1 • National Shrine of The Divine Mercy Dear Pilgrims, We welcome you to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. During this time of pandemic confessions, and Masses available (with limited capacity) are available. Please feel free to visit our Gift Shop and walk our beautiful grounds during your visit here. May God bless you. Sincerely in Jesus and Mary Immaculate, Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC Shrine Rector Livestream from the National Shrine (not available to the public at this time) Daily Devotions Daily Mass 9:00am Chaplet of Divine Mercy 3:00pm Rosary for Life 5:00pm Find us on: Divine Mercy (Official) Divine Mercy Videos posted on our Website daily: shrineofdivinemercy.org Daily Public Mass Schedule Weekend Masses and Devotions will be held at the Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine Saturday 2:00pm* Sunday 10:30am & 2:00pm *2pm Mass does NOT fulfill Sunday obligation* Confessions Available Monday thru Friday 1:00pm - 2:00pm Saturdays and Sundays 1:00pm – 2:00pm 3:30pm – 4:15pm * All candle shrines and outdoor Stations of The Cross are available to the public Please check our website for the most up-to-date information on our Monday-Friday Mass and Devotions schedule. A Ministry of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary National Shrine of The Divine Mercy 2 Prospect Hill Road Stockbridge, MA 01262 (GPS: 2 Prospect Hill Rd, Stockbridge, MA) Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC: Rector Fr. Robert Vennetti, MIC: Vice Rector Shrine Reception: 413-298-3931 Bus Pilgrimages: 413-298-1119 Gift Shop: 888-484-1112 National Shrine: www.shrineofdivinemercy.org Divine Mercy: www.thedivinemercy.org Marians: www.marian.org June19– Solemnityof the MostHolyBodyandBloodofChrist
Pope Francis said on Saturday that "we must ask for the grace to cry" with Our Lady for the lives destroyed by the Ukraine war and the other miseries of our time, like "the children discarded before they are even born.” Pope Francis underlined that the war is “destroying not only Ukraine,” but it is destroying “all the nations involved in the war.” “Because war not only destroys the people who are defeated, no, it also destroys the victor … War destroys everyone,” he said in Paul VI Hall. “We have entrusted our prayer to the Immaculate Heart, and we are certain that our Mother has accepted it and intercedes for peace because she is the Queen of Peace,” the pope added. Once, after an adoration for our country, a pain pierced my soul, and I began to pray in this way: “Most merciful Jesus, I beseech You through the intercession of Your Saints, and especially the intercession of Your dearest Mother who nurtured You from childhood, bless my native land. I beg You, Jesus, look not on our sins, but on the tears of little children, on the hunger and cold they suffer. Jesus, for the sake of these innocent ones, grant me the grace that I am asking of You for my country.” At that moment, I saw the Lord Jesus, His eyes filled with tears, and He said to me, You see, My daughter, what great compassion I have for them. Know that it is they who uphold the world. From the Diary of St. Faustina passage 286 peace Excerpt from: www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251046/pope-francis-god-is-weeping-for-the-victims-of-the-ukraine-war Picture from:www.marian.org In the Words of Pope Francis pray for
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12 3 1 2 3333 5 Diary 471, 472, 1020, 278 Prophet for Our Times Corpus Christi 441 mercy will pass through you, just as they have passed through this Host, and they will go out through all the world. At these words, profound joy invaded my soul. 356 O Blessed Host, our only hope in the longing and pain in which no one will understand us. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the toil and monotony of everyday life. O Blessed Host, our only hope amid the ruin of our hopes and endeavors. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of the ravages of the enemy and the efforts of hell. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when the burdens are beyond my strength and I find my efforts are fruitless. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when storms toss my heart about and my fearful spirit tends to despair. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my heart is about to tremble and mortal sweat moistens my brow. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when everything conspires against me and black despair creeps into my soul. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my eyes will begin to grow dim to all temporal things and, for the first time, my spirit will behold the unknown worlds. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my tasks will be beyond my strength and adversity will become my daily lot. O Blessed Host I trust in You when the practice of virtue will appear difficult for me and my nature will grow rebellious. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when hostile blows will be aimed against me. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my toils and efforts will be misjudged by others. