This year we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Coronation of the Icon of Our Lady of Mercy at the Shrine, details of the anniversary celebrations at the end of the post. Here is a short article, as it appeared in The Catholic Weekly announcing the Coronation.
Coronation of icon at monastery – The Catholic Weekly August 12, 2001
The veneration of Our Lady through the use of icons has been an important popular devotion in the Catholic faith for hundreds of years.
The Pope [John Paul II] himself is reported to have a special devotion to the Black Madonna icon in Czestochowka, Poland.
The practice of depicting the Virgin Mary wearing a crown came into use in the era of the Council of Ephesus in the 5th century. It became widespread in the West from the late 16th century, endorsed by popes who carried out the coronation of Marian images.
The Pauline Fathers at Penrose Park are continuing this tradition by hosting a ceremony of coronation of the Icon of Our Lady of Merc on Sunday, August 26.
Icons are already blessed objects; the crowns are usually blessed by the priest.
The crowns to be used at Penrose Park were blessed by Pope John Paul II in Rome in May.
The coronation will take place during a Solemn Mass celebrated at 11am by Archbishop Francesco Canalini, Apostolic Nuncio, and Wollongong’s Bishop Peter Ingham.
The Mass will be followed at 1pm by a presentation of religious music and at 2:15pm by a rosary procession in various languages.
Here are some photos from the occasion (please note these will not appear in the emailed version of this post):
25th Anniversary Program
The Solemnity will be celebrated on Sunday 23rd August 2026 for the good of the Pilgrims
8am: Mass in the Shrine Church 9am: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Lauds in the Shrine Church 9:30am: Usual Mass is CANCELLED! 10:30am: Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and singing of the Pauline Litany of the B.V.M (Kleczki) 11am: Solemn Reception of the Most Rev Brian Mascord DD and Solemn Mass of the Anniversary
The Solemnity Proper is celebrated on Wednesday 26th August 2026
9:30am: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Lauds in the Shrine Church 10:30am: Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and singing of the Pauline Litany of the B.V.M 11am: Solemn Mass of the Solemnity / Anniversary celebrated by Very Rev Jaroslaw Zan OSPPE
Saturday, the 1st of August, we will have our First Saturday Devotions in Honour of Our Lady, as she requested during the apparitions at Fatima. The program will be as always:
10 am Devotional Talk
10:30 am Meditation before the Blessed Sacrament and Confession
11 am Mass
12-noon Rosary Procession around 5 Altars of the Church
Our Lady made several promises connected to the keeping of the First Saturday Devotions for 5 consecutive months, which are the salvation of your own soul, the salvation of sinners and peace in the world.
This year on the 26th of August we will celebrate the Coronation of the Icon of Our Lady of Mercy that hangs in the Shrine Church.
To understand the significance of this a little history is needed. The Icon in the Church is a True Replica of the Black Madonna Icon that is in the Jasna Gora monastery at Czestochowa. The Pauline Fathers, who are the custodians of the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy, have also been custodians of the Icon at Czestochowa since 1382. In 1717 the Icon was solemnly and liturgically crowned. This is was historic since it was the first liturgical coronation, with papal approval, of an image of Our Lady outside of Rome. (The first in Rome was in 1631). Pope Clement XI approved this coronation and offered the Icon a Crown at the request of Fr Constantine Moszynski, the provincial of the Polish Province of the Order of St Paul the First Hermit.
So the coronation of the Icon that hangs in the Shrine Church follows on from this century old tradition. Here are some photos of Pope John Paul II blessing the crowns that were used.
Here are some photos from the 26th of August 2001 when the coronation took place.
