Julia’s Weekly Shrine Round-up: Jan. 9

By Julia Rose
ShrineofDivineMercy.org

The Christmas season continues here on Eden Hill, at least until the traditional end this Sunday with the Solemnity of the Baptism of Our Lord. In case you haven’t had a chance to visit the Shrine during the holidays, here’s a glimpse of the beautiful Nativity scene displayed to the left of the altar, surrounded by gorgeous red poinsettias. 

“As we continue to celebrate the Christmas season and the mystery of the Christ Child, may Our Blessed Mother Mary help us to come and adore Him and be more deeply amazed that, ‘A God who became so small can only be love and mercy,’” says Fr. Bob Vennetti, MIC, quoting St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Amen!

The Jubilee Year of Hope concluded this week on Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany! Listen to the Mass homily by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC.

Just 13 weeks from tomorrow!
Can you believe that Divine Mercy Weekend 2026 is just three months away? Planning is already under way to welcome an estimated 15,000 pilgrims to Eden Hill on April 11 and 12. I was lucky to sit in on the first planning meeting (below), chaired by Aggie Bourque, the Shrine's Volunteer & Event Coordinator. There's a lot to do!

Bus registration is now open for Divine Mercy Weekend, and tickets are on sale for the Mercy Weekend Conference on April 11, featuring talks by Marian Fathers Fr. Chris Alar, Fr. Donald Calloway, and Fr. Mark Baron. 

Directions to Mercy
Speaking of Divine Mercy Weekend, signage is a priority for pilgrims to find their way around Eden Hill. We have one amazing volunteer to thank: Lisa, a member of St. Joseph’s Parish just down the hill in Stockbridge. 

“I truly believe the Lord led me here back in 1984," she recalls. "It just became my spiritual go-to place. Eden Hill and the Marians have been a spiritual lifesaver."

A frequent visitor who attends the daily 11 a.m. Mass in the Our Lady of Mercy Oratory chapel of the Marian Helpers Center, Lisa was invited one day to help with the signs and banners. “It was at a stage in my life that I was kind of available and so I did it as a volunteer, just in gratitude for all the spiritual things that I was gaining from this place," she says.

Lisa remembers when the movie "Divine Mercy: No Escape" was being filmed, released in 1987 and narrated by actress Helen Hayes, as well as when she was shown one of the first copies of the new English translation of St. Faustina’s Diary.  To her, “Divine Mercy means everything.”

"Divine Mercy: No Escape" is available to watch on DivineMercyPlus.org.

All are welcome to attend the 11 a.m. Mass, Monday through Friday, at the Our Lady of Mercy Oratory chapel.

The Graces that Pour from Heaven…
Like Lisa, Nancy and Charlie from St. Martin de Porres Parish in Poughkeepsie, New York have been volunteering for more than 15 years! They are fixtures in the massive Divine Mercy Gift Shop tent, serving the thousands of pilgrims that pass through on Divine Mercy Weekend. 

Nancy recalls how it all started. Despite being Marian Helpers, active readers of the magazine and donors to the Shrine, Nancy and Charlie had no idea the Shrine was so close to their vacation destination in Lee, Massachusetts. "I drove down Main Street in Stockbridge and saw the sign one snowy January day, after I dropped everyone off to go skiing," she says. "And so I went and looked around the Shrine and said, 'Wow!'"

From that year on, the couple began attending Divine Mercy Sunday, staying through the outdoor Mass even when in torrential rain. “I remember Fr. Anthony Gramlich saying, ‘We’re totally blessed this year. Look at all the graces pouring from Heaven!’”

Today, they pay a monthly visit to the Shrine. They always try to assist first-time visitors, telling them about the Stations of the Cross, the gift shop, and reminding them of times for Mass, Confession, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. True messengers of the Good News of Divine Mercy, they share Divine Mercy cards, pamphlets, and Marian Press books with friends and strangers from across the country.

“All those books have gone to several different states,” Nancy explains. “They’ve gone everywhere.”

Interested in volunteering at the National Shrine for Divine Mercy Weekend this year? Please join us! Here's how.

God bless, everyone, and have a great weekend! See you next Friday!
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