The Marian Fathers extend a warm invitation to come to Eden Hill today! Admission is free. Online bus registration has closed, but private vehicles are welcome with no registration required. Details here.
Check here for regular updates throughout the day!
View this year's Divine Mercy Weekend program.
Read: Thousands expected at the National Shrine for Divine Mercy Weekend 2026
Questions about Divine Mercy Sunday? We have the answers!
Highlights from Saturday, April 11, 2026
Welcome to Divine Mercy Sunday!
Sunday, April 12, 2026, 6:30 a.m.
The moon is setting over Eden Hill and the Divine Mercy Gift Shop Tent casts a warm and inviting glow this morning. Less than 3 hours to opening!
Got questions? Our friendly and knowledgable volunteers at the Information Tent have the answers: Mia, Caroline, and Amber, from South Hadley and Springfield, Massachusetts.
And let's not forget our theme this year: "USA 250: One Nation Under God's Mercy."
Sunday, April 12, 2026, 9:00 a.m.
A jetstream cross over the Adoration Tent! Crowds are growing as buses start to arrive.
Sunday, April 12, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
Father Matthew Tomeny, MIC, rector of the National Shrine, and Fr. David Gunter, MIC, pray with and bless soloist Ashley Nemeh ahead of her songs of praise, faith, and patriotism at the field show. Marian Helper Dale Zavatter, the unsung sound technician for the day, joins in prayer.
The "Field Show," a series of spriritual presentations at the Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine, is about to begin, as the crowds gather in advance of Mass at 1 p.m. The weather is just perfect today on Eden Hill!
God bless the Knights of Columbus, who faithfully join us every year for Divine Mercy Sunday, evangelizing and also guarding our Lord in the Adoration Tent. Thanks to José Luis Arroyo, Matt Rolland, Dan Pisano, Fernando Rodriguez, and Dick Johnston, representing Council 5585 of Agawam, Massachusetts, and Council St. Thomas Aquinas 13043 of Springfield, Massachusetts.
A happy group of veteran Divine Mercy Sunday pilgrims from Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Pawtucket, Rhode Island! The parish was founded for the Cape Verdean immigrants in the Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts areas.
Watch LIVE coverage of the EWTN pre-show and Divine Mercy Sunday Mass right here starting at 12 Noon!
“As the United States celebrates this year, the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence, we recall that at the same time, it declared its dependence on God,” said Fr. Matthew Tomeny, MIC, rector of the National Shrine, at the opening of the Divine Mercy Sunday Mass. “During this year’s spiritual theme of ‘One Nation Under God’s Mercy,’ we pray all Americans will turn to God and trust in Him.”
“We need intercessory prayer more than ever,” said the Most Rev. David L. Ricken, Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, celebrant of the Mass. He quoted an American cardinal speaking at the 2012 synod on the New Evangelization, who had acknowledged the "tsunami of secularization" affecting the United States. Bishop Ricken called on the gathered faithful to do our parts to bring about a countervailing "tsunami of Divine Mercy" through our prayers, works of mercy, and mortification. He cited the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska when Jesus said, “Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy” (Diary, 300).
Hanging behind the altar of the Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine is the Divine Mercy Prayer Banner. Each year, Marian Helpers are invited them to write their prayer intentions on cloth squares. More than 15,000 people responded, and many of their squares have been made into the beautiful banner that emphasizes the necessity of coming together to promote the Divine Mercy message. The squares that did not make the banner are placed in a basket on the altar of the National Shrine.
Are you a Marian Helper? Sign-up is free and easy: Here's how.
Following the Recessional, the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday came to a close.
"Divine Mercy means everything," says Elizabeth from St. Jude Parish in Toronto, Canada, a first-time pilgrim to the National Shrine. Originally from Nigeria, she hosts a Divine Mercy prayer group with family and friends every day at 3 p.m., without fail, in person and via Zoom. "We're fulfilling what our Lord Jesus asked St. Faustina," she adds, "and to secure my own personal religious belief that God's mercy is grace."
Guarding the exit from the Confessions Tent are veteran volunteers Kevin from New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Brandon from Middleton, Massachusetts. To Kevin, Divine Mercy Sunday is all about obtaining the extraordinary graces and, also, a plenary indulgence. "I explain to people, you go to Confession and you are forgiven. But the scars are still there. Just like if you get wounded. The bleeding has stopped, but you're still going to have that scar. A plenary indulgence gets rid of the scar."
That's a wrap until next year! Thanks for coming in person or online, and remember: The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy is open every day of the year. Plan your pilgrimage on ShrineofDivineMercy.org.{shopmercy-ad}
