I was raised in the town of Willis, TX; there I grew up with my brother and my four sisters. I was home schooled all through elementary school, and all four years of High School. During those years, prayer in my family was an important aspect of my development. We tried as a family to pray daily. I truly believe that my vocation was fostered in that time of prayer spent with my family. Praying with my family also helped to develop in me a love of the rosary, and a strong devotion to our Lady.
My high school home schooling was done through Seton Home Study School. Seton was a hard, but a rewarding undertaking, that taught me allot about self-discipline, and helped me to develop a strong work ethic.
After I graduated from High School, I developed a great love and devotion to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and found great strength and consolation from Him. I decided to focus my attention on discernment of a priestly vocation. I went to the visit the Franciscans in Hanceville, Alabama, where I met Fr. Wade Menezes with the Fathers of Mercy.
I am now a permanently professed religious brother of the Fathers of Mercy. My time with this religious community has been a rewarding and grace filled experience. God has given me many great gifts. Simple things, like a strong faith, and a close family for me to develop. I know that God is leading me in the direction of the Priesthood and religious life.
Fr. Jewel Aytona, CPM grew up in Rancho Cucamonga in Southern California. In between playing basketball and break-dancing, he and his family would faithfully attend Sunday Mass, pray the family Rosary and frequent Eucharistic Adoration. As he began to be involved with Youth Ministry, he discovered that God had given him a gift to preach and teach the Faith to others. He was drawn to this apostolate, and felt a call from the Lord to discern the priesthood to use the gifts God had given him and to devote his life to prayer. He was ordained on June 4th, 2011 as a perpetually professed Religious of the Congregation of the Fathers of Mercy in Auburn, Kentucky. His Apostolate ministry is missionary preaching.
Fr. George McInnis was born in 1978 and is a native of Middleburg, Kentucky. Fr. George and his family converted to the Catholic faith in 1987. In 1998 Fr. George joined the Congregation of the Fathers of Mercy and was ordained to the priesthood in 2007. He is a 2007 graduate of Holy Apostles College & Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut where he earned a B.A. in philosophy and a Master of Divinity degree.
The Congregation of the Fathers of Mercy was founded in 1808, originally under the title of “The Missionaries of France.” The community was founded for the purpose of re-evangelizing the French people after the Catholic Faith had been subjected to years of attacks and persecution during the French Revolution. It is now exclusively an American community. The generalate is located in South Union, Kentucky. The primary apostolate of the Fathers of Mercy is to conduct parish missions and retreats throughout the country.
During the mission, Fr. George will encourage and challenge the parish community to make a stronger, deeper personal commitment to Christ and to His Church. Among the topics he will normally speak on are: