I have always had a special place in my heart for The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy on Eden Hill in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. During my postulancy year with the Marians of the Immaculate Conception in 2006, I was sent to the Shrine for my summer assignment. It was there two years earlier in 2004 where I attended a vocation retreat weekend and shortly thereafter applied to enter the Marians. I consequently returned to Eden Hill for two Divine Mercy Sundays, for the Christmas season during novitiate, and two more times in October 2007 to visit Fr. Mark Garrow, M.I.C. the weekend before he passed away and then for his wake and funeral. That is why by the end of my first year of Theology in Washington, D.C., I requested to be sent to work at the Shrine in Stockbridge during the summer. I had grown deeper in my love and appreciation for the Divine Mercy message and devotion and I knew there was no better place to continue to develop that than at The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy!
I and two of my seminarian brothers, Br. Jim McCormack, M.I.C. and Br. James Cervantes, M.I.C., arrived in Stockbridge near the end of May to help out at the Shrine. We were later joined by John Luth, a postulant, and our three novices, Chris Alar, Richard Dolan and Thaddaeus Lancton. One of our main duties at the Shrine has been to help out with the prayer devotions and mass in the afternoons. One of us will either be helping the priest at the beginning of Exposition, leading the rosary, lecturing or serving at the altar during mass, or assisting the priest during the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and at Benediction.
We also have our daily assignments of working in the sacristy, answering phone calls at the Divine Mercy prayer line, doing maintenance work on the grounds, lighting candles in the Lourdes Grotto, helping the pilgrimage department, or making phone calls to some of our donors in Donor Development at the Marian Helpers Center. During busy times when pilgrimage groups come in buses, one of us will either be directing traffic, welcoming pilgrims to the Shrine, driving the golf cart to bring people up and down the hill or to the Lourdes Grotto, or giving talks to groups about the Marians, St. Faustina and Divine Mercy, and a history and tour of the Shrine.
What has it been like working at The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy this summer? Even though there is a lot of work - like Br. James Cervantes has told me - "every day feels like a retreat." This can be attributed to the majestic beauty of the Berkshire Mountains surrounding Eden Hill and just the fact that people come to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy for spiritual healing and to be reconnected with God. In hearing one of the talks Fr. Viktor Incardona, M.I.C. gave to one pilgrimage group, he said that the Shrine is a holy place where people can draw closer to God's mercy. He recommended to them that while they were on Eden Hill to take time out to pray. A pilgrimage, after all, is about encountering God.
Accordingly, I have really enjoyed meeting many of the pilgrims who have come to the Shrine this summer. I remember meeting some Cuban pilgrims who came from Florida. I drove the golf cart to take them down to the Lourdes Grotto. They were involved in a Divine Mercy Apostolate and were staying at the John Paul II Guest House for a couples retreat. I was taken by surprise when they asked me to pose with them in a group photo. They were just so thankful to meet a Marian seminarian. Late one Sunday afternoon, there was a family who asked if I could take them to the different spots on Eden Hill on the golf cart. I remember how they just took me in as part of the family and how grateful they were for my time and patience in showing them around. Being of Filipino heritage, I was really looking forward to Filipino Cultural Day which was held at the Shrine in June. Again, people took me in like I was part of the family and they were just so appreciative of the Marians and the work we're doing in spreading the message of Divine Mercy, especially in the Philippines with the newly opened Marian mission.
A couple of my favorite apostolates during the summer have been working at the Divine Mercy Prayer Line and at Donor Development. There is nothing like the power of intercessory prayer and that's why I have found the Prayer Line so spiritually rewarding. People call in with their prayer intentions and I get the chance to pray with them right over the phone. The world is so in need of God's mercy; many people are hurting and feel all alone. There is a lot brokenness which only God can heal but only if we let Him. I have also worked in Donor Development where I get the chance to call some of the people who have financially helped the Marian seminarians with their education. The donors are often surprised that a seminarian is calling them to thank them. A relationship develops as a result. They tell me about their lives, their families, their faith and how they discovered the Marians and Divine Mercy. Then I am asked to share with them my background, my vocational call, and how many more years it will be until I am ordained a priest. Some of the best conversations I have had have been speaking with our donors.
The manual work has also been rewarding. I follow St. Therese of Lisieux's saying of "doing small things with great love." It doesn't matter whether I'm sweeping the chapel, lighting candles, trimming hedges or moving boxes. Sometimes what pleases God the most are those little things we do in our everyday lives. This summer up on Eden Hill has also given me time for needed prayer, spiritual reading and relaxation. I have immersed myself in reading St. Faustina's diary and learning as much as I can about Divine Mercy, especially from our priests. Some of us seminarians got together once a week to discuss a particular theme in the diary, like spiritual childhood and doing God's will.
Now I don't want to give the wrong idea that it has been all work and prayer the whole time at the Shrine this summer. I have had time to relax also. On my days off, I sometimes take in a movie or visit a museum or go hiking. I've been able to go hiking a couple of times with some of the guys. Recently we hiked up Thunderbolt Trail on Mount Greylock. I wouldn't be lying if I said that this was one of the steepest climbs I have ever been on. There were many times where I felt like not going much farther and coming back down. But for some reason I persevered and made it to the top. I bring this up because climbing a mountain is very much like the spiritual life or following a vocational call. That's why great spiritual writers like St. John of the Cross often use the analogy of climbing the spiritual heights. There will be times in our lives where we just don't feel like going on but it's at those times where we must persevere with God's grace. He will get us to where we need to go.
What I have valued the most in my time here at the Shrine this summer has been the sense of family, not only with the Marians but also with the employees and the volunteers on Eden Hill. Mind you, no family is perfect but there's that sense of love, unity and a common purpose which I have experienced here. I have especially grown closer to my Marian brothers - Br. Jim, Br. James, John, Chris, Rich and Thaddaeus - in sharing the work we did together. I admire them for their prayerfulness, loving concern for others, and their great zeal to serve the Lord and Our Lady. They are true men of character who will be awesome priests one day.
Probably my most special time on Eden Hill has been being able to visit the grave of Fr. Mark Garrow. I've sort of made a tradition of visiting his grave after I've gone jogging. I will just sit there and talk to him, most of the time just thanking him for my Marian vocation. He was my novice master at the beginning of my novitiate, just before he was elected as our provincial superior. I love Fr. Mark and I miss him very much but I know that as my spiritual father, he continues to look out for me. I have a lot of special memories of him and hope that I can one day impart to others what he has taught me through the example of his priesthood. As I sit by his grave, I tell him, "It sure is another beautiful day on Eden Hill, Father. You have such an awesome view!" It is memories like these that I will take with me as I return to my studies in Washington, D.C. Please pray for me and my Marian brothers.
