Fr. Chris Alar – Marian Retreat – 2024

Father Chris Alar, MIC, entered the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, the religious community entrusted with spreading the message and devotion of Divine Mercy, as a postulant in July 2006. Prior to that time, he received a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan. After working as an engineering manager at a large automotive supplier in Detroit, he began his own consulting firm in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2000.

Answering the Lord’s call, he attended Franciscan University of Steubenville, in Ohio, for his philosophy studies; Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., for his theology studies; and he earned his Masters of Divinity degree from Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. He wrote and produced the popular “Divine Mercy 101” and “Explaining the Faith” YouTube series and is the author of the bestselling book After Suicide: There’s Hope for Them and for You, as well as Understanding Divine Mercy.

He is host of the EWTN show Living Divine Mercy, which airs on Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. EST. From 2014-2024, he served as “Fr. Joseph, MIC,” the Director of the Association of Marian Helpers.

In 2023 he was elected Provincial Superior of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy Province of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception in the United States and Argentina.

Led to Jesus through Our Blessed Mother, Mary Bea is a passionate Catholic Evangelist, with a deep love for the Eucharist, Our Lady, and for our one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Her witness is one of giving her continuous ‘Yes’ at the calling of Our Lord – in the workplace, in the family and in the world. Most recently, she responded to the Lord’s whisper to create a place of Eucharistic Encounter for the youth at Malvern Retreat House, building upon the life and work of Blessed Carlo Acutis – and the challenge to become the saints we were created to be.

Mary Bea is the President of Vovéo Marketing Group, a full service B2B Marketing Agency which she founded in January of 1995.  A graduate of St. Joseph’s University, Mary Bea has served on the Haub School of Business Marketing Advisory Board, and is an active member of the Malvern Retreat House Board, as well as the St. Patrick School Board. She serves on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Eucharistic Revival Committee, and is an active member of St. Patrick Parish Malvern. Through her business, Mary Bea has worked to assist many Catholic Non-Profit organizations – such as World Meeting of Families, Miraculous Medal Shrine, and National Centre for Padre Pio.

She has been a retreatant at Malvern since 2018, and has attended nearly 30 retreats.