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Making Way for Mercy

12,000 Pilgrims Take in God's Greatest Gift on Eden Hill

Sunday, March 30, 2008
Dan Valenti

Divine Mercy Sunday dawned on Eden Hill not with the bang of last year's violent storm but with the pleasant whisper of sunlight. And as the sun rose in the Berkshires a ribbon at a time, the day announced its gift loud and clear — it would gift-wrap an ideal setting for North America's largest Divine Mercy Sunday celebration at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass.

Some 12,000 pilgrims from all over the world served by more than 600 volunteers gathered to celebrate the signature quality of God — His goodness, expressed as unlimited mercy upon us.

Adding a new wrinkle to this year's feast, the Marians of the Immaculate Conception celebrated Mass at the new Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine. Though not yet finished, the Shrine enhanced the liturgy with its emphatic visual presence, a magnification well the match for the spiritual energy of some 20 celebrants and servers, 30 members of two choirs, musicians, and invited guests.

The day of grace unfolded under a cloudless blue sky in dramatic contrast to last year's howling wind and driving precipitation, which lashed and pelted everyone on Eden Hill. The dazzling sunshine, strong enough to slightly temper yesterday's chill, seemed a fitting decoration for the launch of the new facility on its maiden Divine Mercy voyage. Work on the new Shrine will resume tomorrow and is expected to be completed by early June.

The 'Mark of Divine Mercy'
This year's celebrant, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, D.C., reminded pilgrims of the importance of mercy.

"Trust and confidence: That has been the mark of The Divine Mercy," Cardinal McCarrick said in his homily. "That has been the mark of what all of us who gather here today have listened to and have learned and loved."

Then he got Socratic:

"I want to ask you a few questions. You don't have to respond verbally, but answer to yourselves. ... When did you first hear about The Divine Mercy? When did you first learn about it? I hope you've answered that. Now, let me ask you another question: When did you first realize how much you needed in your life The Divine Mercy? Now that's a question we can all answer the same way, I guess. Because as soon as we know the Mercy of God then look at ourselves, we realize immediately how much we need His mercy, how much we need to have confidence in His love. That's what The Divine Mercy is for us.

"And all of us need it. And not only do we need it, but on a special day like this, we feel the Presence of The Divine Mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Father, and of the Holy Spirit. ... [I]n a very special, wonderful, grace-filled way, today you and I — all of us and those watching on television — will be conscious of The Divine Mercy in a way that we have never been before. We know that because Jesus said this will happen. So be prepared. Be prepared to be filled with the grace that comes from God's love. ... Today, let us be filled with prayer. And today, let us be filled with that grace.

[Read the full text of his homily.]

Cardinal Didn't 'Goof it Up'
In a wide-ranging interview before Mass, Cardinal McCarrick pointed out the closeness of Divine Mercy to the "heart of our religion." He said that for him, personally, Divine Mercy is like a "signature of God," evidence of God's hand in the direction of his life. The cardinal, who turns 78 on July 7, remarked that when he became a priest in 1958, all he wanted was to remain a good one for the rest of his life. He said he never thought he would rise in the Church hierarchy to cardinal and an elector of Popes.

"If I had tried to figure that one out, I would have goofed it up," he said, laughing. "I'm not that smart," said this wise man. "So I take my present position [as cardinal] as I have always done with new assignments. I try to see the hand of God in them. He must have wanted me here. That's how I look at it. God is like any good father. He wants to love us. We don't always love him back, but it doesn't change His love for us. God, who is Love, loves us. In return, He wants us to trust Him. He is so pleased when we do so."

He said his greatest challenge as a Church leader is to help build faith. Asked how, he replied: "That's the $64,000 question and it would take 64,000 minutes to answer. I wish I knew. I do know that our Lord gives us the tools we need," mentioning the new Catechism and mercy. "When we receive mercy, we can't keep it to ourselves. We find we want to share it. If more people open up to this, faith cannot help but follow."

