Fathers Of Mercy

What Fathers Of Mercy does

The Fathers of Mercy (Congregation of the Priests of Mercy) is a Marian Congregation of Priests of Pontifical Rite, founded in Paris in 1808 by Father Jean-Baptiste Rauzan as the Missionaries of France and approved by Pope Gregory XVI in 1834. The congregation's primary apostolate is preaching parish missions and retreats at the invitation of pastors or bishops, with each mission structured as a five-night spiritual renewal featuring Eucharistic adoration, catechetical preaching, and the hearing of confessions. A secondary apostolate involves staffing rural and underserved parishes, notably St. Helen Church in Glasgow, Kentucky and its mission church Our Lady of the Caves in Horse Cave, Kentucky, both under the pastoral care of the congregation since 1952.

The mother-house and headquarters sit at 806 Shaker Museum Road in Auburn, Kentucky, a few miles outside Bowling Green, and include the Chapel of Divine Mercy (dedicated 2008), Assumption Hall, the St. Joseph Novitiate Building, and student residences. The congregation operates a monthly Come and See retreat program for men discerning priestly vocations and currently has approximately 6 seminarians in formation. Supporting products include the multi-language Examination of Conscience guides (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese), audio and video recordings (CDs/DVDs/MP3s), four theological books authored by Fr. Wade Menezes, a podcast, a YouTube channel, and several televised series broadcast on EWTN Global Catholic Television Network.

Revenue is generated through a combination of tax-deductible donations directed to general operations, the seminarian fund, and a building project capital campaign; Mass intention stipends (typically $10 per Mass) submitted by postal mail; and retail sales of religious media through shop.fathersofmercy.com. No financial figures are publicly disclosed. Customer segments include Catholic parishes and dioceses across the Southern and Eastern United States seeking mission preaching and sacramental care, men considering priestly vocations, and individual retail buyers of Catholic media products.

Name

Fathers Of Mercy

Legal name

The Fathers of Mercy

Website

https://fathersofmercy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1808

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Fathers of Mercy is a Catholic Marian congregation of priests founded in 1808, headquartered in Auburn, Kentucky, that preaches parish missions, staffs rural parishes, forms seminarians, and produces Catholic media including podcasts, books, and EWTN television programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Roman Catholic Religious Services and Ministry

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAC

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

Keywords

• Parish missions
• Catholic retreats
• Priestly formation
• Religious materials
• Spiritual renewal

Headquarters

HQ city

Auburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization operates primarily through tax-deductible donations from supporters. Donors can contribute to general operating expenses, the seminarian fund, the new building project, or mission donations.
2. Mass Intentions: Mass intentions are submitted by postal mail with a stipend (typically $10 depending on diocese) for each Mass to be offered for specific intentions.
3. Sale of Religious Materials: The organization sells CDs, DVDs, MP3s, and Examination of Conscience materials through their online store at shop.fathersofmercy.com

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Fathers of Mercy is a Roman Catholic congregation of priests whose primary apostolate is preaching five-night parish missions and retreats at the invitation of pastors or bishops, with an emphasis on the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Confession. Secondary work includes staffing rural parishes (notably St. Helen and Our Lady of the Caves in Kentucky since 1952), running monthly "Come and See" vocation discernment retreats, and producing and selling related Catholic media such as podcasts, YouTube homilies, CDs/DVDs/MP3s, printed books, and Examinations of Conscience. Mass intentions and donations from individual supporters sustain the mission.

