“Rebuild My Church!”

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1).

There are moments when God does not ask for something new – He asks for something renewed! He calls His people back to what they have forgotten. Throughout the centuries, that has been His pattern: not to abandon His Church, but to raise up saints who will help restore her. One of the most beautiful examples is St. Francis of Assisi.

As a young man praying before the ancient crucifix in the little chapel of San Damiano, Francis heard Christ speak these unforgettable words: “Francis, go and rebuild My Church, which, as you see, is falling into ruin.”

With the simplicity that marked his life, Francis believed Our Lord meant the little stone chapel before him. He immediately began gathering stones, repairing broken walls, and restoring that tiny church with his own hands. But God had something far greater in mind.

The Lord was preparing Francis to help renew the entire Church – not first by rebuilding buildings, but by rebuilding hearts. At a time when many had grown comfortable, worldly, and spiritually complacent, Francis reminded the world what it meant to love Christ completely. His poverty, humility, joyful obedience, reverence for the Eucharist, and unwavering fidelity for the Church became a living sermon. People did not simply listen to Francis; they saw the Gospel lived before their eyes.

That is the Franciscan spirit! It is a spirit that refuses discouragement. It does not spend its energy complaining about darkness; it lights a candle. It does not wait for everyone else to change first; it begins with personal conversion. It seeks holiness before influence, and fidelity before success.

How fitting that this spirit is woven into the story of Our Lady of Good Success. During the life of Mother Mariana in Quito, the Franciscan fathers served as spiritual guides and guardians of the convent. They brought with them that same spirit of simplicity, fidelity, penance, and joyful trust in Divine Providence. Yet Our Lady revealed that a time would come when religious discipline would decline and many would no longer desire to live according to the original spirit of their vocation. The Franciscans themselves would eventually have to leave because the Rule was no longer welcomed.

But Our Lady also gave hope. She foretold that in God’s time, renewal would come. What had been lost would not remain lost forever. God would once again raise up faithful souls who desired holiness more than comfort, and truth more than popularity.

Like Francis, we often think God is asking us to repair only the little “chapel” directly in front of us – our family, our parish, our own prayer life. And perhaps He is. We should never underestimate those small acts of fidelity. History shows that when one person says “yes” to God completely, He often uses that hidden faithfulness to accomplish far more than anyone could imagine.

However, maybe, as in the case of St. Francis, He is also asking for more! Perhaps He is asking for you to light a candle!

Today, perhaps Christ is speaking those same words to each of us: “Go and rebuild My Church.”

We rebuild the Church every time we learn our faith well enough to recognize and defend authentic Catholic teaching. We rebuild the Church when we seek out parishes where the Church’s Tradition is counted as a treasure rather than something to be cast aside. We rebuild the Church when we pray for our priests, encourage holy vocations, practice charity, embrace humility, and live lives that reflect the Gospel with joy.

The Franciscan spirit reminds us that renewal begins with simplicity, humility, joyful sacrifice, and compete trust in Christ. Stone by stone. Soul by soul. Prayer by prayer.

May St. Francis intercede for us today. May Our Lady of Good Success guide us. And may we have the courage to begin rebuilding – not by our own strength, but by the hands of God.

Have a blessed day! And LISTEN! Is God telling you, “Rebuild My Church!”

ARISE AND SHINE!

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

GOOD MORNING!

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1).

When we hear the word “renewal,” we often think first about ourselves – our own prayer life, our own conversion, our own growth in holiness. Those things are essential. But Our Lady of Good Success invites us to see something even greater. She calls us to pray and work not only for our personal sanctification, but for the renewal of the entire Mystical Body of Christ.

Her messages speak of a time when the Church would endure confusion, suffering, and great trials, especially within the priesthood. Yet they are not messages of despair. They are messages of hope. They remind us that Christ never abandons His Church, and that authentic renewal always begins with fidelity, holiness, and love.

