Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

The Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary (dcjm) are a community of priests founded in Madrid, Spain.  With an apostolic focus on education, the Disciples administer St. Mary Parish in Littleton and its K-8 school, St. Mary Catholic Virtue School.

Meet the Disciples

Brother Riley Blanchard, Father Juan Puech, Brother Mark Lederhos, Father Jose Noriega, Father James de Cendra, Father Javier O'Connor, Father Javier Nieva

  • On December 8, 1984--the Feast of the Immaculate Conception--the founding members of the Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary held a prayer vigil entrusting their future to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  

    In September of 1985 the members of the group enrolled in the Theological School of Northern Spain in Burgos.

    The first Constitution of the community was approved in 1990; four years later, the first DCJM mission opened in Madrid.

  • In addition to Madrid and Littleton, the DCJM administer St. Leo School in Stamford, Connecticut.  

    Several members of the community are studying in Rome while others teach at the Catholic University of America.  

    There is also a DCJM presence in Slovakia.

  • As priests for the family, the Disciples forge an alliance--an educational covenant--with parents as the first teachers of their children, and with God our Creator. 

    Following in the footsteps of one of their inspirational saints, Ignatius of Loyola, the DCJM administer parishes and schools where family life is strengthened and Catholic education renewed.  Their outreach to families is called Families of Bethany. 

    Their first school--called Stella Maris, or the "Star of the Sea"--opened in Spain in 2011.

  • The Educational Covenant: Introduction to the Art of Living (Littleton: Didaskalos, 2013) explains the pedagogical vision of the Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary in both philosophical and practical terms.

    The Mystery of a Friendship: The Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Littleton: Didaskalos, 2017) chronicles the founding of the community and the involvement of key figures in its history and charism.

    Didaskalos Press, the publishing arm of the Disciples, has produced over twenty titles on subjects from Church history to Catholic spirituality. 

  • Visit dcjm.org

"These are small glimpses of a history that has transpired before the Lord, in which He has chosen to open a path in the lives of youth, offering the gift of a new religious family.  We, the Disciples, have been the most surprised.  With Mary, we proclaim the magnificence of God.  And to the persons through whom it has been possible, for their audacity and generosity, we give our appreciation"

The Mystery of a Friendship, p. 19.

Artwork by one of our Disciples

Br. Ioan Patriciu Gotia, DCJM was born in Cluj, Romania in 1978. He met the religious order of the Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary (DCJM) in Rome in 2007, where he was writing his doctorla diessertation on Byzantine iconography.

Br. Ioan now resides in Madrid, Spain and is dedicated to the creation of meaningful lutrigical art in churches and chapels. The Eucharistic murals at St. Mary parish adoration chapel are his first works of art in the United States.