By Julia Rose
With the moving back of the clocks earlier this month, and darkness descending by 4:30 p.m., I’ve been continually reminded of the beauty of the sunsets on Eden Hill. I hope you have the opportunity to view one at the Shrine, because there is nothing quite like it! Here’s a peek (above) of an especially beautiful view outside the Marians Helpers Center this week.
The weather may have turned colder (and snowier!), but our hearts are warmed by the incredible feast days and holy days to look forward to at the end of the year. This weekend, for example, is the observance of the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy, the patronal feast of our Marian province, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy Province of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception in the United States, England, and Argentina.
This title for Mary is also connected to devotion to Our Lady of Vilnius, Ostra Brama (Polish) or Aušros Vartai (Lithuanian). The full title is “Our Lady of Mercy of the Dawn Gate.” The reproduction of the famous icon in Vilnius hangs in the Shrine, to the right of the choir loft (above).
The feast of Our Lady of Mercy is on Nov. 16, but as that's a Sunday this year, the Marian Fathers on Eden Hill will celebrate the feast tomorrow, Nov. 15. If you're in the area, please join us for Mass at 9 a.m. ET (also livestreamed) and 2 p.m. ET!
Read more about Our Lady of Mercy in a great article by Fr. Jim McCormack, MIC.
First Snowfall!
There was a mix of cheers and groans this week when the first snow of the season fell. Just a light dusting, like powdered sugar, but enough to get me excited for a white Christmas!
This was the first pilgrimage to the Shrine for Astrid (below), a freshman at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. “The snow made the visit very memorable,” she says.
Exploring all of the grounds with her boyfriend, including the life-sized Stations of the Cross, Astrid was delighted to discover the statue of St. Philomena (above), the saint she chose for her Confirmation. What a lovely surprise! Saint Philomena, patron of students, is located between the Sixth and Seventh Stations.
At UMass, Astrid feels lucky to have a beautiful place to pray and worship on campus: Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel, blessed by Bishop William Byrne of Springfield in 2023. Thanks to the Newman Catholic Student Association as well as the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) missionaries, she has found an incredible Catholic community, one that actually introduced her to the Shrine.
“This is the time when you make or break your faith," she says, addressing her peers. "Surround yourself with people that are going to help you grow and who will care enough to call you out when you are wrong. And just pray. Pray the Rosary.”
Another beautiful prayer is the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Growing up, Astrid’s mother always extended an invitation to pray the Chaplet with her at 3 p.m.
“For a while, I kind of got tired of it," Astrid admits. "But now, I’ve rediscovered it through new eyes. I’ve just realized how powerful that prayer is. I really love that I pause every day to be reminded of God’s mercy for me. I even set my alarm to pray!" Just like the Marian Fathers and the Marian Helpers!
Please join the Marians daily at 3 p.m. ET, the Hour of Great Mercy, to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and at 5 p.m. ET to pray the Rosary.
On Fridays at 3 p.m. ET, join Fr. Mark Baron, MIC, live to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for the dying.
A Family Gathering
For Elijah and his mom, Lydia, from St. John of God Parish in Central Islip, New York, their pilgrimage this month (before the snow) was one of many they have made over the years. In fact, Lydia has been coming ever since St. Faustina’s canonization 25 years ago! Typically, she and her son visit on Divine Mercy Sunday, so it was wonderful for them to explore the Shrine on a less busy day.
Lydia frequently reads the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska and enjoys the "Divine Mercy Minutes" that appear in her e-mail daily (sign up here: it's free!). She's also a big fan of the Saturday talks by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, and our weekly EWTN program, "Living Divine Mercy."
Elijah's favorite part of the Shrine is inside: the artwork! “I like the paintings," he says. "They’re very artistic and beautiful. It’s kind of like learning all the history."
“I remember the first time he went inside the church," Lydia recalls. "He was in awe." As are we!
Front and center
Inspired by Elijah’s response, I sought out Fr. Matthew Tomeny, MIC, the rector of the Shrine, to ask him about the beautiful artwork.
“It seems like people are just struck when they walk in by the overall beauty and certain nobleness or majestic quality to the Shrine," he says. "It has a certain height to it which calls us to lift our minds and hearts to God in Heaven."
Pilgrims are immediately drawn to the sanctuary, where, front and center, above the tabernacle, are the Image of the Divine Mercy and a statue of Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception. These are Fr. Matthew's favorites, because they represent the Marian charism of the mystery of the Immaculate Conception and the promotion of Divine Mercy, entrusted to the Marian Fathers.
“All of the Divine Mercy message and devotions synthesize in the Divine Mercy Image. There is a lot of beauty in there.” Fr. Matthew notes. “The statue of the Immaculate Conception is our crowning statue — who we are as Marians.” The Image, surrounded by golden rays, is a replica of the "Vilnius" Image by Eugene Kazimirowski, the painting of which was overseen in 1934-35 by St. Faustina herself and her priest confessor, Blessed Michael Sopoćko. The original hangs in the Church of the Holy Trinity, the Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Vilnius, Lithuania. The statue of Our Lady is carved from white Carrara marble.
There are more than 50 pieces of sacred art in the Shrine, including stained-glass windows, mosaics, paintings, statues, and more, all connected to the Marian Fathers and Divine Mercy in some way. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to ask a lot more questions and will report back to you here!
For a pictoral tour of the interior of the National Shrine, click here.
For a virtual tour of the National Shrine with Fr. Matthew Tomeny, MIC, click here.
Thanks for joining me! God bless and have a wonderful weekend!
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