Mission of Divine Mercy: The U.S. Sedevacantist Group Whose Superior Has Been Excommunicated by the Bishop of San Antonio

(ZENIT News – Porta Luz / San Antonio, Texas, 08.25.2026).- On August 14, the Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas (USA), Gustavo Garcia-Siller, issued a public notification regarding Father John Mary Foster and his Mission of Divine Mercy. Specifically, he declared the latae sententiae excommunication, that is, automatic, without the need for a formal declaration, of the priest and his dismissal from the clerical state; consequently, he may no longer celebrate the Sacraments or exercise any jurisdiction. The reason? As Monsignir Garcia-Siller explains, Foster «has been found guilty of schism, an offense against the faith, due to his refusal to submit to the Roman Pontiff.»

Details of a Process

The episcopal statement explained, point by point, a matter as complex and painful as this: an ecclesiastical tribunal initiated judicial proceedings in April 2025 with the authorization of the Holy See, ultimately handing down a guilty verdict on April 20. As the Bishop notes, «being Catholic means being in communion with the Pope — the Bishop of Rome and Successor of Saint Peter — and with the College of Bishops.» And, as history demonstrates, schism or rupture always gives rise to «fragmented communities that cease to be in communion with the Catholic Church.»

Foster — referred to in the notification simply as «Mr.,» without any priestly title — «has chosen to reject the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church through his words and actions,» a fact highlighted by his public reference to Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV as «usurpers.» Despite being urged to reconsider his position and repent, «Mr. Foster has chosen the path of disobedience.» The Archbishop of San Antonio states that, after being forbidden to celebrate Mass in public, the leader of the Mission of Divine Mercy has continued to do so. A significant detail is that he omits the Pope’s name during the Eucharistic Prayer, thereby «publicly manifesting his separation from the Church and the Successor of Saint Peter» at the most important moment of Christian life. 

Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller calls upon the faithful to «guard their hearts and minds against those who seek to lead them away from the Church» and firmly declares that participating in the celebrations and activities of the excommunicated man and his Mission «constitutes a formal act of disobedience.» He forbids Catholics in his diocese from attending or supporting these activities in any way, noting that even financial support «gives [Foster] the opportunity to continue undermining the Church’s mission.» Finally, the Archbishop invites readers of his statement to join him in prayer for Foster, that he may reconcile with the Church (bearing in mind that the canonical penalties imposed upon him aim not at punishment, but at healing).

A Controversial «Mission» From the Start

Where does all this come from? We must look back two years, during the height of Pope Francis’s pontificate, to find the most immediate background. On March 15, 2024, Archbishop Garcia-Siller published a message and signed three decrees regarding the so-called Mission of Divine Mercy, founded by Foster and established in his diocese since its approval in 2010. The Archbishop addressed concerns raised by the community’s «publication of recent, alleged prophecies.» It was a group that — as is becoming increasingly common — presented itself as a «contemplative Catholic community» and was distinguished by the use of a religious habit, despite being nothing more than a private association of the faithful approved by the diocesan Ordinary.

It appears the Archbishop was already aware of a very distinctive characteristic of this group: the fact that, for two years, they had been receiving alleged private revelations. Consequently, the only condition he imposed upon taking charge of the diocese, in order to prevent misunderstandings and scandal, was that they refrain from publishing any prophetic messages until these had been reviewed to ensure they posed no harm to the People of God. Things remained calm from 2009 until 2024, when the Mission of Divine Mercy broke its silence and, in doing so, disregarded the episcopal directive.

In the words of Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller at the time, «Father Foster publicly declares his disobedience to Church authority and encourages others to do the same,» as the community’s leader explicitly claims that his superiors «are actively committing and commanding a grave evil,» and therefore, morally speaking, «there is no obligation to obey them.» The leader was referring both to the Archbishop, who «has a good heart but enthusiastically follows Bergoglio, whom we believe is trying to subvert the Church», and to the Pope himself, whom he considers a «usurper.»

