The following answers are based on guidance from the Association Luisa Piccarreta – Little Children of the Divine Will in Corato, Italy. This is not simply an independent Divine Will study group or ministry. The Association is a Public Association of the Faithful canonically erected by the Archbishop of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie, the diocese responsible for Luisa Piccarreta’s Cause of Beatification. Its headquarters are located in Luisa’s former home in Corato. For this reason, the guidance presented below should be distinguished from the opinions or practices of individual Divine Will groups and organizations
Question 1
Can both priests and the laity teach the Divine Will?
ANSWER: Yes, both priests and the laity are able to share and teach the Divine Will.
Question 2
Can people create their own round prayers? Or do they need to follow exactly the prayers of Luisa Piccarreta?
ANSWER: Yes, people can pray both Luisa Piccarreta’s prayers from her writings and make up their own inspired round prayers.
Question 3
Can people form their own Divine Will study groups without a priest present at the meetings?
ANSWER: Yes, people can form their own Divine Will study groups even if a priest is not teaching or present in the group. It is of course nice to have one, but is not required.
Question 4
Is there a certain set of prayers a group must follow in order to start and end a Divine Will cenacle group?
ANSWER: No, there is not a standard group of prayers a group must pray. They are free to choose how they want to start and end their meetings.
Question 5
May a group read the volumes together and afterward offer their own personal reflections and discuss what they read?
ANSWER: Yes. A group may meet, read, and then offer personal reflections on what each person has read. Insights, inspirations, and stories of how the volumes impact them may all be shared and discussed.
The source of the above answers is from the Luisa Piccarreta Association.
Contact the Luisa Piccarreta Association – Little Children of the Divine Will - Corato, Italy, for further questions.
https://en.luisapiccarretaofficial.org/contact-us
WHO IS THE LUISA PICCARRETA ASSOCIATION?
When determining how a Divine Will cenacle or study group should conduct itself, an individual Catholic priest does not automatically have greater authority simply because he is a priest. The important question is whether guidance represents a personal pastoral recommendation or an instruction coming from competent ecclesiastical authority.
General Order of Authority
1. Competent Catholic Church Authority
The highest authority belongs to the Catholic Church and the competent ecclesiastical authorities. In matters particularly connected with Luisa Piccarreta, special importance belongs to the Archbishop of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie, the diocese responsible for Luisa's Cause and closely connected with the preservation and ecclesial guidance of her spiritual legacy, together with the competent authorities of the Holy See.
2. The Local Diocesan Bishop
A diocesan bishop possesses genuine governing and teaching authority within his own diocese. Divine Will groups should remain in communion with their local Church and respect legitimate directives given by their bishop.
3. The Official Luisa Piccarreta Association in Corato
The Public Association of the Faithful “Luisa Piccarreta - Little Children of the Divine Will” in Corato is canonically recognized and operates under ecclesiastical oversight. Its official website is LuisaPiccarretaOfficial.org. Because of its specific relationship to Luisa's spiritual legacy and the Archdiocese of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie, its guidance deserves substantial weight for groups wishing to follow this spirituality faithfully within the Catholic Church.
4. Catholic Priests Knowledgeable About the Divine Will
A Catholic priest can provide important spiritual direction, theological instruction, sacramental ministry, and pastoral guidance. Particular weight should be given to priests who are knowledgeable about Luisa's writings and who teach in communion with their bishops and the Church. However, a priest's personal preference for how a cenacle should operate should not automatically be treated as a universal Church rule.
5. Lay Teachers, Independent Organizations, Websites, and Study Leaders
These can provide valuable assistance and formation, but their guidance should be evaluated in light of the teachings and directives of competent Church authorities and the recognized ecclesial structures associated with Luisa's spirituality.
What This Means for a Divine Will Cenacle
If a priest recommends that a Divine Will cenacle be conducted in a particular manner, while official guidance from the recognized Association in Corato indicates something different, one should first determine whether the priest is expressing a personal recommendation or communicating an actual directive of competent Church authority. That distinction is important.
For a group seeking the safest and most Church-connected path, substantial weight should be given to guidance coming through the official Association and ultimately the Archbishop of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie, while also remaining obedient to legitimate directives of the group's own diocesan bishop and working respectfully with local priests.
A Simple Principle
Priesthood itself does not make every personal opinion about Divine Will cenacle practices a universal rule.
The greater question is: What has the competent Church authority actually directed or approved?
About the Organization Featured in This Below Video
Little Children of the Divine Fiat, Inc. is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit religious organization dedicated to promoting the understanding and practice of Living in the Divine Will as found in the writings of Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta. Its activities include Divine Will prayer and study groups, weekly Zoom meetings, educational materials, pilgrimages, retreats, and international events. The organization states that it operates in conformity with the teachings of the Catholic Church, in association with the Archdiocese of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie and in obedience to its local bishop.
It is NOT to be confused with the Luisa Piccarreta Association (from which the answers above come from). They are two separate organizations. This group made this video that was translated from Italian to English (hence some of the ai included in the video). The speaker who is being translated in the video is Don Sergio Pellegrini.
Don Sergio Pellegrini is directly connected to the official Luisa Piccarreta Association in Corato, Italy. He serves as the Association’s Ecclesiastical Assistant and as President of its Secretariat.
He also served as President of the Historical Commission during the diocesan inquiry into Luisa Piccarreta’s life and reputation for holiness, and in 2017 was appointed Vice-Postulator for Luisa Piccarreta’s Cause of Beatification and Canonization during the Vatican phase.
Don Sergio is also Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie, the archdiocese responsible for Luisa Piccarreta’s cause and the territory in which Corato is located.
Therefore, Don Sergio is not simply an outside supporter of the Divine Will movement; he has held official ecclesiastical roles directly connected with both the Luisa Piccarreta Association and her Cause of Beatification and Canonization.