LINCOLN (SNR) – In celebration of the Year of Mercy, the Diocese of Lincoln will lead a pilgrimage this fall to the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge, Mass.
Father Daniel Rayer, chancellor of the diocese, will be the spiritual director for the trip.
The pilgrimage will be held Oct. 14-19, and Bishop James Conley will join the group for two days, with Mass at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, and at the North American Martyrs Shrine in Auriesville, N.Y.
The National Shrine of 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. The message and devotion to Jesus as the Divine Mercy is based on the writings of St. Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary recording the revelations she received about God’s mercy. Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to the Divine Mercy had begun to spread. St. Faustina was canonized in 2000, and the feast of Divine Mercy is celebrated the Sunday after Easter.
The national shrine sits on 350 acres in the Berkshire Hills in western Massachusetts. The shrine is noted for its extensive woodwork, 36 stained-glass windows and two mosaics. The grounds include many statues and candle shrines. Outdoor sites include the Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine and the Shrine of the Holy Innocents, devoted to deceased children.
Other highlights of the tour include: visits and/or Mass and walking through the Holy Doors for the Year of Mercy at the cathedrals in Boston, Albany and New York City, a walking tour of historic Boston, a tour of St. Patrick Cathedral in New York City, and a visit to the World Trade Center Memorial.
Registration will be open until June 30 – or until it is filled, at 50 people. The cost is $1,904 single occupancy, $1,587 for double, or $1,485 for triple. A $250 deposit is required with registration by June 30, and it is non-refundable after July 1.
The price includes round-trip airfare, four hotel nights, driver gratuity, four breakfasts, one box lunch, one group dinner with Bishop Conley, and a night bus tour of New York City. Not included is transportation to and from Omaha, other meals, and airline luggage fees.