Kathryn Ann Clarke

Kathryn Ann Clarke is an American writer living in Ireland, known for her young adult fiction and her work in domestic violence prevention, and also for her Catholic mystical writings published under the pseudonym "Anne, a lay apostle".

Kathryn Ann Clarke earned her BA degree at Saint Xavier University in Criminal Justice/Counseling. For over twenty years, she has counseled women victims of domestic violence. As a Certified Law Enforcement Instructor, she has presented numerous training programs for counselors, prosecutors, police officers, and judges.

Clarke's 2004 novel The Breakable Vow, a work of young adult fiction, explores issues of abusive relationships and domestic violence, and is accompanied by a curriculum guide for use in schools.

In September 2001, Clarke visited the town of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, a site of alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary, and soon thereafter began to write messages which she has said are from Jesus, from the Virgin Mary, and from many other Catholic saints. Clarke stated she received these messages in prayer (as interior locutions).

In 2003 she began to publish them in ten books under the general title "Direction for Our Times as Given to 'Anne', a lay apostle", saying she was adopting a pseudonym to protect her family.The first four volumes were issued by CMJ Marian Publishers based in Chicago by May 2004.On October 15, 2004, "Anne" recorded the last message of the ten volumes, and several more volumes of the set were issued in December 2004.Volumes 5 and 8 were published in 2013.

Topics

These are the titles of the ten books:

• Volume One: Thoughts on Spirituality
• Volume Two: Conversations with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus
• Volume Three: Part 1: God the Father Speaks to His Children, Part 2: Blessed Mother Speaks to Priests and Bishops
• Volume Four: Part 1: Jesus the King, Part 2: Heaven Speaks to Priests, Part 3: Jesus Speaks to Sinners
• Volume Five: Jesus the Redeemer
• Volume Six: Heaven Speaks to Families
• Volume Seven: Greetings From Heaven
• Volume Eight: Resting in the Heart of the Savior
• Volume Nine: Angels
• Volume Ten: Jesus Speaks to His Apostles

Direction for Our Times

'Direction for Our Times' is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, founded in December 2004, with offices in the US and in Ireland and dedicated to spreading the "Anne" messages.

Endorsements

Starting in September 2004, retired New Orleans Archbishop Philip Hannan promoted the "Anne" messages through his television organization FOCUS and supported them with a letter of endorsement which was published in each volume. FOCUS withdrew its support after the death of Archbishop Hannan in 2011.

In August 2011, Catholic evangelists Sr. Briege McKenna and Fr. Kevin Scallon publicly withdrew their former support for Direction for Our Times.

Official Church review

DFOT states that it publishes nothing without the permission of the local ordinary, Bishop Leo O'Reilly of the Diocese of Kilmore in Ireland, who has submitted all of her writings to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome.

Bishop O'Reilly of Kilmore formed a theological commission to study the "Anne" writings in 2009. As of 2013, it has not published any statement.

Clarke is a victim of domestic violence. She is married, and now resides in Ireland with her husband, who is a cattle farmer, and their six children.