National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge Massachusetts

Encuentro Latino

Encuentro Latino, or Latin Encounter, is a religious celebration held every year at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy. It draws more than 5,000 faithful from different countries around the world to praise God’s mercy. On this special celebration, our pilgrims enjoy a day of prayer and praise, dedicated to our Lord and His Blessed Mother.

There will be spiritual presentations, procession, children’s activities, music and the Holy Rosary. Similarly, a Holy Mass will be celebrated at the Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine followed by the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy and Benediction.

Encuentro Latino will be held on Saturday August 6th at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. For more information, schedule of events or register your bus, call 1-800-462-7426 Ext. 3. You can also register your bus online.

If you wish to volunteer for this event (Spanish fluency is not required), please contact the Shrine by calling 413-298-3931, email us at[email protected], fill out the online form, or print it out and mail it to us.

We look forward to see you in this wonderful event!

* All events will be in Spanish.

National Shrine of The Divine Mercy

2 Prospect Hill Road
Eden Hill
Stockbridge, MA 01262

Public Transportation

BRTA (Berkshire Regional Transit Authority)

Area Bus Info (including links to regional bus & rail services)

http://www.berkshirerta.com/
1-800-292-BRTA (2782) (Toll Free)
413-499-2782 (Locally)

Links to:

http://peterpanbus.com/ (Bus)
http://www.amtrak.com/home (Rail)

Nearby Airports (listed in order of proximity to the Shrine):

http://www.albanyairport.com/ (NY)
http://www.bradleyairport.com/home/ (CT)
http://www.massport.com/Pages/Default.aspx (Logan Airport in Boston, MA)

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GPS Directions

To locate with GPS navigation, please use the address 74 Pine Street, Stockbridge, MA, 01262.
There is NO parking or drop off allowed in front of the Shrine Chapel, parking available in large lot by Divine Mercy statue near Information Booth

If you are traveling from or through Pennsylvania, New York, or New Jersey:

Take the New York Thruway North (I-87) to exit 21A. Then exit at the intersection of I-90 (Berkshire section of the Thruway) and proceed East to Exit 2 of the Mass Pike. Take Route 102 West to Stockbridge.

If you are traveling from North of the Massachusetts

Turnpike:

Take Route 7 South and follow the signs to Stockbridge.

If you are coming from South of the Mass Pike:

Take Route 7 North from Connecticut and follow the signs to Stockbridge.

If you are arriving from the East via the Mass Pike:

Take Exit 2 (Lee) and follow Route 102 to Stockbridge.

Finding us in Stockbridge:

We are located on Eden Hill between the downtown and the Mass Pike. There is one entrance to the property at the corner of Pine and Vine Streets. From the Red Lion Inn, turn north on Pine Street and continue straight past the tennis courts on your left. The road will come to a ‘Y’ shape. Keep to your right and proceed up the hill. At the top of the hill, you will find the entrance to the Marian property straight ahead.

• Sundays: 10:30 a.m. & 2 p.m.
• Saturdays: 8 a.m. & 2 p.m.
• Weekdays: 2 p.m.

• Weekdays: 1 – 2 p.m. & by appointment
• Saturdays & Sundays: 1 – 2 p.m. & 3:30 – 4:15 p.m.
  everyday

• ROSARY FOR LIFE: 1:30 p.m. everyday
• THE DIVINE MERCY NOVENA & CHAPLET
  followed by BENEDICTION: 3 p.m. everyday

1 – 2 p.m. everyday

The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy

The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy is a ministry of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the authentic promoters of the message of The Divine Mercy. Located in the heart of the Berkshire Hills in western Massachusetts, the Shrine sits on 350 acres, known as Eden Hill.

In the fall of 1943, Fr. Joseph Luniewski, superior of the Marian House in Washington, D.C., sent a young priest, Fr. Walter Pelczynski, MIC, a native of Adams, Massachusetts, to find a residence suitable for a novitiate or home for those preparing for the religious life. With the help of the pastor of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Adams, and with the assistance of family members and friends, the Marians purchased Eden Hill on November 24, 1943.

