Marian Helper Winter 2012-2013

FIRST STATION A crowd of about 300 pilgrims takes part as the Most Rev. Timothy McDonnell, Bishop of Springfield, Mass., blesses the Second ‘Dream come true’ for Marians Eden Hill Stations of the Cross are blessed on Sept. 14. Stations of the Cross SECOND STATION THIRD STATION FOURTH STATION FIFTH STATION H alf a century is a long time, as humans measure it. For God, it’s a different story. For two score and 12 years, the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception had envisioned a life-size Stations of the Cross to grace Eden Hill. The God-inspired vision took the form of prayer, spoken and unspoken. It took 52 years, but on Sept. 14, 2012, the feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross, the Marians welcomed the Most Rev. Timothy McDonnell, Bishop of Springfield, to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy on Eden Hill in Stockbridge, Mass., to formally dedicate and bless the 14 life-size Stations of the Cross. The bishop blessed each of the magnificent bronze stations, the work of renowned master sculptor Timothy P. Schmalz. A crowd of about 300 pilgrims accompa- nied the bishop along the Way of the Cross. The Eden Hill stations are one of only five in North America that are life-size. Though the statues are grand and monu- mental, the stations focus not on art or aesthetics but on the Suffering Christ in His Passion. These works are religious art of the first order. “These statues depict human suffering born out of love for another,” said the Very Rev. Fr. Kazimierz Chwalek, MIC, provincial superior for the Marians in the United States and Argentina. “For a Catholic Christian, such art is a form of meditative prayer on Christ’s life, especially the final moments of His life. This is the mystery of our faith. Jesus — the Son of Man and Son of God — mani- fests God the Father’s absolute love for humanity. We proclaim here the message of Divine Mercy. The greatest expression of God’s mercy for us is God’s offering of Himself on our behalf, so that we may not suffer the con- sequences of our wrongdoing and sin.” In welcoming the bishop and pilgrims to the Shrine, Fr. Kaz invoked God’s blessing on this “joyous day.” ‘Truly a dream come true’ Father Kaz noted the long wait: “Today, all of us rejoice, for this is truly a dream come true. When the Marians built and opened the By Dan Valenti F ELIX C ARROLL Back to Index Back to cover To view as slideshow