. In an act of trust, we rely upon Our Blessed Mother, Mediatrix of all Grace. She is the one who assigns us our priest son. Our attitude of our soul should be that of adopting none other than Jesus Christ the High Priest, in Whom all other priests are configured. So, you see that, other than acknowledging Jesus as your adopted priestly son, you need to know nothing. Jesus, in His Person, already knows. From you, the actual assignment is hidden under the veil of Faith, to be revealed when you pass on to the other side. Fiat! Fr. Mark's Reply: Blessings to you, Julieanne. I thought your answer to XXX was so clear and insightful. I don’t have anything to add. What I am beginning to hear is that some of the Mystical Mothers are getting an intuitive feeling of who their adopted priest is. That’s something we could start listening to. It would make sense - just as a natural mother starts to know her child even in utero…and because it is a real relationship, the life of the adopted priest in all its particulars is flowing into the Mystical Mother and having its effects on her such that she starts to ‘read’ what type of person he is… Pax Domine Fr. Mark

Background Context: I received the maniturgium . Thank you for sending this to me through my Divine Will Cenacle leader. I am writing to share my experience and would like to ask for your insight as well. My personal experience described: As a cradle Catholic, I’ve always cherished my faith deeply. My husband, though not yet a convert, faithfully attends Holy Mass with me, and we’ve been blessed to share 17 wonderful years of marriage. Though we married later in life, we hoped to have children, but my womb remained empty because of medical challenges, despite some help from the doctors. It’s been a painful journey, and we’ve accepted that God has a different plan for us. We often find ourselves teary-eyed when reflecting on our childless marriage. Then, in June 2024, I attended a Divine Will conference locally and since then joined that group cenacle. In April 2025, our Cenacle Leader introduced the Mystical Motherhood to our cenacle. Hearing about this gift moved me to tears — how could I refuse such a beautiful, divine gift? When I shared this with my husband at home, we both cried again, but this time tears of happiness and gratitude. I wanted to share this with you because it’s a testament to how God’s plans unfold in ways beyond our understanding, filling our hearts with unexpected blessings - at age 52 I am now a mother, a mystical mother of a priest!

Background Context to the Question: I also wanted to share some questions that have been on my heart lately. Now that I am a mystical mother, I wonder if my husband can also receive extended graces when he joins me in praying the prayers for priests. Will he, too, be able to see my mystical son, the priest, when he passes away? I’ve been asking Mother Mary these questions as I continue to seek understanding and grace. May the Celestial Court sing songs of joy to you all in the Divine Will Priest Prayer Team! With gratitude and love. Reply from Niamh, a Mystical Mother Team Member: Wow, what a beautiful sharing. I will share with Fr Mark and the Team, as your email, makes all our work on the MM Team so worthwhile for us working on this Mission. What greater love can we show the Lord than encourage each other as Mystical Mothers and Fathers of Priests. Re your husband... perhaps the easiest way to respond to you is share my own experience. I, too, have a blessed husband, praise God, who, like your husband as I am hearing, is, also, very supportive of my mission. Fr Mark shared a beautiful personal experience of how his Dad asked him "What about me?" when he said he was giving his maniturgium to his mother. Fr Mark, responded "Dad, don’t worry. We will physically cut the maniturgium in half and I will put one half into your hands and the other half into my mother’s hands." This is exactly what he did when they were, each, called home. I have chatted to my husband and family and explained that this is what I wish to do, so that when we meet the Lord we can each, separately, answer "I gave you a son, a ‘priest'", when asked "What did you do?" Praise God. Thank you for all you both are doing for the Lord. Further Response from originator of this question: God is so good, for your response was incredibly enlightening and I will value what you said about Fr. Mark's personal experience. Inspired by this, I have decided to cut the maniturgium into 2 equal parts, one for me and one for my husband! This makes me feel so good to share it equally with my better half. Please feel free to use the content of my email however it may serve your team of the Mystical Mothers of Priests. Thank you once again for your beautiful insight and encouragement. I am grateful for the connection. To God be the Glory! Fiat!

Background Context to the Question I thank Fr. Mark and the apostolate. His teaching this month [September 2025], as always, was an incredible blessing to me. As I was listening a thought came up...can Fr Mark clarify for me? And others may be the same. I made total consecration to our Lady giving her everything. I remembered many years ago offering the Heroic Act for the Holy souls in Purgatory as well as the Life Offering asked through Hungarian nun sister Natalia "the victorious Queen of the world" revelations to save souls from eternal death. When I was listening to Father Mark all of this occurred to me...is it possible to give all of these acts including giving all for spiritual motherhood of priests? I did make this consecration but I would be so grateful to Fr. Byrne to clarify for me if this is ok or if I need to take all this to confession. Then I have a large family with so many troubles and away from Holy Church. I believe mother potter had said give our Lady the right to everything and she will take care of every detail of your family and life. Thank you so much to you and Fr. Byrne and Fr. Celso also for all that you do. XXX from Cape Breton Nova Scotia Fr. Mark's Reply Blessings to you, XXX, on this feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, as she defeats the powers of darkness. Thank you for the gift of your life as a Mystical Mother of a Priest in the Divine Will. I'm not aware of the Heroic Act for the Holy Souls nor the Life Offering asked by Sister Natalia but I would be confident that all these gifts of yourself, together with adopting a priest to be his spiritual mother in the Divine Will, can all be 'packaged together' and 'shipped' as one into the seas of the Immaculate Heart, giving her the right to everything, including the care and salvation of your family and your own life. May we all meet merrily in the Kingdom of Our Heavenly Father when Our Lady calls all her armies home and the battles are done and won. Pax Domine Fr. Mark Byrne SOLT Reply from XXX I am so grateful to Fr. Mark for helping me with this question. he has put my mind at ease and I feel even more committed to Mystical Motherhood. Absolutely share if you fell this will help anyone else. God Bless you..