Mother of Mercy M.I. Village
About the Militia of the Immaculata (M.I.)
The Militia of the Immaculata (M.I.) is a worldwide evangelization movement founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe in 1917 that encourages total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary as a means of personal conversion and sanctification, and of spiritual renewal of society.
Statement from our Pastor, Fr. John Clote
At the 2024 Priest’s Convocation in September, Bishop John Dolan spoke of the urgent need for Evangelization in the Phoenix diocese and the universal Church. The Militia of the Immaculata (M.I.) is a worldwide evangelization movement founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe in 1917 that encourages total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary as a means of personal conversion and sanctification, and of spiritual renewal of society. I have been a member of the M.I. since 1993 and a few years ago was the Administrator of the St. Maximilian Kolbe National Shrine in Chicago for several years.
Beginning November 16th, 2024, Holy Spirit Parish officially became part of the M.I. by establishing an M.I. Village. An M.I. Village is both a prayer and apostolic group of the faithful inspired by, and meeting under the patronage of St. Maximilian Kolbe, whom St. John Paul II called, “A sign and prophet of the new era, the civilization of love.” Our M.I. Village has taken the name MOTHER OF MERCY M.I. VILLAGE and will meet every second Thursday of each month at 7pm in Hanley Hall. Our M.I. VILLAGE is open to all Catholics- laity, clergy, and consecrated persons. I invite you to contact us. If you would like to enroll in the M.I., email us at MI@holyspirit-tempe-az.org and request to be added to the list.
As Marian missionary disciples, M.I. members employ prayer and self-sacrifice as the main tools in the spiritual battle for the victory of good over evil. They also engage in apostolic initiatives in various sectors of society, either individually or in groups, to give witness to the Lord and our Catholic Faith and to spread devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Meet our M.I. Moderator
As a former Air Force EOD member, Colten Heart serves as the Coordinator of the Mother of Mercy M.I. Village at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Colten is dedicated to fostering Marian devotion and spiritual growth in alignment with the teachings of St. Maximilian Kolbe (his Confirmation Saint) as he works to inspire others to live out their faith through love, humility, and service. Baptized and confirmed on Easter of 2023 after attending Catholic Mass for multiple years prior, Colten brings a fresh and passionate perspective to this position. Colten will coordinate and lead our M.I. Village in prayer, formation, and evangelization alongside Fr. John Clote, Fr. Joseph Vuong and our Deacons. Please email Colten at MI@holyspirit-tempe-az.org if you have any questions. He looks forward to the new experiences God has in store and meeting all the new M.I. members here at the parish.
Meet our M.I. Co-Moderator
Katie Pelak grew up in Michigan and is one of eleven kids. She attended Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI and studied Business Administration along with Psychology. The Lord brought Katie out to Arizona in 2021. In this time her devotion to our Lady has grown as time and time again she has healed, restored, renewed, and brought her gently closer to her son’s Sacred Heart. Through this process she learned more about St. Maximillian Kolbe and the beauty of consecrating yourself to Mary. Katie shared this message: “It’s an honor and a privilege to serve our Immaculata in this way as part of the M.I. Village. My prayer and desire for everyone participating in this M.I. Village is for them to experience the embrace of a loving Mother, and the healing, freedom, and joy of Jesus through our loving Mother leading them evermore closer to her beloved son. St. Maximillian Kolbe, pray for us.”
“Do not place limits on love toward the Immaculata, for you will never love her as Jesus Christ loved her.”
-Saint Maximilian Kolbe
“Let yourself be led by the Holy Spirit through the Immaculata in love.”
-Saint Maximilian Kolbe

Books that we will mainly utilize in our meetings:
- WRITINGS OF ST MAX 2VOLUME SET
- AIM HIGHER
- WILL TO LOVE
- A MAN FOR OTHERS
- ALL FOR THE IMMACULATA!
- IMMACULATE CONCEPTION AND HOLY SPIRIT
- MI CATECHISM
Main M.I. website:
https://militiaoftheimmaculata.com/