Blessed Sacrament parishioners pose after their consecration to Divine Mercy April 28. (Photo courtesy of Blessed Sacrament Parish)
By Lei Kondo
Special to the Hawaii Catholic Herald
The Feast of Divine Mercy was celebrated at the 7 a.m. Mass at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Pauoa Valley on April 28.
A 6-foot picture of Jesus with streams of light emanating from his heart was beautifully bedecked with a braided ti leaf lei entwined with small red carnations and baby’s breath.
At the back of the church, memorabilia honored the 14th anniversary of the death of their former pastor, Sacred Hearts Father Mark Consalvi. In 2000, he established a perpetual Mass each Wednesday evening to honor Divine Mercy. This year, his death anniversary coincided with the Divine Mercy feast day. The display illustrated his life as a missionary in Hawaii and the years he served as pastor of Blessed Sacrament.
The Divine Mercy devotion is based on the apparitions of Jesus to the Polish Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska. St. John Paul II canonized St. Maria Faustina on April 30, 2000, the first saint of the new millennium. On May 23, 2000, the pope officially named the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday.
The pastor, Father Steve Nguyen, in his homily, focused on the fears people face. He said Divine Mercy Sunday gives us a chance to turn our fears into trust in Jesus as a merciful savior. As we let go of our fears and replace it with trust, we can begin to make Divine Mercy a way of life. As we look at the image and see the signature, “Jesus, I trust in you,” it should beckon us to contemplate his mercy.
During Lent, several parishioners consecrated themselves to “33 Days of Merciful Love on Divine Mercy Sunday,” an online “retreat” offered by the Marians at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, based on a book by Father Michael Gaitley.
A weekly podcast allowed participants to ponder readings on the topic of the week. The program asked participants to read daily, ponder companion questions, then meet in a small group once a week to reflect and share the readings of that week.
This was all in preparation for Consecration Day. A group from Holy Trinity Parish, who had also done the preparation, joined Blessed Sacrament Parish in the consecration. Father Nguyen and all the participants read the consecration together, making a promise to “merciful love.” It was a beautiful Sunday celebration knowing that the Hawaii participants were simultaneously being consecrated with more than 20,000 pilgrims at the main shrine in Stockbridge.
Diana Leuta, Paulette Hepa, Elizabeth Lum, Lucy Schlemmer and Maria Houghtailing assisted with the floral decorations for the image and environment. Madeline Costa and Deacon Ron Choo provided the memorabilia of Father Consalvi, including a beautiful picture of him.
