Perched on a hilltop overlooking the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy at Eden Hill is the spiritual headquarters of the Divine Mercy movement in the United States and one of the most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites in the country. The shrine is administered by the Marians of the Immaculate Conception — the oldest Marian religious congregation in the world, founded in Poland in 1673 — who have operated from Eden Hill since 1944 and who serve as the principal promoters of the Divine Mercy message in the English-speaking world. The devotion to The Divine Mercy is rooted in the mystical experiences of Sister Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who died in 1938 and was canonised by Pope John Paul II in 2000. Christ appeared to Sister Faustina in a series of visions beginning in 1931, instructing her to promote a message of mercy: that his heart overflows with mercy for sinners, that all who approach him with trust will receive forgiveness, and that he desires a feast of Divine Mercy to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. The image associated with these apparitions — Christ with two rays of light emanating from his heart, one red and one white, with the inscription "Jesus, I trust in you" — has become one of the most recognisable devotional images in the Catholic world. The National Image of Divine Mercy, a large painting based directly on the vision of Sister Faustina, is enshrined at Eden Hill and is a central point of pilgrimage. The site hosts the largest Divine Mercy Sunday celebration in the United States each year, drawing pilgrims from across the country and from many nations.
Home to the National Image of Divine Mercy, based directly on the vision of Saint Faustina Kowalska
Operated by the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, the oldest Marian religious congregation in the world
Hosts the largest Divine Mercy Sunday celebration in the United States each year
Set on Eden Hill overlooking the Berkshire Hills, one of the most beautiful landscapes in New England
Divine Mercy Sunday was established as a universal feast of the Roman Rite by Pope John Paul II in 2000
The Message of Divine Mercy
The Divine Mercy message was revealed to Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska in a series of apparitions beginning on 22 February 1931 in Płock, Poland, and continuing until her death in 1938. Christ appeared to her in a vision wearing a white garment, his right hand raised in blessing, his left hand touching his chest from which emanated two great rays of light — one red, symbolising the blood of the Eucharist and the water of Baptism, and one white, symbolising the soul-cleansing water of grace. He instructed her to have an image painted with the inscription "Jesus, I trust in you," to be venerated throughout the world.
Sister Faustina recorded her visions, prayers and spiritual reflections in a diary that runs to nearly seven hundred pages — known as Divine Mercy in My Soul or simply The Diary. It has been translated into dozens of languages and has sold many millions of copies, making it one of the most widely read texts in modern Catholic devotional literature. She was beatified in 1993 and canonised on Divine Mercy Sunday, 30 April 2000, by Pope John Paul II, who established Divine Mercy Sunday as a universal feast of the Roman Rite.
Eden Hill and the Marians
The Marians of the Immaculate Conception settled at Eden Hill, Stockbridge, in 1944, establishing a community in the beautiful Berkshire Hills. They quickly became the primary English-language publishers and promoters of the Divine Mercy message, particularly after it was temporarily suppressed by the Holy Office in 1959 — a restriction lifted in 1978 following investigation by Pope John Paul II himself. The Marian Helpers Centre at Eden Hill is now one of the largest Catholic publishing operations in the United States, producing prayer cards, books and online resources reaching millions of people.
The Eden Hill property encompasses a complex of shrines, chapels, a museum and a retreat centre set in gardens and woodland. The main church houses the National Image of Divine Mercy in a setting designed for prolonged contemplation. The shrine also houses an extensive collection of art and artefacts relating to Saint Faustina and the history of the movement.
Divine Mercy Sunday
The single most important event in the Eden Hill calendar is Divine Mercy Sunday, celebrated on the second Sunday of Easter. Pope John Paul II established this feast for the universal Church in 2000, and the Stockbridge celebration has grown to become the largest in the United States, drawing many thousands of pilgrims for an all-day programme of prayer, Mass, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy — a prayer taught to Sister Faustina and widely adopted throughout the Catholic world — confessions and veneration of the National Image.
Visiting
The shrine is open throughout the year, with the grounds and chapel accessible daily. The Marian Helpers Centre gift shop carries an extensive range of devotional materials. Stockbridge itself is one of the most beautiful small towns in Massachusetts, home to the Norman Rockwell Museum and set in the scenic Berkshire Hills. The shrine is accessible from New York City, Boston and Albany.