This past weekend, Divine Mercy Australia was pleased to welcome the renowned Marian Father, Fr. Chris Alar, to our distant shores for the worldwide launch of his latest book, “Understanding the Sacraments: God’s Grace Guaranteed”. This book is the newest installment of his Understanding the Faith series, published by Marian Press, which began with “Understanding Divine Mercy.” Fr. Chris mentioned Australia – his specific choice for the worldwide launch – as having a critical, even providential role in evangelizing Asia and opposing the spread of atheist totalitarianism worldwide.
Divine Mercy events
On Saturday 31stMay, Fr. Chris began a full day full of engagements by celebrating the Sacrifice of the Mass to a packed St. Patrick’s Cathedral, giving a powerful apologetic sermon on the Ave Maria for the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, followed by his educational talk on the Sacraments of the Church, drawing from his new book. He then made his way to Melbourne’s Divine Mercy Shrine in Keysborough to give a longer conference talk, again to packed audiences, speaking ex tempore on his books and on a range of other topics, including the aforementioned geo-political situation in the Asia-Pacific and its theological implications, on the deleterious effects of the sexual revolution and the loss of the virtue of chastity, sharing many edifying anecdotes, over the course of an hour. He again celebrated a brief Mass, joining the local priest as co-celebrant.
At both events, Fr. Chris was inundated with demands for book signings and photograph opportunities, to which he graciously attended each, with the interest, generosity, and charm that he has come to be known for, and to the great joy of his many readers and local supporters.
The day ended at Melbourne’s Polish House “Syrena” in Rowville with a formal evening fundraising dinner supporting Divine Mercy Australia. Mixing speeches with light entertainment and some eccentric auctioneering of artworks donated by one of the speakers, Catholic painter Tommy Canning, the most notable moment belonged to Ms. Bridget Sakr of Heartfelt Community. Ms. Sakr recounted the events of the tragic and violent deaths of her daughter, nieces, and nephews, pedestrian victims of criminally culpable driving. This was eclipsed in emotion only by her elaborating on how, by the redemptive power of the Cross extending the unfathomable mercy of God to all mankind, and with the guidance of Our Lady, she found the courage to extend that same loving mercy first to the parents of, and then finally to, the young man responsible for taking the lives of these beloved children. Ms. Sakr credited her enduring strength to Our Lady, and she has since returned to the Legion of Mary, which has helped her transform pain into healing, to establish a benevolent foundation, and to lead the young culpable driver nearer toward a conversion of his own, whilst still in prison, to the Faith. Hardly a dry eye was to be found in the room.
The new book
In introducing himself to the audience Fr. Chris drew upon Ms Sakr’s talk to remind everyone that he would not have become a priest at all, but for a tragedy: the suicide of his grandmother in 1993, which he tells at greater length in his excellent treatment of the subject in “After Suicide: There’s Hope for Them and for You” (Co-authored with Jason Lewis, MIC). In such ways, Fr. Chris reminded his audience that the mystery of sin and suffering is best understood in light of the revelation of God’s infinite mercy. As we discover God’s mercy only by first becoming aware of our desperate need for it, we also see how God is always bringing good from evil.
Continuing on the central theme of God’s unfathomable mercy, Fr. Chris turned to his new book, which provides a clear, comprehensive, and engaging explanation of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, emphasizing their role as guaranteed channels of God’s grace. Fr. Chris underscored that the sacraments are not mere rituals but concrete, divine encounters, and are most desperately what we are in need of, in today’s heavily secularized world where religion – and, ipso facto, access to God’s mercy – has been aggressively ‘privatized’ and ‘dematerialized’. Integrating the message of Divine Mercy into his discussion, Fr. Chris presented Confession and the Eucharist as sacraments of mercy that restore and sustain the soul as tangible expressions of God’s merciful love, the apotheosis of it, and the basis for our own good works.
The book addresses common misconceptions, such as fear or reluctance to confess. It encourages readers to embrace the healing power of this sacrament as a tangible reminder of God’s love and mercy. Fr. Chris’s engineering background informs his methodical, clear explanations, making the book accessible to a wide audience, either as an aid for Catholics to deepen their faith or for non-Catholics to understand the Church’s sacramental theology. His pastoral sensitivity, honed by his work with the Marian Fathers and his experience with loss, ensures the book speaks to both the head and the heart, and will be an effective tool for evangelization.
Fr Chris Alar’s “Understanding the Sacraments: God’s Grace Guaranteed” is available for purchase, here.