The renewal of the priesthood does not begin with programs or strategies. It begins with priests who are deeply united to Jesus Christ, men of prayer who love the Eucharist, who preach the truth with charity, and who entrust themselves completely to Our Lady. They need our prayers now more than ever. The devil knows that if he can wound the shepherds, he can scatter the sheep. Our response is not criticism or discouragement, but faithful intercession, sacrifice, and encouragement.

But renewal is not the responsibility of priests alone. Every baptized person is a living member of Christ’s Mystical Body. When one member grows in holiness, the whole Body is strengthened. When one soul chooses prayer over complaint, and truth over compromise, grace flows throughout the Church in ways we cannot fully see.

Our Lady of Good Success points us back to the timeless remedies: frequent reception of the sacraments, devotion to the Blessed Eucharist, love for the Holy Rosary, fidelity to the teachings of the Church, and confidence in God’s providence even when the future seems uncertain.

If we long for the Church to be renewed, we should begin by asking, “Lord, renew me. Make me faithful. Make me holy. Make me an instrument of Your peace.” This is how the Mystical Body is strengthened – one faithful soul at a time.

And here are some other practical ways that Catholics can contribute to the renewal in the Church –

Learning the faith well enough to recognize and defend authentic Catholic teaching

Reverently participating in the liturgy and encouraging reverence in parish life

Volunteering in parish ministries that strengthen catechesis, youth formation, outreach, or prayer

Forming or joining faithful small groups for prayer, Scripture, and mutual support

Respectfully addressing genuine problems with pastors or diocesan leadership instead of simply complaining

Supporting faithful priests with prayer, friendship, and practical help

Encouraging young people to consider vocations to the priesthood and religious life

Living the Gospel publicly through works of mercy and evangelization, so that others are drawn to Christ

The Church is not renewed only from the top down. Christ renews His Church through the holiness and faithful action of every member of His Mystical Body. We are not spectators. We are participants in God’s work. Renewal happens when ordinary Catholics pray, speak the truth with charity, serve generously, support faithful priests, form strong Catholic communities, and courageously witness for Christ in their homes, parishes, and the public square.

May we arise today in hope, and shine with the light of Christ, trusting that He who began the good work in His Church will bring it to completion – and renew His Church!

God bless you, and have a wonderful Arise and Shine!

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

GOOD MORNING!

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1).

I have just returned from Quito with a heart full of gratitude and renewed hope. Everywhere I traveled, I encountered faithful souls who love Our Lord, cherish His Church, and desire nothing more than to remain steadfast in the truth that has been handed down through the centuries.

What struck me most was the quiet faith of ordinary people who are determined to walk together with Christ, even in difficult times. That is where the Holy Spirit is always at work.

We all recognize that these are challenging days for the Church. There is confusion, division, and discouragement in many places. Yet this should never lead us to despair. Throughout history, whenever darkness has seemed to prevail, God has raised up faithful men and women whose simple fidelity became the seed of renewal.

St. Francis of Assisi did not begin by trying to change the whole world. He simply answered the Lord’s invitation: “Rebuild My Church.” He gathered brothers around Christ, living the Gospel with joy, humility, and charity. From those small communities, a great renewal spread throughout the Church.

Many mystics have spoken of a time when believers will resemble the early Christians, finding strength not in worldly influence but in communities rooted in prayer, truth, and sacrificial love. Their words invite us to build exactly those kinds of communities today.

The renewal of the Church has always begun in the hearts of faithful people. It begins when families pray together, when friends encourage one another in virtue, when neighbors gather around the Word of God, and when believers strengthen one another to remain faithful to Jesus Christ. These small communities become places where faith is nourished, burdens are shared, hope is renewed, and Christ is encountered.

Although we are not all called to be Franciscans, every Christian can embrace the beautiful spirit of St. Francis – a spirit of simplicity, humility, fraternity, joyful trust in God’s providence, and wholehearted fidelity to Christ and His Church. Throughout the history of the Church, that Franciscan spirit has repeatedly been an instrument of renewal, reminding us that holiness – not worldly power – is what transforms the world.

