DIVINE MERCY
Bishop to speak at Sioux City service, other celebrations planned in diocese

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
April 12, 2007

"I have opened my heart as a living fountain of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it," Christ revealed to Sister Faustina Kowalska, a poor Polish Mercy sister who died in 1938 at the age of 33. Those words were recorded in the Polish Mercy sister's 600-page diary that provided an account of visions and revelations of Christ.

That diary, which was formerly banned by the Vatican, inspired the Divine Mercy devotion worldwide. Motivated by his own interest in the Divine Mercy devotion, it was the late pope who helped retract that ban because he felt the ban was based on faulty translation. According to a Catholic News Service article from Aug. 9, 2002, the ban was lifted in 1978, just six months before Pope John Paul II was elected pope. Today that diary is published in 12 languages.

The former pontiff, who died on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday two years ago, was raised close to the convent of Sister Faustina in Poland. He had been greatly influenced by the writings of the Polish sister.

In 2000, the late Pope John Paul II canonized St. Faustina and at that time he proclaimed the second Sunday of Easter (the first Sunday after Easter) to be Divine Mercy Sunday.

Since that time, the Divine Mercy devotion has spread to missions.

The devotion and an awareness of Divine Mercy Sunday is also picking up right here in the Diocese of Sioux City. Several celebrations will be held this Sunday, April 15. Among them will be celebrations in Algona, Ida Grove, Sioux City and Wesley. A Mass dedicated to the Divine Mercy is also planned in Fort Dodge.

Bishop R. Walker Nickless will be the homilist at the celebration to be held at Blessed Sacrament Church in Sioux City. This service will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a Eucharistic procession that will include members of the clergy. The Knights of Columbus will provide an honor guard.

According to organizers of the Sioux City event - Regina Ratino and Roxanne Lohr - after the procession there will be time for Eucharistic adoration and a chance for people to go to confession. Several priests will be on hand for this sacrament: Msgr. Roger Augustine, Father Craig Collison, Father Dan Greving, Father Matthew Hewitt, Father Merlin Schrad and Father Ray Wieling.

"At 3 p.m., the Hour of Mercy, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be led in song by Claudia Hardy and Kevin Keane, accompanied by Mary Helen McElroy," noted Ratino. "The chaplet will be followed by a homily delivered by Bishop R. Walker Nickless. We are so pleased that Bishop Nickless will be at the celebration because his presence will help to stress the significance of this day to the lives of all the faithful."

Bishop Nickless pointed out that his awareness of Divine Mercy came during a trip to Poland where he visited the convent where Sister Faustina had lived.

"I spent some time in the chapel with the image of the Divine Mercy and I was very moved by the piety and prayer that surrounded it by the sisters and lay people who visited her shrine," noted the bishop. "That was really the first I had heard about Sister Faustina and Divine Mercy."

That had sparked his interest and the bishop began to research Divine Mercy and he learned that it was a special devotion of Pope John Paul II. While the bishop acknowledged that he is still learning about St. Faustina and the history behind the Divine Mercy devotion, the bishop had started promoting the Divine Mercy celebration in his Colorado parish shortly before his appointment as bishop.

"Since then I have read more, reflected more and find it a wonderful source of piety and growth in holiness for people," said Bishop Nickless. "I am supportive of the Divine Mercy devotion. This is another work of the Spirit to bring our people closer to the Lord's mercy."

The bishop mentioned that it was fitting that Pope John Paul II had died on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday. That helped promote awareness of Divine Mercy and the pope's great love of that devotion.

Bishop Nickless is expected to offer a little history about St. Faustina and speak of the gift of God's Divine Mercy.

"I've been very moved by Pope Benedict XVI's devotion to and call to love in the church as seen in his first encyclical and in the latest apostolic exhortation on love and charity. The source of love and charity is God's Divine Mercy. The mercy of God is something that our world needs to experience in an abundant way," said the bishop.

In Sioux City, Father Schrad, pastor at Blessed Sacrament, will lead the Act of Entrustment. This portion of the service will help to meet one of the requirements for receiving a plenary indulgence. The requirements will be explained at the ceremony.

Although this event was originally held in Sioux City at Trinity Heights, Ratino mentioned that Blessed Sacrament has hosted it for the last five years. Along with Ratino and Lohr, other members of the spiritual committee from Trinity Heights are helping with the event.

"It is an important event to promote because our Lord, himself, revealed this devotion to St. Faustina who is known as the Apostle of Divine Mercy and also happens to be the first saint of the 21st Century," she said.

Ratino pointed out that it is an especially important devotion to her because it was first introduced to her years ago by a Polish priest and then was strengthened by a trip to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow, Poland.

"I was so impressed with the awesome task that St. Faustina and her order were given by Our Lord to spread the message of his mercy throughout the entire world to help prepare everyone for his final coming," she explained. "I hope all of us avail ourselves of this unbelievable opportunity to receive the outpouring of graces from Our Lord on Divine Mercy Sunday."

At Sacred Heart in Ida Grove, Father David Hemann pointed out that the people of the cluster as well as others are invited to attend a service at 3 p.m. The parish hosted its first Divine Mercy celebration last year and opted to build upon that for this year.

"Ever since the year 2000 she was declared a saint by John Paul II, I have had a growing awareness of St. Faustina and her diary. I have been reading her diary and have been deeply touched by the depth of insight into the mystery of salvation that Faustina gives us," said Father Hemann. "There is a real urgency for people to turn to the Divine Mercy."

While this is the time of mercy, the priest said there will be the time of justice as well so "while there is time we should turn from darkness and turn to the light - really receive Christ's mercy."

Father Hemann looks upon mercy as love, blessings and forgiveness bestowed upon people when they don't deserve it.

According to Lorri Larsen, pastoral minister at St. Cecelia Parish in Algona, the parish has planned a 3 p.m. Divine Mercy celebration. She mentioned that this is the fifth year the parish has hosted a special service.

"We do a procession in candlelight with the image of Divine Mercy. That image is always hanging in our reconciliation room because when we renovated the church, we felt that is where a lot of our mercy comes from - reconciliation," she noted.

After the procession, the ceremony will include such things as Scripture readings, a homily by Father Paul Eisele, Divine Mercy prayers and silent reflections.

In Wesley, Father Tim Johnson is celebrating a Divine Mercy celebration at St. Joseph Church that will begin at 2 p.m. with Eucharistic adoration. The Hour of Mercy is slated for 3 p.m.

Divine Mercy will be given a special focus at one of the Masses of Holy Trinity Parish of Webster County. Father Brad Pelzel, who is expected to offer a homily centered on Divine Mercy, will celebrate the special Mass set for 10 a.m. on April 15 at Holy Rosary in Fort Dodge.

The actual image of Divine Mercy is often a prominent part of Divine Mercy celebrations as Jesus made a request of Faustina to have an image painted that represent the Divine Mercy vision and that it contained the motto, "Jesus, I trust in you." The red ray stands for blood and the white one represents water.

Jesus spoke of the image on several occasions. said.... "I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world" (diary 47).

"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).

As "we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday," the late pope said in 2004, "the Lord asks us to bring his peace to all people -- a peace based on pardon and the forgiveness of sins."

If people wish for more information, go to www.divinemercysunday.com.