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Pope Francis: “Grace Comes First,
Then Comes All The Rest” How Do We First Learn About Mercy?
ORIGINALLY REPORTED BY SILVINA PREMAT…EXERPT BELOW FROM HER ARTICLE QUOTATIONS BY POPE FRANCIS At the Buenos Aires International Book Fair, the largest in South America, the Argentinian Primate present-ed the Spanish edition of L’attrattiva Gesù [The Attraction that is Jesus]. “The locus of the encounter is the caress of the mercy of Jesus Christ on my sin” A message on April 27, 2001 from Pope Francis when he was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, recently named Cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio
“We cannot understand this dynamic of encounter which brings forth wonder and adher-ence if it has not been triggered–forgive me the use of this word–by mercy. Only someone who has encountered mercy, who has been caressed by the tenderness of mercy, is happy and comfortable with the Lord. I beg the theologians who are present not to turn me into the Sant’Uffizio or to the Inquisition; how-ever, forcing things a bit, I dare to say that the privileged locus of the encounter is the caress of the mercy of Jesus Christ on my sin.” “Everything in our life, today just as in Jesus’ time, begins with an encounter. An encounter with this Man, the carpenter of Nazareth, a man like all men and yet different. The first ones, John, Andrew, and Simon, felt themselves to be looked at into their very depths, read in their innermost being, and in them sprang forth a surprise, a wonder that instantly made them feel bound to Him, made them feel different.” “It is a question of starting to say “Yes” to Christ, and saying it often. It is impossible to desire it with-out asking for it. And if someone starts to ask for it, then he begins to change. Besides, if someone asks for it, it is because in the depths of his being he feels attracted, called, looked at, awaited. This is the experience of Augustine: there from the depths of my being, something attracts me toward Someone who looked for me first, is waiting for me first, is the almond flower of the prophets, the first to bloom in spring. It is the quality which God possesses and which I take the liberty of defining by using a Buenos Aires word: God, in this case Jesus Christ, always primerea, goes ahead of us. When we arrive, He is already there waiting.” “He who encounters Jesus Christ feels the impulse to witness Him or to give witness of what he has encountered, and this is the Christian calling. To go and give witness. You can’t con-vince anybody. The encounter occurs. You can prove that God exists, but you will never be able, using the force of persuasion, to make anyone encounter God. This is pure grace. Pure grace. In history, from its very beginning until today, grace always primerea, grace always comes first, then comes all the rest.”
Spring 2014
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Will Your Parish Participate in Divine Mercy Sunday Celebrations?
Forty-eight local Points of Contact (POCs) were contacted and 25 responded (about 50%). A volun-
teer is working to call the non-respondants for more complete answers. The question asked was: “If you are
having Divine Mercy acknowledged at a Mass or having some other type of recognition, just say YES. If not,
just say NO”.
John Doering, Executive Director of the Divine Mercy Support Network of Sacramento, was very
pleased with the preliminary results so far. “It shows that the message and devotion to Divine Mercy is plant-
ing itself at the parish level, which was Bishop Weigand’s desire. Thanks for all the hard workers at the par-
ish level for making our dreams come true, and keep up the good work!” The Network pledges its support to
help parishes in any way possible, including providing discounted prices on books and brochures from the
National Shrine in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
If you would like to be a POC for your parish or can no longer serve in that capacity, please contact us
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Conference ticket sales winners for 2013. Many thanks to all the POCs for spreading the word about our
2013 conference. Total attendance was around 300 with one-third of those being recruited by our top ten
POC’s. Special thanks to the top ten producing POC’s.
Which Parishes Topped Attendance at
2013 Divine Mercy Conference?
The Top Award goes to Divine Mercy Par ish which brought in a third of the attendees to the
2013 conference. That’s good and we thank you immensely. We want to make sure that everyone else knows
that this conference is open to all our members and friends of Divine Mercy. A “Runner’s Up” bar chart is
shown below to spark some friendly competition among other parishes of the diocese.
We all realize the difficult task of creating interest among a parish community to attend any outside
event. But we depend on our parish Points of Contact (POC’s) to spread the word by posting flyers for our
events and inserting bulletin ads as a minimum. If you would like to be a POC for your parish or can no long-
er serve in this function, please let us know by sending an email to: [email protected]
Nowadays we are all inundated by emails so face-to-face, word-of-mouth communication still works
the best. You can express your own enthusiasm for Divine Mercy and what the Network is trying to do much
better than the written word. Other ideas include forming small groups of two or three to share your experi-
ences. You can even form car pools to make sure no one is left behind.
