Page 34 - Way of the Cross

A Gift to Inspire Future Generations
In her Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, St. Faustina records
our Lord’s words:
Fromall My wounds, like fromstreams,mercy flows for
souls, but the wound in My Heart is the fountain of
unfathomable mercy. From this fountain springs all
graces for souls. ... Speak to the whole world about My
mercy. ... My Heart is sorrowful, because even chosen
souls do not understand the greatness of My mercy. ...
Remember My Passion, and if you do not believe My
words, at least believeMy wounds (Diary, 1190 and 379).
Tom and Charlene Welch, Marian Helpers, responded to our
Lord’s request to speak to the whole world about His mercy in a
singular way. Because of their love of God and neighbor, they
generously donated the funds to create the life-size Stations of
the Cross on Eden Hill at the National Shrine of The Divine
Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. In fact, they dedicated
many hours to overseeing their design and construction.
On the day the first statues for the Stations of the Cross
arrived, Tom said, “I really believe this will do a lot of spiritual
good. It’s going to attract many people to the Shrine, and it will
have an impact on their understanding of what Jesus went
through for our redemption.”
Inspired by pilgrimages to other shrines such as the Shrine of
St. Anne de Beaupré, in Quebec, Canada, and Lourdes, Tom and
Charlene were especially moved by the life-size Stations of the
Cross. After the couple’s first visit to the National Shrine of The
Divine Mercy in 2008, Charlene recalls, “Tom and I were moved
by the beauty of Eden Hill and the Shrine, and we began to
envision creating a life-sized Stations of the Cross there.”
The immense project involved collaboration between Tomand
Charlene, the sculptor Timothy P. Schmalz, the couple’s grand-
daughter Lauren Miller, the Marian Fathers on Eden Hill, the
bronze foundry, and the landscape architect and contractor.
Excerpts from the newly revised Way of the Cross.
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