By Julia Rose
jrose@Marian.org
If it seems like the statue of the Marian Founder, St. Stanislaus Papczyński, is "smiling" these days — it must be because we're all still on a high following Ordination Weekend!
In case you missed the news or the livestreamed Masses, here's a round-up. It was an amazing two days, one sunny and one rainy, but both filled with joy for our three new deacons and one new priest.
“I can’t believe that the Lord has blessed me on this day, and it is here in this ministry,” Deacon Ruben Veloz, MIC, told me. “I’m very thankful for all of the people that have been praying for me. That’s really what sustains us here as Marians walking with our Lord through formation. And now that I’m here at this point in my life, it’s a new beginning of the Holy Spirit that God has bestowed on me that I’ll bring forth to others.” Including us!
I was happy to see Fr. Kazimierz Chwalek, MIC, at the luncheon following the diaconate ordination. “Every ordination is sort of an extraordinary experience for us because we see God’s hand, how He calls us and then prepares us for His ministry," he said. "Once these men are ordained, they give themselves completely to the Lord — in the service of the Gospel, in the service of Salvation. That’s why ordinations are such joyful moments for us." I agree!
Please pray for Deacon Ruben, as well as Fr. Patrick Lynch, MIC; Deacon Ryan Asensio, MIC; and Deacon Christopher Orante, MIC; and all of our Marian priests, brothers, and seminarians!
Happy Feast, St. Stanislaus!
Speaking of the Marian Founder, we're halfway through the Novena (there's still time to enroll your intentions!) in anticipation of his feast day on May 18, his birthday in 1631.
“One of the most powerful things about St. Stanislaus is that he himself did not see the Order flourish as profoundly as it would in future generations,” notes Fr. Daniel Klimek. “He simply was true and faithful to the things that the Lord was calling him to in his life, even if it was just a small group of men who were following him.”
“Sometimes when we are faithful to the small things, we have no idea what a tsunami of graces can follow in future generations," he observed. "That’s one of the great teachings of St. Stanislaus: Do not ever take for granted the domino effect that a small ‘yes’ to the Lord can give, even in the daily decisions.”
What a beautiful reflection!
Join us in-person or online for a new talk by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, tomorrow at 11 a.m. ET on "St. Rita of Cascia," whose feast day is on May 22. Watch on YouTube at our channel Divine Mercy (Official), and on our Facebook page Divine Mercy (Official).
Welcome, Bishop Reidy!
Pilgrimage season at the National Shrine is in full swing, and that means busloads of visitors almost every day. On Wednesday, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, two buses with 109 pilgrims arrived from the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, led by Bishop Richard F. Reidy. Bishop Reidy celebrated the 2 p.m. Mass to a full house.
Bishop Reidy is no stranger to the Shrine, as he's a Massachusetts native, born in Worcester and a law school graduate of Boston College (my alma mater). He was a priest for 31 years in the Diocese of Worcester before his episcopal elevation and appointment to Norwich just over a year ago.
"I've always had a great devotion to Divine Mercy," Bishop Reidy told me after the Mass. "The opportunity to be on your grounds and shrines and your beautiful church is always one that disposes us to be open to graces."
Bishop Reidy was encouraged by the large number of pilgrims going to Confession. "They're availing themselves of the grace of the Sacrament and trusting in God's mercy. That's always a heartening sign to me."
Divine Mercy, he added, means "trusting in God. Recognizing that God is always pursuing us. Every one of us needs God's mercy for peace in this life and salvation in the next."
Beautifully said, Bishop! Come back and see us soon!
Mary Crowning
The Marian Fathers' beautiful tradition of crowning the statue of the Blessed Mother on Mother’s Day continued this year. Kailani Sophia Hoffa, who just had had her First Communion at St. Mary’s Parish in nearby Lee, Massachusetts, was selected for this special honor and was escorted by her mother, Cecilia, and her father, Ken, a fourth-degree Knight of Columbus with Berkshire Hills Council 314 and a year-round volunteer at the Shrine.
While this ceremony is an annual tradition, this was the first time that the Knights of Columbus Honor Guard participated in the Mass.
“It was absolutely amazing," Ken said, noting that Cecilia participated in this very same ceremony in a Portuguese-Catholic Church when she was a little girl. How beautiful!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
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