Our speakers for next year will be Sr . Anne Shields from Renewal Ministr ies in Ann Arbor ,
Michigan and Fr. Seraphim Michalenko from the Marian’s in Stockbridge Massachusetts.
Agri Tabotabo Good Shepherd – Elk Grove 20
Fiona Silverio St Clare - Roseville 18
Eva Ruth Holy Trinity – El Dorado Hills 11
Grace Neel Sts. Peter & Paul - Rocklin 11
Rita Fernandez Sacred Heart - Sacramento 10
Tess Poling St John the Baptist - Folsom 10
Judy King Our Lady of Grace – W. Sac. 9
Myrna Shanklin St Charles Borromeo – Sac. 9
Maureen Bradshaw Presentation of the BVM-Sac. 8
Marcia Watts St Patrick – Sonora 7
Conference ticket sales winners for 2013. Many thanks to all the POCs for spreading the word about our 2013 conference. Total attendance was around 350 with one-third of those being recruited by our top ten POC’s. Special thanks to the top ten producing POC’s.
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Mercycardin: Medicine For The Heart
Recommended by Pope Francis Prescribed by the Divine Physician After praying the Angelus in St. Peter's Square on Nov. 17, 2013, Pope Francis recommended to pil-grims a "spiritual medicine" called Misericordina. "There is a rosary, with which you can pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy," said the Holy Father, offering "spiritual help for our souls and for spreading love, for-giveness, and brotherhood everywhere." The Marian Fathers have brought this spiritual prescription to the U.S. as Mercycardin. Each package contains a rosary in its own vial-style pill bottle, with the words of the Divine Mercy Chaplet appearing on the label. Also included is a prayer card featuring the Chaplet and the Divine Mercy Vilnius image, the image painted according to St. Faustina's vision of our Merciful Lord. "Do not forget to take it," the Pope said of the prescription, "because it is good for the heart, the soul, and for life in general!" Especially recommended every day at 3 p.m. All pastors in the Diocese got one of these along with brohures on celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday and purchasing a Divine Mercy image from DivineMercySunday.com (Half price sale).
NOTE TO READERS: John Doering’s Divine Mercy Support Network volunteers mailed out a sample prescription to 98 Pastors in the Diocese. Why not approach your Pastor and ask him if he received this Mercycardin mailing? Ask if the parish will be getting some of these for Divine Mercy Sunday and if he knows that discounts are available when purchasing in bulk. Individuals may also want to order 10 or so to hand out to friends and family. Min Qty Price Each 1 $3.95 5 $3.00 20 $2.50 100 $2.00
Mercycardin available
March 1, 2014
Discount pricing available
(see online catalog)
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St. Patrick Parish Continues Street Prayer and Processions in Grass Valley & Nevada City
Since his early boyhood days in Poland, Father Sylvester Kwiatkowski, Pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Grass Valley, has been committed to The Divine Mercy devotion. As a priest, he continues to inspire others toward this devotion, following his vision of taking the Divine Mercy prayers and image of Jesus to the larger community on the sidewalks and parking lots of selected locations. Father Sylvester issued this formal invitation in the bulletin to everyone in his parish:
“Dear Brothers and Sisters: Please join us for a new spiritual project, beginning Friday September 6th.
We will begin to pray together every 1st Friday of the Month to remember our Lord's Passion during the 3 PM Hour, as it is the Hour of His Great Mercy. We will pray The Chaplet of Divine Mercy . This is an answer to Pope Francis, who strongly encourages all people to proclaim Jesus Christ in the streets of the world. Pray with us for all our communities and all mankind.” Father Sylvester The parish bulletin prints this invitation monthly and gives instructions as to the next meeting place.
Each first Friday of the month, the group assembles at 2:45 toting signs, rosaries and the Divine Mercy im-age. Even in rain or snow, there is a planned meeting location at a K-Mart walkway offering shelter from the weather. Otherwise, the group begins prayer at 3:00 PM at busy street corners, supermarkets, traffic cir-cles, movie theaters, or other public locations which do not require a permit for a planned gathering. These prayer sessions finish within 35 minutes of arrival. So far, no city permits have been required for the prayer sessions composed of the 15 or so participants. There have been many positive affirmations from the passing traffic, including horn honks and the “thumbs up” sign. Father Sylvester has a stock of 8X10 Divine Mercy images and boxes of prayer cards to give to anyone interested.