Bishop: 'It's Not the Numbers'
Many Marian priests and visiting clergy concelebrated Mass with Cardinal McCarrick, including Bishop Timothy McDonnell, Bishop of Springfield, Mass.

"To see so many thousands of people gather here to celebrate God's mercy is incredible," said Bishop McDonnell. "I remember two years ago, with all the rain, it was the most moving sight I had ever seen: people kneeling in the mud. It reminded me of Guadalupe."

Bishop McDonnell said he sees signs of "this kind" of Eden Hill fervor reawakening in his diocese, pointing to Divine Mercy Sunday observances in Greenfield and Longmeadow. He did, however, acknowledge the challenges facing a diocese where parish consolidations have been necessary because of declining attendance. This led him to the same point Cardinal McCarrick had made earlier in a separate interview, that keeping alive the flame of faith is Job One for a bishop.

"An event like [the Divine Mercy Sunday observance] is one of the most important ways of enhancing the faith," the bishop said. "A lot of good things are going on [in the diocese], but it's not always about the numbers. Quality matters more than quantity. Remember that Jesus fed 5,000, many of who walked away and deserted. At the foot of the cross, there were only four people. It's not the numbers. It's the faith, and the faith is there."

All for a Song
An 18-member choir from Magnificat Academy and Choir School from Warren, Mass., led by Paul Jernberg, joined the Divine Mercy Choir under direction of Jeffrey Petryk in providing music for the day. The Academy is a private day school for boys and girls in grades 4 through 12, just in its third year of existence.

Paul called the choir's opportunity to participate in the liturgy "a great honor and grace." He said going on this pilgrimage with the students "gives us a chance to more fully realize the greatness of Divine Mercy."

Prior to Mass, the choir gathered downstairs at Memorial Hall at the National Shrine for a last-minute rehearsal. First, the director worked with six boys, going through the nuance of a tricky passage with the precision of a watchmaker. He patiently explained the rolling melody of the chant-like snippet of song then demonstrated a couple delicate phrasings in a voice dipped in warm honey. He had the singers try the passage over and over until they finally had it right.

Why does someone show such care? It's obvious: love — love both for what he's doing and with whom he's doing it. When you have perfectionism's dedication without perfectionism's fear of failure, you end up with a choir director like Paul Jernberg ... of Jeff Petryk, for that matter.

A Class of One
Maria Misiaszek, 17, who not only is in Magnificat's graduating class but IS her graduating class of one, called the shot at singing for such a large audience on a global TV hookup via EWTN "a huge honor. It's going to be great. I like to sing, and I love being in a school devoted to singing. I'm very excited to be here. I think we will do well."

Well, they did. If Eden Hill had been a concert hall on this day instead of Mercy Central for North America, the ovations would have been prolonged and standing. But prayer requires a different kind of applause. Prayer shows its appreciation silently, on a quieter but much more effective wavelength. Trust that the boys and girls of Magnificat Academy and Choir School were bombarded with prayer throughout this weekend. Won't it be interesting to see the fruits of those many prayers manifested as the days, weeks, and months go by?

The liturgy's opening song gave open-throated praise to the theme of the day: "Let Hymns of Grief to Joy Succeed."

The morn has spread her crimson rays,
When rang the skies with shouts of praise.
Earth joined the joyful hymn to swell,
That brought despair to vanquished hell.

Visiting Priests Share Reactions
Following Mass, Cardinal McCarrick led pilgrims in the praying the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy, Benediction, reciting the Divine Praises, and joined with concelebrants in blessing religious articles and holy water. As the opening hymn had promised, grief vanquished its position to a succession of Joy.

A couple of the visiting priests who served as co-celebrants during Mass remarked on the effect of seeing so many thousands of witnesses share their faith in such a devout way.

"I am from a part of southern India where Catholicism is growing," said Fr. Saju Oreethaparambil, a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. "As a Redemptorist priest, it's wonderful to see this. It helps me in my faith." Father Saju, who came to Eden Hill from Toronto, where he is furthering his studies, says he expects Divine Mercy to be "the next big thing in my country."