Prior to the Marians’ arrival, this Hill had a rich history in the town of Stockbridge. Originally, the land had been the home of an early Christian mission to the Stockbridge Indians by Rev. John Sergeant. His home, known as the Mission House, can now be visited on Main Street in Stockbridge, where it was moved in 1927. The property known as Eden Park was originally purchased in 1855 by David Dudley Field, Jr. In 1906, S.W. Woodward, a successful businessman (Woodward & Lothrop) of Washington, D.C., purchased the property and built the current house, then known as Eden Hall. It replaced the Field residence which was either demolished or moved. Over the years Eden Hall was owned by several families, and by 1938 it had become St. Edmund’s School — an Episcopalian preparatory school for boys.

Before the Marians moved in, many families of the Berkshires donated furniture and funds to make the first years unfold successfully. A community chapel was established in the new home with a “side altar” dedicated to The Divine Mercy. As the number of pilgrims to Eden Hill increased, a larger community chapel was needed.

In 1950, the construction of the Shrine of The Divine Mercy was entrusted to Antonio Guerrieri, a 74-year-old resident of Stockbridge. He had just completed the restoration of St. Joseph’s Church in Stockbridge when the Marians called him to build their new Shrine. Guerrieri was a well respected master furniture maker and wood carver — crafts for which he had been trained in his native Italy. He had also established a reputation as a restorer, designer, and builder — all skills which he had taught himself.

Guerrieri’s first task was to assemble a work crew. In addition to this assembled crew, many friends of the Eden Hill community helped. Marian novices labored throughout their novitiate year on the construction as did seminarians who came for the summers to help maintain the property. Many “displaced persons” (World War II refugees) were engaged in the construction as well. Stone was brought in from the old Westinghouse estate in Lenox and the Williston Academy of Easthampton, Massachusetts.

It is interesting to note that there were no architectural plans or blueprints used in the building of the Shrine. Guerrieri had them all in his head and assigned work and plans to the crew as needed.

In 1960, ten years after the Marians first broke ground, the Shrine to The Divine Mercy was dedicated — debt free — by Bishop Christopher Weldon, bishop of Springfield, Massachusetts.

In addition to Guerrieri’s extensive woodwork, it is the Shrine’s 36 stained glass windows and two mosaics that give it light and character. Created by artist Fred Leuchs, the various glass and mosaics portray the mercy of God through Scripture. The fourteen Stations of the Cross were imported from Spain. The altar is made of Vermont marble and is accented by the emblem of the Sacred Heart. It holds the tabernacle for reserving the Eucharist. Above the altar stands the Image of Jesus The Divine Mercy surrounded by His Apostles. The Apostles figures were hand carved by Ferdinando Perathones of Northern Italy. (He also carved the bas relief of St. Faustina in the side chapel dedicated to her.)

Just above the Image of Jesus The Divine Mercy is a white carrara marble statue of Mary, the Immaculate Conception. The mural above the statue of the Immaculate Conception depicts Our Lady being crowned by the Holy Trinity as Queen of heaven and earth.

In 1960 the Shrine of The Divine Mercy was dedicated by Bishop Christopher Weldon, bishop of Springfield, Massachusetts. And in 1996, the Shrine, built in honor of The Divine Mercy and Mary Immaculate, was honored with the title of National Shrine of The Divine Mercy.

This Shrine offers many opportunities for inspiration and devotion. Pilgrims find refreshment of soul at Mass, confession, the 3 o’clock Chaplet of The Divine Mercy, and personal adoration of the Eucharist. We invite you to stroll throughout our beautiful grounds. Visit the many statues and candle shrines like the Lourdes Candle Grotto and Holy Family Shrine. The groves of St. Therese and St. Francis’ each offer an oasis for silent prayer and contemplation. Several sites on Eden Hill, including the Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine and the Shrine of the Holy Innocents, devoted to deceased children, offer unique memorial and devotional opportunities. The Shrine is also the geographic and spiritual home of the Association of Marian Helpers and is open to visitors on weekdays.

