For Fr. Matthew Phelan, a Mercedarian priest serving in the Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia, the call came through a mix of Marian devotion, Eucharistic adoration, and a well-timed game of “Bible roulette.”
The Mercedarians
Fr. Matthew is a member of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, founded in 1218 by St. Peter Nolasco in Barcelona, Spain, to save Christian captives from Muslim slavery. Mercedarians take a fourth vow, to give their lives, if necessary, for those in danger.
A Marian Inspired Conversion
Everything began to shift when Father Matthew and his family discovered a book on Marian apparitions. “It scared the hell out of me,” he said candidly. That realization sent him to confession, and down a road of renewal through daily Mass, the Rosary, and Eucharistic Adoration.
One night during adoration, seeking direction, he played “Bible roulette” and landed on Matthew 9:9: “Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.” That was all the clarity he needed.
Living the Mission and the 4th Vow
Today, Fr. Matthew serves as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Philadelphia’s Overbrook neighborhood. In 2015, the Mercedarians launched the St. Raymond Nonnatus Foundation for Freedom, Family & Faith to help live out their redemptive fourth vow, offering spiritual accompaniment to those wounded by divorce and trauma.
A Charism of Humor
Father traces his personal charism of joy to a hospital stay in 2016. “I didn’t want anyone to leave my hospital room without a smile on their face.”
Discernment Advice
”Don’t join the ‘perpetual discerner’s club.’ If you’re feeling called, take the leap. If it’s not your vocation, the Church will guide you. Even if you leave seminary, nothing is wasted.”
Listen to Fr. Matthew on the Life of a Priest podcast, only on the Tabella App!