Also a long way from his home, Fr. Eustace Edomobi, a native of Nigeria, Africa, and now a parish priest at St. Raphael Church in Livingston, N.J., led a contingent of the Nigerian Women's Rosary Crusade. The group has been coming to Divine Mercy Sunday on Eden Hill for the past seven years. This year, they needed three busses to hold everyone.

"We come [to Eden Hill] not for what we deserve but for what, in His mercy, God freely gives to us," Fr. Eustace said.

"It a joyful day all around," said Paula Valenti of the Divine Mercy Choir. "You can see it in people's faces. We are meant to be this way, joyful. I think once you realize how much God loves you, joy comes naturally."

Oh, Them Long, Long Lines
Father Tony Nockunas, MIC, on his way to the confession tent, took a look at the long double lines and cracked a joke: "I've got my work cut out for me. But I'm glad to be busy like this." Father Tony referred to a point made by Fr. Victor Incardona, MIC, at the 6 a.m. Mass for volunteers, that "in becoming receivers of God's mercy, we also become givers of that same mercy. I think that's how God uses us to do His work." Inside the confession tent, Fr. Tony would demonstrate the words he had just spoken, standing in for Christ in a ritual of forgiveness that is nothing but goodness at the core. If that is not extending mercy, the sky was not blue today.

Volunteer Karla Cloutier of Manchester, NH, worked unflappably at the exit of the confession tent. As lightened penitents walked out of the tent fresh from their unburdening, her job was to hold open the plastic flaps and caution people to watch their step to avoid a wooden stake sticking an inch out of the ground: large enough to cause a tumble but small enough not to be readily seen.

"I do this as a witness of my faith," Karla said. "This is a little job, I know, but when I do it, I feel like I'm part of this day, not just on the receiving end but on the giving end. Plus, it gives me the opportunity to keep praying for souls." She said this as she fingered a set of worn wooden rosary beads. "I pray the Rosary every day for others. Our Lord is so good. I want to share [that goodness] with others."

The Old 'New' Message
Divine Mercy Sunday, which Pope John Paul II made a feast day for the universal Church in 2000, celebrates God's mercy for us. This mercy, of course, has been present and manifested throughout human history and serves as the central idea of Sacred Scripture.

"There's nothing new about the mercy of God," said Fr. Kazimierz Chwalek, MIC, Marian director of evangelization and development, in an interview conducted prior to Mass. "What makes it new for our times is that we largely have lost this message, especially in the industrialized West. The message is simple and yet profound: God loves all of us, no matter how great our sins."

This "new" message of mercy Fr. Kaz speaks about is based on the writings of St. Faustina, who in her Diary recorded revelations on mercy she received in the 1930s from Jesus. Even before St. Faustina's death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy began to spread. The Marians latched on to the message in 1941, becoming perhaps the earliest significant promoters.

A World Filled More with Grace
On Eden Hill, pilgrims shared their experience of mercy as a way of life. The fact that so many had traveled so far established their confidence in the message of love.

"I'm here to give thanks and to witness to mercy in my life," said Rita Mazza of Scranton, Pa. "I don't want to keep my experience of mercy to myself. It's too great a gift."

"For me, mercy is trust, like it says at the bottom of the image [of The Divine Mercy]," said Stanley Bowman of Rutland, Vt. "We can't control many of the things that happen to us in life, and those we turn over to God in trust. When I do that, things work out for the best."

Prior to the liturgy, pilgrims took part in a variety of activities. They visited the chapel, worshipped in the Adoration tent, shopped at the gift tent, and refreshed themselves at the food court. Little kids played and adults prayed.

And the world filled up a little bit more with grace. One March 30th on Eden Hill won't undo all that's wrong with the world, but it's a start. Enough of these days in enough other places, and it is the finish of a world torn apart. Until then, we do our best to "move deeply into the very Heart of Christ," to employ the phrase that Cardinal McCarrick used to end his homily.

Dan Valenti writes for numerous publications for the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, both in print and online. He is the author of "Dan Valenti's Journal" at thedivinemercy.org.

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