This is one of the reasons we have established the Pillars of Faith Fraternity. Our desire is to help faithful Catholics find authentic Christian community where they can pray together, grow in their understanding of the faith, encourage one another, and persevere together through the challenges of our time. We were never meant to walk this journey alone.

If you have not yet explored the Pillars of Faith Fraternity, I warmly invite you to visit our website and click on the Fraternity tab. There you will discover how you can become part of a growing family of faithful Catholics who are committed to prayer, formation, friendship, and mutual support. As we await the renewal that only God can bring, let us also be faithful in building the communities He places before us today.

The renewal of the Church will not come simply through programs or structures. It will come through holy men and women who love Christ, remain faithful to His truth, and help one another persevere with courage and hope. God has never abandoned His Church, and He never will. Even in times of trial, He continues to raise up faithful souls whose quiet witness becomes the foundation of renewal.

Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your willingness to stand together as brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us continue moving forward – not with fear, but with confidence – trusting that the Lord is preparing a beautiful renewal for His Church.

May Our Lady, Queen of the Church, St. Francis of Assisi, and all the saints intercede for us, that we may remain joyful witnesses of Christ until the day His glory is fully revealed.

God bless you, and have a wonderful Arise and Shine!

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

GOOD MORNING AND BLESSINGS AS WE LEAVE QUITO

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1).

As I return home today from Quito, I leave with greater hope than ever because Our Lady has shown us that God has not abandoned the Church.

The messages of Our Lady of Good Success speak with remarkable clarity to our own time. They warn of a crisis in the Church, a weakening of faith, confusion, and a profound need for the renewal of the holy priesthood. These warnings are not given to frighten us. They are given to awaken us.

Like the message of Fatima, they are a call to conversion – a call that cannot wait until tomorrow.

Now is the time to pray. Now is the time to do penance. Now is the time to make reparation for the sins that have wounded the Mystical Body of Christ. Now is the time to support and encourage faithful priests, to live our Catholic faith without compromise, and to place our confidence completely in Our Lord and His Blessed Mother.

As I leave this holy place, I also ask you to pray for the fulfillment of the hope entrusted to this convent through the centuries: that faithful Franciscan sons of St. Francis may once again return and restore the tradition of prayer for and guidance to the convent where the prophecies took place. Let us pray, too, for the renewal of every religious order, every seminary, every parish, and every Catholic family, so that all may be renewed in fidelity to Jesus Christ.

The Church does not need our despair. She needs our holiness. The messages have been given. Now let us answer it with our lives.

May Our Lady of Good Success obtain for us the courage to remain faithful, the grace to persevere, and the joy of knowing that Christ has already won the victory. If we rmain faithful to Him, the renewal of His Church will come – not by human strength, but by His divine grace.

May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

GOOD MORNING AND BLESSINGS TO YOU FROM QUITO, ECUADOR

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1).

As I prepare to leave Quito, my heart is filled with gratitude to God for the many graces He has bestowed during these days. This beautiful city bears the witness of generations of the faithful whose love for Christ transformed hearts not by worldly power, but by holiness, humility, and joyful sacrifice. As I leave here, I will carry with me a renewed confidence that Our Lady has not forgotten her children. Here where she entrusted her message to Mother Mariana, I have been reminded that Heaven always prepares the remedy before the trial.

Praying here has been a profound reminder that God never abandons His people. Long before the trials of our own age, Our Blessed Mother looked ahead with a mother’s heart and promised that, even in times of darkness, her Son would never cease to guide and renew His Church.

The Franciscan spirit is woven deeply into this sacred place. The sons of St. Francis faithfully cared for the convent where Mother Mariana lived, prayed, and received Heaven’s extraordinary favors. The prophecies entrusted here also speak of a future renewal, when that Franciscan spirit will once again help strengthen the Church in a time of great need. Looking at our world today, we recognize how urgently we need hearts formed in humility, fidelity, penance, and joyful trust in Divine Providence.

