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. May 22–Sixth Sunday of Easter 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
Lenten Regulations From the Diary of St. Faustina 028 cloud. I saw the longing of Our Lady. Her soul yearned for Jesus with the whole force of Her love. But She was so peaceful and so united to the will of God that there was not a stir in Her heart but for what God wanted. When I was left alone with the Blessed Virgin, She instructed me concerning the interior life. She said, The soul’s true greatness is in loving God and in humbling oneself in His presence, completely forgetting oneself and believing oneself to be nothing, — because the Lord is great, but He is well-pleased only with the humble, He always opposes the proud. 6 In the evening, during Benediction, my soul was for some time in communion with God the Father. I felt I was in His hand like a little child, and I heard these words in my soul: Do not fear anything, My daughter; all the adversaries will be shattered at My feet. At these words, a deep peace and a great interior calm entered my soul. 7 4 May 26, [1938 — Feast of the Ascension]. Today I accompanied the Lord Jesus as He ascended into heaven. It was about noon. I was overcome by a great longing for God. It is a strange thing, the more I felt God’s presence, the more ardently I desired Him. Then I saw myself in the midst of a huge crowd of disciples and apostles, together with the Mother of God. Jesus was telling them to... Go out into the whole world and teach in My name. He stretched out His hands and blessed them and disappeared in a l Do not be afraid Diary 1710, 1711, 626, 797, 627 When I was somewhat overcome by the fear that I was to be outside the community for so long a time alone, Jesus said to me, You will not be alone, because I am with you always and everywhere. Near to My Heart, fear nothing. I myself am the cause of your departure. Know that My eyes follow every move of your heart with great attention. I am bringing you into seclusion so that I myself may form your heart according to My future plans. What are you afraid of? If you are with Me, who will dare touch you? Nevertheless, I am very pleased that you confide your fears to Me, My daughter. Speak to Me about everything in a completely simple and human way; by this you will give Me great joy. I understand you because I am God- Man. This simple language of your heart is more pleasing to Me than the hymns composed in My honor. Know, My daughter, that the simpler your speech is, the more you attract Me to yourself. And now, be at peace close to My Heart. Lay your pen aside and get ready to leave. When I complained to the Lord that He was taking my help away and that I would be alone again and would not know what to do, I heard these words: Do not be afraid; I am always with you. After these words, a deep peace once again entered my soul. His presence penetrated me completely in a way that could be sensed. My spirit was flooded with light, and my body participated in this as well.
5 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
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. www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/how-be-pro-life 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. 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. 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
72 Events 40 Hours Devotion June 2nd-5th Our Lady of The Valley Parish Easthampton, MA Please visit the Diocese of Springfield’s website: www.yearoftheeucharist.net for more information In a recent study, it was found that only 30% of Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus. We’re in crisis mode. They’re missing not just the reality of Jesus in their lives, but something transformative, powerful, and beautiful. This Year of the Eucharist is an opportunity for revival. Bishop William Byrne Bishop of The Diocese of Springfield, MA Year of The Eucharist Several times in her Diary, St. Faustina writes of seeing the red and pale rays coming, not from the Image, but from the Sacred Host; and once, as the priest exposed the Blessed Sacrament, she saw the rays from the Image pierce the Host and spread out from it all over the world (see 441). So too, with the eyes of faith, we should see in every Host the merciful Savior pouring Himself out as a fountain of mercy for us. This concept of the Eucharist as a fountain of grace and mercy is not only found in the Diary, but also in Church teaching. The Church clearly teaches that all the other sacraments are directed towards the Eucharist and draw their power from it. In the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, for example, we read: "Especially from the Eucharist, grace is poured forth upon us as from a fountain." And, in a note in the Catechism of the Council of Trent, pastors are urged to "compare the Eucharist to a fountain and the other sacraments to rivulets. For the Holy Eucharist is truly and necessarily to be called the fountain of all graces, containing, as it does, after an admirable manner, the fountain itself of celestial gifts and graces, and the Author of all the Sacraments, Christ Our Lord, from whom, as from its source, is derived whatever of goodness and perfection the other sacraments possess" (10). No wonder, then, that St. Faustina was so devoted to the Eucharist and wrote so powerfully about it in her Diary: "Oh what awesome mysteries take place during Mass! ... One day we will know what God is doing for us in eachMass, and what sort