Celebrating the Hidden Saints of the Independent Sacramental Movement

Why It’s Time to Share Our Stories — and a New Way We’re Doing It

Across the Independent Sacramental Movement (ISM), God is quietly at work.

Not in massive cathedrals. Not in institutions with vast resources. But in tiny chapels, home altars, prisons, homeless encampments, shelters, nursing homes, and streets where life is hardest.

Everywhere in our movement, clergy and laity are serving with extraordinary faithfulness — yet most of their stories are almost completely unknown outside their own jurisdictions. The ISM has many hidden saints, but their witness rarely reaches the wider movement.

It’s time to change that.

Our Greatest Apologetic Is Not Words — It’s Our Way of Life

This month I released a new book, Defending the Independent Sacramental Movement as a Catholic Way of Life, available here: https://www.amazon.com/Defending-Independent-Sacramental-Movement-Catholic-ebook/dp/B0G3XXB1LS

The book lays out theological, historical, and practical reasons the ISM matters. But as I wrote and reflected, one conviction kept resurfacing:

The greatest apologetic for the ISM will never be arguments. Our greatest apologetic will be our lives.

The most convincing witness we can offer is the evidence of God’s grace working through ordinary people — priests, deacons, bishops, and lay leaders who bring Christ to others with humility and compassion.

The Extraordinary Work Already Happening in the ISM

I think of a priest from a former jurisdiction of mine in the Milwaukee, WI area.

You won’t find his name in news articles or on large ministry websites. But if you were homeless, addicted, or imprisoned, you knew him. He showed up week after week, serving meals, praying with people on the streets, visiting jails, and offering a sacramental presence to those the world often forgets.

Most people in the movement have never heard his story. But it is exactly this kind of ministry that shows the true heart of the ISM.

I also think of a priest in my current jurisdiction whose dream of helping vulnerable young people has taken concrete form. Inspired by Father Flanagan’s legacy, he envisioned a faith-based shelter — the Father Flanagan House, now emerging in Howell, Michigan. You can learn more here: HTTPs://www.knightsofsaintgeorgepress.org/about-5-1

This is holy work. This is sacramental work. This is the ISM at its best.

And there are dozens of stories like these — clergy and laity who serve quietly, faithfully, and without any desire for recognition.

But Most of These Stories Are Never Told

Across the ISM:

• priests serve the homeless under bridges

• deacons minister in prisons and hospitals

• tiny parishes feed families in need

• chaplains sit with the dying, offering comfort and sacraments

• lay ministers run shelters, social service programs, and community gardens

• clergy support the sick, addicted, grieving, and homebound

• small communities provide sacramental care where no one else will

Yet these ministries rarely reach the broader movement. Most remain invisible.

The world needs to see this. We need to see this.

We need to be reminded that the Holy Spirit is alive in our jurisdictions, that grace is being poured out in small and unexpected places, and that our movement is filled with real servants of Christ striving toward holiness.

🌟 Introducing the ISM Faithful Service Recognition

To honor these stories and ensure they are shared, IndependentSacramental.org is launching an annual Faithful Service Recognition.

This recognition will highlight clergy or laity in the ISM whose ministry reflects:

• compassionate service

• sacramental presence

• outreach to the marginalized

• quiet, humble faithfulness

• a commitment to unity and community

• the spirit of Christ lived out in daily life

Each year, one or more individuals will be recognized and featured on our new ISM Heroes page, where their stories can inspire and encourage the entire movement.

Applications for the 2026 recognition are open now through September 1, 2026.

This is not about titles, rank, or jurisdiction. This is about honoring the people in the ISM who give their lives for others, often with no recognition at all.

Why This Matters

The ISM has long suffered from misunderstanding and invisibility. Our ministries are often small, underfunded, or scattered. Our clergy are frequently bi-vocational, serving the Church after long workdays, caring for families, and navigating limited resources.

But God is doing great things through us.

when we lift up the stories of faithful service:

• we strengthen one another

• we show the world the true heart of the ISM

• we build unity across jurisdictions

• we demonstrate what the sacramental life looks like in practice

• we inspire new vocations and renewed commitment

• we root our movement in lived holiness

Sharing these stories is not optional — it is essential. It is how we bear witness to Christ. It is how we show the world who we are.

Help Us Tell the Story of the ISM

If you know clergy or laity whose ministry deserves recognition — whether big or small, public or hidden — we want to hear their story.

Let’s celebrate the good that is already happening. Let’s honor the hidden saints in our midst. Let’s show the world that the ISM is not defined by size, politics, or structures, but by faithful service to Christ and His people.

To learn more or submit a nomination:👉 https://www.independentsacramental.org📧 hopeagainsthopetoday@gmail.com

Together, let’s shine a light on the beautiful, grace-filled work happening in the Independent Sacramental Movement — and give glory to God for the ministry being done in His name.