The second Sunday of Easter concludes the Octave of Easter in which we commemorate with great festivity the Resurrection of our Lord. This second Sunday of Easter has also been known since the year 2000 as Divine Mercy Sunday.

The origins of God’s mercy and compassion for his people have been extolled throughout scripture. Yet, St. John Paul II established this feast in recognition of the visions that St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish religious sister, had of our Lord in the 1930s. In these visions, Our Lord asked St. Faustina to promote devotion to His mercy, and also to venerate the image of Divine Mercy that many of us have come to know. In her Diary, Faustina reveals the desire Jesus has to save many souls through this devotion: “By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works.” (742)

In recognition of this day, we will have a parish celebration of Divine Mercy this Sunday at St. John Capistran Church. There will be Eucharistic Adoration following the 11:00 a.m. Mass until 3:00 p.m., at which time we will pray the Chaplet of  Divine Mercy, then have concluding benediction. This celebration will conclude with an ice cream social on the church grounds. Please consider coming to pray and ask our Lord for his great mercy upon the Church and in our lives.

First Communion Retreat: This weekend our second-grade students will participate in a retreat in preparation for their first Holy Communion. Communions will begin later this month. Please continue to pray for our students as they prepare to receive Jesus for the first time. Their joy of receiving the Lord should inspire all of us to reflect upon the wonderful gift of Jesus in the sacrament.

Congratulations to John Mueller, Debra Doswell, and Brendan Flicker on completing the R.C.I.A. process and their Confirmation at the Easter Vigil. Please join in welcoming them to the Catholic Church. Thank you to R.C.I.A. team members Peter Skeel, Diane Hursky, Elaine Popcak, and Michael Pechart for their dedication and hard work.