Sister Confida dedicated her life to sharing the Divine Mercy devotion when she joined the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. This Sunday, she will unite her prayers with Knights around the country who will virtually join Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori at the Feast of Divine Mercy Mass on April 19 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, Md.
“Divine mercy is God’s response to the ignorance of who God really is,” Sister Confida said. “Many people have a false image of God, as merely a God of justice, but it is also just for God to be merciful.”
Sister Confida is stationed at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C. The shrine has been leading an Order-wide devotion since Good Friday, inviting Knights and their families to unite in praying the Divine Mercy novena and chaplet. The shrine is a Knights of Columbus initiative.
Devotion to the Divine Mercy began with St. Faustina Kowalska—a young Polish nun who received private revelations from Jesus and recorded them in a diary. The messages expressed God’s merciful love for mankind and offered insight into the character of Christ. She was canonized by St. John Paul II in 2000.
This message, encapsulated in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Novena of Divine Mercy, is what drew Sister Confida towards the religious life while she was still in high school. One day, while having a conversation with a priest, they agreed there was no more beautiful charism than mercy.
“It’s God’s response to the evil in the world. It is God’s response to the world’s despair, but it’s also God’s response to the world’s ignorance of who God truly is,” said Sister. Confida. “Pope Benedict said something about how the worst anxiety is the fear of not being loved. That is so true, especially among the young people. But in the diary of St. Faustina, Jesus says to the despairing soul, all is not yet lost.”
Sister Confida hopes the pandemic help many people recover their faith, and help others’ grow deeper and stronger.
“God does nothing without this goal in mind,” she said. “Even this pandemic—we must simply trust in God. Our Lord says do not be afraid of what will happen to you, I am love and mercy itself, I will give you nothing beyond your strength. And also, in God’s plan there is always an element of mystery. But at the same time, God is our merciful father, he is not going to leave us alone. We will always be loved by him. Saint Catherine of Siena is right to say all is ordained for the salvation of men.”
The Mass celebrations will begin at 2pm EDT. There will also be a Chaplet of Divine Mercy following the Mass. Join us online from the Saint John Paul II Shrine’s YouTube channel.
For more information on the lives of St. Faustina, St. John Paul II and the Divine Mercy revelations, check out the Knights YouTube channel.
Share your story of how the Divine Mercy devotion is helping strengthen people’s faith and during this time. Email william.nardi@kofc.org.
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Knights of Columbus News Bureau
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