By Julia Rose
jrose@Marian.org
It's official: I have experienced my first Divine Mercy Weekend on Eden Hill! And what a beautiful celebration it was! The weather was perfect (I'm told that is pretty rare!) and the atmosphere was filled with joy and the Holy Spirit among the estimated 19,000 pilgrims who visited on Saturday and Sunday. I met pilgrims from near (Connecticut), far (Louisiana), and even farther (the Philippines). Lots to unpack and share with you over the weeks ahead.
This breathtaking aerial photo of Divine Mercy Sunday Mass was taken by Br. Mark Fanders, MIC, using his amazing drone camera. Wow!
“Well-organized and beautiful, the grace of the day just created this experience of peace," said Fr. Mark Baron, MIC, who came up with this year's theme, "USA 250: One Nation Under God's Mercy." The weekend reminded him of Jesus' words in the Diary: “Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy” (300).
Watch all of the videos from Divine Mercy Weekend 2026, including the Saturday Conference and Sunday EWTN pre-show and Mass, on DivineMercyPlus.org.
Join us in-person or online for a new talk by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, tomorrow at 11 a.m. (ET) on "St. George: The Dragon Slayer." Watch on YouTube at our channel Divine Mercy (Official), and on our Facebook page Divine Mercy (Official).
But first ... lift high the Cross!
On Friday, April 10, just before Divine Mercy Weekend, a very special event took place: The raising of the cross atop the tower of the new Marian Monastery Chapel!
The Marian Fathers gathered with friends, benefactors, and Marian Helpers as the cross was blessed by the Most Rev. Joseph Roesch, MIC, Superior General of the Marian Congregation. and touched with a relic of the True Cross by Provincial Superior Fr. Chris Alar, MIC. The new Monastery and Chapel are the fruits of the "Together for Christ and His Church" campaign, and both are scheduled to open this fall.
As it was hoisted aloft, there was a hiccup as the crane malfunctioned. Immediately, the Marians led everyone assembled in praying the Rosary, both for the cross raising and for the repose of the soul of deceased Marian Helper Marc Massery, who had died five years ago to the day.
“Literally, as soon as we finished [the Rosary], the machine got working again. The workers were able to lift up that cross,” Fr. Daniel Klimek said. “It was a poignant expression of both being there as brothers and sisters and seeing this beautiful moment, but also having that taste of spiritual warfare. The devil doesn’t like this, but the Lord is triumphant through His Cross.” Amen!
Among the witnesses of the cross raising: the Morris family! Congratulations to Jacqui Morris, a major gifts officer in the Mission Advancement Office, and her husband, Ethan, who welcomed their daughter, Sophie Rose, on April 1. "She’s the newest Marian Helper!" said Fr. Chris Alar, MIC.
A weekend to remember
It was a full weekend of activities, ranging from the Mercy Weekend Conference to spiritual presentations and Masses. But it was what happened in between that captivated me the most.
Alone or with their loved ones, pilgrims walked the Stations of the Cross, lit candles in the Adoration Tent, and prayed the Rosary in the Shrine of the Holy Innocents. At the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, there were group prayers in Haitian Creole and Spanish. Many pilgrims waited in a line stretching out over the hill just to step inside the Shrine Chapel to pray in front of the altar. And the line for Confessions (below) was even longer!
One pilgrim, Antoinette (above) from Bloomfield, New Jersey, waited patiently for more than two hours. “I haven’t gone to Confession for many years, and that’s why I said to myself, ‘I have to go back.'"
Introduced to Divine Mercy by her co-worker more than 30 years ago, Antoinette prays the Divine Mercy Chaplet daily. She's an operating room nurse, and prays with her patients before surgery. “Even if it’s just for a normal procedure, if I have time, I try to pray," she said. "If they die on the operating table, I cry, and I pray for them. It’s part of my service to the Lord.”
Calling all Healthcare Professionals! There's still time to register, in person or online, for the 21st Annual Divine Mercy Medicine, Bioethics and Spirituality Conference, April 29-May 3. Details here.
I won't soon forget my new friends, Ah'lias and his mom, Maria, from Bristol, Connecticut. Ah'lias, 4 years old, was baptized on the day before Divine Mercy Sunday! It was their first visit to Eden Hill, and they were thrilled to meet Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, and Fr. Joe Roesch, MIC. Father Joe even blessed Ah'lias' Jesus plushie, which he purchased with his Baptism money. There's much more to the story: stay tuned!
God bless the volunteers!
Of course, Divine Mercy Weekend would have been impossible if it weren’t for the hundreds of volunteers who donated their time and talent at locations all over Eden Hill, including the Lourdes Grotto (above). Whether guiding cars, lighting candles, answering questions, or holding umbrellas over the priests as they distributed Holy Communion, volunteers carried with them a fierce love for the National Shrine and a desire to spread the message of Divine Mercy.
Amanda Parramore, the National Shrine's visitor guide, was in charge of leading all of the Information Tent volunteers (including, above, Mia, Caroline, and Amber from South Hadley and Springfield, Massachusetts). Reflecting on her first Divine Mercy Weekend, she said, “It was so powerful to receive the graces myself, and also to work with such amazing volunteers. They were so happy to help, and it was really cool to see how fulfilled they were just being here and able to help others.”
One of the 60 volunteers stationed in the Divine Mercy Gift Shop Tent was Maria from New York (originally from the Philippines)! Since the passing of her husband of 40 years, Juan, she has been committed to carrying on his devotion for Divine Mercy. This was her fifth time volunteering here with her daughter, who is named after St. Teresa of Avila!
Stay tuned for more reflections on Divine Mercy Weekend in the coming weeks! God bless, everyone, and have a wonderful Easter Season!
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