Hundreds of faithful attend every first Monday of the month at the Santo Domingo de la Calzada parish in Algete, Madrid, for the Mercy Prayer led by priest José María Sánchez de la Madrid. Over 800 people show up in person and 1,500 connect online, seeking comfort and healing. The event blends testimonies, music, and prayers in a close and modern format.
The Mercy Prayer starts around 8:00 p.m., when the church fills up completely and many faithful sit on the floor. Coming from Madrid neighborhoods and provinces like Toledo, Valladolid, Valencia, Bilbao, or Santander, attendees hear testimonies of alleged healings. A volunteer recounted the case of a woman whose son suffered from ocular herpes, with a high risk of blindness, and who now sees perfectly after several prayer sessions. More than 200 similar cases have been recorded in this ceremony.
Priest José María Sánchez de la Madrid launched this practice in October 2013 to ease Catholics' suffering. What began with 80 or 100 devotees grew through word of mouth, drawing those seeking a comforting God without judgments. «Here no one is asked for a believer's ID. Anyone seeking a God that wraps them up can come», declares Sánchez.
The ceremony features music from a choir of 11 members playing guitars and organ, singing catchy refrains like «I love you to madness, Lord». After testimonies, lights dim for greater intimacy, with candles and screens for lyrics. A group of volunteers reads petitions prepared in prayer, such as «There is a person with bladder cancer. The Lord wants to care for you» or cases of spinal injuries and personal longings.
The event ends with the laying on of hands in small groups for blessings or healings. Sánchez explains that young people, materially satisfied but anguished, find peace in the Lord. This initiative aligns with the rise of methods like Alpha, which in 2025 delivered 960 courses in Spain to 40,000 people, a 40% increase from 2024. Sánchez will participate in the Llamados event on January 12, 2026, at Movistar Arena, expecting 6,000 attendees, organized by Alpha with figures like director Juan Manuel Cotelo.