of gift He is preparing in it for us. Only His divine love could permit that such a gift be provided for us ... this fountain of life gushing forth with such sweetness and power" (914). "All the good that is in me is due to Holy Communion" (1392). "Herein lies the whole secret of my sanctity" (1489). "One thing alone sustains me and that is Holy Communion. From it I draw all my strength; in it is all my comfort. ... Jesus concealed in the Host is everything to me. ... I would not know how to give glory to God if I did not have the Eucharist in my heart" (1037). Excerpt from Eucharist: The Presence of Mercy: www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/eucharist-presence-mercy The Eucharist is central to devotion to The Divine Mercy, and many of the elements of the devotion are essentially Eucharistic - especially the Image, the Chaplet, and the Feast of Mercy. The Image, with its red and pale rays, represents the Eucharistic Lord Jesus, whose Heart has been pierced and now pours forth blood and water as a fountain of mercy for us. It is the Image of God's sacrificial gift of mercy made present in every Mass. In the Words of Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC
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!
St. Stanislaus Papczynski Founder of the Marians 1631-1701 On July 22, 1656, several months after the historical solemn vows of John Casimir (King of Poland), Stanislaus made his religious profession as the first Polish member of the Piarist Congregation. He received his ordination to priesthood on March 12, 1661. As a priest, he gained high esteem for hearing confessions and giving sermons, especially with the intellectually elite of Warsaw. As a fervent devotee of the Most Blessed Mother, during the years 16631667, St. Stanislaus directed the Confraternity of Our Lady of Grace, Patroness of Warsaw, whose image was found at that time in the Piarist’s Church on Dluga Street. Despite the great successes of his academic, educational, and pastoral work, St. Papczyński’s relations with his superiors kept getting more strained and eventually led to his leaving the order. On December 11, 1670, he left the Order. At one and the same time in the presence of his Piarist Superiors he made the following solemn declaration: “I offer and consecrate to God, the Almighty Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as well as to the Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, my heart, my soul É my body, leaving absolutely nothing for myself, so that henceforth I may be the slave of God Almighty and of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Consequently, I vow to serve Them zealously, in chastity, to the end of my life, in the society of Marian Clerics of the Immaculate Conception, which by the grace of God I wish to found.” Seeking candidates for his planned order, in September of 1673, St. Papczyński went to Puszcza Korabiewska near Skierniewice, where a former soldier, Stanislaus Krajewski and companions lived as hermits. There, on the land donated by Krajewski, he built and organized his Institute’s first house, which he called a “Retreat House.” Bishop Stanislaus Swiecicki, who came on a canonical visitation on October 24, 1673, approved this community living in accord with the “Norma vitae” under St. Papczyński’s guidance. He left them his own “Statutes” on the characteristics of hermits and penitentials. The Marians consider this date as the beginning of their Order. Pope Innocent XII approved the document issued by the General of Franciscans on October 24, 1699. Although the Rule was received without previous consultation with St. Papczyński, nonetheless it did not infringe in any way on the specific features of the Marian Institute and was thus gladly accepted by the Marian Legislator. The Marians became an Order with solemn vows and were freed from the authority of a local bishop, although they were dependent on the Franciscans for some time. Finally, the Marians received approbation as an order of apostolic right ridding themselves of the restrictions imposed by the hermetic life that were hindering them. In their apostolic work they placed special emphasis on teaching truths of the faith to the faithful of lower classes, which was the Church’s most urgent task at he time. He was born on May 18, 1631, in Podegrodzie near Stary Sacz. At baptism he received the name John. On July 2, 1654, in Podoliniec, he joined the Piarist Order just newly established in Poland and took the religious name of Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary. He made his second year of novitiate in Warsaw, while studying theology with the reformed Franciscan Brothers. Those were the times of the Swedish invasion known as ‘the deluge’ that made a deep impression on the young seminarian’s life. From the perspective of his whole life’s experience, he thus described in his testimony one incident from those days: “I confess,” he writes, “that I leave this world professing the Roman Catholic faith for which I was ready to pour out my blood during the war with Sweden. One day my companion and I were exiting the Old Town, when a heretic soldier, his unsheathed sword in hand, attacked us near the Dominican Fathers. My companion (even though he was German) fled, and I, falling to my knees, stuck out my neck for the blow. However, by the decree of Divine Providence, I did not sustain any wounds although I was struck three times with great force. Afterwards, I felt great pains for an hour and a half because of that.”