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when Your judgments will resound over me; it is then that I will trust in the sea of Your mercy. Diary 441, 356 O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the testament of God’s mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus as proof of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained life eternal and of infinite mercy, dispensed in abundance to us and especially to poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the mercy of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit toward us, and especially toward poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the infinite price of mercy which will compensate for all our debts, and especially those of poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fountain of living water which springs from infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fire of purest love which blazes forth from the bosom of the Eternal Father, as from an abyss of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the medicine for all our infirmities, flowing from infinite mercy, as from a fount, for us and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the union between God and us through His infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom are contained all the sentiments of the most sweet Heart of Jesus toward us, and especially poor sinners. O Blessed Host, our only hope in all the sufferings and adversities of life. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of darkness and of storms within and without O Blessed Host, our only hope in life and at the hour of our death. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of adversities and floods of despair. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of falsehood and treason. Once, the image was being exhibited over the altar during the Corpus Christi procession [June 20, 1935]. When the priest exposed the Blessed Sacrament, and the choir began to sing, the rays from the image pierced the Sacred Host and spread out all over the world. Then I heard these words: These rays of O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of the darkness and godlessness which inundate the earth. 1 www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/prophet-our-times
4 4 72 Formorepro-liferesourcespleasevisit: www.respectlife.org How to Be Pro-Life "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being."56 “...since 1973, more than 60 million unborn children have been aborted. Each year in this country, about 900,000 more are added to that list. Yet even if it [Roe v. Wade] were overturned, even if every state in the union ended up outlawing abortion for any reason at any time (which is doubtful), we know that abortion, somehow or another, would continue to exist in this fallen world. Though we can and should hope, pray, vote, and advocate for an end to legalized abortion, we must focus on what we can do here and now in our own communities. We need to double up our efforts on changing hearts and minds, one at a time, to understand the inherent dignity of unborn life.” excerpt from How to Be Pro-Life by Marc Massery. The Marian Fathers invite the faithful to unite in prayer and continue to pray the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet for peace and end to war in Ukraine. May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war. Donations for Ukraine: www.marian.org/ukraine/ or call 800-462-7426 How to be Pro-Life For more pro-life resources go to: www.respectlife.org Yes, I want To Help! In the wake of the Russian invasion, your support will help our Marians in Ukraine as they struggle to survive and maintain their ministry, needed now more than ever.
Shrine Bulletin Board Things to Note: Blessed Oil of St. Faustina Oil blessed in honor of St. Faustina is available at the Shrine Reception desk. A suggested donation of $5.00 which would go to help support Shrine Ministries. The Diary of St. Faustina Copies of the Diary are sold in our Gift Shop located next to the main parking lot, or online: The Gift Shop is open daily 10:00am – 4:00pm Livestream Series Saturdays at 11:00am with Fr. Chris Alar, MIC To watch please go to: www.thedivinemercy.org We are hiring! The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy is hiring for the following: Part-time Weekend Receptionist If you are interested, please call Human Resources at 413-298-3931 x140 Or send your resume to: [email protected] National Shrine of The Divine Mercy Human Resource Director PO Box 951 Stockbridge, MA 01262 Volunteers We are always looking for volunteers. If you are able to volunteer, please see our Volunteer Page or contact us for more information!
Servant of God Archmandrite Andrew Cikoto (1891-1952) Vilnius. Subsequently, he studied at the Theological Academy in St. Petersburg, where he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Wincenty Kluczyński on June 13, 1914. He graduated from the Academy in 1917, with a degree in Theology. For two years he served as the pastor of the Molodeczno parish, where he opened a Polish elementary school. In February of 1919, he requested Bishop Matulewicz’s permission to leave the parish and go to Minsk to join the staff at the newly opened seminary of the Minsk Diocese under Bishop Zygmunt Lozinski. Bl. George Matulewicz granted his permission and Fr. Cikoto took over the office of the seminary procurator and teacher of fundamental and dogmatic theology. When the Bolsheviks moved the seminary away from Minsk, Fr. Cikoto contacted Bishop Matulewicz again. Blessed George saw an urgent necessity for establishing monasteries in the Vilnius diocese in order to make it easier for the Belorussian youth