The DWMoM movement is nothing other than the mission; a mission that is shared by those who do DWMoM Street Walks and those who apply the DWMoM Spirit to their daily endeavors after Mass. There are no offices, no staff, no fundraising appeals, no membership cards, and no newsletters.
Membership is solely based upon sharing in this mission — to whatever degree and in whatever manner you discern you are called — even if not with perfection, nevertheless with reasonable consistency.
The founder of this movement, Daniel O’Connor, is no one special; he is just a lay Catholic – a husband, father, and teacher – who was inspired by the tremendous opportunity of grace at the intersection of the revelations on the Divine Will and the Divine Mercy; an apostolate to literally bring Jesus Christ to the literal streets, trusting that “where sin abounds grace abounds all the more,” and that in these days of unprecedented darkness, God will pour out His Spirit to such an extraordinary degree that, as when the Apostle Peter’s shadow fell on the sick they were healed, so too when we merely open ourselves to the Gift of Living in the Divine Will, even the smallest outreach to souls can act as the channel through which they accept the Divine Mercy and attain salvation.
How naïve, simplistic, or childish this may sound is no secret. In this era of the New Evangelization, where it seems every apostolate has been exhausted, every apologetics argument already tried, every ministry already attempted — and despite it all the world continuing to sink further into darkness — we, instead of striving after something more strategic, are merely striving after something infinitely more simple: presence. Instead of contributing to the current overload of diagnosis and commentary, we choose instead to fight the atrophy of action by physically walking straight into the midst of the raging battle for souls, trusting absolutely in God to use us for whatever purposes He has in mind.
Trusting in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ to achieve all things. That is our aim. “Master, we have toiled all night and have caught nothing. But at your word, we will lower our nets.” That we say with Peter. Lord Jesus, achieve the rest.
If this introduction to our apostolate leaves you with questions, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page.
The following radio interview with Daniel expresses much of the main purpose of the DWMoM; especially as it ties into the upcoming Holy Year of Mercy:
The following talk, given by Daniel, at a Catholic Leadership Conference, gives more details and stories:
Do not expect a nice walk in the park after Mass.
Expect to journey through streets that would more resemble the county landfill than an ordinary sidewalk, were it not for the predominance of discarded liquor bottles, cigarette butts, lottery tickets, and other accessories of the sins of that street accumulating in the gutters.
Expect the air to be permeated by “music” booming through subwoofers that could not possibly have had its lyrics or its beat inspired by anything but demons.
Expect to be amongst conversations that more resemble brawls than discourse, with vocabularies consisting primarily in curse words.
Expect to pass by numerous impromptu shrines at various spots on the sidewalks; dedicated to the young men shot and killed in the midst of gang violence in the preceding days.
Expect to be continually passing by buildings that resemble those not of an industrialized nation in peace time, but of the crumbling remains of a thoroughly destroyed city in the midst of a great war.
But know that “where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.”
Therefore expect also to see a genuine openness to the grace you bring; an openness that, despite the struggles involved in bringing it, is sure evidence of God’s approval.
Expect to see people truly thankful that you did something so simple as looked them in the eye and said “God Bless you.”
Expect to feel God’s presence in the midst of it all.
But on some days expect to see and feel none of that. On all days, however, know that you may rest your head on your pillow at night knowing that, in the twinkling of an eye, you will hear those blessed and promised words:
“Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…”
Divine Will Missionaries of Mercy 