As we prepare to leave, I am convinced that Our Lady continues to guide her children and that the renewal she foretold will unfold. We must pray fervently for our priests, our bishops, our religious, and our families. We must remain steadfast in the truth, faithful to the Gospel, and confident that Christ has not abandoned His Church.

Please continue to pray for me, as I will continue to pray for you. Let us remain united beneath the mantle of Our Lady of Good Success, asking her to obtain for us the grace to be faithful in these challenging times and to become the saints God is calling us to be.

May Our Lord bless you, Our Lady protect you, and may the peace of Christ remain always in your hearts.

And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain with you always. Amen.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

GOOD MORNING AND BLESSINGS TO YOU FROM QUITO, ECUADOR

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1).

We are still in Quito, Ecuador, where Our Lady of Good Success brought messages to the world of the wounds that would be inflicted upon Holy Mother Church in our day. Even as I enjoy being in this beautiful place under the eyes of Our Lady of Good Success, my heart is heavy because we are seeing fresh wounds daily being inflicted upon the Church, and I weep at the suffering it is causing Our Lord!

Every day we place new wounds upon Him. Every time His words are ignored, every time His truth is compromised, every time His Church conforms herself to the world instead of calling the world to conversion, Our Lord weeps.

When those within the Church – even within the hierarchy – say that we all worship the same God, that all religions are equally true, or that all paths lead to God, Our Lord weeps. He did not leave us with uncertainty. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” If we believe His words, then we cannot pretend they mean something else.

When the Church sets aside God’s plan for marriage and the family, blesses same-sex unions, or celebrates Pride Masses, Our Lord weeps. We have not only forsaken the natural law; we have forsaken HIS law. We cannot improve upon what God has revealed.

The Church is wounded because we continue to wound Christ!

He is wounded when what was given from Him and handed down through the Apostles and faithfully preserved through the centuries has become something to be discarded. The Traditional Latin Mass and the great treasury of Catholic tradition are treated as though they are obstacles instead of treasures. Those who cling to what the Church has always held sacred are marginalized or punished for their fidelity.

Instead, many are expected to give unquestioning allegiance to Vatican II, even though the Council itself stated that it was not defining new dogma or issuing infallible doctrinal definitions. Rather than measuring every novelty against the constant Tradition of the Church, Tradition itself is measured against the interpretations of Vatican II.

What is happening today in some ways resembles the worship of the golden calf. The Israelites fashioned something with their own hands and called it worship. Today we risk creating a humanitarian religion fashioned by modern ideas and human preferences instead of receiving with humility what God has already given through Divine Revelation, Sacred Scripture, and Sacred Tradition. We begin to follow a religion of our own making rather than the faith handed down through the Apostles.

THE CHURCH IS WOUNDED!!

Now is not the time for silence. It is the time for reparation, prayer, penance, and mercy. We must console the Heart of Jesus. We must pray for our priests, our bishops, and the whole Church. We must defend the faith that has been entrusted to us – not with anger or hatred, but with courage, humility, and charity.

Every day we can either add another wound to Our Lord or help bind up His wounds through our fidelity.

May we hasten to the refuge of Our Lady of Good Success, who foretold a time of profound crisis in the Church but also promised that God, in His providence, would bring about her renewal. Let us pray and make reparation for the Church, for the renewal of the holy priesthood, and for shepherds who will courageously proclaim the fullness of the Catholic faith without compromise. With confidence in Our Lady’s maternal intercession, let us remain faithful, trusting that Christ will purify His Church.

May Almighty God look with mercy upon His Holy Church, strengthen all who remain faithful, renew the hearts of His priests, bishops, and shepherds, and hasten the triumph He has promised through the maternal intercession of Our Lady of Good Success.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, loved, and consoled in every tabernacle of the world.

And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain with you always. Amen.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

GOOD MORNING AND BLESSINGS TO YOU FROM QUITO, ECUADOR

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1).

