A Season That Continues: Divine Mercy Sunday Across the Diocese of Erie
By Allison Mosier04/13/2026
The celebration of Easter does not end with Easter Sunday. In the life of the Church, the Resurrection is too profound to be contained in a single day. Instead, it unfolds across 50 days—the Easter season—stretching from Easter Sunday to Pentecost. During this time, parishes continue to celebrate the joy of new life, renewed faith and the presence of the risen Christ.
Divine Mercy Sunday, observed one week after Easter, offers a powerful moment within this season—a reminder that the mercy of Christ is not only received, but lived and shared. Across the Diocese of Erie, that message was visible in a particular way this year, as parishes and campus communities continued to welcome new members into the Church and celebrate the sacraments.
While many enter the Church at the Easter Vigil, that moment looked different for college students at Gannon University and Mercyhurst University. Because students had returned home for Easter break, their initiation into the Catholic faith took place on Divine Mercy Sunday—extending the celebration in a meaningful way.
At Gannon University, where the liturgy was celebrated by Father Michael Kesicki, 10 students were welcomed into the Church through the Sacraments of Initiation, completing their journey through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). Across town at Mercyhurst University, 12 students were likewise received into full communion with the Church during a liturgy celebrated by Father Luke Daghir.
Behind each of these moments stands the steady, faithful work of campus ministry. At both universities, campus ministry teams played a vital role in walking with students throughout the OCIA process—creating space for questions, fostering community and accompanying them in prayer and formation. For many students navigating life away from home, these ministries become places of encounter—where relationships are formed, faith is nurtured and the call of Christ becomes personal.
Their presence underscores an important truth of the Easter season: that initiation into the Church is not a single moment, but part of an ongoing journey supported by the wider community of faith.
That same spirit of renewal was evident beyond Erie, as the Most Rev. Lawrence T. Persico traveled to Clearfield Pennsylvania to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Francis of Assisi Parish. There, 26 students from multiple parishes were confirmed, including St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Clearfield, Christ the King Parish in Houtzdale, St. Agnes Parish in Morrisdale, St. Basil the Great Parish in Coalport and St. Timothy Parish in Curwensville.
It was a day marked by new beginnings—a visible reminder that the grace of Easter continues to take root in the hearts of the faithful.
In his message to those receiving the sacrament, Bishop Persico emphasized that their journey of faith is not complete, but just beginning.
“The path you have begun does not end here,” he shared. “It is only the beginning. Continue to grow in your relationship with Christ—be present at Mass each week, receive the Eucharist, spend time in prayer and listen for how God is calling you.”
He encouraged them to remain open to that call, to discern their vocation with trust and to live as true disciples of Christ in the world.
That invitation—to encounter Christ, to live the faith and to share His love—echoes throughout the Easter season. Divine Mercy Sunday serves as both a continuation and a sending forth: a reminder that what has been received must now be lived.
Across the Diocese of Erie, from parish churches to college campuses, that mission is already underway. New members have been welcomed. Young people have been confirmed. Communities continue to gather at the Eucharist, strengthened by the same risen Lord.
The celebration continues—and so does the call.
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