Frequently Asked Questions

Most Common Questions and Answers

  1. Can I attend the Vigil Mass on Saturday and receive the graces of Divine Mercy Sunday?
  2. Can I receive Holy Communion on Mercy Sunday and offer those graces for someone else, living or deceased?
  3. How can I receive extraordinary graces on Divine Mercy Sunday?
  4. How do I receive the graces promised on Mercy Sunday when I can't get to church because of a serious reason (I'm homebound, seriously ill, or disabled)?
  5. I am Catholic, but I cannot receive Holy Communion because I'm divorced and remarried outside the Catholic Church. Can I receive the graces of Divine Mercy Sunday?
  6. I'm not Catholic. Can I receive graces on Divine Mercy Sunday?
  7. If Pope John Paul II declared the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday, why don't all churches celebrate it? My pastor refuses to acknowledge the Feast.
  8. Is it required to pray the Divine Mercy Novena in order to receive the extraordinary graces on Divine Mercy Sunday?
  9. Must the Chaplet always be prayed at 3 p.m.?
  10. My pastor will allow us to pray the Divine Mercy Novena, but not on Good Friday or Holy Saturday. He says it interferes with the Holy Triduum, which are the holiest days of the year. It this true?
  11. Some people in our parish insist that we must go to Confession on Mercy Sunday because that's what St. Faustina wrote in her Diary. They want to do what she said, not some interpretation of it. Do I need to attend Confession on Divine Mercy Sunday?
  12. We used to pray the Chaplet "For the sake of Jesus' sorrowful Passion," and now you've changed the words and taken out the name of Jesus.
  13. What are acts of "reparation," and can the Chaplet be used for such an intention? Dr. Stackpole tackles this difficult subject.
  14. What extraordinary graces are available on Divine Mercy Sunday?
  15. What is the correct way to organize a program for Divine Mercy Sunday?
  16. What is the role of the parish priest on Divine Mercy Sunday?
  17. When praying the Chaplet in our prayer group our leader changes the words and adds different intentions. Is this okay?
  18. When should I go to confession?
  19. Why is the beginning of the Chaplet optional?

Questions & Answers for Clergy


Q. Can I attend the Vigil Mass on Saturday and receive the graces of Divine Mercy Sunday?

A. Yes, the Vigil Mass fulfills the Sunday obligation of the Feast of Divine Mercy, so the extraordinary graces are available when you receive Holy Communion in a state of grace at the Saturday Vigil Mass.

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Q. Can I receive Holy Communion on Mercy Sunday and offer those graces for someone else, living or deceased?

A. Our Lord's promise to grant complete forgiveness of sins and punishment on the Feast of Mercy is given to those who accept His invitation to come to the Fountain of Life. These graces are for ourselves.

I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy (Diary 1109).

Whoever approaches the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete remission of sins and punishment (Diary 300).

The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment (Diary 699).

However, given the extraordinary graces that the person receives from Holy Communion on Mercy Sunday namely, the complete renewal of baptismal grace the time after that Communion is an excellent time for the communicant to intercede for loved ones on earth, and to begin to undertake indulgenced works, as established by the Church, for the sake of the souls in purgatory.

In fact, Pope John Paul II granted a plenary indulgence for special devotions to The Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Sunday, and these indulgences can be obtained for the suffering souls in purgatory.

Suggested Reading:
Vatican Grants Plenary Indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday
Download free PDF of Understanding Divine Mercy Sunday

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Q. How can I receive extraordinary graces on Divine Mercy Sunday?

A. In order to receive the extraordinary graces, you should prepare by making a good confession, so that you can receive Holy Communion in a state of grace on Divine Mercy Sunday. In addition, Our Lord asked St. Faustina to be sure to perform acts of mercy, and to come to Him in Holy Communion with great trust in His mercy.

Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy (Diary 742).

The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive (Diary 1578).

Suggested Reading:
The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion 
Why Mercy Sunday?

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Q. How do I receive the graces promised on Mercy Sunday when I can't get to church because of a serious reason (I'm homebound, seriously ill, or disabled)?

