Maria Esperanza - 2004

August 7, 2004

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As I trust many of you have already heard, Maria Esperanza died at approximately 4:30 a.m. today. Mrs. Esperanza was one of the greatest mystics and visionaries of our time. She lived a most extraordinary life of grace and faith while at the same time being an exemplary daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother.

I had the great grace of knowing her and coming to know her family as well. I met her in Venezuela approximately ten years ago, celebrated Mass for her and her family on several occasions in Venezuela and in the United States, and prayed with her in front of large groups of people and in private. I received prophecies from her that have already occurred and some that are yet to be realized. I witnessed the manner in which she ministered to others, often at great personal cost to herself. I believe that she was an authentically holy woman and I personally witnessed amazing phenomena that surrounded her that was both remarkable and faith inspiring.

I am grateful to God that I came to know her. I am a better priest and a better person because my life intersected with hers. I will continue to keep in contact with her family as they, too, are very precious to me. I ask you, my prayer partners, to pray for Maria Esperanza and her family. I know that some would say: “Maria is in heaven, she does not need our prayers!” All I know is that I have never met a sane person who has claimed that they did not need our prayers; when I die I certainly expect and beg for your prayers! Maria, conscious of her own sinfulness, also would want our prayers for her soul. She would, of course, most especially ask us to pray for her husband Geo, who was like a St. Joseph in his gentle, faithful presence around Maria, and for her beautiful children and grandchildren as they experience this tremendous loss.

The last time I saw Maria was in March (2004) when I celebrated two masses for Maria, her family, and Marian Community in Medway, MA. As I left the last Mass I sensed that I was seeing her for the last time. She drew me close to her and kissed my face. Although she was not able to speak, I will never forget the intensity of her eyes and the love that she communicated to me, whom she called “my son.” I treasure in a very special place in my heart the time and experiences that I shared with Mrs. Maria Esperanza.

There is much that will become known about Maria Esperanza in the years to come. As was the case with her spiritual father Padre Pio, everything is not known regarding her life. Some of the unique circumstances and phenomena that surrounded her were intentionally kept quiet while she was still alive. Much will be revealed over the next several years and as is always the case, some stories will be embellished or even made up out of whole cloth. I would caution that we should not become distracted by phenomena. Our job is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Maria never focused on the phenomena; she spoke about the Eucharist, the Blessed Mother, Divine Mercy, the angels and the saints. She was a woman of the Church. She was unswervingly loyal to the Holy Father, to magisterial teaching, and to the authority of the bishops. She never in even the smallest way ever wanted to offend her Lord. I heard her say literally more than a hundred times: “humility (which includes strict obedience) is the crystal bridge to heaven.” She knew that people were drawn to her by her personal holiness, but she never wanted to be the focus for people. She wanted the focus to always be on Jesus. Like our Holy Father she emphasized that we go to Jesus through Mary.

Those of you who know me personally know that I do not discuss private conversations with other people unless the other party wants me to share what they have told me. For that reason much of what Maria Esperanza told me in private conversations will remain private. I believe that it is appropriate, however, to share with you that the origin for the Oblates of the Divine Mercy of Jesus Crucified was a conversation around the kitchen table of Mrs. Maria Esperanza’s daughter Maria Gracia. I had gone to bless Gracia’s new apartment in Venezuela and the entire family was all just sitting around the table talking in a very relaxed way. It was at this time that I told Maria that I wanted to go to the Holy Land in the fall of 2000 and she said, “No! You will not be able to go in the fall; go in the spring.” (That is why we went in March of 2000). In the course of casual conversation I shared with her how I wanted to start a little prayer group. Her whole expression changed and she sat up in the chair, pointed her finger at me and said (and I will never forget it because when she spoke she had great authority): “my son, you think too little of yourself. ‘I’m going to do something small’…’some little thing’…You can do ‘big things’ too! This prayer group will be much bigger than you can imagine…God wants to do big things through you!”

Remember that all this was being translated from Spanish into English, but the gravity of what she was saying needed no translation. Our “little group” is already much bigger than I anticipated, but in time and with grace it will become even bigger and its reach extend wider if it is God’s will. All that matters is that God is loved, praised, adored, and worshipped. Maria Esperanza believed and prophecized that our “little group” would be an instrument that helped to bring the grace of God’s love and mercy to the world. I pray that we are as faithful to our mission as Maria was to her mission.

Her spiritual father, Padre Pio, when he was nearing the end of his life told his devotees that he would be able to do more for them from heaven. I know that death cannot defeat love. I pray that Maria will keep watch over all of us, her spiritual children, from her place in heaven and intercede on our behalf as we seek to bring souls to the loving and merciful God whom she served so well.

Sincerely,

Rev. Richard F. Clancy