: On June 6, 1701, St. Papczyński pronounced a solemn profession of vows in the hands of the Apostolic Nuncio Francisco Pignatelli and then received the profession of vows from the other Marians. This act is the crowning point of the prolonged process of establishing the first Polish order of male religious in that country’s history. Observing the life of St. Papczyński, we notice that it was committed to apostolic service. At school, from the pulpit, in confessional, or at his desk, he proclaimed the word of God everywhere in speech and writing, emphasizing particularly the need to care for those wronged by the society. His work illustrated the beliefs proclaimed in “Templum Dei Mysticum”: “O how admirable are those who mutually work with Christ, and, solely out of love for Him, sincerely and zealously announce all that is essential for salvation, for leading a Christian life, for rooting out vices, and increasing virtues. This is the greatest and most fruitful work of mercy.” The Marians' Founder, Stanislaus Papczynski, is Canonized June 5, 2016 In the single most joyful day in the 343-year history of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary Papczynski (1631-1701) was declared a saint… Father Founder's canonization date was set following the Vatican's approval in January of the miracle attributed to his intercession. The miracle involved the healing of a 20-year-old, terminally ill woman shortly after Blessed Stanislaus' beatification in 2007. Coupled with the beatification miracle - a fetus brought back to life as a result of prayers by a desperate family member - St. Stanislaus has proven himself a powerful intercessor. "In both cases, we see the work of God, who brings back life from death," said the Marians' Superior General Fr. Andrzej Pakuła, MIC, who was among the dozens of Marian priests from five continents who concelebrated the Mass of Canonization under bright, blue skies in the world's most famous square. Moreover, by God's Providence, the Sunday readings used by the universal Church on June 5 tell of miracles - of the dead being brought back to life through God Almighty who offers eternal life (see 1 Kings 17:17:24 and Luke 7:11-17). A sure sign of St. Stanislaus' sway in matters of the state and matters of the spirit, Poland's President Andrzej Duda attended the Mass of Canonization. Afterwards, at a festive meal hosted by the Marians just outside the Vatican gates, President Duda spoke eloquently of the Church's new saint, reminding all that in 1764 - 63 years after St. Stanislaus' death - the parliament of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth turned to the Holy See and requested the beatification and canonization of their beloved spiritual son. "This is how I would summarize his own words," President Duda continued. "He challenged his fellow countrymen to this way of life and was uncompromising in this. He was not only a priest, but he was a warrior - a warrior for a free, strong, sovereign, and independent Poland." Saint Stanislaus called all men and women to contemplate God's mercy and proclaim that God's heart is open to all. His spiritual sons today, now serving in some 20 countries around the world, discover in their vocations a direct link to their Founder, who demanded of his Congregation a daily and dogged pursuit of sanctification for the glory of God and the Church. "We are taught about him, but not in a way that puts him up on some insurmountable pedestal," said Br. Alex, MIC, who is preparing to take final vows in August. "Yes, the mystical experiences were there, but he had such a desire for the salvation of other souls. You just want to emulate that. He had his struggles, and [...] when he encountered struggles, he prayed to Mary and let her dust him off and give him the strength. His humanity speaks today. It speaks of the rewards of trust, of prayerfulness, and of pursuing holiness, and serving those who are in despair." And it speaks to the reality that God is at work in the world through His saints. St. Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary - PRAY FOR US! https://padrimariani.org/en/great-figures/ https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/marians-founder-stanislaus-papczynski-canonized
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