MARIAN SERVANTS® of the Blessed Sacrament
Our Spirituality
The Marian Servants of the Blessed Sacrament is a community of Catholic men and women dedicated to guiding God’s people to healing, freedom and purpose in Christ through spiritual direction, healing prayer and authentic Catholic teaching. We strive to meet the spiritual, physical, and psychological needs of God’s people, thus promoting the wellbeing of all and the good of the Church.
As Marian Servants we ponder the simplicity of Mary’s life striving to reflect that same simplicity. In union with Mary, we proclaim our “fiat” to God’s salvific will and are filled with hope as we strive to remain intimately united with Jesus, as did Mary. In imitation of her, we choose to cooperate both as individuals and as a community in humble and hidden fashion in the Savior’s work of salvation.
- We have a special devotion to the Holy Spirit and an openness to the reception and expression of his gifts as a charismatic community.
- We have a special devotion to Mary, the Mother of the Redeemer who is the model of all aspects of our spirituality, especially our apostolic ministry. As Marian Servants, we reflect on the simplicity of Mary’s life and see reflected in our lives the same simplicity. In union with Mary we proclaim our “fiat” to God’s Salvific will and are filled with hope as we strive to remain intimately united with Jesus, as did Mary. Like the Mother of our Redeemer we strive each day to cooperate, Each in our own unique way, in a humble and hidden fashion, in the Saviors work of Salvation. As Marian Servants our eyes look continually and beseeching towards heaven, where our Mother keeps loving watch over us, her children, the brothers and sisters of Jesus her Son. We seek her daily intercession for our safe arrival into our Father’s house, and with deep and genuine devotion, we entrust ourselves to our heavenly Mother’s care and pledge to her our filial love.
- As Marian Servants we treasure all the words and attitudes of the Blessed Mother, particularly her trust in Divine Providence. We look to her “as the model of hope which does not disappoint” and “we raise our eyes [to her] with faith” as we “strive to increase in holiness.” We constantly seek to emulate in our lives her virtues of holiness, obedience and service, which are the heart and soul of our RULE OF LIFE. In order to live out these virtues more faithfully, we, as members of the Marian Servants, pledge ourselves to a special loyalty to the Holy Father, the Bishop of Rome, and to the Magisterium of the Church, i.e., the College of Bishops in union with the Bishop of Rome, and humbly accept their authority and guidance in matters of faith and morals.
Meet the Director
Diane Hemsoth, Director
Diane is Director of Marian Servants® of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Augustine Florida. She graduated from The Cenacle of Our Lady of Divine Providence School of Spirituality in 2000 and joined Marian Servants® of the Blessed Sacrament in 2001. Diane received extensive training in ministry in 2007 at Christian Healing Ministries, Neil Lozano’s Unbound Prayer in 2008, and Christ Renews His Parish leadership 1996-2001. She helped start a parish based prayer ministry and recently started Unbound Prayer teams to help others receive freedom in Christ. Diane was an instructor at The Cenacle of Our Lady of Divine Providence School of Spirituality, Spiritual Direction Program, Healing prayer Theory and Practice. Pam Edwards, our former Director of Marian Servants® of the Blessed Sacrament lead Diane through the Ignation Spiritual Exercises. Diane and Pam were blessed with a wonderful mentoring relationship together.
Diane and Greg Hemsoth were married June 26, 1976. They have two beautiful children: Jessica (Vamsi) Rao, Jenifer (Dewey) Lee. Greg and Diane adopted their twin daughters when they were four months old from South Korea. They are impatiently waiting for God to bless them with grandchildren.
Diane truly believes in following the Lord’s guidance as she shares, “The Lord gave me a personal command to do something for Him. The day before I was to graduate from The School of Spiritual Direction I was walking by one of the chapels and I smelled incense. I went in to investigate and strongly felt God’s presence. As I prostrated before the tabernacle I heard these words in my head and my heart, “My children do not know of My love, My children do not know of My love, My children do not know of My love. Tell My children of My love, Tell My children of My love, Tell My children of My love.”
