Feb
21
2008
By Anonymous (not verified)
By John Foster and Dan Valenti
Over the years, the Polish Social Club at Holy Trinity Church in Westfield, Mass., has raised money for many different causes. They have helped local burn and accident victims recover, raised funds for a family's orphans after a horrible car accident claimed both parents, and have assisted the parish with special projects.
Recently, the club went outside its local sphere to provide a boost for Divine Mercy. The group conducted a number of fundraisers for the Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine built on Eden Hill in Stockbridge, Mass., home of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception.
"We had a dance and a couple of covered-dish suppers. We wanted to help the Marians build this new shrine. In all, we raised $500," says Czeslawa Biegalski from Holy Trinity.
Construction on the new shrine has been going full tilt since site preparation began in September. The walls are up, the roof is on, and work on the inside has begun. The building is expected to be open and serviceable, though not finished, for the Divine Mercy Sunday liturgy on March 30. When the Shrine is completed later in the year, it will bear the words "Holy Trinity Polish Group, Westfield" in a decorative horizontal band made of granite. The band will run long an inside wall of the new shrine, providing a lasting tribute to the group that so generously responded to the Marians' call for help.
"We're a Polish parish," says John Biegalski. "We thought it would be appropriate to help the Marians, who were founded in Poland. And many of our club members are Marian Helpers."
If you or your group would like to help the Marians build the Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine, there are a number of memorial opportunities available. To learn more, call 1-800-671-2020.