. 1 • National Shrine of The Divine Mercy Dear Pilgrims, We welcome you to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. Please join us for any upcoming events at the Shrine along with doing a personal pilgrimage during this year. Feel free to visit our Gift Shop and stroll our beautiful grounds during your visit here. May God bless you. Livestream from the National Shrine 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 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 Daily Public Mass Schedule Sept.25-Twenty-Sixth SundayofOrdinaryTime A Ministry of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary National Shrine of The Divine Mercy PO Box 951 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 Please check our website for the most up-to-date information on our Monday-Friday Mass and Devotions schedule. Sincerely in Jesus and Mary Immaculate, Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC Shrine Rector
June 20, [1937]. We resemble God most when we forgive our neighbors. God is Love, Goodness, and Mercy... Every soul, and especially the soul of every religious, should reflect My mercy. My Heart overflows with compassion and mercy for all. The heart of My beloved must resemble Mine; from her heart must spring the fountain of My mercy for souls; otherwise I will not acknowledge her as Mine. Excerpt from: www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251046/pope-francis-god-is-weeping-for-the-victims-of-the-ukraine-war state is a blow that strikes him "viscerally," touching his soul. "He had compassion" - that is how we translate the text today, diminishing its original vitality. Struck in his soul by the lightning flash of mercy, he himself now becomes a neighbor, heedless of any question or danger. The burden of the question thus shifts here. The issue is no longer which other person is a neighbor to me or not. The question is about me. I have to become the neighbor, and when I do, the other person counts for me "as myself." General Audience on May 31, 2006 following his pilgrimage to Poland where he visited the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Lagiewniki. www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/pope-benedict-xvis-top-10-mercy-quotes Image from https://www.marian.org/mary/popes/benedictXVI.php Wisdom of Pope (Emeritus)Benedict XVI “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” John 13:34 Diary of St. Faustina; 1148 Image from: www.marian.org/divinemercy/story.php?NID=8378 [A man has just been robbed and beaten, and he is lying by the side of the road. A priest and a Levite pass by on the other side of the road. Will anyone stop to help? Pope Benedict picks up the narrative here.] “And now the Samaritan enters the stage. What will he do? [Unlike the expert in the Law who had just been questioning Jesus] he does not ask how far his obligations of solidarity extend. Nor does he ask about the merits required for eternal life. Something else happens: His heart is wrenched open. The Gospel uses the word that in Hebrew had referred to the mother's womb and maternal care. Seeing this man in such a
Lenten Regulations 028 D Year of The Eucharist 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 For more information about Events please visit: https://www.yearoftheeucharist.net/
12 3 5 From the Diary of St. Faustina Diary 471, 472, 1020, 278 Prophet for Our Times 1 28 Today we are beginning the third probation. All three of us met at Mother Margaret’s, as the other sisters were having their probation in the novitiate. Mother Margaret began with a prayer, explained to us what the third probation consists of, and then spoke on how great is the grace of the perpetual vows. Suddenly I began to cry out loud. In an instant all God’s graces appeared before the eyes of my soul, and I saw myself so wretched and ungrateful toward God. The sisters began to rebuke me, saying, “Why did she break out crying?” But Mother Margaret came to my defense, saying that she was not surprised. At the end of the hour, I went before the Blessed Sacrament and, like the greatest and most miserable of wretches, I begged for His mercy that He might heal and purify my poor soul. Then I heard these words, My daughter, all your miseries have been consumed in the flame of My love, like a little twig thrown into a roaring fire. By humbling yourself in this way, you draw upon yourself and upon other souls an entire sea of My mercy. I answered, “Jesus, mold my poor heart according to Your divine delight. “ Jesus, Friend of a lonely heart, You are my haven, You are my peace. You are my salvation, You are my serenity in moments of struggle and amidst an ocean of doubts. You are the bright ray that lights up the path of my life. You are everything to a lonely soul. You understand the soul even though it remains silent. You know our weaknesses, and like a good physician, You comfort and heal, sparing us sufferings — expert that You are. Today I heard the words: In the Old Covenant I sent prophets wielding thunderbolts to My people. Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart. I use punishment when they themselves force Me to do so; My hand is reluctant to take hold of the sword of justice. Before the Day of Justice I am sending the Day of Mercy. I replied, “O my Jesus, speak to souls Yourself, because my words are insignificant.” + (156) J.M.J. The Divine Physician
4 72 Donations for Ukraine: www.marian.org/ukraine/ or call 800-462-7426 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 nowmore than ever. We continue to need your prayers and support to help our Marians in Ukraine as they struggle to survive and rebuild, and to support the many refugees they assist with humanitarian and medical aid, both in Ukraine and in Poland. 100 percent of your donation goes directly to those in need Through our Marian priests in Ukraine and Poland. The Marian Fathers invite you to unite in prayer and continue to pray the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet for peace and end to war in Ukraine. Diary 178,247,1588,965,1577 https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/prophet-our-times . May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war Jesus looked at me and said, Souls perish in spite of My bitter Passion. I am giving them the last hope of salvation; that is, the Feast of My Mercy. If they will not adore My mercy, they will perish for all eternity. Secretary of My mercy, write, tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near. Tell souls not to place within their own hearts obstacles to My mercy, which so greatly wants to act within them. My mercy works in all those hearts which open their doors to it. Both the sinner and the righteous person have need of My mercy. Conversion, as well as perseverance, is a grace of My mercy. Yes, I want ToHelp!
