By Dubravka Kolumbic-Cortese, Correspondent
and Mary Stadnyk, Associate Editor

Prayer, praise, worship and song filled parish churches as faithful from all around gathered to observe the Feast of Divine Mercy April 23.

Divine Mercy Sunday was instituted by the Vatican May 5, 2000, and is celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter. The feast commemorates when Jesus appeared to a Polish nun, Sister (now Saint) Maria Faustina Kowalska beginning in the 1930s. He asked her to show his love and mercy with the world and requested that a feast of mercy be observed, as recorded by St. Faustina’s diary.

While numerous parishes have observed the Feast of the Divine Mercy for several years, 2017 marked the first year for St. John Neumann Parish, Mount Laurel, to join Catholics from all over the world in the devotion.

The afternoon included the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Mass presided over by Father Christopher Colavito, parochial vicar, recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet and then a Holy Hour with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament led by Father Michael Dunn, also parish parochial vicar. In addition, an image of the Divine Mercy became part of the day’s observance as a special blessing was bestowed on three images: one from the Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Poland and two others purchased by the parish’s Divine Mercy Cenacle. The Cenacle, in the parish for about 10 years, was instrumental in establishing the new Divine Mercy observance.

“It’s been because of God’s grace and our persistence in prayer,” Cenacle facilitator Maria Arvonio explained, adding that she also plans to educate more people on Divine Mercy Cenacles throughout the world that center on the writings of St. Faustina. The St. John Neumann Cenacle focuses on prayer for the sick and dying.

In his homily, Father Colavito said that although the Sacrament of Reconciliation can seem scary, to remember that it is a gift from God who is all-forgiving – and that owning one’s sins and repeating them aloud can be cathartic.

St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, began holding its Divine Mercy Sunday Feast Celebration in 2011. Jeannine Bendas, St. Gregory parishioner since 2004, helped to coordinate the feast with a core committee.

“Our priests have been equally dedicated and supportive of [the feast],” said Bendas. Father Jay Bowden, retired priest of the Diocese, has helped in particular. “Father Jay has been with us since the very first day and has an unwavering devotion to Divine Mercy,” Bendas continued. “He continually invites the congregation to avail themselves of its graces.”

St. Gregory’s Divine Mercy Sunday celebration began at 3 p.m. with the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Veneration and blessings of a large image of the Divine Mercy of Jesus. Father Al Gamalo, parochial vicar in St. Gregory’s, just ordained last year, led the Holy Hour, which included singing the Chaplet, praying the Rosary and Stations of the Cross – both with meditations from St. Faustina’s Diary, Benediction and music provided by St. Gregory’s music ministry.

“The Rosary, Stations of the Cross and their meditations are each done by a different parishioner,” Bendas explained.  “This year, our youngest reader was only nine years old.”

The celebration was capped with the Sunday 6 p.m. Mass – celebrated this year by Father Michael McClane, pastor. “Our attendance has grown most years and this year we had about 150 attendees,” Bendas noted. “Some day we would love to have a full church.”

In St. John Neumann Church, parishioner Mark Schiavo celebrated Divine Mercy with his wife, Lisa, and their three sons, Mark, 10, Vincent, 7, and Michael, 6. In the past, the family has traveled to other parishes for the feast.

“It’s quite an observance because of the graces that you receive,” Schiavo said, “and it offers a wonderful opportunity to get [an] indulgence. It’s important to remember that God is merciful.”

Schiavo noted that his eldest son is “learning what we already know: that forgiveness and reconciliation is important and observing God’s mercy is also important.”

St. John Neumann parishioner Rommy DelVecchio has been celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday with her family for more than a decade, but his year she was pleased to join in an observance in her home parish with her two daughters, Sofia, 13 and Bianca, 25.

Bianca said she always found St. Faustina’s faith journey interesting, and then noted how she found the feast day to be a “good way to meditate…. It brings peace.”

Attendees were invited to bring non-perishable food items for a local food bank, and the Divine Mercy celebration in St. John Neumann Parish ended with a reception and the showing of a video, “Divine Mercy in the Second Greatest Story Told.”

Bendas recalled being introduced to the Divine Mercy devotion some 30 years ago when she was a parishioner of St. Paul Parish, Princeton, by an older couple who were friends of her family.

“Each year, I have grown to be more in awe of this great gift from Our Lord and feel in my heart that we all have to be disciples of Divine Mercy,” she said.

“[It] has carried me through some very difficult circumstances … over the past 15 years,” Bendas continued. “I know that I could not have come through those times without Jesus’ Mercy and this devotion.”