# Praying for John Panunzio with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
*2020-04-21*

> Bill Young remembers his longtime friend John Panunzio, who recently passed away, and leads a Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the first day of the Novena to Merciful Love written by Venerable Mother Speranza of Jesus.

## Remembering John

Good afternoon, I’m Bill Young. I’m sad to share that my dear friend John Panunzio, whom I have known since 2007 and have given communion to for many years, passed away on April 20th. He received the Last Rites from Father Joseph of St. Maximilian. John was a lifelong New York City police officer, later a DEA agent in South Florida, and a passionate New York Jets fan. I will always think of him during Jets‑Dolphins games, even if we never get to watch them together again.

## The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

We begin with the 3 p.m. Chaplet of Divine Mercy, asking that John’s soul may be swiftly brought from purgatory to heaven. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we pray:

Lord Jesus, source of life, pour forth your mercy on the whole world. O Blood and Water, fountain of mercy, we trust in you.

We continue with the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Apostles’ Creed, followed by the traditional Chaplet prayers, repeating the invocation “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

We conclude with the triple “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

## Act of Contrition and Spiritual Communion

After the Chaplet we pray an Act of Contrition: “O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee… I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.”

Then we make a Spiritual Communion: “My Jesus, I believe You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things and desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot receive You sacramentally now, I receive You spiritually and unite myself wholly to You.”

We finish with the sign of the Cross.

## Novena to Merciful Love – Day 1

Today we begin the Novena to Merciful Love, composed by Venerable Mother Speranza of Jesus. Mother Speranza (born 30 September 1893 in Spain) founded the Congregation of the Handmaids of Merciful Love and later the Secular Institute of the Children of Merciful Love. Her charism was to proclaim God’s merciful fatherhood, not as a harsh judge but as a loving Father who welcomes the prodigal child.

The introduction reminds us that the Holy Spirit continually bestows gifts for the good of humanity. Mother Speranza’s life of service to the poor, the sick, and the abandoned reflects that mercy.

We open the novena with the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Apostles’ Creed, then pray the introductory prayer:

“My Jesus, my sorrow is great because I have offended You, yet You, like a loving Father, forgive me. I turn to Your merciful love, asking that this novena may grant me the grace to live according to Your precepts and to bear witness to my faith.”

We ask specifically for John’s soul, that if he is in purgatory the Lord may guide him swiftly to heaven.

## Closing Prayer

We conclude with a prayer to the Holy Trinity: “Lord, be my Father, Guardian, and Guide on my pilgrimage; may nothing disturb me, and may I remain steadfast on the path to You.”

We repeat the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Doxology three times, ending with “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”

Finally, Bill says, “We will not say goodbye, John, but ‘see you later.’ I hope to join you in heaven, perhaps watching Jets and Dolphins together. I love you, my friend. Amen.”

*May the mercy of Christ bring John Panunzio swiftly to the joy of heaven.*