10 Marian Helper • Summer 2025 • Marian.org The Divine Mercy Weekend Conference opened with an energetic talk on the Sacraments by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, provincial superior, based on his new book from Marian Press, Understanding the Sacraments: God’s Grace Guaranteed. “What’s the number one function of the priest?” he asked. “The Sacraments! And this is what Divine Mercy Sunday is all about — it’s just a return to the Sacraments.” “What we say about Our Lady, we can also say about the Church, and about us,” Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, told the Saturday conference. He explained how Our Lady is the Mother of Hope in this Jubilee of Hope — a fitting topic on the same day that Pope Francis was laid to rest in one of the oldest Marian Shrines, the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. Traveling all the way from St. Dominic Savio Parish in Los Angeles, California, are sisters Joan, Rosa, Hollie, and Yen. This was the second Divine Mercy Weekend in a row for Mary and John from St. Peter Parish in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. “Mercy is free,” Mary says. “You don’t have to earn it. It’s out there for everybody.” The homilist for the Vigil Mass of Divine Mercy Sunday at the Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine was Fr. Daniel Klimek. “The theologian Scott Hahn says that when a priest absolves sins, especially mortal sins, he is resurrecting the dead,” said Fr. Daniel. “He is resurrecting the spiritually dead. It is such a sacred truth.” “We just love to be here. It’s the best day of the year, no matter what, rain or shine,” says Tuoi from St. Anne Parish in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. She came with many members of her family, including her daughter Rosie. Divine Mercy Weekend
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