Today we again greet you from Quito, Ecuador, beneath the loving gaze of Our Lady of Good Success, whose messages were entrusted to the Church centuries ago for our time. Our Lady never speaks without purpose, and what was revealed long ago has not been forgotten. It was preserved for the days in which we now live – a time calling for renewal, fidelity, courage, and hope.

In March of 1634, Mother Mariana was praying in the morning in front of the tabernacle, and the sanctuary lamp went out, leaving the altar completely in darkness. Then she saw a supernatural light, and the Virgin Mary appeared, who lit the lamp and then told her of a time when the Church would suffer the dark night. She told her that the time would come when errors would be spread, and the Church would be in a catastrophic situation. Morals would become corrupt, and the Faith would disappear.

In a later apparition, Christ spoke to her about the way this time would wound Him, and the Blessed Virgin spoke to her about the importance of penance and reparation which would penetrate the darkness.

As we tread on holy ground here in Quito today, we will be praying for the time of promised renewal in the Church and in the priesthood. We ask that you please pray with us wherever you are. Also please pray that Our Lady will light the lamp that hidden things may be brought out into the light.

Perhaps there are hidden things in your own life – dreams, prayers, or promises that seem buried beneath disappointment or delay. Trust that God is still at work. Often what He hides for a season, He reveals at precisely the right moment, for His glory and for the good of His people.

Let us ask Our Lady of Good Success to intercede for us, that we may remain faithful, confident, and full of hope. May she lead us ever closer to her Son and prepare our hearts for the renewal He desires to bring about in His Church and in the world. Remember, if only a handful join in, Heaven will count them as an army. If only one kneels, the angels will kneel beside him.

May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

GOOD MORNING AND BLESSINGS TO YOU FROM QUITO, ECUADOR

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1).

As Independence Day is being celebrated back home in America, I find myself praying that God will renew our nation. True freedom is never simply political. It is the freedom to know the truth, to worship God, and to live according to His holy will. Every nation must continually return to God if it is to remain truly free.

Being here in Quito continues to draw my heart to the beautiful history of Our Lady of Good Success and Mother Mariana. It is a story of suffering, fidelity, and hope. Mother Mariana endured misunderstanding and persecution because she desired only to remain faithful to Christ, to her vocation, and to the authentic religious life entrusted to her community.

One part of that history that I have been praying about is regarding the Franciscans. The Franciscan Friars Minor, who had guided the convent from its beginning, eventually departed during the time of Mother Mariana. Yet, according to the tradition of Our Lady of Good Success, there would come a future time of great confusion in the world and in the Church, and they would then return to help restore what had been lost. It would be a time when vocations had become scarce, discipline weakened, and many hearts discouraged. Yet God would not abandon His people. He would once again raise up faithful shepherds, faithful religious, and holy vocations.

That message speaks powerfully now in our own age. Over the past century we have witnessed tremendous upheaval. Many religious communities have struggled. Vocations declined. Too often the wisdom of the world was embraced instead of the wisdom of the Gospel. Yet the answer has never been to reinvent the Church. The answer has always been to become saints – to return to Christ with humility, fidelity, obedience, and love.

Across the Church there are young priests, seminarians, religious, and faithful families who long for reverence, truth, beauty, and holiness. They are discovering that renewal does not come from novelty but from faithfully living the treasures Christ has already given His Church.

As I pray here in Quito, I cannot help but think of these sons of St. Francis that were removed from governance of the Convent. At the time of their separation, the founder, Mother Maria, who was near death, gave a final blessing: “May those who love the Franciscan Order be blessed by God, and those who despise it or separate themselves from it be accursed. My Father, St. Francis, always guard your Conceptionist daughters and keep them in your seraphic heart.” Those were her last words, except as she drew her last breath, she whispered, “Francis!”

And as the Franciscan Fathers left, Mother Mariana and the nuns wept, but submitted to the new authority. However, the Franciscans told the nuns that Franciscans would return, but that the separation would last for centuries.

As I pray here today, my heart calls out to these Franciscan brothers – “My sons, do you hear her?” But the call is to more than only the Franciscans – it is to all those who are being called back – to renewal, to hope, to love.