to live their Christian life. To complete this plan, he chose two people: Fr. Cikoto and Fr. Abrantowicz, former rector of the seminary of the Minsk Diocese. Bishop Matulewicz planned to found a religious congregation of women for Belarussian candidates as well as a Belarussian branch of the Congregation of Marians. Father Cikoto entered the novitiate on September 1, 1920, in Mariampole, Lithuania, and completed it under the direction of Fr. Justyn Novickas. He made his first vows on September 24, 1921. Blessed George, who was then the Superior General of the Congregation, sent him to the Lithuanian Marians in the United States to conduct retreats and parish missions for Lithuanian, Polish, and Belarussian immigrants. Possible donations were to go towards the foundation of a new Marian religious house, especially having in mind the Belarussians in Druya. On September 20, 1924, he made his perpetual vows before Blessed George in the private chapel of the Bishop in Vilnius. The Marian novitiate was opened in Druya in 1925. On May 18, 1925, Fr. Andrzej became the monastery superior and Novice Master. He was much concerned with the cultural and economic development of the region. He supervised the complete electrification of the town, established a mutual support fund, and made sure that middlemen would not exploit the local farmers. He worked in Druya for 10 years: from 1923 to 1933. In summer of 1933, Fr. Cikoto went to the General Chapter in Rome, where he was elected the Superior General. Significant development of the Congregation came about during his six-year term in office. In February 21 – March 13, 1937, Fr. Cikoto conducted a visitation of the Marian House in Harbin. As a result of this visitation, a novitiate in the Eastern Rite was opened on October 11, 1937. When Fr. Cikoto’s term of office as Superior General was over and the General Chapter elected Bishop Peter Francis Buczys in his place, he stayed in Rome for a while to meet with the Archmandrite Fabian Abrantowicz, who was returning from Harbin to Poland. When the news reached Rome about the Archmandrite disappearing near Lviv and undoubtedly falling into the hands of the Bolsheviks, the new Pope, Pius XII, appointed in his place as exarch and Apostolic Administrator for Catholics of the Eastern Rite in Manchuria, Archmandrite Citoko. He then switched over to the Eastern Rite and left for Harbin to continue the work previously conducted by Fr. Abrantowicz. At that time the missionary community in Harbin included four priests and two Marian brothers as well as two diocesan priests: one of which was Russian and the other French. All these schools were still open: one – ofMarians, one – of the Franciscan Fr. Andrew was born on December 5, 1891 in Tupalszki district near Oszmiana in the Lithuania Vilnius province, of Michael and Rozalia Cikoto. He was baptized on December 15, 1891. He attended the gymnasium in Oszmiana. Between 1909-1913, he completed his seminary studies in
: Sisters, and the third – of the Sisters of St. Ursula. Father Cikoto celebrated the Eucharist twice a week at the Sisters’ schools and taught Apologetics to the youth in such a way that was easy to understand. He was respected and well liked because he was just, kind, and humble. For a long time, he tried not to make any drastic changes, he always sought other people’s advice, and made meticulous preparations for devotions. His speeches earned the Marians many friends and produced favorable dispositions of the Orthodox faithful. Even the People’s Army generals sent their children to those schools. On December 22, 1948, the Chinese militia surrounded the Marian mission. All the priests were gathered in the office of Fr. Director Cikoto and arrested. They were summarily taken away without being able to get properly dressed for the weather. The following priests were arrested: A. Cikoto, Józef Hermanowicz, Tomasz Podziawo, Paweł Chaleil, Paweł Portniagin, and two lay instructors – Viktor Vłasov and Piotr Marchyshchyn. After being held the whole night in the local prison, on December 25th they were transported by train to the Soviet border and handed over to the NKVD (People’s Commisariat of Internal Affairs). They were imprisoned in a Siberian town of Chita on December 27th. The interrogations began in January of 1949. Like everybody from the Harbin group, Father Cikoto was kept in a separate cell. They were taken for interrogations mainly during the daytime, but also at night. Such an interrogation would usually go on for several hours without breaks for food or rest. We do not know any details of Fr. Andrzej Cikoto’s inquest. When dealing with imprisoned clergy, the investigating magistrate tried to make them deny their faith and to write statements negating it. The inquest also had as its goal to collapse and devastate the prisoner morally and physically. During the entire duration of inquest Fr. Andrzej was kept in solitary confinement. Once, after an especially long time, the magistrate ordered another prisoner to be brought in while he was interrogating Fr. Andrzej. The other man was also a priest who suffered a nervous breakdown. He began to say that there was no God, that the magistrate knew their thoughts, etc. Father Cikoto said to him: “What are you saying man? Come back to your senses.” The man shuddered, reflected for a moment, and then jumped off his seat and recited the Credo. In that very moment his illness ceased. On other