Marian Helper Spring 2014

“L et’s just say if we didn’t all show up on Divine Mercy Sunday, they’d notice,” laughed Mike Slattery, grounds maintenance supervisor on Eden Hill in Stockbridge, Mass. Mike and the entire grounds crew are among the hundreds of unsung heroes who quietly handle a myriad of tasks to help make the entire Divine Mercy Sunday Weekend on Eden Hill a safe, clean, and blessed time for the thousands of pilgrims who attend. The grounds crew faces such challenges as repairing the ravages of win- ter through extensive landscaping and beautification; helping put up tents for Adoration, confession, various Marian ministries, the Gift Shop, and food vendors; handling trash pickup during the weekend; and much more. The planning for such a major event starts early. “The process was started at our first meet- ing during the early part of December,” said Jason Mayhew, assistant facilities manager. A lot of advance planning happens to ensure that equipment such as the many tents and the portable toilets for the crowds on Eden Hill will be in place for the weekend. “All those phone calls get made ahead of time,” said Jason. Two to three weeks before the weekend itself, the grounds crew begins preparations in ear- nest: tents are set up, trash cans put out, and the crew braces for the onslaught of crowds. “This is probably the biggest crew we’ve had — 10 maintenance guys,” Mike said. And much of the weekend rests in the hands of the volunteers who help the Marians and their staff every Mercy Sunday and at other events throughout the year at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. Many of the Marians’ staff and hundreds of others from the region and beyond volunteer. “I’d like to get about 600 to 650 volun- teers for Mercy Sunday. I particularly need volunteers to help park everybody,” said Peter James Markavage, volunteer coordi- nator for the Shrine and one of Fr. Joseph’s assistants at the Marian Helpers Center. “We’re really appreciative of those who come to volunteer their time,” said Jason. “We have so many volunteers who put their hearts into it, serving with conviction and a real pur- pose. We’re blessed that we have so many.” One of the main organizers of the weekend is Valerie Laurizio, who’s about to tackle her first Divine Mercy Sunday on Eden Hill as pil- grimage coordinator. Formerly a production assistant on the annual EWTN live broadcast of the Divine Mercy Sunday Mass and other coverage, she’s ready to step up to a new and bigger challenge, in large part because she’s certainly not alone. In her new role, she’s already opened registration for bus coordinators who bring pilgrima ge groups. (Coordinators can register online at thedivinemercy.org /buses.) She reports that last Mercy Sunday the Shrine drew 270 buses, with most groups coming from the Northeast region and Canada. “Sometimes with something this large, you can get bogged down in all the details,” she said. “The bottom line is, you want it to be a safe, welcoming experience for all the pilgrims.” “Just get ready for a spiritual experience,” said Jason to pilgrims who plan to come. To volunteer, contact Peter a t thedivinemercy.org/volunteer s, by ca l ling (413) 298-1114, or e-mailing [email protected]. 22 M arian H elper • S pring 2014 •  www.marian.org In the News: National Shrine of The Divine Mercy Under the direction of the Marian Fathers, the grounds crew puts a fresh face on Eden Hill in time for Divine Mercy Sunday every year. F elix C arroll MH Grounds crew prepares Hill for Mercy Sunday Weekend by Chris Sparks