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. June26– ThirteenthSunday ofOrdinaryTime 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
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 5 Diary 471, 472, 1020, 278 My omnipotent mercy is active here. Happy the soul that takes advantage of this grace. Jesus: What joy fills My Heart when you return to me. Because you are weak, I take you in My arms and carry you to the home of My Father. Soul (as if awaking, asks fearfully): Is it possible that there yet is mercy for me? Jesus: There is, My child. You have a special claim on My mercy. Let it act in your poor soul; let the rays of grace enter your soul; they bring with them light, warmth, and life. Soul: But fear fills me at the thought of my sins, and this terrible fear moves me to doubt Your goodness. Jesus: My child, all your sins have not wounded My Heart as painfully as your present lack of trust does — that after so many efforts of My (84) love and mercy, you should still doubt My goodness. Soul: O Lord, save me yourself, for I perish. Be my Savior. O Lord, I am unable to say anything more; my pitiful heart is torn asunder; but You, O Lord... Follow Him to exert itself, and, without any co-operation from the soul, God grants it final grace. If this too is spurned, God will leave the soul in this self-chosen disposition for eternity. This grace emerges from the merciful Heart of Jesus and gives the soul a special light by means of which the soul begins to understand God’s effort; but conversion depends on its own will. The soul knows that this, for her, is final grace and, should it show even a flicker of good will, the mercy of God will accomplish the rest. Conversation of the Merci ful God wi th a Despair ing Soul . Jesus: O soul steeped in darkness, do not despair. All is not yet lost. Come and confide in your God, who is love and mercy. — But the soul, deaf even to this appeal, wraps itself in darkness. Jesus calls out again: My child, listen to the voice of your merciful Father. — In the soul arises this reply: “For me there is no mercy,” and it falls into greater darkness, a despair which is a foretaste of hell and makes it unable to draw near to God. Jesus calls to the soul a third time, but the soul remains deaf and blind, hardened and despairing. Then the mercy of God begins to exert itself, and, without any co-operation from the soul, Jesus calls to the soul a third time, but the soul remains deaf and blind, hardened and despairing. Then the mercy of God begins Prophet for Our Times 1 but as a just Judge. Oh, how terrible is that day! Determined is the day of justice, the day of divine wrath. The angels tremble before it. Speak to souls about this great mercy while it is still the time for [granting] mercy. If you keep silent now, you will be answering for a great number of souls on that terrible day. Fear nothing. Be faithful to the end. I sympathize with you. 635 March 25. In the morning, during meditation, God’s presence enveloped me in a special way, as I saw the immeasurable greatness of God and, at the same time, His condescension to His creatures. Then I saw the Mother of God, who said to me, Oh, how pleasing to God is the soul that follows faithfully the inspirations of His grace! I gave the Savior to the world; as for you, you have to speak to the world about His great mercy and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Him who will come, not as a merciful Savior,
4 4 72 TheMarian 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 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. Jesus does not let the soul finish but, raising it from the ground, from the depths of its misery, he leads it into the recesses of His Heart where all its sins disappear instantly, consumed by the flames of love. Jesus: Here, soul, are all the treasures of My Heart. Take everything you need from it. Soul: O Lord, I am inundated with Your grace. I sense that a new life has entered into me and, above all, I feel Your love in my heart. That is enough for me. O Lord, I will glorify the omnipotence of Your mercy for all eternity. Encouraged by Your goodness, I will confide to You all the sorrows of my heart. Jesus: Tell me all, My child, hide nothing from Me, because My loving Heart, the Heart of your Best Friend, is listening to you. Soul: O Lord, now I see all my ingratitude and Your goodness. You were pursuing me with Your grace, while I was frustrating Your benevolence. I see that I deserve the depths of hell for spurning Your graces. Jesus (interrupting): Do not be absorbed in your misery — you are still too weak to speak of it — but, rather, gaze on My Heart filled with goodness, and be imbued with My sentiments. Strive for meekness and humility; be merciful to others, as I am to you; and, when you feel your strength failing, if you come to the fountain of mercy to fortify your soul, you will not grow weary on your journey. Soul: Now I understand Your mercy, which protects me, and like a brilliant star, leads me into the home of my Father, protecting me from the horrors of hell that I have deserved, not once, but a thousand times. O Lord, eternity will hardly suffice for me to give due praise to Your unfathomable mercy and Your compassion for me. Diary 635, 1486
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!