A. Our Lord said to St. Faustina: The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is My desire to give much, very much (Diary, 1578).

With this in mind, you can participate in the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday by making a Spiritual Communion, with great trust. God will give you all the graces that He sees that you need because of your great trust.

You should also know that the Holy Father has made special, compassionate provisions for the obtaining of indulgences on Divine Mercy Sunday by those who cannot go to Mass on that day, especially for those who are seriously ill.

Suggested Reading:
Spiritual Communion
Vatican Grants Plenary Indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday

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Q. I am Catholic, but I cannot receive Holy Communion because I'm divorced and remarried outside the Catholic Church. Can I receive the graces of Divine Mercy Sunday?

A. If at present you cannot generally receive the Sacraments in the Catholic Church because of your marital circumstances, you would also not be permitted to receive Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday until you rectify your situation through the pastoral offices of the Church.

Our Lord said to St. Faustina: The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is My desire to give much, very much (Diary 1578).

With this in mind, you can participate in the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday by making a Spiritual Communion, with great trust. God will give you all the graces that He sees that you need because of your great trust.

Suggested Reading:
Spiritual Communion

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Q. I'm not Catholic. Can I receive graces on Divine Mercy Sunday?

A. Non-Catholics may participate in the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday by making a Spiritual Communion, with great trust, since it is by the degree of trust that we receive graces. Although our Lord did not reveal to St. Faustina the extent to which the extraordinary graces of this feast day are available to non-Catholics, it is theologically certain that anyone who is seeking Him with a sincere heart will be richly blessed on that day: "No one who comes to Me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in Me shall ever thirst. No one who comes will I ever reject." (Jn 6:35-37)

Suggested Reading:
Spiritual Communion

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Q. If Pope John Paul II declared the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday, why don't all churches celebrate it? My pastor refuses to acknowledge the Feast.

A. The National Conference of Catholic Bishops requires that this day be celebrated as "Divine Mercy Sunday," as requested by Pope John Paul II when he made it a universal Feast: "Throughout the world, the Second Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sunday, a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that humankind will experience in the years to come." (Ordo, April 7, 2002)

Your pastor will find Divine Mercy Sunday explained in the Ordinal for April 7, 2002. The Ordinal is the book of directives from the Church that priests are required to follow. If these directives are being ignored in our parishes, we can only remind our local pastors and pray for them that they may recognize the significance of this day. At the minimum, priests should announce that this day is Divine Mercy Sunday and preach about mercy at all the Masses. That is all that is strictly required by the Church. In addition, if pastors are willing, there are many other ways to enhance the celebration of this Feast.

Suggested Reading:
Download free PDF of Understanding Divine Mercy Sunday

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Q. Is it required to pray the Divine Mercy Novena in order to receive the extraordinary graces on Divine Mercy Sunday?

A. No, the graces of Divine Mercy Sunday are obtained by receiving Holy Communion worthily, with great trust in God's mercy. The Novena is a devotion which is a good preparation for Divine Mercy Sunday. It actually consists of a novena of chaplets, recited from Good Friday through the Saturday before Divine Mercy Sunday. Jesus promised: By this novena [of chaplets], I will grant every possible grace to souls (Diary 796).

The longer Novena dictated by our Lord to St. Faustina (Diary 1209-1229) is often used together with the novena of chaplets. Unlike the novena of chaplets, it seems to have been intended for St. Faustina's personal use. This can be seen from our Lord's instructions, which address her with the word "you" in the singular.

But, since St. Faustina was commanded to write it down in her Diary, we believe that our Lord must have intended this longer novena to be available for public use as well. Many people pray this novena not only in preparation for the Feast of Divine Mercy, but at other times as well.

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Q. Must the Chaplet always be prayed at 3 p.m.?

A. Our Lord asked St. Faustina for special prayer and meditation of His Passion each afternoon at the three o'clock hour, the hour that recalls His death on the cross.

At three o'clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy (Diary 1320).

My daughter, try your best to make the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to make the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore, in the Blessed Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant (Diary 1572).

While the Chaplet is a very good prayer to pray at three o'clock, it is not required. If your duties do not permit it, at least meditate on the Lord's Passion for a moment.