Shrine Bulletin Board 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 Be a part of theMarian Family! Receive graces from doing deeds of Mercy. Please volunteer if you are able. See our website to sign up, or contact our Volunteer Office at 413-298-1114 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
Born on March 7, 1868, in the village of Liepas Mukani, the parish of Liksna in Latvia, of Donat and Apolonia (neé Aizbaltis) Skrinda. He attended the local elementary school, and later, after completing an internship, passed an examination to become a pharmacist’s apprentice. Following the death of his parents, Benedikts interrupted his studies even though he longed to become a priest, and took care of his younger brothers: Kazimierz and Antoni. To provide for upkeep and education of his siblings, he worked on the farm, but mostly hired himself out as a [stone and brick] mason. He sent his younger brothers to the gymnasium at St. Catherine’s Church in St. Petersburg. Antoni later studied medicine and became a doctor; while Kazimierz entered the seminary in 1893 at St. Petersburg, and continued his education at the Theological Academy in 1897, being ordained to the priesthood in 1901. Later both younger brothers taught in the gymnasium at St. Catherine’s Church: Kazimierz taught religion, and Antoni taught the Latvian language while also acting as the students’ physician. Having realized his younger brothers’ educational goals, Benedikts also entered the seminary in St. Petersburg in 1899, at age 31. On March 9, 1903, he was ordained a priest and was sent as an assistant priest to Omsk. He returned to St. Petersburg in 1905, and took the position of assistant pastor at St. Stanislaus Church, and then – at St. Catherine’s. In 1907 he became pastor in Jozefovas, transferring two years later to Bukmuiz. In 1911 he became pastor at the parish in Andrupien, and finally, in 1914, he went to Balva, where he served as a pastor until 1923. While ministering at parishes, he wrote articles and books, signing them by his penname “Farmer’s son.” Together with his brothers, he greatly contributed towards reuniting Latgale with other Latvian territories. From his youth Benedikts wanted to be a religious order priest, but it was impossible since all orders were forbidden. He thought about the Capuchins, and finally became third-order Franciscan. When he became a priest, he told Bishop Springowicz about his desire. This same wish was expressed to the Bishop by Fr. Bronisław Valpitrs, whose thoughts were directed towards the Redemptorists or Salisians. When the countries of Eastern Europe regained their freedom in 1918, Bishop Springowicz decided to bring back to life the religious orders in the Riga Archdiocese. Thus, he summoned both priests and, making sure that they persevered in their vocation for consecrated life, advised them to join the Congregation of Marians, of which he had learned recently and which had been renovated by the Bishop of Vilnius, George Matulewicz. The Marians agreed that Archbishop Springowicz would send his candidates to Mariampole. In February of 1923, Fr. Skrinda left his parish in Balva, and Fr. Valpitrs – the religious education classes that he ran in Kraslav, and both went to Mariampole. There, on February 19th, they began the novitiate, which they completed on February 24th of 1924, when they professed their religious vows. They were supposed to become renovators of consecrated life in Latvia, starting with a former Bernardine monastery in Vilani. Nothing remained of this monastery except its walls. The floor boards were ripped out, furnaces removed, and windows were either filled with bricks or covered up with boards or rags. Cells were used as storerooms for potatoes, firewood, hay, or as pigsties and chicken coops. The pastor’s living quarters were in a wooden shack near the monastery ruins. MARIANS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Fr. Benedikt Skrinda, MIC 1868-1947
