Pope Francis proclaimed Jubilee 2025 as a holy year of hope, which began Christmas Eve 2024 and concludes Jan. 6, 2026. Additional information about observing Jubilee 2025 is available at https://stcdio.org/jubilee-2025-pilgrims-of-hope/.
The practice of pilgrimage has a special place in the holy year because it represents the journey each person makes in this life. The St. Cloud Diocese is home to many sacred sites for people to visit. Bishop Patrick M. Neary, CSC, has encouraged parishioners to pray at these sites throughout the year as well as with the diocese’s religious communities.
The Central Minnesota Catholic introduced a Jubilee Passport to encourage people to participate in pilgrimages and perform corporal and spiritual acts of mercy which may provide eligibility to receive plenary indulgences during this year. The passport may be downloaded at https://stcdio.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2025-Jubilee-Passport-11-19-24-FINAL-web.pdf.
Where is it?
In 1980, Deacon Lawrence Kaas carved the Merciful Jesus image located at St. Paul Church.
The construction of St. Paul Church, 304 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, was a providence of Divine Mercy. On Sunday, April 10, 1904, Bishop James Trobec blessed the cornerstone of the church and laid it upon the foundation. This date is significant as Sunday, April 10, 1904, was the Sunday after Easter, which is now known as Divine Mercy Sunday. The blessing of the cornerstone was at 3 p.m., known as the Hour of Mercy because it was the hour of Jesus’ death. The blessing took place one year before St. Faustina was born.
On April 18, 1982, the Sunday after Easter, Bishop George Speltz blessed the Divine Mercy carving and dedicated the community along with the Diocese of St. Cloud to Divine Mercy.
What will you see?
The Divine Mercy image, also known as the Merciful Jesus carving, was carved by Deacon Lawrence Kaas in 1980. The image is made of butternut wood from the Cold Spring Saw Mill. The cross is made of white oak from northern Minnesota and the red and white rays are made of bamboo. It was carved in an iconic style with the words “Jesus, I trust in Thee.”
The image, on the altar of St. Joseph, captures Sister Faustina’s image of Jesus standing before her clothed in a white garment with his right hand raised in blessing. His left hand was touching his garment in the area of his heart, from where two large rays came forth. Jesus said, “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world.” (Diary of St. Faustina, 47)
A committee of four men took to heart the message of Sister Faustina and began to spread the message of love and mercy. St. Paul Church has celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday for the past 34 years — even before it was proclaimed Divine Mercy Sunday by St. John Paul II in 2000.
Who was St. Faustina?
Sister Faustina was born Helen Kowalska in the village of Glogowiec near Lodz, Poland. At the age of 20 she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. In a vision, Jesus chose her as “His Apostle and Secretary of Mercy” so she would share the urgent message of Divine Mercy with “our troubled modern world.”
In 1934, in obedience to her spiritual director, Sister Faustina began to keep a diary, which she titled “The Divine Mercy in My Soul.” This account of revelations and spiritual experiences reveals how Jesus entrusted to her the mission of announcing to the world the message and devotion to his Divine Mercy.
Sister Faustina died in 1938. The devotion was beginning to spread throughout Europe and in 1941 it was brought to the United States. St. John Paul II canonized Sister Faustina on Divine Mercy Sunday, 2000. At that time he announced the Sunday after Easter would be celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday.
For more information about the shrine, call St. Paul Church at 320-352-2196 or visit www.parishesontheprairie.org.
Divine Mercy celebration 2025
The Divine Mercy Sunday celebration is from 1 to 4 p.m. April 27 at St. Paul Parish.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 1 p.m.
Sacrament of reconciliation from 2 to 3:45 p.m.
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Consecration to Divine Mercy is at 3 p.m., with Benediction at 3:45 p.m.
Mass is at 4 p.m. followed by a procession to the St. Faustina Chapel of Divine Mercy, which contains relics of Sts. Faustina and Maximilian Kolbe.
(A light meal is served in the church basement after the procession.)