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The John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy


The John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy is an apostolate of the Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception, based on Eden Hill in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, alongside the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. On April 26, 1996, His Holiness Pope John Paul II, gave his personal blessing to the Institute along with permission to use his name in its title.


Purpose

The purpose of the Institute is to promote research and formation in the Divine Mercy message, devotion and spirituality. The Institute also disseminates materials on the Divine Mercy.

In particular, we seek to proclaim and give witness to Divine Mercy as the Heart of the Gospel, and to spread the Divine Mercy message, devotion and spirituality as it is found in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the life and writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska "
the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time" (John Paul II: Regina Caeli message, April 10, 1994).

The Institute seeks to achieve these goals in three ways: by research and study of the theology and spirituality of the Divine Mercy; by promotion of the knowledge of the Divine Mercy Message and Devotion as revealed by Jesus to Saint Faustina, and by providing formation opportunities for Divine Mercy leaders in this message, devotion, and spirituality


Activities

Research is conducted with rigorous academic criteria in the areas of history, theology, spirituality and iconography by means of the collection, organization and analysis of existing material. Through the gathering of sources and works related to the Divine Mercy, the Institute is developing a specialized library with archives and audio visual materials related to Saint Faustina and the Divine Mercy.

With fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church, the Institute reviews and translates sources, publishes relevant essays and critical works on dogmatic, ascetical, pastoral and mystical theology in as much as these studies are linked to the Divine Mercy message, devotion and spirituality, for the benefit of the Catholic academic community and those engaged in pastoral service.

As a means of spreading the Divine Mercy message, devotion and spirituality in the life of the Church, the Institute sponsors academic symposia and seminars for Divine Mercy leaders, and lectures and formation opportunities for their spiritual enrichment. The Institute Staff is available to speak at conferences or special programs which focus on the Divine Mercy message.

We contribute articles to the Friends of Mercy newsletter and other periodicals. We also contribute to radio and television programs and hope to develop this area more in the future. As an apostolate of the Congregation of Marians, we share a web page (www.marian.org). We will soon be developing a more complete page which reflects the purpose and activities of the Institute and which provides timely and accurate material on the Divine Mercy message, devotion and spirituality.


Staff

Currently, the staff of the Institute includes Dr. Robert Stackpole, STD, Institute Director and Director of Research, and Christine Kruszyna, our Administrative Assistant. Rev. S. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, STL, SEOL, Director Emeritus and Rev. David Lord, MIC, oversee and assist our work on behalf of the Congregation of Marians. We enlist the services of guest speakers to assist us in presenting seminars.


Seminars, Symposia and Publications

Since the autumn of 1999, the Institute has conducted "Ocean of Mercy" formation seminars for Divine Mercy leaders in Houston, St. Louis, Tampa, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and in the Philippines. In 2002-2003, we will conduct several more seminars: in Lincoln, Nebraska, in Burlington, Wisconsin, near Tucson, Arizona, and in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

The Institute has also led two "on-site" seminars to Poland and Vilnius, which provided opportunities to visit the places associated with the revelations of The Divine Mercy to Saint Faustina.

In the Fall of 1999 we published our first book,
Divine Mercy: The Heart of the Gospel, a compilation of essays presented at the first Divine Mercy Symposium, which was held in Washington, DC in January of 1999.

In the Fall of 2000 we published the
Catechesis of Divine Mercy Sunday, by Rev. Francis X. McGerity, and presented it to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC. At the same time, the Institute published Jesus, Mercy Incarnate, by Dr. Robert Stackpole, STD, the first book in the English language on the Christ Child, the Passion and the Sacred Heart in the light of Saint Faustina, and also Essential Features of The Devotion to The Divine Mercy, by Rev. Ignacy Rozycki, the theologian appointed by Pope John Paul II while he was Cardinal in Cracow to examine the writings of Saint Faustina. Both books are valuable sources for understanding the Divine Mercy message and devotion.

A second symposium was held in Vancouver, Canada, February 2-4, 2001. Entitled, "Saint Faustina and the Catholic Tradition of Spirituality," the Symposium addressed the reality of her deep spirituality and mysticism. Presenters compared the spirituality of St. Faustina with that of other great spiritual writers such as St. Therese of Lisieux, Blessed Dina Belanger, St. John of the Cross, St. Gertrude the Great, St. Augustine and St. Francis of Assisi. We plan to publish the lectures from this symposium in 2003.

In the Fall of 2002, we published a translation from the French of a profound work by Marie-Dominique Philippe, O.P., founder of the Congregation of St. John, entitled,
Mary, Mystery of Mercy, containing reflections on her Immaculate Conception, Presentation, and Annunciation in the light of the Mercy of God


The Institute and the Congregation of Marians

The John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy is an apostolate of the Saint Stanislaus Kostka Province of the Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception. Our work is supported by the Congregation and is one means by which the Province carries out its mission in the modern world to "
Be apostles of Divine Mercy under the maternal and loving guidance of Mary" (John Paul II to the Congregation of Marians.)


To Contact Us

Please phone or e-mail using the information listed below. We would be happy to answer your questions and to be of service in any way we can in spreading the love and knowledge of The Divine Mercy.


To Help Us

We ask especially for the constant prayer support of all who know of our apostolate. As our work depends largely on donations, we are also grateful for any financial assistance we receive.

©2002 John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy
2 Prospect Hill Rd.
Stockbridge, MA 01262 U.S.A.
Phone: 413-298-1184 Fax: 413-298-4559
E-mail:
jp2@marian.org
Website:
www.marian.org





Version: 4th December 2002



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