The house where Jesus was received with the love of Martha and Mary.
It teaches us hospitality — an open heart for God and for priests — and prayer: listening to Christ as Mary did, and adoring the Blessed Sacrament.
About us
What is the Bethany Mission for the Support of Priests?
A community of lay people and clergy who support priests with prayer, fasting and sacrifice.
In brief
A work of prayer for priests
The Bethany Mission for the Support of Priests grew out of the charism of the Sisters of the Bethany Family and is the fruit of the adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for priests.
We share our charism with the whole Church, and so we bring together lay people and clergy who pray for priests alongside us.
We run a number of initiatives meant to strengthen priests in their striving for holiness and apostolic zeal.
We also wish to form the hearts of the faithful, so that they may live by the power of the common priesthood.
Founded
4 February 1999
Charism
Bethany and the Upper Room
Members
Lay people and priests
Spiritual care
A priest's name for life
Our aim
To support priests with daily prayer and kindness, and to love Christ, the Eternal High Priest.
Our vision
A Church aware of the dignity and power of Christ's priesthood, built in unity by lay people and priests who serve one another.
Our charism
Bethany and the Upper Room
Our spirituality grows out of two gospel images — the house at Bethany and the Upper Room.
The place where the Eucharist and the priesthood were instituted.
It teaches us service after the example of Christ, who „came not to be served but to serve”, and unity — building a fraternal community with priests.
We look to Christ the Priest and his love for every person,
we are nourished by his Body and adore the Blessed Sacrament,
we offer our daily life, prayer, fasting and suffering for priests,
we believe that we are the Church and we build it together.
„Blessed are those who respect priests, who support priests and who help priests in their difficult and responsible work.”
Servant of God Fr Józef Małysiak SDS
Poznaj ks. Józefa(strona betanki.pl, otwiera się w nowej karcie)How it works
How to join the Mission
Everyone who joins the Mission becomes a priest's „shadow” — quietly and discreetly protecting his ministry with prayer.
1
You join the Mission
You fill in the form and take part in the work of prayer for priests.
2
You receive a welcome package
A membership card, a prayer book and BMWK materials. The Mission assigns you a priest to pray for — unless you name your own intention.
3
You pray every day
With the prayer to the Holy Spirit for the priest entrusted to you, and to the Mother of God for all the clergy.
On the first Thursday of every month a Holy Mass is celebrated in our convent for all who take part in the work — priests and those who pray for them.
Find out more
Our history
It all began on 4 February 1999
Sister Gabriela tells how the Mission came to be
While I served as a sacristan, I came to know the apostolate of priests and the difficulties that go with it. I decided then to offer an hour of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for them every day. During that adoration the Lord unveiled before me the beauty of the priesthood, who a priest truly is. He let me look at priests as if with his own eyes — weak and sinful people like us, and yet endowed with great power from on high.
Under the care of the Church
A blessing for the work
The faces of the Mission
Meet our community
Behind every prayer there are real people. They are the ones who make up the Bethany Mission and surround priests with prayerful support day by day.
A community of prayer
Who prays for priests
What priests say about our prayer
The prayer of the faithful for priests is for a priest one of the most important sources of joy in the spiritual ministry he carries out for them. The weight of this prayer lies in the fact that — one might say — it builds up the human heart. The awareness that the faithful are praying for me, that they bless me, that they want to be with me especially in difficult moments, that in this way too they show me their affection, is a powerful support in my daily struggle with my weaknesses. Truly, all of this is greatly needed, for without your prayer I would be like a knight without armour in the middle of a battle to the death, because it is a battle to the death for life – eternal life.
We are one great family
and a powerful intercession for priests. They stand at the front line of the battle for our souls and pay a great price for it. Jesus himself prayed to the Father for the first priests in the Upper Room: „Keep them in your name, protect them from the evil one, sanctify them in the truth…”
