“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

These are the words of the prophet Isaiah that Jesus read aloud in the synagogue at the beginning of his public ministry. In doing so, Christ revealed to the people that he is the Messiah, the Chosen One of God sent to fulfill the promises of the Father.

In Old Testament times, it was customary for the kings of Israel to proclaim a Jubilee - an extraordinary year in which the debts of every man were forgiven, and anyone enslaved for unpaid debt was immediately released. In proclaiming the words of Isaiah fulfilled, Jesus, the King of Kings, was announcing a new and eternal Jubilee by which mankind would be set free from the oppression of sin.

This is what our faith is all about, and it’s precisely what our Holy Father Pope Francis is proclaiming in this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. He is reminding you and me that sin no longer has dominion over our souls. With the love of God, our hope is restored. We are freed from the oppression of sin!

I invite you to join me in celebrating this Extraordinary Jubilee by participating in our upcoming Association pilgrimage to the homeland of the three great Mercy Saints: Pope John Paul II, Sister Faustina Kowalska (Divine Mercy), and Father Maximilian Kolbe.

On Saturday, October 8, the pilgrims and I will visit the Divine Mercy Chapel at Saint James Church in Warsaw.

As part of your spiritual participation in this year’s pilgrimage, I am offering three souvenir gifts for your request, all of which are blessed here at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

The first gift is a handmade Year of Mercy Rosary designed by the Association and produced exclusively for this occasion by New England silversmiths. Its translucent, fire red and yellow crackle beads match both the beautiful gold-plated crucifix and the pewter Marian centerpiece.
My second gift is a stunning 8-inch, adjustable Miraculous Medal Cuff Bracelet. It’s made of lightweight stainless steel and showcases alternating front and back Miraculous Medals.
The third gift is our beautiful Pilgrimage Rosary with red beads and a Miraculous Medal centerpiece. Please see the enclosed gift brochure for more details.

Thank you for your prayers and support. Any contribution you send helps promote devotion to Mary under her title of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and allows the world to experience the graciousness of God’s love and mercy through the intercession of our Blessed Mother.

I pray that Mary will guide you on this pilgrimage and surround you and your loved ones with her tender, maternal care. You and your intentions are in our thoughts and prayers here at our Lady’s Shrine.

Sincerely yours in our Lady,

Fr. Kevin McCracken, C.M.
Spiritual Director

P.S. If you are interested in joining the pilgrimage in person, please call the Association office to inquire about availability and cost at 1-800-264-MARY(6279).

P.P.S. Join the pilgrims in spirit by sending us your special intentions to be remembered throughout their holy journey!