amy betros

A young woman, the owner of a very popular restaurant, a successful property owner and a very active and respected member of the community, had a major conversion in November 1990 in Medjugorje, Yugoslavia. As she headed up Mt. Podbrdo, also know as "Apparition Hill", she heard these words being spoken by a priest leading another group of pilgrims: "God loves you so much, that if you were the only person to have ever lived, He still would have suffered and died just for you!" These words took firm root in her heart as she heard the Lord keep repeating to her "just for you, just for you, just for you".

While in Medjugorje, the young woman visited the home of Maria Pavlovic, one of the visionaries. Maria led the group in a devotional prayer, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. This prayer touched Amy and God planted the seed of love for this devotion to His Divine Mercy in the heart of His daughter.

She returned to Buffalo, on fire for the Lord and, soon, her restaurant is not only known for great food and great service, but also as a place where people who cannot afford a meal can still eat for free, and where food is distributed from the back of the restaurant to those in need. Soon, Amy’s suburban home became a place where prostitutes, the mentally ill and the addicted could find refuge and shelter. Amy began to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and her love for this devotion continued to grow.

In 1992, Amy was asked to go on a pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal. While there, she meets Norm Paolini, a successul cancer researcher, also from Buffalo. When Amy learned that the airlines had lost her luggage, Norm, who had been to Fatima several times, offered to help Amy find some things to get her for the time being. Amy’s response to Norm was: "I have the Lord and the Blessed Mother, what else do I need?" This touches Norm’s heart and he immediately knew he had met someone with a love for our Lord much like his own. On this pilgrimage, the team that would bring about St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy was united, formed and molded in the merciful love of God. Their lives, and the lives of many others, would never be the same.

Upon their return to Buffalo, the due soon come to realize what they both already knew in their hearts: that God has blessed them both with a great love for His poor, His wounded, and His broken. They began to minister together and provide food, clothing, money, and a should to lean on to all who came to them.

When St. Luke’s, a proud and beautiful inner-city parish closed in 1993, it was a sad day for its parishioners, both past and present. It was also yet another blow to a neighborhood that needed the light of Christ to shine on it. So poor had the area become -- with a high crime rate, drug trafficking, prostitution, and poverty -- that it could barely sustain another attack to what little hope there was left. But God knew that St. Luke’s had to pass through this trauma so it could be resurrected to new life as St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy.

Amy and Norm were directed to St. Luke’s by Bishop Edward Grosz, the same man who had asked Amy to go to Fatima on the trip she had met Norm. Bishop Grosz told the pair that St. Luke’s had closed, and was up for sale by the Diocese. He recommended they go look at it and pray about purchasing it.

St. Luke's was the perfect spot to begin their ministry to God’s most poor and broken! All one had to do was just step outside the door to find someone in need. When Amy and Norm walked into the church and saw the beautiful, inlaid tile mosaic of the Divine Mercy image, they knew they were home. 

Amy sold her restaurant and Norm took an early retirement and together, the two, along with a very generous benefactor, raised enough money to purchase the entire St. Luke’s complex, including the church, convent, rectory and school. On August 1, 1994, St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy was born.

To learn more about St. Luke's and Amy's inspirational story of compassion and faith, check out the website at stlukesmissionofmercy.org.