Accordingly, the episcopal decrees were unequivocal: regarding the group, ecclesiastical approval for the Mission and its statutes was withdrawn, its status as a private association of the faithful was suppressed, its legal personality was terminated, and its assets were to be distributed in accordance with Canon Law. Regarding the founder, he was removed from his leadership position in the association and his role as parochial vicar; his faculties to preach and hear confessions were revoked; he was prohibited from publicly exercising his priestly ministry; and he was ordered to undergo a six-month spiritual retreat.

Disobedience… «By God’s Will»

The events leading to these harsh measures — which, two years later, culminated in excommunication — began in February 2024. At that time, the Mission of Divine Mercy released the first in a series of videos, in both English and Spanish, featuring Foster, who appeared wearing his religious habit before an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Titled «An Introduction and a Call to All God’s Children,» the video served to introduce him as the spokesman for «a small Catholic movement based in Texas» and, more specifically, to disseminate words «from Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother» that «were recently given in a message to our community, but given for all of God’s children.»

Regarding three years of alleged private revelations — the dissemination of which the Bishop had provisionally banned, as previously noted — Foster asserted in his first video message: «We believe God is now asking us to speak publicly, to share His words to awaken those who are asleep and bring comfort to His children, because our Church and our world are going through an unprecedented crisis.» He was convinced that this was the reality, «because we believe God Himself has been telling us this in prophetic messages, which were first shared with me 30 years ago when I was a young priest serving in Mexico, and later, seven years ago, when God began speaking to certain members of our own community as a continuation of the earlier messages.»

He went on to note that «since then, we have been receiving powerful, loving, and important messages from God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Our Most Holy Mother.» Foster insisted that these are revelations filled with hope, stating: «Out of obedience, we have not published these messages all these years, but now we believe the Lord Himself is telling us that the time has come for His words to be shared for the good of His children and His Church.» It is the usual pattern: clinging to a supposed Will of God in defiance of the directives given by the Church’s shepherds.

The strategy to confuse the faithful

In a clever move to link themselves to the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Saint Juan Diego in Mexico in 1531 — an invocation known worldwide as Guadalupe –, the Divine Mercy Mission has named the natural site where it is based «Tepeyac» (after the hill where Our Lady appeared in the 16th century) and the small sanctuary erected there «teocalli» (a Nahuatl term meaning «temple,» and the very word she is said to have used to instruct the indigenous Mexican man on what to build). Thus, at this «New Tepeyac,» according to the movement’s leader, «we were given a series of messages in the spring of 2017.»

Firmly convinced of the supernatural origin of the messages, John Mary Foster addressed the question of «the role of the hierarchy in the discernment of these matters,» noting that «we ought to be able to trust the discernment of the Church’s shepherds.» However, he added, «these are not normal times,» for «the terrible crisis of faith and the corruption within the Church have left many shepherds unable or unwilling to recognize the Holy Spirit when He speaks today.»

He stated that, despite not being a theologian, a biblical scholar, or a canon lawyer, «I willingly and wholeheartedly offer my personal testimony regarding the authenticity of these messages.» Thus, the discernment proper to the hierarchy is transferred to his own person, a form of subjectivism that subordinates everything to his own perception and, ultimately, to the argument of authority that he himself claims to wield by Divine Will. And, having given this explanation (a long, twenty-minute introduction), the Mission leader presented the crucial part: «a message that a sister from our community had just received on February 8.»

A Dark and Alarmist Message

The first to speak, according to the account, was the Virgin Mary, warning that «the battle is looming and you are asleep,» and stating that she sought to «wake you up like a good mother» so that her children would «not perish without a fight.» In this message, the Mother of God lamented «how few of you have listened to me, how few have understood me and placed yourselves at my disposal to form my army of light.» The concept of «reconquest» appears repeatedly, alongside a tone of urgency regarding what is to come, as the message insists on «the darkness of confusion that now reigns in the Church and in the world.» The key point? «My Church is without a shepherd to tend my sheep.» Without naming him, the message was pointing to the Pontiff: Francis, at that time.

