Mother of Mercy Foundation

On august 6th, 2022, bishop kevin c. rhoades offered the holy sacrifice of the mass, consecrated the chapel, and renamed it the oratory of the holy family. These acts of our bishop signaled the opening of the our lady, patroness of america center, and the oratory of the holy family, along with his visible support for our work. Over 750 people attend his mass, with nearly 400 people in the overflow tent outside. Nearly 6,000 pilgrims visited the center, participated in the programs, prayed, or just strolled the beautiful ground on the 62 acres. Entering 2023, we focused on further recovering space in our 100+-year-old building, making it more functional and comfortable for our visitors. We are consistently amazed by visitors from all over the united states and many international locations. We have made available regularly scheduled presentations and tours. We have consistently had our first saturday mass and the divine will conference. We added the pilgrim walk, celebrating the anniversary of the devotion to our lady of america, which drew a surprising 350 pilgrims. Funding continues to be firm with an increase in the number of donors. Donations for 2022 were down slightly from 2021. 2021 was a strong year due to our benefactors reacting to the significant need to get the facility open for pilgrims. That work was completed mainly by mid-2022, and donors pulled back somewhat. However, the expansion of the donor base has primarily offset that. The message of hope our lady offers our country is being well received and is gaining momentum. In 2023, bishop kevin rhoades will return to offer holy mass and to dedicate a new altar for the holy family oratory.