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Q. My pastor will allow us to pray the Divine Mercy Novena, but not on Good Friday or Holy Saturday. He says it interferes with the Holy Triduum, which are the holiest days of the year.

A. The Paschal Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday) ushers in Easter Sunday and constitutes the most holy period of the Church year. The Divine Mercy Novena does not supersede the Triduum, but extends the Solemn General Intercessions of the Good Friday observance of Our Lord's Passion and Death throughout the whole octave of Easter, building up to the day of thanksgiving for Our Lord's Divine Mercy.

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Q. Some people in our parish insist that we must go to Confession on Mercy Sunday because that's what St. Faustina wrote in her Diary. They want to do what she said, not some interpretation of it. Do I need to attend Confession on Divine Mercy Sunday?

A.Cardinal Macharski, the Archbishop of St. Faustina's own archdiocese of Krakow, Poland, wrote a pastoral letter to all his priests on January 30, 1985, on how to prepare for and celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. In it he said that all of Lent should be a preparation to celebrate Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday worthily. The Sacrament of Reconciliation should be received sometime in Lent, not put off until the last minute (Holy Week). We go to Confession with the intention of repentance and to amend our lives, and we should live in such a way as to be worthy to receive Holy Eucharist. If we have any venial sins, a good Act of Contrition will take away those sins.

St. Faustina did not go to Confession on Divine Mercy Sunday. For example, we find in Diary entry 1072 that she went on the day before in preparation for Divine Mercy Sunday. It was not the custom at that time to make Confessions on Sundays. Our Lord would not have asked her, or any of us, to do what is impossible. It would be impossible for everyone to go to Confession on Mercy Sunday.

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Q. We used to pray the Chaplet "For the sake of Jesus' sorrowful Passion," and now you've changed the words and taken out the name of Jesus.

A. This wording was taken from the earliest translation of the Chaplet, made before the ban on The Divine Mercy message and devotion. The ban was brought on partly because of inaccurate and confusing translations. After the ban was lifted, the Diary of St. Faustina was officially translated from Polish into English by a group of priests, among them, our own Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC. The wording of the Chaplet is the most accurate and best translation from St. Faustina's original Polish language. This Chaplet received the Imprimatur from Joseph F. Maguire, Bishop of Springfield, Mass., on November 17, 1979, and is the official, approved form. The use of any earlier form of this prayer may lead to confusion and division.

The name of Jesus has not been eliminated from the prayer. Actually, reference is being made to Jesus, whose name has been mentioned earlier in the prayer. It remains in the exact form in which St. Faustina wrote it: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world; for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world (Diary 476).

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Q. What are acts of "reparation," and can the Chaplet be used for such an intention? Dr. Stackpole tackles this difficult subject.

A. Using the Chaplet as an Act of Reparation?

A question came in [...] from a Mr. Luis Valverde. I will quote it in full:
"I have a question on extending the use of the Chaplet as a multiple act of reparation. Because of my lack of time, I was wondering if it would be possible to use the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as an act of reparation to the Sacred Heart, Holy Face, crown of thorns, Holy Wounds, Precious Blood, etc. of Jesus, as well as to the Immaculate Heart and the Name of God. There are separate devotions to all these and they are all very beautiful, but all together they would take up much of my time. I appreciate any help you can give me."

Luis, your question touches upon aspects of Catholic doctrine and spirituality that even Catholics sometimes misunderstand, so it is worth spending time on them.

