Marian Servants Information

The Marian Servants of the Incarnate Wisdom® (MSIW) is a community chapter of the Marian Servants of Divine Providence ®, a Public Association of the Christian Faithful, founded in Clearwater, FL in 1987. The Houston community chapter (MSIW) began its formation under the direction of Alicia Goodwin in March 2006 and was officially granted permission to exercise the apostolate in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in March 2007 by Cardinal DiNardo. Community members live according to a Rule of Life with Holiness, Obedience and Service as the three virtues that we constantly seek. The spirituality outlined in our Rule of Life is three-fold: we have a special devotion to the Holy Spirit; we have a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redeemer; and we pledge ourselves to a special loyalty to the Holy Father and Magisterium of the Church and humbly accept their authority in matters of faith and morals. The mission of the Marian Servants® is to bring Christians to a deeper understanding of their vocation and mission in Christ, the Church and the world. We recognize that spiritual direction is an important component to assist the faithful in growing in holiness. To that end, the practice of spiritual direction according to the Ignatian tradition is offered by various members of the community who have been trained and certified through the School of Spirituality in Clearwater, FL, a program developed in association with Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. The Marian Servants of the Incarnate Wisdom ® exercise our apostolate in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in varying ways. Currently, we provide individual spiritual direction and facilitate the Exercises of St. Ignatius both individually and in small group form. We minister to students at Catholic inner city schools as spiritual mentors, as well as provide retreats for their faculty and junior high youth. The community also sponsors Days of Reflection and prays with individuals as the Lord sends to us. There are several other community chapters throughout the United States each with their unique ministry, but all work toward the same mission and follow the same common Rule of Life. The founding community continues to lead, guide and educate individuals in the spirituality of St. Ignatius. Recently, they partnered with the Institute for Priestly Formation to provide spiritual retreat opportunities to priests throughout the United States. The Houston community of Marian Servants® meets weekly for praise and worship and ongoing formation September through May. If you are interested in joining us, please contact either Alicia Goodwin at alicia@marianservantshouston.org or Gina Waters at gina@marianservantshouston.org. Responding to and assisting others with their personal Call to Holiness is the essence of who we are and what we do as Marian Servants®.