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<p>LAFLIN &#8212; Several Catholic churches around the area will observe Divine Mercy Sunday this weekend with special prayers, benediction and Eucharistic adoration.</p><p>&#8220;Last year I had at least 400 people, probably more. I&#8217;m just overjoyed that they all come,&#8221; said Cathy Mack, who has organized her 11th annual Divine Mercy service, set to begin at 1 p.m. April 23 at St. Maria Goretti Church on Laflin Road.</p><p>People who attend the services believe they are fulfilling the wishes Jesus Christ revealed in visions to a Polish nun, now known as St. Faustina, during the 1930s. &#8220;Everything is in her 600-page diary,&#8221; Mack said. &#8220;Jesus told Faustina that he wanted this Feast of Mercy on the Sunday after Easter.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;She had these visions before World War II, and it&#8217;s worse now,&#8221; Mack said. &#8220;We need his mercy more than ever.&#8221;</p><p>Urging people to attend, she said, &#8220;It&#8217;s like getting a second baptism.&#8221;</p><p>The services at St. Maria Goretti Church begin at 1 p.m. with the sacrament of reconciliation (confessions) and recitation of the rosary followed at 2 p.m. by blessing of the image of Divine Mercy and Mass, with exposition of the blessed sacrament and blessing with a first-class relic of St. Faustina at 3 p.m. &#8220;It&#8217;s a small piece of bone,&#8221; Mack said, explaining the relic.</p><p>Divine Mercy services also will be held April 23 in Nanticoke at the Parish of St. Faustina, 520 South Hanover Street, with confessions at 1 p.m., Eucharistic adoration at 2 p.m. and the recitation of the Divine Mercy Novena at 3 p.m.</p><p>The Parish of St. Andrew, 316 Parrish St., Wilkes-Barre, will have a &#8220;Holy Hour&#8221; of prayer at 2 p.m. April 23, with Eucharistic adoration, the Divine Mercy chaplet, rosary and benediction.</p><p>And, at St. Lucy Church, 949 Scranton St., Scranton, the services begin at noon with rosary and confessions, followed by Mass at 2 p.m. and the chaplet of Divine Mercy, blessing with a relic of St. Faustina and benediction at 3 p.m.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Worshippers attend a previous Divine Mercy Sunday Mass at St. Maria Goretti Church in Laflin. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_divine.mercy_.jpg</photo0><caption0>Worshippers attend a previous Divine Mercy Sunday Mass at St. Maria Goretti Church in Laflin. </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p><strong>By Mary Therese Biebel</strong></p><p>mbiebel@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>DIVINE MERCY INFO</strong></p><p>At St. Maria Goretti Church in Laflin: 570-654-6063</p><p>At. St. Lucy Church in Scranton: 570-347-9421</p><p>At. St. Faustina Parish in Nanticoke: 570-735-4833</p><p>At St. Andrew Parish in Wilkes-Barre 570-823-1948</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Divine Mercy Sunday services set for April 23 at local Catholic churches