HANCEVILLE – Everyone is invited to The Divine Mercy Retreat – The Closeness of God given by Father John Paul Mary Zeller, MFVA. The retreat will take place the weekend of July 8-10 at The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville.
Father John Paul Mary is a priest with the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word (MFVA). The MFVA’s are a religious community of men, founded by the late Mother Angelica in 1987 to preach and teach the Catholic faith through modern means of social communication, television, radio, internet and printed word. They also lead retreats and attend to the spiritual and sacramental needs of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration (the nuns at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery).
“We were founded in 1987 and have a carism to reach out, especially to fallen-away Catholics; those that have been baptized Catholic, raised Catholic, and to help them, in a sense, come back; to answer misconceptions. A lot of it is misconceptions,” Father John Paul Mary explained.
Father John Paul Mary was ordained into the priesthood by Bishop Robert J. Baker on June 22, 2013 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in the Diocese of Birmingham. He is currently assigned to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament as the assistant chaplain.
On Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2016, Father John Paul Mary was commissioned by Pope Francis to be a Missionary of Mercy during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. He received a special mandate to preach and to teach about the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, Forgiveness, the Mercy of God and in Pope Francis’ own words “the closeness of God.”
The Divine Mercy -The Closeness of God weekend retreat will include spiritual talks, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Sacrament of Penance and Eucharistic Adoration. Also, attendees will be able to experience God’s Mercy by walking through the Shrine’s Holy Door of Mercy.
The retreat schedule is as follows:
Friday- Mass 6:30 p.m., Conference Talk (1) 7:30 p.m.
Saturday- Masses 7 a.m. AND 11:30 a.m., Confessions 8 a.m. AND 3 p.m., Conference Talk (2) 9:30 a.m., Eucharistic Healing Service 2 p.m., Conference Talk (3) 7 p.m.
Sunday- Mass 7 a.m. AND 10 a.m., Confessions 8 a.m. and Final Conference 11:30 a.m.
The gift shop will be open Saturday from 8 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. No guided tours of the Shrine will be available. John Paul II Eucharistic Center will be open to walk through on Saturday from 10 -11:15 a.m. and 2-5:30 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration will be available each day, along with the opportunity to receive a Plenary Indulgence by walking through the Shrine's Holy Door of Mercy.
This is a free retreat and no registration is required. Please bring your own food, as food will not be provided. Dining locations are 12 minutes from the Shrine. Please do not wear shorts, sleeveless shirts or skirts above the knees. No photography or video is allowed inside the Upper and Lower Church.
For more information, call 205-795-5722 or visit: www.olamshrine.com.