Product overview

The Fathers of Mercy offers a portfolio of religious and spiritual products and services centered on Catholic evangelization and priestly ministry. The core offering is the Parish Missions & Retreats program, which provides week-long spiritual renewals to parishes. Supporting products include the Examination of Conscience (free PDFs and bulk print purchases), audio/video recordings (CDs/DVDs/MP3s), published theological books by priests such as Fr. Wade Menezes, podcasts featuring homilies, and EWTN television series. The organization also runs Come and See Retreats for vocational discernment and operates the Chapel of Divine Mercy for visitor tours. These products collectively support the congregation's mission of re-evangelization through preaching, sacraments, and Catholic education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parish Missions & Retreats Five-night parish spiritual renewals delivered at the invitation of Catholic pastors or bishops, including conferences, Eucharistic adoration, catechesis, and confessions, targeted at Catholic parishes seeking spiritual renewal and re-evangelization.
• Rural Parish Staffing Ongoing pastoral and sacramental care for rural or underserved Catholic parishes, including St. Helen (Glasgow) and Our Lady of the Caves (Horse Cave) under the Archdiocese of Louisville.
• Come and See Retreats Monthly vocational discernment retreats for Catholic men ages 18-40 considering the priesthood, with extended visits available on request; targeted at U.S. residents only.
• Mass Intentions Sacramental offering of the Holy Mass for specific intentions requested by individual donors, with a recommended stipend of approximately $10 per Mass, submitted by postal mail; intended for individual Catholic supporters.
• Examination of Conscience Booklets Print and downloadable Catholic Examination of Conscience guides for preparation before the Sacrament of Confession, available free as PDFs and in bulk printed quantities (100, 500, 1,000 units) in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.
• CDs/DVDs/MP3s Audio and video recordings of sermons, homilies, and theological presentations from Fathers of Mercy priests, sold through shop.fathersofmercy.com for individual Catholic consumers.
• Books by Fr. Wade Menezes Published theological books authored by Fr. Wade Menezes covering Catholic eschatology, sin and grace, foundational Church teachings, and a men's daily devotional of Scripture and saints, sold via shop.fathersofmercy.com for individual Catholic readers.
• Podcasts Audio podcast episodes of homilies and spiritual teachings from Fathers of Mercy priests on mercy, confession, and Catholic doctrine, distributed online for individual Catholic listeners.
• EWTN Television Series Televised Catholic programs (The Crux of the Matter, The Wonders of His Mercy, In Defense of the Eucharist, Work Out Your Salvation) broadcast on EWTN Global Catholic Television Network, including Fr. Wade Menezes' hosting of EWTN Global Catholic Radio's "Open Line Tuesday."
• Chapel of Divine Mercy Tours Visits and worship at the Romanesque-style Chapel of Divine Mercy, the primary oratory of the Fathers of Mercy dedicated in 2008 on the Kentucky mother-house grounds outside Bowling Green, available to individual Catholic visitors.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFr. Wade Menezes served as Chaplain-in-Residence at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery (affiliated with EWTN). The Fathers of Mercy have appeared on multiple EWTN programs including 'Mother Angelica Live' and 'Life on the Rock'. Fr. Wade Menezes hosts EWTN Global Catholic Radio's 'Open Line Tuesday' and multiple televised series.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Society of Jesus (Jesuits): The largest Catholic religious order, offering parish missions, retreats, and formation programs across a global footprint; broader scope than the Fathers of Mercy but operates in the same category of Catholic apostolic ministry.

Others

• EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network): Ecosystem partner that broadcasts Fathers of Mercy content across television and radio; not a peer congregation but a closely adjacent Catholic media organization through which the Fathers of Mercy reach large audiences.

Direct peers

• Marianists (Society of Mary): Founded in 1817 as a Catholic religious congregation focused on formation, education, and parish ministry; comparable in size, scope, and congregation-based operating model to the Fathers of Mercy.
• Vincentians (Congregation of the Mission): Founded by St. Vincent de Paul in 1625 for the evangelization of the poor, the Vincentians run parish missions, retreats, and formation programs — a closely analogous operating model to the Fathers of Mercy's preaching-focused apostolate.
• Redemptorists (Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer): Founded in 1732, the Redemptorists are one of the most prominent Catholic missionary congregations specifically known for preaching parish missions, retreats, and sacramental ministry — directly parallel to the Fathers of Mercy's core apostolate of five-night parish renewals and confessions.
• Congregation of Holy Cross: Founded in 1837, Holy Cross runs parishes, schools, and missions with a formation pipeline and operating cadence similar in scale to the Fathers of Mercy, including rural and international ministries.
• Norbertines (Premonstratensians): A centuries-old Catholic religious order known for parish ministry, retreat houses, and sacramental service — directly comparable to the Fathers of Mercy in congregation-based ministry and sacramental focus.
• Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: Founded in 1854, this Catholic missionary congregation conducts parish missions, retreats, and sacramental ministry — overlapping closely with the Fathers of Mercy's core offerings and small-congregation operating profile.
• Paulist Fathers (Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle): Founded in 1858 in the United States specifically for the evangelization of lapsed Catholics, the Paulists share a directly comparable US-rooted evangelization, parish mission, and media-focused operating model — including significant use of publishing and broadcasting.

Emerging players

• Legionaries of Christ: Founded in 1941, this Catholic congregation runs parish missions, retreats, and a large formation pipeline; operates with a more dynamic growth profile and global footprint that contrasts with the Fathers of Mercy's smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/fathersofmercy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fathers-of-mercy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fathers Of Mercy