“My sons … Do you not hear her? The bells have never ceased ringing. It is only the noise of the world that has drowned them.

The Mother is waiting where she has always waited. The lamp before the tabernacle still burns. The cloister still remembers your footsteps. The stones remember your prayers. Even the silence remembers your names. Come home.

The longing you carry is already the invitation. The wound in your heart is already the road.

Leave behind your fear. Leave behind your uncertainty. Leave behind the years that have brought you to settle for less. Come as you once came – with empty hands.

The birds know when winter has ended. The lilies know when to bloom. Shall the sons of Francis not know the voice of their own Mother?

Rise before the world awakens. Walk toward the place where Heaven once touched the earth, and where it longs to touch it again.

If only a handful come, Heaven will count them as an army. If only one kneels, the angels will kneel beside him. And when the first brown habit crosses the threshold once more, the old walls will rejoice, the saints will whisper your names, and the Mother who waited through generations will smile as though no time had passed at all.

Come home, my little brothers. The lamp is still burning. She has been waiting for you.”

May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

GREETINGS FROM QUITO, ECUADOR

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1).

As the sun rises over these beautiful mountains, my heart is filled with gratitude. I want to tell you today something of the love that surrounds this holy place.

The Franciscan spirit is still alive here. The simplicity, humility, and joyful love of Christ that St. Francis taught continue to echo through the Convent of the Immaculate Conception and the churches. And the warmth of the priests and the sisters reminds us that authentic holiness is always accompanied by charity.

Within the walls of this Convent lived Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres, whose life of prayer and sacrifice continues to speak powerfully to our own age.

One morning, while praying in the darkness of the convent chapel, she suddenly saw the sanctuary filled with heavenly light. Before her eyes, the tabernacle opened, and Our Lord appeared as He was at Golgotha – His Sacred Body wounded and suffering. Beside Him stood His Blessed Mother, her tears falling like precious pearls. St. John was there, faithful beneath the Cross, and Mary Magdalene knelt at His feet in sorrow and love.

Seeing the suffering of Christ, Mother Mariana believed she must somehow be the cause. In profound humility she cried out, “Lord, I am the guilty one. Punish me, but pardon Your people.” Her guardian angel gently told her to rise, for she was not the cause of His sorrow.Turning to Our Lady, she asked, “My Lady, am I the cause of this sadness?”

The Blessed Virgin answered that it was not she, but the sins of a future age. Then Mother Mariana saw three swords. Upon them were written: Heresy, Blasphemy, Impurity. She was told that these would wound the Mystical Body of Christ in a future century – our own time. Then a question was asked that still echoes across the centuries: “My daughter, will you sacrifice yourself for the people of that time?” She did not hesitate. She freely offered to suffer for us. At that moment, the swords pierced her own heart as she accepted suffering so that future generations might receive grace and mercy.

Standing here in Quito, it is difficult not to recognize how deeply those words speak to our own day. We see confusion where truth should shine clearly. We see blasphemy treated as entertainment. We see impurity celebrated rather than repented of. We see many drifting from the perennial teaching entrusted by Christ to His Church, embracing the spirit of the age instead of His eternal Truth.

But Our Lady did not reveal these things merely to warn us. She revealed them to prepare us – and to assure us that God would not abandon His Church. She promised a great renewal of the Church and of the holy priesthood. That promise belongs to us. But renewal begins with faithful hearts. It begins with men and women who choose truth over compromise, holiness over comfort, and Christ over the passing opinions of the world.

As I pray here today in this blessed convent, I will ask Mother Mariana to intercede for all of us. May we have even a small share of her courage, her humility, and her willingness to offer herself completely for Christ and for souls.

May Our Lady of Good Success cover you with her mantle. And may each of us arise, be enlightened, and shine with the light of Christ in a world that so desperately needs His Truth.

May Almighty God bless you and may He renew His Church, strengthen His priests and bishops, and fill your heart with the peace that comes from Christ alone.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland