At the most recent Household Life Mass, Franciscan University saw a new men’s household get inducted: the Apostles of Mary (AOM). With seven founding members and a clear vision, they sought to create not just a club, but a community of brotherhood rooted in spirituality. Members Caleb Jellum, Stephen Durkee and Timothy Dupill were interviewed about the “why” behind the creation of AOM.
The pillars of this household are “agape,” holy zeal and trust. The official AOM Instagram defines “agape” as “the highest form of love, the kind of love God has for us.” Members strive to live with the same holy zeal that filled the Apostles after Pentecost. Dupill and Jellum described it as “the fire of the Holy Spirit that we want to spread across campus.”
Finally, they emphasize trust: “No work we begin on our journey towards Christ can bear fruit, except for the grace of God,” they said. Explaining why trust is a pillar of the household.
Their patron saints are St. John the Apostle, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Mary Magdalene and St. Josemaria Escriva “because they model carrying our crosses for the sake of the Lord,” Jellum said.
Although the household has just one official coordinator, the seven founding members came together with a mutual desire for community. Jellum, Durkee, Ethan Agustin, Dupill, Kyle Simmons, Boston Spina and Mason Fliern all felt called by Christ to create the household and were “formed by Mary, on example of Saint John at the foot of the Cross.”
They live by is John 19:26-27, in which Jesus, in His final moments, entrusts His mother to John: “Woman, behold your son … behold, your Mother.”
This household was formed to foster fraternity while never sacrificing brotherhood for spirituality – God is always the end goal – and to create a vibrant culture for seeking Christ. Men’s households with a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother are few and far between, and AOM members hope to “give back to the Franciscan community and spread God’s love” by following her perfect example and bringing Christ to all they meet.
With many logistics behind the scenes, creating a household is no small feat. Not only do commitments take up a lot of time for students, but going through the process of creating the household, planning commitments and events, running a social media, spreading the word and getting it legitimized is time-consuming. Jellum, Dupill, and Durkee highlighted this as the toughest part of this process.
However, they all agree that it was worth the effort. Their favorite parts of formation included going through intentship with the guys, spending time in prayer and hosting daily rosaries at the Marian grotto.
Their commitments are the aforementioned rosaries every day at 7:30 p.m., Mass and breakfast on Wednesdays at 6:30 a.m., and Lord’s Day on Saturdays in their common room on the first floor of Trinity Hall.