Excerpt from: https://padrimariani.org/en/fr-benedict-skrinda/ We encourage you to pray for graces through the intercession of Fr. Sigmund Troszynski. Please send information about healings or other graces received from God through the intercession Fr. Sigmund to: Postulatore Generale dei Chierici Mariani Casa Generalizia Via Corsica, 1 00198 Roma, Italia Tel.: 011-39-06-853-703-1 Father Skrinda was an energetic and conscientious priest. All third-order members in Latgale were under his authority as the Superior, and he ran retreats for them. He organized an anti-alcoholic movement, with good results. He greatly activated the sacramental life, as well. More faithful began to attend Sunday Masses. Small nearby parishes in Nagli, Rikovas, and Ostrones were embraced through pastoral services. The Marians preached missions and retreats in all of Latvia, but particularly for Latgale and Zemgale. On June 17, 1940, the Red Army invaded Latvia and the country was then annexed to the USSR through a parody of an election. On February 3, 1941, the Bolsheviks threw the Marians out of their monastery. Father Benedikts Skrinda was left alone to continue the pastoral work in the parish, because two other priests had to go into hiding. They were able to come back to the monastery after the German troops entered Latvia on July 4, 1941. However, Hitler’s soldiers also persecuted the Church and her servants. Retreating before the Bolshevik army on July 27, 1944, they burned and devastated the town, burned down parish buildings, the church’s roof, the choir loft and the tower. On July 28, 1944 they also blew up the monastery, which had been just previously wired up and where Brother Antoni Erdman perished. Later, during the bombing on September 14, 1944, the Germans also destroyed the service buildings that still remained undamaged by prior attacks. Maybe, the Nazis turned their vengeance against the Marians because the latter were hiding a Jewish boy in the monastery during the occupation. After the Bolsheviks had come, Fr. Skrinda rebuilt the church to such a degree that it was possible to celebrate Mass there. In the remaining part of the monastery he arranged living quarters for the Religious. The Bolshevik authorities seemed to be waiting just for that because they started to expel the Religious and assigned the facilities to a Russian school. While moving their possessions to alternate locations, Fr. Benedikts Skrinda caught cold and got an acute sore throat. The then available treatment did not help: he was not able to eat. With great difficulty he could swallow a small part of the host during Holy Communion. Being well prepared for death, he passed away on December 10, 1947, at 9:30 am. He was buried next to the church. Bishop Kazimierz Dulbiński from Riga led the funeral solemnity in which a very great number of faithful and priests participated. A different version of Fr. B. Skrinda’s cause of death is also known. A signed and certified statement, kept in the General Archives of the Marians in Rome, states: “One of the militia men (a Catholic according to the certificate), who was also a parishioner, seized the priest by his throat and pushed him away so violently that the old man swayed on his feet. A cartilage was broken in his throat, which became very swollen. The priest was sick for three days and then died.” Other people also remembered the above-mentioned fact. Some of the Marians – the Latvians – believe this story to be a “fairytale”, others think it’s true. A Latvian seminarian stated that he spoke with a person who was an eyewitness of the incident. In a German flyer with no date in the title, a letter from the seriously ill and hospitalized Archbishop Springowicz was published. In this letter he accused the Communist authorities of sharing the responsibility of the death of Fr. Skrinda – Father of Religious Life in Latvia. Fr. Benedikt Skrinda, PRAY FOR US!
O 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/how-be-prolife 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 aMassachusetts 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. . 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.
Day, through the octave, and in their daily prayers and Holy Masses throughout the month. Assisting the Holy Souls is one of the founding charisms of the Marians. Send the names of those you would like to have remembered, and we will place your intentions near the altar at the National Shrine throughout November. To Enroll your loved one to: www.shrineofdivinemercy.org/novenas/prayers-poor-souls November is the traditional month of intercession for the souls of the faithful departed. The Marians will be praying for the Holy Souls in solemn Evening Prayer for the Deceased on All Souls’ November is the traditional month of intercession for the souls of the faithful departed. The Marians will be praying for the Holy Souls in solemn Evening Prayer for the Deceased on All Souls' Day, through Prayers for Poor Souls
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