First of all, what is an act of "reparation"? As you may know already, Luis, it is an act of restitution, of making compensation to someone for the wrongs we have done to them, and in some way repairing any damage that we have done by our wrongdoing. Now some people may ask: Why do we need to make restitution to God for our sins? Didn't Jesus die for us on the Cross to make up for our sins? Yes, of course He did, but in order for us to make His great act of "reparation" our own - that is, in order for it to cover my own sins, I have to fully repent and have faith in Him. In other words, I have to be fully contrite for my sins, and surrender my heart completely to Him. The trouble is that most of us are lacking, to some degree, in such repentance and faith. The Catechism says in entry 1431: "Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with our whole heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed.... At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of his grace." Again, sadly, most of us are in a state of imperfect repentance and faith — what the Church calls "imperfect contrition" for sin. We may be sorry for our sins to some extent, but more from a motive of fear of divine punishment, or shame and disgust with ourselves, than out of love for Jesus Christ. Imperfect contrition does not fully obtain the forgiveness of sins, leaving us with a degree of remaining moral debt to God. Sincere acts of reparation, done by the grace of Christ, not only help clear this temporal debt of sin, but also deepen our love for Christ and our contrition for sin. We begin to attain more "perfect contrition" for sin: in other words, repentance out of pure love for Jesus our Savior. We are sorry for our sins because they have betrayed His great love for us, and wounded His Sacred Heart. We are sorry just because we have let him down.

As a matter of fact, almost any sincere and authentic act of Catholic piety can be offered to God as an act of "penance" or "reparation" that deepens our love for Him, and deepens our contrition for sin. In some ways the Chaplet can be especially useful as an act of reparation, because it focuses our attention on our Lord's principal act of merciful love for us: His "sorrowful passion." We can even offer prayerful acts of reparation to God for the good of others, to open the "floodgates" (so to speak) to all the graces of repentance and deeper conversion that our Lord wants to pour out open them from His Merciful Heart!

Nevertheless, I want to add two words of caution here.

First, the Chaplet was primarily intended by our Lord to be an intercessory prayer. We must never forget that the Chaplet is above all a plea for "mercy upon us, and upon the whole world." This dimension of the Chaplet must never be absent from our intentions in using it. Jesus said to St. Faustina: "Oh, what great graces I will grant to souls who say this chaplet; the very depths of My tender mercy are stirred for the sake of those who say the chaplet" (Diary entry 848), and "My daughter, encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given you. It pleases me to grant everything they ask of Me by saying the chaplet" (entry 1541), and again, "Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is according to My will" (entry 1731).

Secondly, you ask about using the decades of the Chaplet as an act of "multiple reparation" to the Holy Face, Sacred Heart, Precious Blood, etc. Of course, one can do such things in one's private prayers, but I would caution against the multiplication of devotions in this way. The Lord does not look at the number of devotions we accomplish each day, no matter how beautiful they are, but at the loving attention and intention with which we do them. The spiritual life of some Catholics is literally cluttered with special devotions. It would be better, I think, to choose one or two devotions upon which to focus each month, or each year, carefully cultivating the fruits of them one at a time, rather than trying to collect and use as many as possible, all at the same time. The Bible says, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8). All the devotions you mention are good, but I think they each bear more fruit in our hearts when we use them to focus upon the holy mysteries they represent one at a time, in gentle sequence. Of course, our holy Mother the Church encourages us to do just that when it sets aside particular months of the year as, for example, the month of Mary (May), or the month of the Sacred Heart (June). Why not use the chaplet as an act of reparation that joins in with that rhythm of prayer going on throughout the whole universal Church?

Robert Stackpole, STD
Director
John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy

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Q. What extraordinary graces are available on Divine Mercy Sunday?

A. Our Lord revealed to St. Faustina His desire to literally flood us with His graces on that day. He told her: On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. The soul that will go to Confession [beforehand] and receive Holy Communion [on that day] shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment (Diary 699).

The theologian who examined St. Faustina's writings for the Holy See, Rev. Ignacy Rozycki, explained that this is the promise of a complete renewal of baptismal grace, and in that sense like a "second Baptism" (in much the same way that St. Catherine of Siena called sacramental Confession, undertaken out of true love of God, an "ongoing Baptism") (The Dialogue, no. 75).

The extraordinary graces promised to the faithful by our Lord Himself through St. Faustina should not be confused with the plenary indulgence granted by Pope John Paul II for the devout observance of the Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday). The Decree of the Holy See offers:

"A plenary indulgence, granted under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the intentions of Supreme Pontiff) to the faithful who, on the Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday, in any church or chapel, in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin, take part in the prayers and devotions held in honour of Divine Mercy, or who, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in You!)..."

Suggested Reading:
Download free PDF of Understanding Divine Mercy Sunday

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Q. What is the correct way to organize a program for Divine Mercy Sunday?