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(Continued from Page 5)
Annually Father Sylvester leads processions in Grass Valley and Nevada City that do require permits as the group moves along the sidewalks, stopping at stations 4-5 times to proclaim the Word, pray the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Father Sylvester says, “This process was a powerful witness of our Christian Catholic beliefs. It is important in both Grass Valley and Nevada City, especially in the areas where drugs are bought and sold. Also, there is a particularly strong New Age orientation, drawing towards Eastern reli-gions, as well as a tendency towards witchcraft with the performance of pagan and Satanic rituals.” Megan Hall adds that “We are engaged in spiritual warfare by our visual presence at different locations each month. We are a congregation of witnesses.” The “Street Pray-ers” continue to refine their posters and messages to get the essence across in the best way. They’ve gone from hand-made signs to professionally made, and always focus on the Divine Mercy message. They’ve added posters of Jesus’ image of His Divine Mercy and one of a joyful Pope Francis. In one, Blessed (soon to be Saint) Pope John Paul II travels with Blessed Mother Teresa in the Popemobile. Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity to bring the Divine Mercy of Jesus to the poorest of the poor in the slums of the world. Also represented are Saint Faustina, Our Lady of Czestochowa and Our Lady of Guadalupe, each poster linking them with Divine Mercy and the 3:00 p.m. hour of Great Mercy. This recalls the hour when Jesus submitted His will to the Father on Calvary, in His unfathomable love for mankind and desire for our salvation.
Megan Hall, a leader and one of the active par ticipants, offers help to anyone interested in obtain-ing more information on how they might begin street prayer in their own parish. You may call her at 530-273-1036 or e-mail her at [email protected]. She said they began small and tested their actions to see if the Ho-ly Spirit was leading them. It has been almost one year now and the movement is growing and gaining strength as they continue in solidarity with Pope Francis. “Our prayers, with the Divine Mercy Image, invoke the inter-cessory prayer of 3 saints and the miraculous images of Our Blessed Mother to show God's loving concerns and Who is always meeting us in the streets of our lives.“
Bl. Mother Teresa & Bl. John Paul St. Faustina OL of Czestochowa OL of Guadalupe
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How “Little People” Spread the Powerful
Divine Mercy Message Every Day
Who can become a soldier for Christ, only the mighty, the powerful, the celebrity, the influential? Mother Theresa proved that often it is the smallest among us, the “little people” who embrace Christ’s mes-sage of Divine Mercy and go out to share it with others, following His instructions to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation”. In her small way, Rita Fernandez, POC for Sacred Heart Parish, Sacramento, is doing just that. Rita, a Catholic for 3-4 years, learned of the Divine Mercy message through her daughter, Teresa Wal-ters. From her first exposure, Rita found a daily need to rely on Jesus and His Divine Mercy to help her in her daily work at Sutter Hospitals Psychiatric Unit. Rita, an RN for 54 years, works with acute care psychiatric patients suffering from bipolar or psychotic problems, who are often distraught, cursing, disrupting, and living far from a peaceful existence. As a nurse, Rita found the Divine Mercy devotion critically necessary in order to do her best work in what could often be a dangerous situation. Rita said, “I never go to work without arm-ing myself with protection, so go to Jesus, The Divine Mercy”. In height, Rita is a little person, standing 5’1” and works with several other nurses who range from 4’10” to the giant among them who is 5’4”. They are lovingly referred to as “The Little People”. In addition to a small stature, they all share a strong prayer life where each prays individually before beginning each work day. Some include the Divine Mercy prayers, and despite working among unstable mentally ill patients, the team has had minimal “acting out” from the patients. They bring a calm, quiet center to the daily hurricane at work. They know that Jesus, who asks them to trust in Him, truly protects them. This nursing team is a gentle army, coming to serve those who Jesus called, “the least of our brethren”. As POC for Sacred Heart Parish, Rita and her friend, Theresa Harris (EM) have found “little” ways to spread the Divine Mercy message with pamphlets and prayer cards they place in both the small and large chapels at Mercy Hospital. With Father Healey’s blessing, they will soon place an image of the Divine Mercy with the pamphlets to offer comfort to those who visit. This year Sacred Heart Parish will begin the interior renovations scheduled for the church, and Rita reasoned that “This is a good time to consider placing an image of the Divine Mercy during the renovation” so she went to her Pastor, Msgr. Robert Walton, who said the committee will definitely consider it. “I don’t cook, but can surely serve and clean up” is Rita’s guiding philosophy, reasoning that we each can use our unique gifts, no matter how small, in the service of our Lord. In this way, even though being on medical leave since before last Christmas, Rita continues to do little things to take the Divine Mercy message to others. At age 75, Rita is finally planning her retirement, and bargained, “Jesus, if you please let me re-tire from nursing, I will promote mercy the best way I can.” She firmly believes “If we are faithful, pray the rosary and chaplet, good things will come.”