In 2000, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, the secretary of Divine Mercy, was canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday and the Feast of Divine Mercy officially proclaimed by Pope John Paul II at St. Peter’s in Rome. The Shrine is the site for the largest celebration in the Northeast of the Feast of The Divine Mercy, which is held each year on the Sunday after Easter. The event traditionally is televised on Eternal World Television Network (EWTN).

Thousand of pilgrims visit the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy, Stockbridge each year either on personal retreat or to join in the celebration of holy, ethnic or specialized days and is open to the public, daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition, the Divine Mercy Bookstore and Gift Shop offers an extensive selection of Catholic products to encourage you on your walk of faith. The Shrine and the Gift Shop are handicap accessible.

Whether you encounter the message of The Divine Mercy on this web site or by visiting the National Shrine in person, our prayer is that you personally encounter God’s great love and mercy. As Pope John Paul II said, “There is nothing the world needs more than Divine Mercy.” (Shrine of The Divine Mercy, Lagiewniki, Poland, June 7, 1997)

The History of the Marians

Humble birth… Youthful creativity… Rejection… Betrayal… Salvation from death… Exile to Siberia… Near death… Miraculous recovery… The makings of a great novel? Or a fascinating biography? They are neither. They are the “life story” of a Roman Catholic religious community of priests and brothers — the Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception. In the more than 300 years since their founding in 1673 in Poland, the Marians of the Immaculate Conception have been quietly serving the needs of the Church in the midst of history’s most tumultuous events.
The Marians’ beginnings are interwoven with a period of Polish history best illustrated by the images of burning buildings, the clash of weapons, and thousands of war casualties. Such a setting is well illustrated by Polish author Henry Sienkiewicz in his work Trilogy, describing the Cossack wars, the Swedish invasion of Poland, the brave defense of the Jasna Gora monastery, and, finally, Polish victory over the invading Turks.

The Marian Founder
It was during these stormy times, in the year 1631, that John Papczyński was born in the small village of Podegrodzie, in southern Poland. Years later, by God’s grace, he was to be known as Father Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary Papczyński, founder of the Marians. Since Sept. 16, 2007, he is also known as a Blessed.
From his small town beginnings, John Papczyński was called by God to a series of great tasks, starting with his entry into religious life in the monastery of the Piarists in 1654. There he became the first Pole who took vows in the Piarist Order. For many years during this period, Providence intertwined Bl. Stanislaus’ life with that of the Mazovian region surrounding Warsaw, a city serving as the capital of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
It was no peaceful sanctuary. As the central location of the Republic, between the Baltic and the Black Seas, it was exposed to frequent armed conflicts, especially throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. There were conflicts with Turkey, the Cossacks, Russia, Sweden, and later, with an old vassal state, Prussia, and an old ally, Austria. The city of Warsaw alone was under siege and liberated on numerous occasions. Its surrounding areas were burned and plundered by various armies. During these difficult times, Bl. Stanislaus Papczynski carried God’s word ardently to those who needed it most, earning himself the nickname “Mazovian Apostle.”
The Mazovian region, in fact, served as the cradle of Marian life. It was there, in the early autumn of 1673, that the first Marian monastery was established. Bl. Stanislaus Papczynski settled in a small part of the Puszcza Korabiewska (Korabiew Forest) near Skierniewice. Today it is called Puszcza Marianska (the Marian Forest). He came to this point in his life after 19 years with the Piarists, leaving that order to answer the Lord’s call to establish a new order in the Church, one devoted to the Immaculate Conception. As a Pole, Marian devotion was part of Stanislaus’ inheritance: familial, religious, and cultural. In addition, two factors in particular, both attributed to Mary’s intercession, deepened his devotion.
The first was the miraculous defense of the Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa, saving the historic monastery from the destruction of the Swedish invasion, and truly enkindling the Polish national spirit. The second was the consecration of Poland to Mary by King John Casimir in Lwow (present-day L’viv, Ukraine). At this event, the Polish nation was publicly entrusted to Mary’s care, in gratitude for the Polish victory over invading Swedish forces. Mary was given the title Queen of Poland.