National Shrine of The Divine Mercy

Welcome & About the National Shrine

The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy sits on 375 acres of rolling Berkshire Hill country called Eden Hill, the highest point in the town of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It is staffed by the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, a religious congregation whose U.S. work centers on the message of Divine Mercy as revealed to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. Visitors are welcomed each day — 365 days a year — by the Rector of the Shrine and the Marian community for Mass, Confession, Adoration, Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and a unique blessing with a first-class relic of St. Faustina. Beyond the Shrine Church the grounds include the Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine, the Shrine of the Holy Innocents, a life-sized outdoor Way of the Cross, the Holy Family Shrine, the Lourdes Grotto & Immaculate Conception Candle Shrine, and the Our Lady of Mercy Candle Shrine & Oratory. The Marian Helpers Center and the Divine Mercy Gift Shop on Eden Hill complete the pilgrimage experience.

History of Eden Hill and the Shrine

Eden Hill has been a Catholic mission site since the 18th century, when the Rev. John Sergeant founded a mission to the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians there. The hill passed through private hands — David Dudley Field Jr. (1855), the Woodward family of Woodward & Lothop (1906), and ultimately an Episcopalian school (St. Edmund's School, 1938) — before the Marian Fathers purchased the property on November 24, 1943, through the initiative of Fr. Joseph Luniewski, MIC, and the field work of Fr. Walter Pelczynski, MIC. The community moved in during June 1944, immediately began the perpetual novena to The Divine Mercy, and in May 1950 broke ground for the Shrine, which was solemnly dedicated by Bishop Christopher Weldon of Springfield on May 30, 1960. The USCCB designated it a National Shrine in 1996, and a major new Marian monastery and chapel broke ground in December 2024.

• November 24, 1943 — Eden Hill purchased by the Marians
• June 1944 — Marian community moves onto Eden Hill
• May 1950 — Ground broken for the Shrine of The Divine Mercy
• 1951–1955 — Foundation, walls, roof framing, three years of woodcarving
• 1954 — First Marian Week raises donations
• May 30, 1960 — Solemn dedication of the Shrine by Bishop Christopher Weldon, debt-free
• 1996 — Designated a National Shrine by the USCCB
• 2000 — St. Faustina canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday; Feast of Divine Mercy proclaimed
• December 2024 — Ground broken for a new $29 million Marian monastery and chapel

Daily Shrine Schedule

The Shrine Chapel publishes a clear daily schedule so that pilgrims can plan a full day of prayer. Mass is celebrated at least three times a day on weekdays and four times a day on Sundays; the 9:00 a.m. Mass is livestreamed daily on the Shrine website and YouTube. From 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. every day the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for Adoration and the Holy Rosary is prayed; on most days this is also the most reliable slot for the Sacrament of Confession. At 3:00 p.m. the community gathers for the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy, Benediction, and the blessing of religious articles and a first-class relic of St. Faustina. Saturday adds an 11:00 a.m. 'Explaining the Faith' or 'Marian Teaching' talk (livestreamed on DivineMercyPlus.org and YouTube) and a short 3:30 p.m. confession window; Sunday also offers 3:30 p.m. confessions.

Sacraments and Devotions

The Shrine is a place of the full sacramental life rather than just a museum church: daily Mass, daily Confession, daily Eucharistic Adoration, the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Benediction with a first-class relic of St. Faustina, monthly First Friday and First Saturday Devotions, Healing Masses, and — by arrangement through the Shrine office — weddings, quinceañeras, and other sacramental celebrations. Anointing of the Sick is offered at Healing Masses, and the Shrine's Sacramental information page is the entry point for requesting any special celebration.

• Daily Mass
• Confession — daily 1:00–2:00 p.m., plus Saturdays & Sundays 3:30 p.m.
• Eucharistic Adoration — daily 1:00–2:00 p.m.
• Rosary — daily 1:00–2:00 p.m.
• Chaplet of The Divine Mercy & Benediction — daily 3:00 p.m.
• Blessing with a first-class relic of St. Faustina — daily at 3:00 p.m.
• First Friday & First Saturday Devotions
• Healing Mass with Anointing of the Sick
• Blessing of religious articles

Major Annual Events

The year at Eden Hill builds toward two great public gatherings: the annual Divine Mercy Weekend on the Sunday after Easter, which draws more than 15,000 pilgrims and at which the 9:00 a.m. Mass is broadcast live on EWTN; and the annual Encuentro Latino, a Spanish-language pilgrimage day held in early August. Other regular events include the monthly Healing Mass, the Commemoration of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (mid-July), guided Outdoor Stations of the Cross through October, and the Marian Teaching and 'Explaining the Faith' talk series that runs most Saturdays.