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(Continued from page 7) Rita recommends the ‘Divine Mercy Novena and Chaplet’ brochure (red) as a means of praying for others. “If you read the newspaper, then pray the last prayer in that pamphlet, it covers everything in the world!”. There is also the powerful ‘Divine Mercy Chaplet for the Sick & Dying’ pamphlet (white). For her ongoing spiritual growth, Rita attends the Divine Mercy lessons at St. John the Baptist Parish in Folsom where they study material from Poland, Saint Faustina’s home country.
Many years ago when Mother Teresa came to visit San Francisco, Rita was in attendance. She saw Mother standing beside the microphone, so small, so still. They had to bring a stool for her to reach it. Even as her quiet, determined voice filled the room, its power radiated as she proclaimed the message. Rita thought, “It was astounding that someone so small, so little, had accomplished so much”. Then Rita thought of all the people who Christ has used to spread His message over the centuries. Many were spiritual giants, learned philosophers, theologians and some became Doctors of the Church. But some were just “little people.” Doesn’t that give all of us hope that we can do at least something for the Lord? We surely can if we just pray, “Jesus I Trust In You!” And then DO it!
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“If they don’t come to us, we’ll go to them” Home Evangelization…..
It is fitting that this Divine Mercy evangelization program should begin in the parish having the same name, and one that continues to be a leader for all other parishes in the Diocese. The goal is to have parish-ioners learn how to take the message of Divine Mercy to the homes of fellow parishioners who may not yet be familiar with Divine Mercy devotion.
So it began in December 2013, that Monina Tayamen, who spoke at the 2013 Divine Mercy Confer-ence, came to Divine Mercy Parish in Natomas and conducted the all-day crash course training session for the Home Evangelization program. About 30 attendees from Divine Mercy, Good Shepherd, St. Joseph in Lincoln and Cathedral parishes eagerly heard about a plan already successfully established in the Philippines. It follows a training guidebook developed by Monina Tayamen for the Philippines and planned to have a Western Edition around January 2014.
The course consists of the initial crash course introduction followed by more in-depth formation on Divine Mercy topics. In order to make this program successful, participants must continue to grow in the knowledge and practice of the Divine Mercy devotion and message. They will become strong, effective evan-gelizers for Jesus. The first pilot program will start at Divine Mercy Parish in Natomas. Following the course completion, those who are ready to go out to meet fellow parishioners in their homes will follow the Divine Mercy Home Evangelization Guidebook also developed by Monina. Thereafter , other par ishes may fol-low this example and continue to draw more people to learn of, and desire to have, God’s tender mercy guide their lives. They will be following the direct invitation of Jesus to Saint Faustina.
If anyone is interested in more information on the Home Evangelization program, contact John Doering, Executive Director of the Divine mercy Support Network for more information by e-mailing him at [email protected]
Monina Tayamen describes training materials to the class which meets monthly on Saturdays.
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Divine Mercy Visitation, One Week At A Time in Paradise
Divine Mercy Visitation
St. Thomas More Parish in Paradise, CA has begun a new program, Divine Mercy Visitation
(DMV). The idea is to circulate the Divine Mercy Image to people in the par ish who want to learn
more about the devotion and message and experience the presence of The Divine Mercy in their homes for a
week. Al Penna, St. Thomas More’s POC, is among the three active Cenacle members who head this
new group that has scheduled the materials to rotate a week at a time among the parish community.
Included in the DMV kit is the Divine Mercy Image (framed Vilnius Image); a booklet The Divine
Mercy Image Explained; two rosaries; a journal; handouts; pamphlets on Divine Mercy and general infor-
mation on how St. Thomas More Parish celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday. On the Second Sunday of Easter
of the Jubilee Year 2000, at the Mass for the canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska, Pope John Paul II pro-
claimed to the world that “from now on throughout the Church this Sunday will be called Divine Mercy Sun-
day”.
People wanting to schedule a week for Divine Mercy Visitation can simply sign up on the planning
sheet in the vestibule or call Al Penna at 530-872-0460. Hosts will be contacted several days in advance
of their turn and given firm directions as to when they must return the kit to be ready for the next scheduled
person(s). People are available by phone during the host week to answer any questions that arise. Currently
the schedule is full until May, at which time a new schedule will be made.
Al offers many sources where people can learn more about The Divine Mercy, including on EWTN-
TV and online at www.thedivinemercy.org A most excellent source of information is St. Faustina’s own dia-
ry, “Divine Mercy In My Soul: Diary of Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska”. If other parishes wish to start a
similar program of ‘Visitation’ you may call Al Penna (number above) who has assembled a full sheet of
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that he could email to you, along with particular advice to suit your
situation based on his personal experience.
