Marian Helper • Spring 2026 • Marian.org 11 Journey to America It seems likely it was copies of those first prayer cards and pamphlets that Fr. Sopoćko would give to a Marian priest, Fr. Joseph Jarzebowski, along with an explanation of the feast of Divine Mercy Sunday, thus beginning the international spread of the message and devotion. Father Jarzebowski made a remarkable international journey in 1941 from wartime Poland across the continents of Europe and Asia, across the Pacific Ocean, traveling from Seattle, Washington, to Washington, D.C., to his Marian brethren. From there, he worked with the Felician Sisters in Michigan and Connecticut to print more materials, some in Polish, some in English. The Divine Mercy message and devotion began to spread, not just across wartime USA, but through military service members across the world, reaching the Pacific front, including the Philippines during the war. Marian Press For the past 80 years, the Marian Fathers on Eden Hill, through their publishing imprint, Marian Press, have printed and distributed literally millions of pamphlets, booklets, and prayer cards containing elements of the Divine Mercy devotion, including the Image, Chaplet, and Novena. By far the biggest selling booklet, even to this day, is The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion (Product code: B69-M17), published in 1981 and compiled by Fr. Seraphim; Vinny Flynn, first lay editor-in-chief for the Association of Marian Helpers; and Dr. Robert Stackpole. The M17, as it is commonly called, was based on a number of iterations dating back to Fr. Sopoćko’s first publications. During the ban imposed by the Holy Office (1959-1978) to stop the distribution of the writings of St. Faustina, these focused on the mercy of God according to Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterial teaching of the Church. When the ban was lifted by Pope St. Paul VI in 1978, and Pope St. John Paul II was elected to the papacy a few months later, the Marian Fathers’ materials went forth again. Interest in Divine Mercy and St. Faustina accelerated. The Diary was translated into English and a dozen other languages, and in 2000, benefited from a double blessing: the canonization of St. Faustina, and the proclamation of Divine Mercy Sunday (Apr. 12 this year) as a universal feast for the Catholic Church. Genealogy of Divine Mercy So, there is a direct line from St. Faustina receiving the elements of the devotion, especially the words of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and the M17 that many of you own today. The essential elements of our proclamation — the Divine Mercy that is the “nucleus of the Gospel” (in the words of Pope Benedict XVI in his March 30, 2008 Angelus as the first World Apostolic Congress On Mercy was concluding in Rome), and therefore, the nucleus of all of history, of the created order itself — have always been Divine Mercy. The revelations to St. Faustina have offered us specific devotions to get a handle on that nucleus, to receive the fulfillment of Christ’s promises that those who seek would find, and that those who knock would open doors (see Mt 7:7-8). The extraordinary promises involving Divine Mercy Sunday, the Chaplet, and the Image, after all, are specific ways in which we can ‘seek and knock’ to access the infinite Mercy of God. The materials have evolved over time; the heart has remained the same. Across the decades, the message and devotion to Divine Mercy has not changed. But the mediums through which we transmit this message and devotion — that has certainly evolved! The movement began with prayer cards and pamphlets; it continues with those, but has added an award-winning TV show (Living Divine Mercy, now in its fifth season on EWTN), a livestreaming platform (DivineMercyPlus.org), websites (TheDivineMercy.org), and so much more. Let us continue faithfully in this mission until all the world has heard and received the Divine Mercy message and devotion. Let us continue, ‘til Christ comes again. To order the M17 and a wide array of Divine Mercy materials, visit ShopMercy.org. Across 9 decades, the message and devotion to Divine Mercy has not changed. But the mediums through which we transmit this message and devotion — that has certainly evolved!
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