Fr. Anthony Welcomes You!

Dearly Beloved,

The priests and brothers of the Congregation of Marians of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary have resided on Eden Hill in Stockbridge, MA, since June 1944. Father Walter Pelczynski, MIC, with the assistance of local clergy and friends of the Marian community, initially purchased 50 of the 370 acres that constituted the "Eden Hill" estate, in November, 1943. The house was to serve as the novitiate (a house for the training of candidates) for the newly forming Saint Stanislaus Kostka province. An image of the "The Divine Mercy" was enshrined in one of the small chapels where the members of the community daily prayed the perpetual novena to The Divine Mercy for our Benefactors and friends and where votive candles constantly burned at the request of the latter.

Pilgrims began to arrive the very next spring to celebrate the Feast of The Divine Mercy, which the Lord requested through Sister Maria Faustina to be observed on the first Sunday after Easter. They also came by busloads for other celebrations or simply to visit. By the end of World War II, pilgrims in growing numbers came to offer thanksgiving for graces received through the Divine Mercy message and devotion. They urged the Marians to build a shrine to Jesus, The Divine Mercy, as a votive of thanks. The Fathers decided to accede to the requests since there was also a need for a larger chapel to accommodate a growing community.

The construction of the present Shrine began in 1950 and was completed and solemnly dedicated in 1960. In 1996, the United States Catholic Bishops Conference declared it a National Shrine in accord with Church law. In the course of history, the National Shrine has been the destination of thousands of pilgrims, even from around the world. They have found it to be a place of rest and renewal in a setting of natural beauty. They experienced peace and spiritual uplifting in the beautifully appointed sanctuary. If you have visited here you know what I am describing is true.

As in the days of the first Fathers who brought us here, we continue to need your spiritual and financial help towards the maintenance of this special place of prayer and repose. Please consider a generous gift to the National Shrine so that the message of The Divine Mercy may continue to reach and comfort humanity.

Peace,

Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC
Shrine Rector

For more information on the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy, contact us at:

National Shrine of The Divine Mercy
Eden Hill
Stockbridge, MA 01262

phone: 413-298-3931
fax: 413-298-3910
e-Mail: shrine@marian.org

 Directions

If you are traveling from or through Pennsylvania, New York, or New Jersey:
Take the New York Thruway North (I-87) to exit 21A. Then exit at the intersection of I-90 (Berkshire section of the Thruway) and proceed East. Exit at B3 (Austerlitz) and follow the signs to Route 22 South (less than a mile), then to Route 102 East, through West Stockbridge and into Stockbridge.

If you are traveling from North of the Massachusetts Turnpike:
Take Route 7 South and follow the signs to Stockbridge.

If you are coming from South of the Mass Pike:
Take Route 7 North from Connecticut and follow the signs to Stockbridge.

If you are arriving from the East via the Mass Pike:
Take Exit 2 (Lee) and follow Route 102 to Stockbridge.

Finding us in Stockbridge:
We are located on Eden Hill between the downtown and the Mass Pike. There is one entrance to the property at the corner of Pine and Vine Streets. From the Red Lion Inn, turn north on Pine Street and continue straight past the tennis courts on your left. The road will come to a 'Y' shape. Keep to your right and proceed up the hill. At the top of the hill, you will find the entrance to the Marian property straight ahead.