confrontations Fr. Andrzej’s former subordinates noticed with shock how much the inquest ruined him physically. The inquest continued until May of 1949. Just like the other priests, so also Fr. Cikoto was accused of organizing a terrorist group at St. Nicholas high school in Harbin, of anti-Soviet Union propaganda, and spying for the Vatican. No court trial was held either at the Chita prison, nor anywhere else. On September 28, 1949, they were sentenced in absentia by the NKVD’s “threesome” in Moscow for 25 years of forced labor in camps. Upon receiving this decision, in November of 1949, they were transported to Angarlag via Irkutsk, stopping first at Tayshet, from where on January 19, 1950, Fr. Cikoto was taken to a camp in Chuksha. From April of 1951 he stayed at the camp of Novo-Chunka, Irkutsk province, Shitkinkiy region, P.O. Box 215/2-040. In June of 1951, he returned to Tayshet. Father Cikoto never recovered after suffering a physical breakdown in the Chita prison; his health steadily declined. He had heart and liver diseases, rheumatism, and chronic inflammation of the leg veins. He suffered a great deal and was almost continually staying in the camp’s medical ward. During short periods of his relatively good health, he was assigned some minor jobs within the campgrounds. He did not suffer from starvation — thanks to food parcels sent by Mother Apolonia Pietkun, Superior General of the Sisters Handmaids of Jesus in Eucharist from Druya. The Sisters also made it possible for him to celebrate the Holy Mass by sending hosts or breads baked according to his directions, as well as raisins and even small boxes for storing the Eucharist for the others, particularly, the sick. When Fr. Cikoto stayed at the hospital, he would celebrate a Mass daily, thus he always distributed Communion among the sick, who beforehand made a confession. He was a “chaplain” send to them by Christ. We know of two hospitals where Fr. Cikoto stayed: at the camp 0,11 and camp 0,38, hospital “Ozerstoje”. Festering sores that covered particularly his legs, made staying near him unbearable. Father Cikoto passed away on February 13, 1952, in “Ozerstroje” and was buried on the hospital cemetery. Being set free from the camp, Fr. Paul Chaleil returned to France where he published his memoirs. He mentioned that he met a young man in the camp who used to be a Communist agitator and provocateur, but whom Fr. Cikoto converted and baptized. Father Cikoto asked this man to let Fr. Chaleil know that the NKWD has sent one of their generals to him with a proposal to accept the office of the Metropolitan of Minsk under the authority of the Moscow Patriarch. Father Cikoto asked them to be allowed to die in peace. Because of this they left him alone — forbidding any medical help. He was hospitalized after many demands from his fellow prisoners. He died at the hospital. However, this information was obtained from unverified source. www.padrimariani.org Servant of God Andrew Cikoto – pray for us!
From the moment of our existence we possess a God-given and changeless dignity. The Church opposes the view that human life can become a meaningless and useless burden fit only for death. SayNOtoPhysicianAssistedSuicide inMassachusetts Let yourvoice be heardNow! The Massachusetts State Legislature is considering passing into law two deeply troubling bills this session which would legalize Physician Assisted Suicide. The bills, House 2381 and Senate 1384, are identical in text and titled “An Act relative to end of life options”. “The Catholic Bishops of Massachusetts stand untied in our strong opposition to Physician Assisted Suicide. It is an affront to life and a dangerous precedent for determining end of life issues. Physicians are trained to care for the ill, not to hasten death.” Here are some troubling facts to consider before you act: 1. The bills would allow a physician to provide a deadly drug mixture to an individual diagnosed with less than 6 months to live that, when consumed, would cause death. NOTE- The diagnosis could be wrong. Countless individuals have outlived that 6-month diagnosis and enjoyed many more precious months and years with family and friends. 2. No Real Safeguards – A vulnerable individual who is physically disabled, depressed, or fears being a “burden” may be subject to undue influence by others to take the drug mixture, especially if there is a financial benefit as an incentive. 3. The primary focus of elected officials should be dedicated to legislation providing quality health care, mental health care and palliative care to the sick and dying – particularly in the underserved, poor and minority communities that suffer the most at the time of need. How can your voice be heard? Call or email you legislators, let them know you are a Massachusetts voter, and say NO to Physician Assisted Suicide! Log on to www.macatholic.org and follow the links to find contact information for: Members of the legislative Joint Committee on Health Care Finance who will be considering these bills. Your individual State Senator and Representative via address and zip code link. For individuals without internet access, please call the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617-746-5630 for legislative contact information. For more information please go to: www. macatholic.org/news-article/learn-more-about-pas Information from: www. macatholic.org
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