So with this year being the 25th Anniversary we want to remember this occasion as we continue leading people to a greater veneration of Our Lady, who then leads them to a greater love of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The Solemnity will be celebrated on Sunday 23rd August 2026 for the good of the Pilgrims
8am: Mass in the Shrine Church 9am: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Lauds in the Shrine Church 9:30am: Usual Mass is CANCELLED! 10:30am: Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and singing of the Pauline Litany of the B.V.M (Kleczki) 11am: Solemn Reception of the Most Rev Brian Mascord DD and Solemn Mass of the Anniversary
The Solemnity Proper is celebrated on Wednesday 26th August 2026
9:30am: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Lauds in the Shrine Church 10:30am: Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and singing of the Pauline Litany of the B.V.M 11am: Solemn Mass of the Solemnity / Anniversary celebrated by Very Rev Jaroslaw Zan OSPPE
Sunday Mass schedule as per normal, Solemn Mass at 11am. There will be a Holy Hour from 2pm-3pm in the Shrine Church, Schedule is:
2pm – Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Spiritual talk
2:20pm – Silent Adoration
2:40pm – Chaplet, Litany and Prayer of Divine Mercy
3pm – Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament & Conclusion
After the conclusion there will be the blessing of religious articles and devotional items purchased from the religious shop or brought along for the occasion.
The annual reenactment of the Lord’s Passion (Passion Play) will take place in the Shrine, commencing at 11am on Good Friday 3rd April 2026. Please note, this is free and open to all, no bookings need to be made. Food & drink will also be available for purchase. Good Friday is also a day of Fasting and abstinence, Pilgrims are allowed to picnic on site but we ask that NO meat is consumed or BBQed on the day.
It is highly recommended that you arrive early to allow extra time to get to the Shrine on Good Friday, we had about 8000 people last year, and it takes time for everyone to enter and get parked.
All events happening on Good Friday at the Shrine are as follows.
Adoration at the Altar of Repose – 8am until 10pm 11am – Passion Play (commencing at the front of the property) 3pm – Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion (In the Shrine Church) 5pm – Novena to Divine Mercy 7pm – Vespers (Prayer of the Church)
ASH WEDNESDAY – 18th FEBRUARY This day commences the Lenten season. Please remember this is a day of Fasting/Abstinence and prayer. Mass with the distribution of Ashes will be celebrated at 11 am (followed by the Stations of the Cross) and 6 pm. Confession will be available before and after both Masses.
PASCHAL PRECEPT A reminder that all Catholics are obliged to go to Confession and Holy Communion at least once a year between Ash Wednesday and Trinity Sunday (31st May).
The tradition of blessing the chalk and Holy water to celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is a beautiful tradition of the Catholic Church. The blessing will take place 6pm on Saturday 3rd January 2026.
Please consider coming along to our working bee on Saturday, the 20th of December, and helping keep the Shrine beautiful and spiritually uplifting for our local area and the pilgrims who visit. This Shrine is a treasure to the Order, the Diocese, and the country; any help and any form of talent are always most welcome.
During this month’s working bee, we will focus on the International Chapels. What is attempted depends on who attends and their interests. The list includes:
Trimming bushes
Fixing the paved path
Mowing
Weeding
Pressure washing
Painting
General cleanup
It would greatly assist in planning if anyone interested in coming would let Fr. Joseph Maria know what projects they might be interested in working on. It is not expected that we will be able to complete the entire list.
If you have tools that can help with the particular task you are interested in, you are encouraged to bring them along.
Saturday, the 6th of December, we will have our First SaturdayDevotions in Honour of Our Lady, as she requested during the apparitions at Fatima. In addition for the Advent Season, we will have an extended program to turn the day into a full-day Advent retreat.
The program will be as follows:
10 am Advent Reflection – Fr Joseph Maria
10:30 am Meditation before the Blessed Sacrament and Confession
11 am Mass
12 noon Rosary Procession around 5 Altars of the Church
12:30 pm BYO Lunch
1:30 pm Advent devotions based on the Jessie Tree
2:00 pm Reflection – Fr Isidore Enyinnaya
The retreat is Free to attend with No Booking. BYO lunch, but tea and coffee are provided in the Marquee.
