Br. Michael Opalacz, MIC
Divine Mercy Intercessory Prayerline
Stockbridge, Massachusetts
"I know we're helping many people," says Br. Michael Opalacz, MIC, who helps man the phones for the Marians' Divine Mercy Intercessory Prayerline.
Throughout his years as a Marian, Br. Michael Opalacz, MIC, has felt a special call to ministry. Until recently, he ministered for four years to the sick and dying in a Steubenville, Ohio, hospital. But when he was transferred Stockbridge, MA, in the summer of 2005, his call took on a new tone — a ring tone, actually.
"Hello," he says, picking up a ringing phone on a recent day. "This is Br. Michael. How can I help you?"
It's a question he's asking a lot these days.
Brother Michael is a new face — and soothing, prayerful voice — on the Marians' prayerline, part of the Divine Mercy Intercessory Ministry of Prayer, headquartered at the Marian Helpers Center.
On the face of it, with its rows of cubicles, the ministry's prayerline could double for a business office anywhere, except for a couple notable distinctions. Within those cubicles, those aren't operators standing by to take your order; they are intercessors standing by to take your prayer petition. And the business at hand here isn't financial (the service is free), but rather it's to serve others in a spirit of love and compassion.
"Just knowing that I can be of service and be a 'foot washer,' like Jesus did of old, is what I find most rewarding," says Br. Michael during a break in the calls.
Photographs of three people hang in Br. Michael's cubicle: the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope John Paul II, and St. Faustina. They are three people whose lives and works continually inspire him — people who answered "yes" to God's call.
In his 38 years as a Marian, Br. Michael has sought, with the grace of God, to imitate that "yes" and to serve the Lord where needed. His services certainly are needed on the prayerline. Since the prayerline was founded in 1995, the number of live calls it receives has grown to more than 1,000 a week. (The Ministry of Prayer also receives many prayer requests via e-mails, letters and voicemails.)
The requests range from everyday needs to matters of life-and-death. They come from throughout the United States, Canada, and the Philippines, as well as elsewhere.
"It's really important work," Br. Michael says, "and I really take it to heart. It's a deep call to serve people, many of whom are in great distress. And I know we're helping many people."
As part of the prayer team, Br. Michael tries to give the petitioners a sense of peace and to assure them they're not alone.
And when people who call the prayerline with petitions get Br. Michael on the phone, they are thrilled to learn that he's a Marian brother, says Cathy Chichester, the administrator of the ministry. The other intercessors are laity.
"One time a woman called, and when she found out Br. Michael was a Marian brother, she hollered upstairs and told her elderly mother to hurry down so she could also pray with Br. Michael," Cathy says.
Brother Michael and the other workers on the prayerline don't offer counseling. They listen. They pray with callers, and they pray for callers. Then, they place their intentions before the Lord.
"I think the most important role I can play in this ministry," he says, "is to be a source of comfort for people in crisis and to let them know that God listens to prayers."