. 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.4-Twenty-Third 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 Events 40 Hours Devotion: September 1-4 All Day St. Stanislaus Basilica & St. Mary’s Ware, MA For more information 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 8 After Holy Communion, I saw the Lord Jesus, who said these words to me: Today, penetrate into the spirit of My poverty and arrange everything in such a way that the most destitute will have no reason to envy you. I find pleasure, not in large buildings and magnificent structures, but in a pure and humble heart. When I was by myself, I began to reflect on the spirit of poverty. I clearly saw that Jesus, although He is Lord of all things, possessed nothing. From a borrowed manger He went through life doing good to all, but himself having no place to lay His head. And on the Cross, I see the summit of His poverty, for He does not even have a garment on himself. O Jesus, through a solemn vow of poverty I desire to become like You; poverty will be my mother. As exteriorly we should possess nothing and have nothing to dispose of as our own; so interiorly we should desire nothing. And in the Most Blessed Sacrament, how great is Your poverty! Has there ever been a soul as abandoned as You were on the Cross, Jesus? I have experienced how much envy there is, even in religious life. I see that there are few truly great souls, ready to trample on everything that is not God. O soul, you will find no beauty outside of God. Oh, how fragile is the foundation of those who elevate themselves at the expense of others! What a loss! Jesus, You yourself have deigned to lay the foundations of my sanctity, as my cooperation has not amounted to much. You have taught me to set no store on the use and choice of created things, because my heart is, of itself, so weak. And this is why I have asked You, O my Master, to take no heed of the pain of my heart, but to cut away whatever might hold me back from the path of love. I did not understand You, Lord, in times of sorrow, when You were effecting Your work in my soul; but today I understand You and rejoice in my freedom of spirit. Jesus himself has seen to it that my heart has not been caught in the snares of any passion. I have come to know well from what dangers He has delivered me, and therefore my gratitude to my God knows no bounds. Then I saw the Lord Jesus nailed to the cross. When He had hung on it for a while, I saw a multitude of souls crucified like Him. Then I saw a second multitude of souls, and a third. The second multitude were not nailed to [their] crosses, but were holding them firmly in their hands. The third The Poverty of the Cross
4 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 now more than ever. We have 22 Marians in Ukraine; their house in Kharkiv was bombed. More than 2 million refugees have fled. Our Marian houses across the border in Poland are assisting refugees. 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 532, 533, 833, 1331, 446 https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/prophet-our-times . May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war were neither nailed to [their] crosses nor holding them firmly in their hands, but were dragging [their] crosses behind them and were discontent. Jesus then said to me, Do you see these souls? Those who are like Me in the pain and contempt they suffer will be like Me also in glory. And those who resemble Me less in pain and contempt will also bear less resemblance to Me in glory. Among the crucified souls, the most numerous were those of the clergy. I also saw some crucified souls whom I knew, and this gave me great joy. Then Jesus said to me, In your meditation tomorrow, you shall think about what you have seen today. And immediately Jesus disappeared on me. 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
Servant of God Fr. Janis Mendriks, MIC 1907-1953 Fr. Janis was born on January 21, 1907 to the family of Antoni and Anna Plocins of the Logocki village in the parish of Kalupe, near Aglona in Latvia. He joined the Congregation of Marian Fathers on October 26, 1926, made his perpetual vows on January 6, 1933, upon which he entered the Riga Seminary. On Sunday, April 3, 1938 Archbishop Antoni Springowicz ordained him to the priesthood at St. James’ Cathedral in Riga. After the ordination, Fr. Janis served as a vicar in the Marian Fathers’ parish in Vilani as well as several nearby parishes. For a period of time he served in the parishes of Lamini, Kondawa and Savile in Courland,[1] always carrying out his ministry with zeal and dedication. When the German army occupied Latvia, he was the pastor in Ostrone (Latvia). During his ministering in that parish, partisans killed a policeman who had collaborated with the Germans. The occupying authorities ordered a solemn Catholic funeral, but the Servant of God refused, because the man openly lived in sin with a concubine without entering into the sacrament of marriage. On the night before the funeral, unknown people filled the prepared grave with dirt and dug another one outside the cemetery grounds. The occupying authorities placed the blame on Fr. Janis – the parish priest. He was subjected to multiple interrogations and threats to be sent to a concentration camp. With his religious superiors’ consent, the Servant of God fled and went into hiding for about two years until 1944, when the Soviet re-occupation began and Fr. Janis was able to resume his service as a parish priest. On February 19, 1948 Fr. Janis was appointed pastor of the Jauborne and Elerna parish. After nearly three years of service, on October 25, 1950, he was arrested by the Soviet secret police and sent to a Riga’s prison. On March 24, 1951, he was sentenced to 10 years of forced labor for “anti-Soviet activism and organizing of anti-Soviet nationalist groups.” He was sent to Komi Republic to work at a coal mine near Vorkuta. While in the labor camp, Fr. Janis continued his pastoral work among the prisoners secretly and devotedly. He celebrated Holy Mass, heard confessions and administered Holy Communion. He always carried with him a small metal box fashioned as a cigarette case, where he kept the Eucharist. In the wake of the political thaw after Stalin’s death on March 5, 1953, the prisoners began a strike to regain freedom. The camp authorities called in the armed forces, which surrounded the camp on August 1, 1953. Convinced that he, as a priest, should be where the people were dying to prepare them to meet God, the Servant of God Janis moved to the first row of the prisoners. He was shot dead while reciting the formula of absolution: “Misereatur vestri Omnipotens Deus …”. Testimony given by Hippolyte Razbadauskas about Father Jan Mendriks, his pastoral ministry and death: “December 25, 1976, Forced labor camp in the Komi Republic, near Vorkuta, Russia, Pit No. 29, 1950-1955. On February 1, 1945, the Military Tribunal of the Soviet sentenced me to 10 years of forced labor at a camp and 5 years of exile. In order to serve my sentence, I was taken to Vorkuta, to a labor camp – a coal mine, pit number 29. I was there from 1950 to 1953, and it was then that I met a Latvian Catholic priest by the name of Janis Mendriks, another political prisoner who shared my fate. He was sharp-minded, joyful and energetic, endowed with a kind disposition, patience, compassion, and an apostolic spirit. He was truly a holy priest. Excerpt from Excerpt from: https://padrimariani.org/en/servant-of-god-fr-janis-mendriks-1907-1953/ In the Spotlight….
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/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. 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.
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