Attacks against the Church hierarchy are constant in these alleged private revelations: «those who have clothed themselves in lamb’s wool and false meekness, but who are ravenous wolves devouring my children without mercy,» says Mary. In another message, God the Father states that priests «have become a stumbling block to me,» as they are shepherds who «have fallen asleep and abandoned you»; consequently, He has been compelled to raise His voice, calling them «thieves stealing my children… sinking deeper and deeper into darkness.» Escalating the tone, He rebukes the Bishops: «you have become worse than demons.»

If this is the language the Foster’s sectarian community attributed to God when referring to priests and Bishops, it is hardly surprising what was said about the Bishop of Rome: «you have allowed the usurper to sit in the Chair of Peter, the one who is carrying out the great betrayal that will leave my Church desolate.» A few days later, the Eternal Father reportedly told them that the Church had turned into «something monstrous and deformed.»

They Would Be the «True Catholics» Amidst the Confusion

The language of the alleged supernatural messages is entirely apocalyptic. References to living in the «end times» are common, featuring a proliferation of phrases such as «the Great Battle,» «the time has come,» and «I shall soon act.» Employing the same martial language found in revelations of heavenly origin, John Mary Foster explains that his group feels called to join others «to begin gathering God’s army» during these difficult times. In the first message published following the decrees issued by the Archbishop of San Antonio in March 2024, the Lord declared: «I have told you that I am now gathering My army, that the hour when My voice shall rise like thunder has arrived, and that the trumpet calling you to take your places in My army is sounding.»

A few days later, the Mission published a statement in response to the canonical sanctions, declaring that «due to the unprecedented crisis in the Church,» the founder would continue to celebrate Mass and preach at the site. Furthermore, it affirmed that they would continue «sharing the messages we believe the Lord is giving us for His children.» The legal argument presented was certainly curious: «what is deemed ‘illicit’ in ordinary times may not only be a ‘licit’ act, but a good and holy one, during extraordinary times of grave crisis in the Church. We sincerely believe this to be our case.»

From Francis to Leo

Consequently, its members maintained that by disregarding the Archbishop of San Antonio, they were fulfilling God’s Will. In reality, they claim to be fully convinced that this stance defends the Church and the papacy, given that «Bergoglio’s usurpation is so painful.» This attitude has persisted regarding «Leo XIV» — whom they also do not recognize, arguing that the Conclave that elected him was invalid because many of the Cardinals were not truly Cardinals for having been created by Francis –,  insisting on their schismatic and sectarian position.

The recent decision to excommunicate them came as no surprise, and their obstinacy drives them ever further from the Church. They have not appealed the decision because, as they do not recognize the current Pontiff, they do not consider there to be any (human) authority to whom they might appeal. In fact, they persist in seeking a supernatural justification; in response to the latest measures taken by Monsignor Garcia-Siller, they refer to «Leo XIV» as someone «of whom the Lord has said that he is a usurper working to undermine His Church.» They simply add: «it would seem inconsistent to appeal for justice before a usurper.»

The Archbishop of San Antonio is fully justified in issuing this warning to Catholics. The most serious issue is that Foster and his followers insist that their teachings are not their own, but rather «messages entrusted to our Mission» by God — revelations they summarize in three points: «the hierarchy is infiltrated and deeply corrupt; the faith is being distorted; and, most controversially, Jorge Bergoglio (Francis) and Robert Prevost (Leo) are usurpers and false Popes.» Critical membership in the Church and freedom of conscience are one thing; And something very different is the use of deceit and manipulation to impose one’s own ideas on others, thereby distancing oneself from the communion of the Church, the Christian faith, and common sense.