The Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) is now featuring the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception's 13-part teaching program, Cenacle of The Divine Mercy, based on the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and St. Faustina's Diary.
We invite you to download the lesson plans and follow along.
The program is now airing daily at 6 a.m. (EST). It will air through Wednesday, March 2. (The program is listed under "Original EWTN Productions" on EWTN's schedule). Note one exception: There will be a double airing on Sunday, Feb. 27, at 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.
Filmed at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass., in 2007, the program is hosted by Fr. Joseph Roesch, MIC, and Dr. Bryan Thatcher, MD, director of Eucharistic Apostles of The Divine Mercy (EADM), an apostolate of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, a Congregation that has been spreading the message of The Divine Mercy since 1941.
Created exclusively for EWTN, topics for each 30-minute show include "What is Divine Mercy?," "St. Faustina," "The Divine Mercy Image," "Sacrament of Reconciliation," "Eucharist," "The Divine Mercy Chaplet," "John Paul II, the Great Mercy Pope," "Mary, the Mother of Mercy," "Trust," "Mercy," "Forgiveness," "Suffering," and "Works of Mercy."
The series is based on EADM's Divine Mercy prayer cenacle program. Due to the efforts of the Marians and EADM, thousands of prayer cenacles have formed in parishes around the world that meet regularly for prayer and discussion on Scripture, the Catechism, and the writings of St. Faustina (1905-1938) whose Diary contains Christ's call to "aching mankind" (Diary, 1074).
The word "cenacle," also known as the "Upper Room," is the term used for the site of the Last Supper. It was Ground Zero for humanity's salvation and, as it were, the first Christian church.
Today, Divine Mercy cenacles resonate with the Good News that the Feast of the Lamb is a buffet for all. Its members follow Christ's call to grow in union with Him and to perform works of mercy. That is to say, an EADM cenacle serves as Ground Zero for the assembly of a Christian soul.
The goal of the EWTN series - indeed, the goal of the thousands of cenacles of The Divine Mercy that have formed worldwide - is to delve deeply into the mystery of God's mercy, to increase the awareness that the message of Divine Mercy is one that needs to be lived daily, and to call on all to be Christlike.
The cenacle series now airing was the first of two produced at the National Shrine. EWTN may soon be re-airing the second series.
"The first series was very successful and well received," said Dr. Thatcher, who founded EADM 15 years ago. "EWTN has aired it several times now because of the great response. I've received calls and correspondence from as far away as the Sudan from people who watched it and were moved to begin cenacles in their own parishes. It's been really powerful."
Books of the cenacle series are available for purchase through our online catalogue. We invite you to download the free lesson plans and follow along.
We'll let you know if and when the second series will air.