Fr. Joseph Jarzebowski, MIC (1897-1964) Among the many pictures taken in Lichen, Poland centered on the beatification of Marian Founder Blessed Stanislaus Papczynski is one snapped on the grounds of the magnificent basilica of Our Lady of Lichen. The shrine stands as the largest church in Poland and one of the largest in the world. The picture in question depicts a statue of a cleric. We don't stop the presses at the sight of a statue on the grounds of a shrine. We expect effigies at a shrine the way we presume to see fans at a football game. "Great ... a statue ... so what?" you ask. The sculptor has memorialized the priest holding a plaque that bears the image of The Divine Mercy. Behind him, to his left, a stone cross stands firm and upright, reminding pilgrims that the limits of God's love are infinite. The priest's face is determined and resolute, with a hint of - what would we call it - thanks, gratitude, indebtedness, appreciation? All four words would fit. It's an inspired work of art. The legend under the statue tells us he's Fr. Joseph Jarzebowski, MIC. It also informs us that he was born in 1897 and died in 1964, certainly a Marian of relatively recent vintage - young enough so that more than a few present-day Marians remember him on Eden Hill, home of the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass. Father Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, for example, director of the Association of Marian Helpers, remembers meeting Fr. Jarzebowski in the mid-1940s in Stockbridge. Father Seraphim describes him as a man large in stature, presence, and spirituality - a determined man, the proverbial "man on a mission." "Mission." The word gets us closer to understanding why Fr. Jarzebowski rates a statue on the holy ground of Lichen. Obviously, he's not just another deceased Marian. So why is Fr. Joseph Jarzebowski important enough to be memorialized with a statue? Because without him, who knows where the message of Divine Mercy would be today, particularly in the United States. It might well be nowhere. In 1940, Fr. Joseph, a Polish priest who turned 43 that year, embarked on a perilous journey upon whose success rested the fate of the Divine Mercy message in America. To better understand the temper of the priest's flight, keep in mind that World War II was raging following Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on Sept. 1, 1939. The war brutalized Poland, and for men of the cloth, a priestly vocation offered no protection against the onslaught of militarized political evil. The Marians of the Immaculate Conception were no exception. The war threw the Congregation into chaos. According to a history of the Marians compiled by Br. Michael Gaitley, MIC, "a large number of Marians" died during the war, including many who were murdered. The communist threat was only too real. In 1940, the Marians opened their Latvian Province. Only a few years later, following the Soviet annexation, the communists destroyed the Marians' Latvian and Lithuanian houses, killing almost all the seminarians and many of the brothers. In all, 98 Marians died. In 1940, Father Joseph - with a penetrating, almost prophetic intelligence - realized he had to leave Poland to escape the mayhem. With war-torn borders secured and heavily guarded, with communications disrupted and tapped, with spies lurking, and with unauthorized travel one of the surest ways of attracting attention of the authorities, the prospects of escape seemed dim. The chilling command, "Produce your papers!", served as the first words of the epitaph for countless innocent individuals caught in a nightmare and slaughtered for the "crime" of trying to flee its horror. "Refugees" they call them, which is a euphemism for "the decimated and destroyed."
: O Before Fr. Jarzebowski launched his daring getaway, he made a solemn vow to promote the Divine Mercy message if God would allow him to escape occupied Poland. He made this bold promise only two years after St. Faustina died, this even though Fr. Joseph had up to that time been hesitant about working to spread the message of mercy. It was a classic "this-for-that" deal that urgency and desperation often force us to make with God. Unlike so many of us who write spiritual checks that God cannot cash because of our inadequate funds of thanksgiving, Fr. Joseph would prove himself to be a man of honor. The priest's journey of escape led him into a number of perilous situations that would do justice to a script for an action spy thriller. The circumstances of his safety do not skirt the improbable. They border on the miraculous. Father Joseph journeyed from Poland through Lithuania, Russia, Siberia, and Japan, before finally setting foot in San Francisco, Calif., four months later. Through his travels, amid the terrors of war and despite many hostile inspections from suspicious guards, Fr. Joseph was able to bring with him a copy of The Divine Mercy image hanging in St. Michael's Church in Vilno. He also carried copies of two documents written by St. Faustina's spiritual director and confessor, Fr. Michael Sopocko: the Second Memorial to the Polish Hierarchy, and a manuscript on the Feast of Divine Mercy. After this extraordinary journey and having arrived in San Francisco, Fr. Joseph took stock of his situation. He realized he had made it safely only because of help from The Divine Mercy. He then faced reckoning time, a squaring up of accounts. He had to deal with his end of the "bargain." It was probably the easiest life-alternating decision the priest ever had to make: from that moment on, Fr. Joseph dedicated himself to spreading the message and the devotion. No energy would be conserved, no expense unpaid in honor of his promise. The promise sweetened into ardor, his ardor into action, and his action into results. Father Joseph traveled to Washington, D.C., and then to Michigan. After a retreat he conducted for the Felician Sisters at their Motherhouse in Enfield, Conn., Fr. Joseph asked the Sisters if they would print in Polish The Divine Mercy Novena, Litany, and Chaplet. This modest, black-and-white edition - 2,000 copies in all - quickly sold out, and not long after, as Br. Michael Gaitley puts it in his compilation of Congregation history, "thanksgivings to Divine Mercy began to pour in. This outpouring led other Marians in America to dedicate themselves to spreading the devotion." At the Immaculate Conception novitiate in Stockbridge, Fr. Joseph established the Mercy of God Apostolate. The Apostolate grew into today's National Shrine of The Divine Mercy, spiritual home of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception in the U.S. and recognized as the headquarters of Divine Mercy in America. Father Joseph's harrowing journey to America in 1940 was a journey of love. His spirit of faith employed that love to turn fear into courage and darkness into light, a Light of Love that had to be the Holy Spirit holding up His end of the deal. Today, the pure Goodness that is God can be felt in every corner, in every grotto, and in every blade of grass on Eden Hill. That's why people come here, as they did to Lichen on Sept. 16 for the beatification of Fr. Stanislaus Papczynski. They come here for the Love of God, which is boundless Light. That they are able to come here at all must be attributed to the man honored by a statue on the holy ground of Our Lady of Lichen Shrine in Poland. Won't you all join me in a silent prayer of thanks to Fr. Joseph, whose presence still abides on Eden Hill. We who walk here do not walk alone. www.padrimariani.org Fr. Walter Pelczynski, MIC (l) and Fr. Jazebowski, MIC (r) www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/va ults
P R A Y E R 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. For more information please go to: www. macatholic.org/news-article/learn-more-about-pas Information from: www. macatholic.org "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. www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/howbe-pro-life How to be Pro-Life SayNOtoPhysicianAssistedSuicideinMassachusetts LetyourvoicebeheardNow! 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.” 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 For individuals without internet access, please call the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617746-5630 for legislative contact information.
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