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HOW TO PROMOTE DIVINE MERCY VISITATION
IN YOUR BULLETIN
St. Thomas More Parish, Paradise, CA
Bulletin Advertisement for Divine Mercy Visitation …….a very good sample
You Are Invited To Join An Exciting New Experience For One Week
Right In Your Home! It Can Change Your Life!
DMV stands for Divine Mercy Visitation, an easy, do-it-yourself, in-home learning experience designed to
inform and educate parishioners about God’s Divine Mercy. In 1931, Our Lord began sharing insights on His
Divine Mercy with a Polish nun, Sister Faustina Kowalska. In one of His conversations with Sister Faustina,
Jesus commissioned her to paint an Image of Him with the inscription “Jesus I Trust in You.” An exact replica
of that Image, conspicuously placed on the right side of our altar, is the cornerstone of the Divine Mercy mes-
sage. Catholics should know the history, meaning, promises and blessings associated with it. Divine Mercy
Visitation allows you to actually bring a smaller version of the Sacred Image to your home for one week. You
will learn about the Sacred Image, Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, the Novena and the Hour of Mercy, and about
extraordinary graces available only on Divine Mercy Sunday. Details (frequently asked questions) on exactly
how the DMV works, plus a signup sheet to reserve the Image for your home, are available in the vestibule or
by calling Al Penna at (530) 872-0460; Helen Kelley at (530) 877-6354 or Maresa Kelley at (530)872-5373.
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Saint Faustina – Messenger of Mercy (From The Stage)
Saint Faustina had a very personal relationship and beautiful friendship with Jesus Christ from 1931,
when Jesus first began appearing to her, until 1938 when she died in Poland of tuberculosis in the convent of
the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. Beginning in 1934, Jesus instructed her to write down
their conversations. This was a difficult task since Sister Faustina had no formal training for this task, but,
encouraged by her confessor and spiritual director, Fr. Sopoko, she obeyed. (Pope Benedict XVI declared
Father Michael Sopoćko Blessed on September 26, 2008, just over eight years following Sister Faustina’s
canonization.)
Sister Faustina received from the Lord a message of mercy that she was told to spread through-
out the world. She was asked to become the apostle and secretary of God's mercy, a model of how to be
merciful to others, and an instrument for reemphasizing God's plan of mercy for the world.
The message of mercy that Sister Faustina received is one of the fastest growing devotions in the his-
tory of the Catholic Church; she has been recognized by the Church as a "Saint"; and her diary, Divine Mercy
in My Soul, Diary of Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska has become the handbook for devotion to The Divine
Mercy. She would not have been surprised, for Jesus told her that the message of God's mercy would spread
through her writings for the great benefit of souls.
One way of spreading the message of mercy is through the simple stage drama being performed
throughout North America by professional actress Maria Vargo, among others. In it, Ms. Vargo works alone
on stage with no scenery, no special lighting and no stage sets. In this way she maintains the focus on the
words and message of Mercy. She wears the habit similar to that of Sister Faustina. The drama is presented
in 7 scenes reflecting significant points of the Saint’s life, including her physical and spiritual trials, her deep
trust in Jesus, love for the sacraments, her love for Mary and the need for quietude to hear God’s voice.
Actress Maria Vargo Photos of St. Faustina
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(Continued from page 12)
Set up for the drama requires only one hour and the drama runs about
90 minutes. The Sacramento Diocese hosted 3 January performances,
including one each at St. Patrick Church in Grass Valley, Presentation
Parish in Sacramento and Good Shepherd Church in Elk Grove.
After the production ended, Megan Hall commented, “It was stirring!
Art can resonate in your soul in a very deep way as opposed to just
reading the Diary. St. Faustina is truly a blessing to our world”.
John Doering had a Divine Mercy Support Network table at all three
events and reports, “In the first viewing in Grass Valley, I was able to
put the story together and think about it on the way home. With the sec-
ond viewing at Presentation parish, I was prepared to link all the pre-
sent day and historical story elements together and it was very enrich-
ing. The third time I saw the play in Elk Grove, it was all I could do to
hold back the tears.” Highly recommended!
John Doering and Actress Maria Vargo
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Many thanks to Linda McAlpine who has served as the newsletter editor for the
last year. She has done a great job in getting this publication resurrected from
the dead. We welcome our new editor, Janet Mumau, and we encourage others
with an interest in writing, especially about Divine Mercy, to assist her by
providing stories of local origin and interest to our Divine Mercy members.
Thank you all.
Send stories to: [email protected]
