Blessed Sacrament hosts Divine Mercy Celebration April 3
Devotion loved by Holy Father

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
April 7, 2005

Just a day after the death of Pope John Paul II, more than 250 people attended the Divine Mercy Sunday service held April 3 at Blessed Sacrament Church in Sioux City. It was during the canonization service of St. Faustina back in 2000 that the Holy Father announced the second Sunday of Easter would be known as Divine Mercy Sunday.

Father Merlin Schrad, pastor at Blessed Sacrament Church, served as host of the ceremony. He opened the celebration at 1:30 p.m. with a blessing of the image of Divine Mercy. This image of Christ bears the words, "Jesus, I trust in you."

"Jesus, our loving savior, establish in this image the throne of your mercy," he prayed. "Through this image, may your divine mercy triumph over all powers of evil."

Father Schrad then led the procession of the Blessed Sacrament. For the next hour, people spent quiet time in adoration and listened to some of St. Faustina's praises of the Divine Mercy. Attendees also had the opportunity to take part in the sacrament of reconciliation. Four priests were on hand to hear confessions - Father Schrad, Father Bill McCarthy, Father Raymond Wieling and Father Nickolas Becker.

Father Schrad reminded the people that in the year 2002 the Holy Father had announced that a plenary indulgence would be granted if people received Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday, went to confession on that day or within 20 days of the feast, and prayed for the intention of the pope.

At about 3 p.m. Father Schrad led the opening and closing prayers of the the Divine Mercy Chaplet as vocalists Kevin Keane and Claudia Hardy, accompanied by Mary Helen McElroy, sang the main portion of the devotion.

A homily by Father Becker followed the Act of Entrustment Prayer.

He pointed out that in the last 10 to 15 years it has become popular for people to pray to religious icons, images of the Eastern Christian tradition. Father Becker explained that a three-image icon is known as a triptych with an image on left, on right and one in center.

"Today, on the second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, I would like to give you a verbal triptych," said Father Becker.

Unfolding the triptych, he noted that the first icon would be that of St. Thomas the Apostle, known as the doubting Thomas.

"I think he might be the patron saint of the modern age. It is so difficult for so many today to believe that there is any more to this life than what we can see, than what we can touch," said Father Becker.

Today's culture, he noted, is largely marked with a tendency toward hedonism - filled with desires of self. The priest said he believed you scratch under the surface of hedonism, you might find despair, doubt and fear.

"A fear that by what we have done, by who we are has somehow closed ourselves off from God. We have turned away in such a way that we can never turn back," said Father Becker.

He stressed that all people need to do is turn back and then God runs to you.

As the triptych unfolds, the next image is of St. Faustina.

"In contrast to the skepticism of St. Thomas, St. Faustina was specially chosen by Jesus to be a messenger of God's mercy," said Father Becker.

He referred to the image of the Divine Mercy. Two rays of light are pouring out of the heart of Christ - one white and one red. He noted that the white ray was symbolic of baptism, where all sins are washed away. The red ray was symbolic of the love of Christ - the Eucharist.

The third image, described Father Becker, the largest and center image in the priest's triptych is that of Pope John Paul II.

"We celebrate this feast day today, Divine Mercy Sunday, because of him. This is a devotion that he has had for years, even as Archbishop of Krakow, and a devotion that he wanted to spread and share with the universal church," said the priest.

Father Becker described the Holy Father as an apostle of mercy, a sign to the entire world for 26 years as pope.

"I am not the first person, nor will be the last person to point out that it seems more than coincidental that our Holy Father died when he did, on the vigil of this feast. It was so significant to him, so close to his heart," said Father Becker, who added that the pope died just about an hour after the vigil Mass for Divine Mercy was celebrated.

The service closed with benediction.

Following the service, Regina Ratino who organized the service with Roxanne Lohr as members of the spiritual committee at Trinity Heights, commented that this was one of the biggest crowds for the Divine Mercy celebration. She believes that people in part wanted to come out because of the death of the pope, many knowing that this was one of his favorite devotions.

Ratino was aware that people to the service from other towns in the diocese such places as Alta, Cherokee and Storm Lake.

Terry Moran, director of the Marian Center at Trinity Heights, agreed that with the passing of the pope and subsequent coverage, more people were made aware of his devotion to Divine Mercy.

"This devotion is spreading," she noted. "I think having the Blessed Sacrament exposed is always so important to Catholics because we know we are there with the true presence of Jesus."

Father McCarthy pointed out that he agreed to serve as a confessor for the celebration because he gets great enjoyment in participating in the sacrament of reconciliation as it brings people closer to God.

Divine Mercy became a personal devotion for him about five years ago in the seminary. He noted that this devotion has become very popular with seminarians.

Dr. John and Carol Wolpert pointed out that the monstrance used to hold the Blessed Sacrament came from Poland. It was a gift to Trinity Heights from Father Andrew Swietochowski, former pastor at St. Peter's in Jefferson, S.D. He had obtained the monstrance on the occasion of his 25th anniversary to the priesthood. It came from the gift shop of the monastery of Maximillian Colbe, the polish priest who had sacrificed his own life for another at a concentration camp.

The Wolperts had presented it to Trinity Heights for the priest on April 1, when the pope's condition was grave in honor of the Holy Father's memory. They believed it to be an appropriate time to make the gift considering the pope's devotion to Divine Mercy. They pointed out that St. Faustina, Maximillian Colbe and the pope all came from the same region of Poland, within about 30 miles of each other.

The Wolperts, too, have a special devotion to Divine Mercy.

"We were there for St. Faustina's canonization Mass," noted Carol. "We were able to receive Holy Communion from the Holy Father."

They have had the privilege to see the Holy Father several times.