St. John Paul II Threshold of Hope Award Honoree

Father Chris Alar, MIC is a priest, author, teacher, evangelist, and the Provincial Superior of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy Province of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, serving the Marian communities in the United States, England, and Argentina.

Known for his passionate and engaging ability to communicate the truths of the Catholic faith, Father Chris has dedicated his priesthood to bringing souls closer to Christ and spreading the life-changing message of Divine Mercy entrusted by Jesus to St. Faustina Kowalska.

His journey to the priesthood is itself a remarkable story of faith and surrender to God's providence. Before entering religious life, Father Chris earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. He went on to work as an engineering manager in the automotive industry before establishing his own consulting business in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Yet God was calling him to something more.

Father Chris ultimately left behind his successful business career to answer a vocation to religious life and the priesthood. He entered the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception in 2006 and pursued his philosophical and theological formation at Franciscan University of Steubenville, the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., and Holy Apostles College and Seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 31, 2014.

Since then, Father Chris has become one of the Marian Fathers' most recognizable voices for Catholic evangelization and the message of Divine Mercy.

From 2014 to 2024, he served as "Fr. Joseph, MIC," Director of the Association of Marian Helpers, helping lead an international spiritual family committed to supporting the mission and ministries of the Marian Fathers. In 2023, he was elected Provincial Superior, assuming responsibility for the Marian Fathers and their ministries throughout the United States, England, and Argentina.

Through television, digital media, parish missions, conferences, books, and countless presentations, Father Chris has reached audiences around the world with his energetic teaching on the Catholic faith. He wrote and produced the popular Divine Mercy 101 and created the widely viewed Explaining the Faith series, addressing everything from the Sacraments and Sacred Scripture to Church history, Mary, the saints, prayer, suffering, and the spiritual life.

He is also the host of EWTN's Living Divine Mercy, through which Father Chris and the Marian Fathers bring the message of God's mercy and the richness of the Catholic faith into homes throughout the world.

Father Chris is the author of several acclaimed books, including the bestsellers After Suicide: There's Hope for Them and for You and Understanding Divine Mercy, as well as Understanding the Sacraments: God's Grace Guaranteed. His teaching combines theological depth with an accessible, down-to-earth style that helps Catholics not only understand what the Church teaches, but discover why it matters in their everyday lives.

At the heart of Father Chris's ministry is a simple but urgent mission: to lead souls to Jesus Christ and help the world encounter the unfathomable mercy of God.

Today, as Provincial Superior, Father Chris continues the extraordinary mission of the Marian Fathers, a religious congregation entrusted with spreading devotion to Mary Immaculate, praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, and, in a special way, promoting the authentic message and devotion of Divine Mercy. From the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, the Marian Fathers carry this message to millions of people through pilgrimages, publications, television, digital media, evangelization, and personal encounter.

With his infectious enthusiasm for the Catholic faith, his devotion to Divine Mercy, and his tireless commitment to evangelization, Father Chris Alar has helped countless people rediscover the beauty of the Church, experience the mercy of God, and place their trust more completely in Jesus Christ.

Array of Hope is honored to recognize Father Chris Alar, MIC, and to celebrate his extraordinary witness of faith, priesthood, leadership, and evangelization with the St. John Paul II Threshold of Hope Award.

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