MOUNT CARMEL - As Blessed Pope John Paul II was being beatified in Rome, parishioners in Mount Carmel celebrated by praying for divine mercy, much like the former pontiff did in his lifetime.
The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was the site for the praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet on Divine Mercy Sunday. The Rev. Francis Karwacki, who led the service, talked about how Pope John Paul II was instrumental in bringing the chaplet to the church.
"It was Pope John Paul II, who pushed while he was a cardinal to have the church believe the vision of Jesus Christ that appeared to Sister Faustina in 1933, the last recorded time in history that Jesus Christ is to have appeared on earth," Karwacki said.
Using a Rosary, the faithful knelt and prayed for the world, much like the pontiff did. Instead of the "Hail Mary" Prayer on the Rosary, they repeated, "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and the whole world," with assistance from the church's choir and volunteers from the "Lift Your Spirits" Performing Arts Group.
"Mercy is a fitting theme for Pope John Paul II, who showed the ultimate act of mercy when he forgave Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who attempted to assassinate him in 1981," Karwacki said.