SHENANDOAH — It was time of prayer and penance in Shenandoah beginning Friday into today as Divine Mercy Roman Catholic Church hosted “24 Hours for the Lord.”
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown held the “24 Hours” devotions in each of the five counties in the diocese, including Schuylkill County.
Pope Francis proclaimed this year as the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, and that March 4 and 5 should be set aside as “24 Hours for the Lord.” In the Diocese of Allentown, the 24 hours are being marked by Catholics taking advantage of the sacrament of penance, or confession, which is available for 24 hours in at least one church in each of its five counties.
In his Lenten letter to the people of the diocese, the Allentown bishop, the Most Rev. John O. Barres, wrote, “The sacrament of penance is liberating and consoling. It strengthens us and gives us a new and fresh start. It leads us to be peacemakers and instruments of the Divine Mercy in our families, our church, at work, in the neighborhood and in every circumstance.”
Barres added, “It is a compassionate and merciful bridge for the wonderful inactive Catholics we meet every day to return to the transforming power of the Catholic Mass and the reception of Communion.”
The 24 hours began at 9 a.m. with the celebration of Mass with Monsignor William F. Glosser, dean of the Schuylkill Deanery and pastor of St. Clare of Assisi Church, Saint Clair, as main celebrant. Concelebrants were Monsignor Ronald C. Bocian, pastor of Divine Mercy Church, and Monsignor Edward S. Zemanik, pastor of St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church, Schuylkill Haven. Other priests in the deanery were unable to concelebrate the Mass due to their attendance at the Mass of Christian Burial for Monsignor James Mulligan, who died Feb. 29. He was a former medical ethicist and was the head of diaconate and programs for priestly life and ministry before his retirement. Lay reader Marguerite Oravitz Fell welcomed everyone at the Mass. Trinity Academy students, faculty and administration attended and were joined by the public.
In his homily, Glosser spoke of mercy and the need to forgive others.
“We know that this parish recently was renamed Divine Mercy, and what an appropriate spot it is to make this the center of our deanery celebration of God’s mercy that the Holy Father had called us to observe for the next 24 hours,” Glosser said.
Glosser spoke of how Jesus and Pope Francis have much in common. He said that when he walked the earth, Jesus excited a lot of people and also upset a lot of people. Pope Francis does the same, Glosser said.
“In everything he did, Jesus spoke the truth, and we believe that Pope Francis speaks the truth even when sometimes it’s hard for us to hear the truth,” Glosser said. “The biggest truth that he speaks to us is God’s mercy. And in a world today that doesn’t want to take responsibility for our actions, does not want to admit at times that we are sinners, wants to put the blame on other people, that seeks for revenge, Pope Francis reminds us through his entire pontificate thus far, and especially today, of the importance of God’s mercy, of God’s love and God’s forgiveness.”
Glosser continued, “When our Holy Father was a priest down in South America, his confessor and spiritual director was a Salesian priest in Buenos Aires by the name of Father Enrico. During their time together talking about priestly life, ministry, prayer, struggles, Father Enrico talked an awful lot to the future Holy Father about mercy. It was a topic that resonated with both of them. And Pope Francis remembered asking this very wise priest about whether there can ever be too much mercy. Will there ever be a time that we shouldn’t be merciful. Father Enrico paused for a few moments and said, ‘Whenever someone comes to me in the confessional, if they are contrite, I forgive them no matter how bad the sin. I forgive them no matter what other people might think if they knew what this person had done.’ Father Enrico told the Holy Father that he would sit before the tabernacle and say to Jesus, ‘Lord, forgive me if I have forgiven too much. But you are the one who gave me the bad example.’ ”
Glosser said everyone needs to be loved and that everyone needs to be forgiven for their sins.
“For many, many hours this day you will find priests for the Sacrament of Reconciliation,” Glosser said. “It’s an opportunity for us to receive God’s love back. God’s mercy. God’s forgiveness.”
As the Mass concluded, Bocian lighted candles in front of the altar. Seven candles were around a painting showing Jesus Christ with his Sacred Heart exposed and wearing a crown of thorns. The Latin words on the painting, “Sic Deus Dilexit Mundum” means “God So Loved the World.”
Bocian then placed the Blessed Sacrament inside the monstrance and placed it on the altar for adoration throughout the day. After Glosser incensed the monstrance, the priests left and everyone remained in their pews and silently prayed. Most of the students then returned back to the school except for two classes. Bocian led the praying of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy while confessions began being heard throughout the day. Priests from the deanery churches spent an hour hearing confessions.
At 11 a.m., several Trinity classes returned to the church for a prayer service, led by eighth-graders Abbey Digris, Sarah Halupa, Petro Pitula and Makenna Piaskowski. Throughout the day, devotions were held like the Stations of the Cross led by the Rev. Adam Sedar; prayers for the canonization of Father Walter J. Ciszek, S.J., led by members of the Father Walter Ciszek Prayer League; the Taize Prayer led by the choir of All Saints Roman Catholic Church, McAdoo; the Chaplet of Divine Mercy led by the Rev. Paul Rothermel; recitation of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary led by the Rev. James Torpey; recitation of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rodary led by the Saint Clair and Tamaqua Knights of Columbus councils; prayers for the Hispanic community led by the Rev. Johnson Kochuparambil and Monsignor William Baker, and Father Johnson closing the evening with benediction.
Anyone who wanted to pray before the Blessed Sacrament throughout the evening hours were directed to the adoration chapels at Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and St. Patrick Roman Catholic churches in Mahanoy City and Pottsville, respectively.
The doors at Divine Mercy reopened at 6 a.m. today with confessions being heard. At 7 a.m., the recitation of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary will be led by the Rev. Leo Maletz, who will also lead the recitation of the Luminous Mysteries at 7:30 a.m. The Rev. Robert Finlan will lead the Stations of the Cross at 8 a.m. The closing Mass will be concelebrated by the deanery priests with Bocian as the main celebrant and homilist.