Marian Helper • Summer 2022 • Marian.org 13 Return to Eden Hill Forty years ago, on April 18, 1982, the first public celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday was held at the Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. “There was hardly standing room at the Divine Mercy Shrine in our chapel,” Fr. Joseph wrote in Marian Helpers Bulletin. “All this is proof howmuch we all seek the mercy of Our Lord. We prayed particularly this year for God’s mercy upon our erring world and the thousands of individual intentions sent by the promoters of this devotion.” Fast forward four decades to April 23-24, 2022, and the celebration of Divine Mercy weekend at the nowNational Shrine of The Divine Mercy was just as prayerful and memorable, but for additional reasons. The weather, for one, was on our side: none of the rain, mud, and even snow of past Divine Mercy weekends. Eden Hill was bathed in glorious sunshine, and many pilgrims departed decidedly pinker than when they arrived. Excitement and thanksgiving were in the air. This was the first public celebration held at the National Shrine since 2019, as the pandemic forced the cancellation of public observances in 2020 and 2021. But there were differences. Months of careful planning with the local authorities were needed to ensure a safe environment for all those attending. The Shrine church, regrettably, was closed, and all Masses were celebrated outdoors. Crowd size was limited to 5,000 pre-registered pilgrims over three sessions, one on Saturday and two on Sunday. For an Eden Hill accustomed to as many as 20,000 visitors and a fleet of buses, it felt decidedly less crowded. Nonetheless, the Very Rev. Fr. Kazimierz Chwalek, MIC, provincial superior, expressed the spirit of all present, some traveling from as far away as California. “It is a day of joy for all of you to be here,” he said in his Mass homily. “Let us welcome our Lord today with joy. Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Transformme. Let the graces that flow from the power of Your Presence truly heal every aspect of my heart. God wants to divinize us, to make us like His Son. That’s the gift He wants to bestow.” On the following pages, we share snapshots of a Divine Mercy weekend to remember. Divine Mercy weekend, back after a two-year absence The Very Rev. Fr. Kazimierz Chwalek, MIC, leads the faithful in praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet before the Blessed Sacrament on Divine Mercy Sunday. Divine Mercy celebration and Mass. Fr. Kaz’ s homily
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