This was in the year 2000 and since this event with the Lord it has been so in my heart to help others know how much God truly loves them and how He wants a deeper, intimate relationship with his children. This is what Marian Servants do through our prayer ministry, Spiritual Direction, and Ignatian Spirituality.”
Pam Edwards, Foundress 1946-2017
Pam and Tom Edwards were married in 1967 in the Roman Catholic Church. They have two adult children, a son and a daughter—and nine grandchildren and one great grandson. After a renewal experience in 1972 they dedicated their lives and service to the Lord Jesus Christ. Pam took on the duties of managing a Christian bookstore which they owned in Jacksonville, FL.
Later the Edwards launched out in a full time ministry of lay Catholic evangelization and founded Tom Edwards Evangelistic Assoc., Inc. The ministry evolved into an international outreach with an emphasis on preaching and teaching the Word of God.
Over the years, the Lord has opened many doors for Pam to speak to parishes. She has appeared as a guest on the EWTN TV network on various programs such as The Choices We Face, Living His Life Abundantly, and Mother Angelica Live.
Pam was a members of St. Anastasia Parish in St. Augustine and Pam received certification as a Spiritual Director from the Cenacle of Our Lady of Divine Providence in affiliation with The Franciscan University of Steubenville. Pam is the Foundress and was the Director of the Marian Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, a Private Association of the Christian Faithful established in the diocese of St. Augustine with the approval of Bishop John Snyder in 1997. In 2017, shortly before her death, Marian Servants of the Blessed Sacrament was made a Public Association of the Christian Faithful established in the diocese of St. Augustine with the approval of Bishop Felipe Estevez.
Marian Servants is an Association committed to bringing all Christians to a deeper understanding of their vocation and mission in the church and in the world primarily through the ministry of Spiritual Direction. Marian Servants fulfill their mission thru spiritual direction, as well as weekly meetings, retreats and seminars related to Ignatian Spirituality.
Pam’s ministry flowed out of her deep devotion and personal experiences. Not a stranger to adversity, with a lifetime of illnesses, Pam’s goal was to share the truths of our Christian faith and her experience gained from DWELLING ON THE DEFINITE, that is — her relationship with Jesus Christ.
Our Medal and Logo
Our Medal
The design for the Medal came through a picture given to Diane Brown, foundress and director of the founding community. It was a statue of Mary with her hands raised. On the side of it written in Spanish, it said, “Mary assumes suffering like the morning sun that matures and strengthens.” This is what the Lord is asking the Marian Servants to do. This picture of Mary was found in the Catacombs, the earliest depiction of Mary at the age of fifteen in praise of the Father. We are called as Marian Servants to praise the Lord in season and out of season, in darkness and light; we are to give praise to the Father, to constantly be praising the Father with hands raised. It is through the pain, the suffering in all the things that we are healed, that we are strengthened, that we mature. On the back of the medal is the Eucharist, the source and summit of our lives.
The vision of Dom Bosco is a confirmation of the medal’s design. The Holy Father with the Church, the ship of state, is sailing and caught in the stormy sea with all of the warships bombarding it. As he tied up the ship of state to two pillars — one on which Mary stood and the other containing the Eucharist, the Church was saved and the enemies ran. This vision confirms that God has called us, and given us a special mission to help rebuild His Church.
Our Logo
Our Marian Servant of the Blessed Sacrament logo was a design and creation of Pam Edwards and Manuel Valle. Through the image of Mary, the Chalice and the raised Eucharist in the center of the logo, the fundamental focus of the logo is our Blessed Mother and the Blessed Sacrament.
While charismatic and embracing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Eucharist becomes the Halo of Mary and Mary’s mantle becomes an image of the Holy Spirit. The color blue in the logo is in honor of the mantle of Mary and the golden rays bursting from the Eucharist are symbolizing the light of Jesus Christ shining on us. We have been blessed with an affirming Marian Servants of the Blessed Sacrament logo.