Dear Friends in Christ,

Happy Sunday of Divine Mercy! As we celebrate the 8th day of Easter, the Universal Church celebrates the great gift of God’s super-abundant mercy that He desires to show to any soul that earnestly seeks for forgiveness. In the Gospel this Sunday, we hear of the account of Jesus’ encounter with Thomas, the apostle who doubted the Resurrection, and the great tenderness that Jesus had towards him in the midst of his wavering faith. On this great feast day, the treasuries of God’s mercy are opened to us, and we have the opportunity to obtain a Plenary Indulgence by participating in the Mass and praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, along with the normal requirements of praying for the Holy Father, recent Confession, and avoid ance of all sin. 

This week and throughout the Easter Season, I wish to begin a series of letters where I will share with you some of my experiences of the pilgrimage that I took to Italy and Poland this past March. While in Italy, I was able to travel to Assisi for my annual silent retreat, and in Poland, I helped as chaplain for a group of 47 pilgrims, some from St. Philip’s and others from other parishes, to see the many holy sites of St. John Paul II, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. Faustina Kowalska. Today, since we are celebrating the Feast of Divine Mercy that St. Faustina helped establish, I would like to share with you our experiences in visiting the Shrine of Divine Mercy there in Poland.

On one of the afternoons, we traveled to the Shrine of Divine Mercy, which is situated just outside of the historical city of Krakow in a region called Łagiewniki (10 points if you can pronounce that right!) At this shrine, we had the opportunity to venerate many relics, including a small rock from Golgotha, the location of Jesus’s crucifixion, as well as relics of St. John Paul II. 

The real highlight of the afternoon, though, was visiting the convent of St. Faustina to see where she lived, and also to pray with the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, the religious community in which she was a member. We arrived at the convent chapel just before 3:00 PM as the Sisters were about to begin the Divine Mercy Chaplet that they pray every day. As the prayer began, we heard the angelic singing of the Sisters from the choir loft where they remained unseen, but their harmonious voices echoed off the walls of the chapel where numerous votive offerings hung.

Under one of the side-altars of the chapel, the relics of St. Faustina were visible for veneration. Many of us pilgrims touched rosaries, images, and holy cards to her relics, asking St. Faustina to inspire our hearts to a greater devotion to Jesus and his Divine Mercy. When we see the miraculous image of Jesus with his hand raised in blessing and the rays of red and white light that come from his chest, we are reminded that there is no sin that Jesus cannot forgive. No matter how dark our sin makes us feel, Jesus is always ready to forgive through the Sacrament of Confession.

May Christ's Peace be with you, Fr. Briggs