Lay Ministers

We are required to receive a letter from the Parish priest for anyone teaching or leading catechetical instruction.  Please see the details below for the format and timing of these letters, as it is the same as for priests and clergy. We appreciate your help in these matters, as the rules are to protect our pilgrims and all youths.

Priests and Clergy

We welcome priests and clergy at the Shrine and are happy to have them join us by concelebrating Mass, assisting us with Confessions, or providing catechetical instruction while on Eden Hill, provided they have had the appropriate letter sent to us in advance. Please read the details below, as we are required to follow these instructions exactly.  Please read the section linked here. The paperwork CAN takeover a month to obtain, and we need to recieve it in advance.

LETTERS OF GOOD STANDING (LGS)

WHO NEEDS TO PROVIDE AN LGS
Letters of Good Standing (not celebrates) are required for all bishops, priests and deacons who wish to concelebrate or hear Confessions during their pilgrimage, as required by the USCCB (The US Conference of Catholic Bishops). Only those within the Diocese of Springfield, Mass. are not required to have an LGS.

WHO PROVIDES THE LGS TO US
The letters should come directly from the priest’s bishop or a religious superior. All deacons, priests, Bishops and Archbishops should be aware that we are required to receive this letter directly from their Bishop’s Chancery or their Provincial Office. Priests, deacons, etc., are NOT allowed to:

• show their celebrate card;
• bring a hard copy of the letter with them;
• ask anyone other than the Chancery to mail or email it to us; we are to receive it directly from the Chancery

FORMAT OF THE LGS
The letter should be on the letterhead of the Bishop or Congregation and must contain the seal of the Diocese/Congregation. The letter must include:

• the priest or deacon’s name;
• the location to which he is coming (the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy);
• the specific dates of his pilgrimage;
• that he is a member of the clergy in good standing;
• that he has followed the current protocols of their Diocese/Congregation.

We are NOT allowed to accept general letters of good standing that are issued for months or years at a time while a priest travels.

You may mail, fax, or email the letters to: [email protected].
The letters of good standing are addressed to our Bishop, and we ask you to please copy the Shrine to the Pilgrimage Office, at [email protected].

TIMING:
We need to receive these letters 1-3 months in advance of your visit. As these can take a while to be processed, please plan in advance to obtain these letters.