Heralds of Good News of the Divine Mercy Province

Scheduled to Visit:
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, Calais, and
St. Peter the Fisherman Parish, Machias

The Heralds of Good News is a clerical missionary society of apostolic life. The order was founded by Rev. Fr. Jose Kaimlett on October 14, 1984, in the diocese of Eluru, India. Initially, it was erected as a diocesan right, but it became an institute of pontifical right on May 5, 1999.

The specific aim of the society is “the promotion of vocations to priesthood, the training of seminarians, and the supply of zealous and hardworking missionaries to the dioceses in India and abroad which experience a shortage of priests due to the lack of local vocations.” The Diocese of Portland is among those that have benefited.  There are currently seven members of the Heralds of Good News serving in Maine.

The society has Mary Queen of Apostles and St. Joseph the Worker as its patrons.

Through the blessings of God, the society has made rapid progress, and to better administer to its members, it was divided into four provinces in August 2008. In 2017, less than 10 years later, it became necessary to establish a fifth province; the Divine Mercy Province.  While this newly erected province has 130 priests and 50 seminarians in various levels of formation, it does not yet have an administrative building or even a Priests’ Retirement House. However, through the grace of God,it has been able to continue to run schools and hostels for the poor children in India and Tanzania.

Objectives and Apostolate

1. Pastoral 

• Promoting vocations to priesthood and formation of the seminarians

• Parish Ministry, prison ministry, and family apostolate

2. Educational Assistance

• Resident education centers for underprivileged children.

• Homes for orphans, those from unstable family environments, and those with special needs. Free education is provided to all of them.

3. Humanitarian Aid

• Training centers for the school dropouts and small-scale industries for the poor young people

• Homes for the homeless and the destitute

• Self-employment programs

• Women's empowerment programs and a working women’s hostel for women from remote villages

4. Spiritual Guidance

• Spiritual renewal programs and retreat centers

5. Present Endeavors and Projects

• Covid-19 relief works: Feeding the hungry, opening food stations, helping the travelers to get to their destinations, supplying medical needs (masks, sanitizers, medicine, etc.)

• Construction of schools in the villages

• Construction of a spiritual renewal and retreat center

• Construction of province headquarters and a priests’ home

• Construction of a cemetery

The Heralds motto is “to proclaim the mercy of the Father.” They have 130 laborers (priests) working in the vineyard of the Lord. They are rendering their selfless service in 14 countries around the world, including 36 priests serving in 13 dioceses of the United States.

If you would like to support the ministry of the Heralds of Good News Divine Mercy Province, please visit the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish online giving page or the St. Peter the Fisherman Parish online giving page. To learn more about the work of the Heralds of Good News, visit their website.