The Family of Helpers
From the very creation of The Society of the Helpers of the Souls in Purgatory, Mary of Providence envisioned involving laypeople in her mission. This intuition later developed in various forms.
The Friends of Helpers Group and the Secular Fraternity of Helpers offer two ways of living out the spirit of the Institute’s founder.
A large number of laypeople in different countries are currently members of Friends of Helpers groups.
They represent very diverse realities in terms of their numbers, the structure of their groups, the ways in which they meet, and their involvement in the Church’s mission.
- In Africa: 3 groups of Friends in Rwanda
- In Latin America: 6 groups in Mexico and 4 in Colombia
- In North America: 1 emerging group in the United States
- In Asia: 3 groups in Japan, 1 in Hong Kong, and 1 in Taiwan
- In Europe: 4 groups in Italy, 2 in France, 1 in Great Britain, 1 in Hungary, and 1 in Romania (Transylvania)
These groups had the opportunity to meet in 2022 through pairings and videoconferences. It was a wonderful occasion to collectively experience the dynamism of the charism of Mary of Providence.
The Secular Helpers are baptized women who have heard and embraced God’s unique call to consecrate their lives while remaining “in the world, but not of the world.” They desire their lives to be shaped by the founding spirit inspired by Mary of Providence.
The Fraternity was recognized by the Church in 1962 as an “association of perfection” affiliated with the Society of Helpers.
Within the specific nature of their secular vocation, the Fraternity shares the same charism and spirituality as the Institute.
These women, living independently, are engaged or have been engaged in a profession, which serves as the place of their commitment. They seek and desire to bear witness to the Gospel wherever they are naturally integrated as leaven in the dough.
Having taken vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the Secular Helpers currently number around twenty and live in France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Latin America, and Japan.
