Fall Marian Helper 2021

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t get a call,” said Fr. Nadolny, a priest of the Diocese of Hartford, who at 88 years old truly doesn’t know the meaning of retire- ment — at least when it comes to evangelization. “The Divine Mercy billboards are having a tremendous effect on people.” He’s been getting so many calls requesting Divine Mercy Images that he’s had to hire help to send them out. He also receives calls from people who need to go to Confes- sion, people suffering with grave illness, those in broken relationships — people in pain and in need of a listening ear. Others have called just to thank him for putting up the billboards. “You don’t [always] have answers, but people want you to listen. That’s what Jesus wants.” Father Nadolny was ordained in 1959, inspired to become a priest by his two uncles who were priests. His desire to evangelize through billboards began about 40 years ago. “What inspired me was looking at billboards myself. I never saw anything religious — all ads for mate- rial things. I said, ‘Why can’t we [Catholics] do that?’” At one time, 65 billboards featuring the Sacred Heart of Jesus spread across the state of Connecticut, courtesy of Fr. Nadolny. Other billboards have featured Our Lady and have encouraged devotion to the Eucharist. Each has dis- played Fr. Nadolny’s personal cell phone number. Many times, his billboards have helped change lives forever. “One time I had a billboard that said, ‘Jesus will forgive you.’ I got a call on that one from a man who said he committed adultery. I got another one from a 14-year- old girl who had lost her virginity. … [These billboards are] powerful ways of reaching out to those who are spiritually abused.” Father Nadolny sees billboards as simply big sacra- mentals. “I have a Rosary and a cross, but a billboard is like a big holy card. People see it, and it’s amazing how many people tell me they come back to church because of the billboard … Media [can be] a source of sin but also a source of grace,” he said. Father Nadolny is able to afford the billboards because he’s “not afraid to beg for money,” he said. Through the Father Nadolny Good News Fund, he’s raised $14 million over the past 35 years. A good amount of these funds have gone to evangelization. He’s also used these funds for other works of mercy, including donating $8.3 million dollars to a housing project for low-income families. Father Nad- olny’s mission has always included helping the needy — Father Ed Nadolny’s billboards can be found along highways in Hartford, New Haven, New Britain, Waterbury, and Berlin, Connecticut. F or the past sevenmonths, millions of motorists driving on busy Connecticut high- ways have been passing large billboards featuring a Divine Mercy Image with the words “Jesus, I trust in You” and the personal cell phone number of Fr. Ed Nadolny of Bloomfield, Connecticut. A SIGN FOR OUR TIMES 4 M ARIAN H ELPER • F ALL 2021 • MARIAN . ORG