Since their foundation in 1952, the Sons have been dedicated to missionary work among the poorest of the poor. Their work has taken them from the mountains of Peru to the jungles of Venezuela to the inner city streets of Manila. The community is made up of both Brothers and Priests, many of whom have degrees in social work and health care. According to their website, Father Garesché sought out “young men of strength, constancy and sacrificial spirit who love God and His Blessed mother and are zealous for the healing of bodies and souls to such an extent that they will forget themselves and work with untiring devotion.” (http://www.sonsofmary.com/).
In 1984 the Sons opened a new mission in the Philippines that has focused in large part on “street children,” estimated to be in the neighborhood of fifty thousand kids. In 1989 they opened the Pangarap Shelter in Pasay, one of the toughest neighborhoods in Manila. Pangarap, the Tagalog word for “hopeful dream”, has ministered to the social, educational, legal, psychological, spiritual, recreational, and medical needs of these children and has provided a safe haven for these “street kids” who otherwise would have been left to their own devices for survival in a dangerous and predatory environment.
This year, parishioners in Immaculate Conception Parish in Everett, Saint Rita Parish in Lowell, Saint Mary Parish in Randolph, and Saint Theresa Parish in Sherborn will welcome a representative from the Sons of Mary as their parish participation in the Mission Cooperative Program of our office. Father Garesché envisioned that his religious community would be “a blessing for the whole world.” This indeed has been the case. Thank God for the witness and ministry of this dedicated group of Priests and Brothers who labor to address the spiritual and physical needs of those to whom they are sent.
For more information on the missionary work of the Church, please visit our website: http://www.propfaithboston.org/.
-Fr. Rodney J. Copp, J.C.L.
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