A Letter of Support from Cardinal Burke

A Letter of Support from Cardinal Burke

Water of Mercy is deeply honored to share a letter of support we received on March 10, 2026, from His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke. Cardinal Burke writes to express his heartfelt congratulations for the founding of Water of Mercy and for our continued progress in bringing freshwater to rural villages in Malawi, Africa, in cooperation with Father Petros Mwale. We are humbled and grateful beyond words.

About His Eminence

Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin, and ordained to the priesthood by Pope Paul VI at St. Peter's Basilica in 1975. Appointed Bishop of La Crosse by Pope Saint John Paul II, he later served as Archbishop of Saint Louis before being appointed Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura by Pope Benedict XVI. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2010. Cardinal Burke is also the founder of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, a beloved pilgrimage destination for the faithful across the Americas.

Cardinal Burke is a man of deep prayer, profound devotion to Our Lord and Our Lady, and tireless dedication to the Gospel. We hold him in the highest regard.

From Tepeyac to Malawi

In 2024, Cardinal Burke launched his Nine-Month Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, which drew over 190,000 faithful from around the world and culminated in a Consecration Mass at the Shrine on her Feast Day, December 12, 2024. This Novena moved John and Lori to make a pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. It was during that pilgrimage that the mission of Water of Mercy was born. Much like St. Juan Diego, we are all called to be builders.

We are humbled and grateful that Cardinal Burke, writing from La Crosse, the very diocese where the Novena was rooted, has taken the time to bless and encourage our work alongside Father Petros Mwale in Malawi.

✉️ A Note on the Letter

Cardinal Burke writes that he is praying for us and for the work of Water of Mercy, and that he prays our website reaches many faithful benefactors. He invokes the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Joseph, St. Francis of Assisi, and Padre Pio upon our labors. He signs the letter Yours in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and in the Purest Heart of Saint Joseph — Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke — a closing that reflects the profound devotion and charity that defines his priesthood and his life.

The Letter

Letter of support from His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke to Water of Mercy, dated March 10, 2026

Letter of support from His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, dated March 10, 2026.

A Community Is Waiting

Cardinal Burke prays that our website reaches many faithful benefactors. We ask you to answer that prayer today. Kaputeni Chisi Village in rural Malawi is in urgent need of a freshwater well. One well costs $5,500 and provides clean, safe water for approximately 75 years.

💧 Help Us Build This Well

Kaputeni Chisi Village — 440 people, including learners and teachers at a nearby primary school and parishioners at a nearby Catholic prayer center, with no access to safe drinking water. Their only source is a shallow, muddy water hole where residents crouch at the eroded bank to scoop brown, contaminated water shared with livestock, in an area at high risk for cholera and other waterborne diseases. One well. $5,500. Clean water for 75 years.
Donate to Kaputeni Chisi Village →

Your donation, any amount, brings us to the finish line. If you cannot give today, sharing this post can be just as powerful. 💙

Please keep Father Petros Mwale in your prayers as he continues his dedicated and tireless work serving the people of Malawi. 🙏