event. While Fr. Seraphim and the monsignor were discussing in Polish the order of events for the Liturgy the next day, I happened to notice some copies of the handsomely-decorated program for the papal Mass on the monsignor’s desk. I quietly began skimming through the pages of it, just to pass the time. Suddenly, I noticed my name listed in the program as the person designated to do the reading from the Acts of the Apostles. I turned to Fr. Seraphim and asked in alarm, “Father, what is my name doing here in the program?” He replied, “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you: I volunteered you to do one of the Scripture readings for the Mass tomorrow.” Yikes! Excited, yet also terrified, the next morning, I had to arrive early at St. Peter’s Square while it was still half-empty to practice. And then before the Mass started, I was asked to read an explanation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet to the hundreds of thousands of people already gathering for the celebration. All this preparatory practice, however, did me (and the other readers, I think) a lot of good. This was no big deal: We were just reading into a PA system to a sea of distant heads (with a massive delayed echo, as our words bounced back to us from the piazza). Piece of cake. We sat on the platform up front, and awaited our turn. Power surge Then the Mass started, the choir began to sing, and the cardinals processed onto the dais, one after another. Again, an impressive sight, to be sure, but still, nothing to panic about. Then the Holy Father came in. It was as if a power surge suddenly spread through the whole congregation. I was totally unprepared for it! I have been in the direct presence of two U.S. presidents, several big-cheese network news broadcasters, and a mayor of New York City at various times in my life, but nothing could even remotely compare with what I experienced that day. Jesus once said to St. Faustina: “Tell [all people] My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls” (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1074). Never have I felt such an overwhelming radiation of grace from anyone before! Here was one of the greatest saint-popes in the history of the Church, about to canonize a religious sister who was the divinely-chosen instrument for the greatest movement of spiritual renewal in our time — and Sr. Faustina was not just any Polish candidate for sainthood, but a “hometown girl” to John Paul, since she hailed from his own archdiocese of Kraków. I was trembling all over when it finally came time to do my reading from the Book of Acts. In his homily that day, the pope referred to her as “my dear Sr. Faustina,” which made the Polish sister from her religious congregation, seated next to me, start to cry. When he unexpectedly announced that, from now on, the Second Sunday of Easter would be known as Divine Mercy Sunday throughout the whole Church, a wave of joy seemed to spread throughout the piazza. What a blessing to be there that day, and to take part in it all — probably the biggest thrill of my life. Future Doctor? And the excitement did not end there. Ever since that day, the Marians have set their sights on one more honor that St. Faustina richly deserves: the official title of “Doctor of the Church.” This title would make her the fifth woman in history to be recognized in this way as one of the principal teachers of the Catholic Faith (along with St. Catherine of Siena, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and St. Hildegard Von Bingen). For many years we have been collecting signatures on a petition to the Holy See in support of this intention. Please visit TheDivineMercy.org/doctor to sign the petition. Meanwhile, at the John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy, Fr. Kazimierz Chwalek, MIC, and I have been hard at work putting together a huge volume titled Saint Faustina: Doctor of Divine Mercy — a comprehensive, systematic study of her doctrine and spirituality, making the case for her elevation to this honor. This year, advance copies will be distributed to cardinals, bishops, and theologians throughout the world. Then in the light of their feedback, in 2026 the manuscript will be revised and made available to the general Catholic public through Marian Press. Again, what a thrill to be part of all this! The wheels of careful discernment by the Church must turn slowly, but we believe St. Faustina will receive her “doctorate,” in the Lord’s good time. Ora pro nobis! Dr. Robert Stackpole is the emeritus director of the John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy and the author of God’s Amazing Mercy: Meditations by St. Faustina’s Confessor and Spiritual Director (B65-SOPB), available now on ShopMercy.org. The wheels of careful discernment by the Church must turn slowly, but we believe St. Faustina will receive her ‘doctorate,’ in the Lord’s good time. Marian Helper • Spring 2025 • Marian.org 13
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