Julia’s Weekly Shrine Round-up: Jan. 2

By Julia Rose
ShrineofDivineMercy.org

Happy New Year! We’re officially in 2026 which means the Winter Olympics in Italy are only a month away. Can you identify the Olympic sport in the snowy scene above?

New year, new reason for you to plan your pilgrimage to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy! We're open every day, year-round, in all kinds of weather — especially snow! When you do visit, expect a warm greeting and a sparkling smile from Vicki (above) at the reception desk, next to the Welcome Center. Vicki has the answers to all your questions!

It's not too soon to think about Divine Mercy Weekend, April 11-12! In fact, bus registration opens this Monday, Jan. 5. For more information, contact our Pilgrim Coordinator, Tim Ryan: 413-298-1119 or e-mail Pilgrims@Marian.org. 

A Year of Hope
As the New Year begins, we bid a fond farewell to the Jubilee Year of Hope, which officially ends on Tuesday, the Epiphany, when Pope Leo XIV closes the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica.

“It’s been a blessing to see all the graces that have come from the Jubilee Year," says Shrine Rector, Fr. Matthew Tomeny, MIC (above). "A lot of people definitely took advantage of going to Confession. I know for myself that people were returning to the Sacrament after 10, even 30 to 40 years, just to receive the Jubilee indulgence. It’s wonderful to see how God is still working in people’s lives who have been away, and how the special observances that the Church offers, such as the Jubilee, offer little anchors of hope to draw people back in.”

Not only can we rejoice in the many pilgrims who traveled from around the world to the Shrine in 2025 to seek God’s mercy, but we can also celebrate some new additions, such as the marble altar rail.

“Many pilgrims and my Marian brothers have continued to express gratitude for the restoration of the altar rail," Fr. Matthew notes. “Not just for the beauty, but also the practicality of it, especially for pilgrims who want to come up to kneel to venerate the Divine Mercy Image above the tabernacle throughout the day. Overall it also continues to foster reverence for the Blessed Sacrament.”

Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary by participating in the monthly devotions for First Friday (today) and First Saturday (tomorrow).  Tune in tonight at 8:00 p.m. (EST) for a talk and devotions, and tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. (EST), for a talk by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, on "The Holy Name of Jesus," followed by devotions. Watch here on TheDivineMercy.org, on YouTube at our channel Divine Mercy (Official), and on our Facebook page Divine Mercy (Official). You can also watch on our streaming site, DivineMercyPlus.org. 

And learn more about the monthly devotions here. It's a great New Year's resolution to make!

An early Spring Cleaning!
If you visited the Shrine this holiday season in person, or even watched the daily 9 a.m. Mass on the livestream, you may have noticed the added sheen, glow, and sparkles — all thanks to the Marians and volunteers (below) who spent a full day before Christmas cleaning and polishing every nook and cranny!

As we wiped down the pews, dusted the statues, and vacuumed everywhere, I had the chance to talk to three long-time volunteers.

Gina certainly traveled the farthest: from Huntington Beach California, where she attends Sts. Simon and Jude Parish. In 2010, while undergoing serious surgery, Gina began her reversion back to the Catholic Church, turning to God for healing. "There’s so much in the world that tells us to value ourselves based on our youth and beauty," she explains, "and in the aftermath of my surgery I really had to say, ‘Okay Lord, let me feel your love so I can value myself in the way you value me.’ In a way I’m a witness to how God turns suffering into something good.”

During COVID, Gina discovered the Shrine on our YouTube channel, Divine Mercy (Official). “I started watching, and it was like a lightning bolt hit me,” Gina says. “The messages, the homilies, Fr. Chris Alar's talks — I was really being spiritually fed probably for the first time since my conversion.”

Gina's devotion to the Divine Mercy and admiration for the Shrine are so strong she decided to purchase a condo nearby. “I know I’ve been called here,” she says.

Like Gina, Rose (below) also moved to the area to be closer to the Shrine. Originally from Middlebury, Connecticut, she now lives in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

“The Shrine is a very holy place,” Rose says. “I’ve experienced a lot of grace.” After experiencing significant hardship regarding caring for her mother with dementia, she has found immense comfort in the message of Divine Mercy and the always warm welcome from the people at the Shrine. “Divine Mercy saved my life and carried me through," she says. Rose now helps to coordinate the volunteers for Divine Mercy Sunday, the busiest weekend of the year at the Shrine.

Pat (left), a member of St. Peter’s Parish in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, recalls visiting the Shrine in the 1960s and 1970s, when the writings of St. Faustina and the devotion to the Divine Mercy were suppressed by the Holy See. “We decided to leave it alone because the Church hadn’t said ‘yes’ yet,” Pat explains. Returning to the Shrine after the ban was lifted in 1978, he was thrilled to rediscover the devotion and the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. Divine Mercy, he says, is a chance to "look at your past life and think, ‘Oh, I got a second chance.’”

Today, you'll often spot Pat at daily Mass, seated in his favorite spot: up front and center, with a clear view of the tabernacle. “I'm always thrilled to be here — I hope our Lord feels the same way !" he jokes. His New Year's resolution? “To become holy, so I do not become lost to God.”

On the horizon
Excitement is certainly building here on Eden Hill as we await the completion of the new Monastery and Chapel, scheduled to open this fall.

Since construction began in December 2024, the project has been moving forward steadily, which you can catch a glimpse of in the photo above. “It will be so nice that everyone will all be living together in community and be able to pray together and dine together," says Br. Mark Fanders, MIC, who has been overseeing the massive construction project, funded by donations from so many of you to our Together for Christ and His Church capital campaign.

What an exciting year 2026 will be! I look forward to updating you every Friday!
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