A. When planning your Divine Mercy Sunday celebration, keep in mind that there is no one "correct" way to celebrate the Feast Day. Every parish organizes a celebration that fits in with its needs.

Here are a few suggestions:

To receive the ocean of graces the Lord promised on Divine Mercy Sunday, the only condition is to receive Holy Communion worthily on that day by making a good confession in preparation and living in such a way that you remain in the state of grace to be able to receive that Holy Communion with great trust in His Divine Mercy. Through the promise to grant complete forgiveness of sins and punishment on the Feast of Mercy, our Lord emphasizes the value of Confession and Communion as miracles of mercy.

If your pastor is willing to have an extra Mass in the afternoon and preach in greater depth about mercy in that homily, that is wonderful. You could also have a Holy Hour before the Mass, in which someone can speak on Mercy, or read passages from the Diary or a Scripture on Mercy, pray the Chaplet, (if there is someone qualified to expose the Blessed Sacrament for Adoration and Benediction, that is a marvelous addition to your Holy Hour), sing hymns appropriate to the Easter Season whatever fits in to your particular parish's needs and abilities.

Our Lord also requested that the Image of The Divine Mercy be solemnly venerated on that day. I want the image to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter, and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know about it (Diary 341).

Also, the works of mercy are an important part of the Divine Mercy devotion. Jesus told St. Faustina: Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy. I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it (Diary 742).

Suggested Reading:
How to Prepare for Mercy Sunday

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Q. What is the role of the parish priest on Divine Mercy Sunday?

A. The essential celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday consists in the celebration of the liturgy of the Second Sunday of Easter under its proper (now official) title, according to the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments: namely, "Divine Mercy Sunday."

During the Mass, the homily should focus on the scriptural readings of the day. The readings focus on "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His great mercy gave us a new birth" (I Pt 1:3), and on the risen Savior who breathed on His disciples and bestowed on them the gift of the Holy Spirit: "Whose sins you forgive they are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained" (Jn 20: 20-23). The Responsorial repeatedly calls us to praise and thank the Lord, "for His mercy endures forever" (Ps 118: 2-4).

Suggested Reading:
Download free PDF of Understanding Divine Mercy Sunday

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Q. When praying the Chaplet in our prayer group our leader changes the words and adds different intentions. Is this okay?

A. Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world (Diary 476).

The wording of the Chaplet is the official translation from the Polish Diary of Saint Faustina. The Chaplet received the Imprimatur from Joseph F. Maguire, Bishop of Springfield, Mass., on November 17, 1979. This is the official, approved form, and the wording should not be changed because it was given to St. Faustina by our Lord Himself.

It is important that in public gatherings, the Chaplet is recited with its exact wording. The ban on the Divine Mercy message and devotion that existed from 1959-1978 was brought on partly because of inaccurate and confusing translations. Adding or changing words in public recitation of the Chaplet may lead to confusion and division.

However, in your own private, personal prayers to enrich your own spiritual life, you may include, for example, a prayer for a special intention.

Please do not make copies and hand out your own version of the Chaplet as it will cause confusion and may harm the Divine Mercy message and devotion.

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Q. When should I go to confession?

A. You do not have to go to confession on Mercy Sunday itself. We know from her Diary that St. Faustina made her confession in preparation for Mercy Sunday on the day before (Diary 1072). In fact, all of Lent should be a preparation to make a good confession to receive Holy Communion worthily on Easter Sunday and Divine Mercy Sunday.

Sin is the only obstacle to our fervent reception of Holy Communion, and our sins can be wiped away by the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The important thing is to receive Holy Communion on these great feast days in a state of grace, and with great trust in God's mercy. Don't wait until the last moment, take advantage of the extra confession time that is made available during Lent.

Suggested Reading:
Why Mercy Sunday?


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Q. Why is the beginning of the Chaplet optional?

A. The Chaplet, as dictated to St. Faustina by our Lord, begins with the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Apostles Creed. The prayer which begins, You expired, Jesus (Diary 1319), may be used as an introductory prayer to the Chaplet.

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