• Divine Mercy Weekend — Sunday after Easter (15,000+ pilgrims; televised on EWTN)
• Encuentro Latino — early August
• Healing Mass — monthly, typically Tuesday 7:00 p.m.
• Outdoor Stations of the Cross — May through October
• Commemoration of Our Lady of Mount Carmel — annual
• 'Explaining the Faith' & 'Marian Teaching' Saturday Talks — weekly

The Marian Fathers and Eden Hill

The Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary — commonly called the Marian Fathers (M.I.C.) — is a fraternal community of consecrated life in the Roman Catholic Church devoted to Mary Immaculate, the Holy Souls in Purgatory, and the message of Divine Mercy. In the United States the Marians are best known for their work from Eden Hill in Stockbridge, where they publish the Marian Helper magazine, run the Association of Marian Helpers, and operate the DivineMercyPlus.org media apostolate. The Marian community shares daily prayer — including the Liturgy of the Hours and the Rosary — and is the home of the provincial superior of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy Province. A new 40-room monastery and community chapel (the first new construction on Eden Hill since 1960) is scheduled for completion in fall 2026.

• Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception (M.I.C.)
• Association of Marian Helpers (lay affiliate)
• Marian Helper magazine
• DivineMercyPlus.org media apostolate
• EWTN televised liturgies
• New 40-room monastery & community chapel (2024–2026)

Plan Your Visit

The Shrine publishes a four-hour 'Pilgrimage Itinerary' designed for first-time visitors, beginning with arrival around 11:30 a.m., a walk through the life-sized outdoor Stations of the Cross (a long but gently sloping paved, handicap-accessible path), lunch on the grounds (bring your own), the 1:00–2:00 p.m. hour of Adoration with the Rosary, the 2:00 p.m. Mass, the 3:00 p.m. Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Benediction, the blessing of religious articles, and departure around 4:00 p.m. Pilgrims can also visit the Marian Helpers Center and the Divine Mercy Gift Shop. Buses and groups of 15 or more pilgrims are asked to register in advance with the Pilgrimage Office ([email protected], 413-298-1119).

• Pilgrimage Itinerary (recommended 4-hour visit)
• Marian Helpers Center & Our Lady of Mercy Oratory
• Divine Mercy Gift Shop — largest Catholic book and religious article source in western New England
• Group & bus registration ([email protected])
• Handicap accessibility at Shrine Church, Shrine of the Holy Innocents, Stations of the Cross, Gift Shop, and Our Lady of Mercy Oratory

Getting Involved

The Shrine depends on the help of lay friends and Marian Helpers for both daily operations and its largest event, Divine Mercy Weekend. Pilgrims can volunteer through the year ([email protected], 413-298-1114), light candles for loved ones on-site or by online request, donate online through the Shrine website, shop at the Divine Mercy Gift Shop (online and on-site), or join the Association of Marian Helpers, the lay affiliate of the Marian Fathers that publishes the Marian Helper magazine and supports the mission of Mercy worldwide.

• Volunteer (Pilgrimage weekend and year-round)
• Donate online
• Online candle requests
• Divine Mercy Gift Shop (on-site and online)
• Association of Marian Helpers (lay affiliate / Marian Helper magazine)

Outdoor Shrines on Eden Hill

Beyond the Shrine Church, the Eden Hill grounds host a constellation of devotional sites that are open to visitors year-round: the Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine (a large outdoor altar that seats more than twice as many pilgrims as the Shrine Church and is used for Divine Mercy Weekend and large feast days); the Shrine of the Holy Innocents; the life-sized outdoor Way of the Cross; the Holy Family Shrine; the Lourdes Grotto and Immaculate Conception Candle Shrine; and the Our Lady of Mercy Candle Shrine & Oratory at the Marian Helpers Center. Most of these outdoor shrines are also 'candle shrines' where pilgrims may light candles for their intentions.

• Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine
• Shrine of the Holy Innocents
• Life-Sized Way of the Cross
• Holy Family Shrine
• Lourdes Grotto & Immaculate Conception Candle Shrine
• Our Lady of Mercy Candle Shrine & Oratory (Marian Helpers Center)