Our Sorrowful Mother’s Ministry is a Private Association of the Faithful whose mission is to bring people closer to Christ. We hold events that feature holy priests who instruct and serve as retreat masters.
We include presentations by priests and speakers, daily Mass, Confession, Holy Rosary, prayer teams and time for individual prayer and meditation. Our dedicated team of lay faithful leads Our Sorrowful Mother’s Ministry under the guidance of trusted priests. Volunteers from around the United States assist with our retreats and events.
Our aim is to provide a place of love and mercy to all who come here and to encourage reconciliation and unity for their lives and with God.
In 1997, Debbie Pryor and Vanessa Keck founded Our Sorrowful Mother’s Ministry with the mission of providing retreats and a ministry of healing to help reconcile people with one another and with God.
Many priests have mentored and advised Debbie and Vanessa over the years. Fr. Peter Rookey, an internationally known healing priest, helped launch and build the ministry. After Fr. Rookey passed away, Fr. Chad Ripperger became a mentor and dear friend to OSMM and continues to support the ministry today. Fr. Seth Brown, pastor of Our Mother of Dolors parish in Vandalia, currently serves as the OSMM chaplain and spiritual advisor.
Fr. Peter Mary Rookey, OSM, was a dear friend and mentor to Debbie and Vanessa. His ministry inspired them to deepen their faith and eventually form OSMM. For many years, they provided him with transportation in St. Louis each month as he conducted healing Masses at parishes and visited the sick in hospitals and private homes. He was a great support and inspiration.
Because of this great friendship, Fr. Rookey entrusted Debbie and Vanessa with many of his private possessions before he passed away in 2014. We have the privilege of preserving these items of his legacy. Many items are on display in our Chapel dedicated to Fr. Rookey, including his original habit, rosary of the Seven Sorrows, sandals, and Mass kit.
Our Spiritual Father
Since Fr. Rookey’s passing, Fr. Chad Ripperger has become a spiritual father and close friend to Our Sorrowful Mother’s Ministry. He serves with the Doloran Fathers in the Archdiocese of Denver and continues to mentor OSMM and offer periodic retreats in Vandalia. The OSMM team is deeply grateful for his friendship and fatherly
Our Sanctuary
We feature four Chapels within the Sanctuary.
Please note: the Sanctuary of the Sorrowful Mother is only open on weekends when we have retreats.
Stabat Mater Dolorosa Chapel
The Blessed Sacrament is reposed within the Stabat Mater Chapel.
Chapel dedicated to Fr. Peter Rookey, OSM
We have a chapel dedicated to Fr. Peter Rookey, OSM who was our mentor and entrusted us with many of his personal items.
Chapel of Mary, Reconciler of All People and Nations
This chapel is dedicated to Our Lady as she appeared to Servant of God Maria Esperanza in Betania, Venezuela.
Chapel of the Church Triumphant & Confessional
This chapel holds our many relics, including several first class relics of the holy saints. It is also the location of our confessional.
Building and Grounds
The House of the Immaculate and the House of Mary and Martha share a garden where retreatants can relax and pray among several devotional areas. Special areas are a garden area devoted to St. Joseph and a rose garden dedicated to St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
Also on the grounds is a small building which contains a chapel featuring a statue of Christ lying in repose in the Holy Sepulcher. The Blessed Sacrament is reposed there during retreats. We encourage you to visit the Holy Sepulcher for prayer.
Retreatants are welcome to spend time praying in all of our chapels and devotional areas.
Building and Grounds
The House of the Immaculate and the House of Mary and Martha share a garden where retreatants can relax and pray among several devotional areas. Special areas are a garden area devoted to St. Joseph and a rose garden dedicated to St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
Also on the grounds is a small building which contains a chapel featuring a statue of Christ lying in repose in the Holy Sepulcher. The Blessed Sacrament is reposed there during retreats. We encourage you to visit the Holy Sepulcher for prayer.
Retreatants are welcome to spend time praying in all of our chapels and devotional areas.
Gift Shop
Our gift shop will be available for spiritual aids, books and other sacramentals for yourself, family and friends. It is located at the entrance of the Sanctuary.
Servant of God Maria Esperanza de Bianchini had visions of the Blessed Virgin starting at the young age of 12. Many spiritual gifts were bestowed on her throughout her life, including the gifts of prophecy, reading souls, bilocation, and the stigmata. In 1984, Maria Esperanza was the primary visionary in an apparition of Our Lady. The Blessed Virgin appeared to her and over 100 others in Betania, Venezuela as Mary, Virgin and Mother, Reconciler of All Peoples and Nations.
The Message of Our Lady was to Save Souls through the unity, love, and promotion of family life as God intended. We are in partnership with Betania, as Betania XVI, joining them in the promotion of family, Christian love, and reconciliation with God, ourselves, and others.
Give now to help others experience God’s love and healing mercy.