The feast of Divine Mercy, or Divine Mercy Sunday, is observed on the octave day of Easter. This year, the feast will be celebrated April 24.

The feast was promoted by St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who kept a diary in the 1930s of Christ’s private revelations, telling her of His message of mercy. She wrote that she first saw a vision of Jesus on Feb. 22, 1931. He had rays of mercy streaming from His heart. Christ told her to have an image painted to represent the vision and to write below it, “Jesus, I trust in you!”

St. Faustina died of tuberculosis in 1938 at age 33. St. John Paul II canonized her in 2000 and declared Divine Mercy Sunday a worldwide feast day. Two years later, he granted a plenary indulgence for those who participate in the devotion. St. John Paul II was canonized on the feast of Divine Mercy in 2014.

To receive the graces of the plenary indulgence on Divine Mercy Sunday, along with the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Holy Communion and prayers for the intentions of the pope), the faithful, while in a state of grace and detached from venial sin, are asked to take part in the prayers and devotions the Second Sunday of Easter held in honor of Divine Mercy in any church or chapel, or else they should recite the Our Father and Creed before the Blessed Sacrament adding a devotional prayer to our Lord.

Catholics also are encouraged to pray the novena of Divine Mercy, which begins Good Friday and ends the Saturday before Divine Mercy Sunday; to pray the Divine Mercy chaplet; and to be merciful toward others through words, actions and prayers. (To learn how to pray the Divine Mercy chaplet and novena, visit www.thedivinemercy.org.)

Divine Mercy celebrations with Mass

CARMELITE MONASTERY, 9150 Clayton Road in Ladue; 2 p.m. confessions, prayers and communal adoration; 3 p.m. Divine Mercy chaplet; 3:20 p.m. Mass celebrated by Father John Hansen, SMP.

CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF SAINT LOUIS, 4431 Lindell Blvd. at Newstead Avenue; Mass at noon with Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski, followed by eucharistic adoration, confessions, and ending with Divine Mercy chaplet and Benediction at 3 p.m.

GOOD SHEPHERD, 703 N. Third St. in Hillsboro; 2 p.m. exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, recitation of the indulgence prayers and confessions; 2:30 p.m. veneration of the Divine Mercy image; 3 p.m. Divine Mercy chaplet; and culminating with 3:20 p.m. Mass with Father Ryan Weber.

HOLY INFANT, 627 Dennison Drive in Ballwin; 2 p.m. exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by the Rosary and the litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; 3 p.m. Divine Mercy chaplet, followed by Benediction and then Mass.

INCARNATE WORD, 13416 Olive Blvd. in Chesterfield; 12:15 p.m. Mass, 1:30-3 p.m. exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, confessions, veneration of Divine Mercy image, Divine Mercy chaplet, ending with Benediction.

OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE, 4696 Notre Dame Lane in House Springs; blessing of Divine Mercy image during weekend Masses (5 p.m. Saturday and 8 and 10 a.m. Sunday); following all Masses, there will be a Divine Mercy chaplet and prayers for the plenary indulgence, Divine Mercy litany and veneration of the image and first-class relic of St. Faustina.

SACRED HEART, 555 Bailey Road in Crystal City; following 11 a.m. Mass, there will be an hour of Divine Mercy with the Apostolate for Family Consecration Divine Mercy video and a talk, meditations on the Rosary and Divine Mercy chaplet; confessions will be available.

ST. ANGELA MERICI, 3860 N. Highway 67 in Florissant; Divine Mercy conference on Saturday, April 23, from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Mass will be celebrated at 8 a.m., followed by several presentations. Confessions will be available. Cost is $20, which includes continental breakfast, lunch and presentations. Call (636) 447-6000.

ST. FERDINAND, 1765 Charbonier Road in Florissant; 1 p.m. eucharistic adoration, including exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, blessing of the Divine Mercy image and Divine Mercy chaplet; confessions will be available. Mass will be celebrated at 3 p.m.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES ORATORY, 2653 Ohio Ave. in south St. Louis; 8 a.m. Low Mass, 10:30 a.m. Solemn High Mass; confessions will be available.

ST. JAMES, 1107 Summit Drive in Catawissa; 10 a.m. Mass, followed by confessions and eucharistic adoration from 11 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. and concluding with Benediction.

ST. JOHN PAUL II, 4980 Heege Road in Affton; Confessions begin at 1:30 p.m., continuing through a Holy Hour at 2 p.m. with recitation of the Rosary and the Divine Mercy chaplet; Benediction at 2:45 p.m., followed by Mass at 3 p.m.

Divine Mercy celebrations without Mass

ASSUMPTION, 603 Miller St. in New Haven; 2 p.m. exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, with confessions; 3 p.m. Divine Mercy chaplet, ending with Benediction.

MARY MOTHER OF THE CHURCH, 5901 Kerth Road in south St. Louis County; The Divine Mercy chaplet will be prayed after all weekend Masses (4:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday) in the St. Anne Room.

ST. DAVID, 2334 Tenbrook Road in Arnold; confessions offered from 1:30-2 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour from 2-3 p.m., and ending with Benediction.

ST. FRANCIS BORGIA, 115 Cedar St. in Washington; 2 p.m. exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, confessions, Rosary, Divine Mercy chaplet, closing with Benediction.

A Divine Mercy Day of Reflection also will be held Saturday, April 23, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Jesuit Hall choir room and will include Mass and speakers. RSVP by April 18 to Bill Gegg at (636) 667-7867 or [email protected].

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, 4556 Telegraph Road in Oakville; 3 p.m. eucharistic adoration, confessions, Divine Mercy chaplet, ending with Benediction.

STE. GENEVIEVE, 49 DuBourg Place in Ste. Genevieve; Holy Hour at 3 p.m., including exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Divine Mercy chaplet and Benediction. Confessions will be available.

ST. GERARD MAJELLA, 1969 Dougherty Ferry Road in Kirkwood; 2:30-4 p.m. blessing of a new Divine Mercy image, eucharistic adoration, singing of the Divine Mercy chaplet at 3 p.m., Divine Mercy litany and ending with Benediction, divine praises and closing hymn; confessions begin at 2 p.m. until all are heard; a viewing and veneration of first-class relics of St. Faustina (bone) and St. Gerard Majella (bone) will be available from 1:45 p.m. up until the time of the service, and again after the closing hymn.

ST. MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE, 4900 Ringer Road in Oakville; 2:30-3:30 p.m. Holy Hour, including exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Divine Mercy devotions, confessions, and ending with Benediction.

ST. NORBERT, 16455 New Halls Ferry Road in Florissant; 2 p.m. Rosary and confessions; 3 p.m. eucharistic adoration, Divine Mercy chaplet and ending with Benediction.

ST. PAUL, 15 Forest Knoll in Fenton; 1 p.m. eucharistic adoration, including recitation of Divine Mercy chaplet at 3 p.m., and ending with Benediction at 4 p.m.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL, 1000 Rosati Court in Perryville; 3 p.m. exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Divine Mercy chaplet and viewing of Divine Mercy image.