New Missionaries Strengthen the Montfortian Presence in UK

Published by Fr. Marco Pasinato SMM in Great Britain and Ireland · Tuesday 04 Aug 2026 · 4:30
Tags: NU, GBI, 1366

SOUTHAMPTON, United-Kingdom - On 22 July, Fr. Ruban SEBASTIAN SMM and Fr. Peter ANTHONY SMM arrived from India in the United Kingdom to join the Montfortian mission. Their arrival brings new energy to the community and strengthens the Church’s call to renewal and evangelisation.

They join Fr. Aswani KUMAR SMM, who arrived in January, and Fr. Richard MAGARARU SMM, who has been serving in the United Kingdom for the past four years, especially through itinerant missionary ministry in the London region. Together with Fr. Kieran FLYNN SMM and Bro. Anthony HANLEY SMM, they form the Montfortian community of Great Britain and Ireland, attached to the General House. What is still a small community is becoming increasingly significant as a missionary presence, bringing together different generations and cultures around one shared charism: to make Jesus Christ known and loved through Mary.

A mission with new possibilities

The arrival of the new missionaries will allow the community to develop its missionary and pastoral project in the United Kingdom. At the centre of this mission is St Joseph’s Spiritual Centre in Ashurst, which serves as both a spiritual centre and the home of the Montfort Missionaries. The Centre offers opportunities for retreats, prayer, spiritual accompaniment and the promotion of Montfortian spirituality. Another important dimension will be the pastoral responsibility for St Teresa’s Parish in Totton, near Southampton, together with the continued promotion of Montfortian spirituality through the accompaniment of the “Mary, Queen of All Hearts” Association. These different forms of ministry are closely connected: spiritual animation, parish renewal, retreats, Marian spirituality and missionary outreach all contribute to the same purpose—helping people encounter Christ and rediscover the joy of faith.

“Your contribution will be invaluable”

This renewed missionary presence responds in a particular way to the invitation of Bishop Philip EGAN of Portsmouth. In a letter dated 25 February 2025, the Bishop recalled the “long and very happy association” between the Montfort Missionaries and the Diocese of Portsmouth. He expressed his enthusiasm for the new possibilities opening up at St Joseph’s, especially through the arrival of new priests. The Bishop highlighted the opportunity: “to promote devotion to Our Lady, to provide retreats and to work closely and fruitfully with the Diocese.” He also pointed to the signs of growth and renewed vitality in the local Church, noting that Southampton is a growing area of the Diocese and that Mass attendance is increasing. In the context of the Diocese’s ten-year mission plan, You Will Be My Witnesses, he underlined the importance of spirituality, renewal, mission and service. For the Montfort Missionaries, his words are both an encouragement and a responsibility: “Your contribution to this will be invaluable.”

Growing together as an apostolic community

The mission, however, cannot be separated from fraternity. The confreres regularly come together at St Joseph’s Centre for times of retreat, prayer, sharing and conviviality. These gatherings are becoming an important part of their common life, allowing the missionaries to support one another, deepen their fraternity and renew their commitment to the mission. For a community made up of confreres from different generations and backgrounds, these moments are especially valuable. Mission is sustained by fraternity, while fraternity itself becomes a witness to the Gospel. The new arrivals therefore represent more than an increase in personnel. They are an opportunity to build a stronger apostolic community, rooted in prayer, enriched by international missionary experience and ready to serve the local Church.

Missionaries for a Church awakening to faith

The Montfortian presence in Great Britain and Ireland comes at a moment when the Church is seeking new ways to proclaim the Gospel and accompany people in their search for meaning and faith. The missionaries see in this situation not only challenges, but also possibilities. A renewed interest in spirituality, the desire for deeper meaning and the need for authentic Christian communities all call for missionary presence. The Montfortian response is rooted in the missionary intuition of St Louis-Marie de Montfort: to lead people to Jesus Christ through Mary, making the Gospel accessible through preaching, spiritual accompaniment, retreats, parish ministry and personal witness. With the arrival of Fr. Ruban and Fr. Peter, alongside Fr. Aswani and Fr. Richard and in communion with the wisdom of Fr. Keran and Bro. Anthony, the Montfort Missionaries are taking another step in this journey. And a local Church that is seeking new missionary energy is discovering once again the gift of the Montfortian charism. The road ahead will certainly bring challenges. But it is also a road filled with hope—a hope founded on the conviction that wherever people are searching for God, missionaries according to the heart of Christ are called to be present.

Marco PASINATO, SMM

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