Easter Celebrations Reflect on Mercy

April 16, 2026

Every year, our young people and coworkers gather during Easter week to celebrate the holiday together. This year’s gathering focused on the gifts of life and God’s mercy, specifically as reflected in the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. 

The events at both of our residential campuses began with a spiritual celebration. This year, Marc Velasquez, director of milieu training and cultural-spiritual engagement, asked our young people to send him a photo that best represented being alive. Youth speakers then shared more about their photos and what they meant to them. 

Zachariah shared three photos: one of St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, a picture of downtown Chicago, and a photo of high- rise buildings along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago.

“All the pictures made me feel alive because I’m grateful for being free and having the freedom to walk around our beautiful city,” he said. “I’m just thankful for being in Chicago period because some people don’t live in cities like our city.”

Julian shared a photo of the sunrise.

“The sunrise represents the start of a new day,” he said. “Every single day is a new opportunity to do something different; you’ll never be the same every single day. … You go through different opportunities. Mercy Home [has given me] an opportunity to move forward. I’ve been able to grow very much because of it, and I’m thankful I get to see the sunset every single day.”

Kendall shared a photo of her with her mom and her mom’s boyfriend. She explained that the photo reminded her that she has two people in her life who care about her.

“Me and my mom have had some rough times, but now as I get deeper into my treatment [at Mercy Home], I can feel her love and peace gravitate towards me,” she said. “I am so grateful that God has blessed me with all of these wonderful gifts. I feel so blessed because … those two people are in my life to support me and guide me through this journey.”

One of the pictures Simone shared was a picture of her on her first day of school, right after coming to Mercy Home.

“Mercy changed my life significantly, and I enjoy being here because not only do I have opportunities and changes to grow, but I also have more chances to live,” she said. 

Following the youth speeches, Fr. Scott gave his Easter reflection, starting with a reading of the Gospel of Matthew describing Jesus’s execution and Judas’s remorse for his betrayal. Fr. Scott then showed the young people and coworkers a photo of a carving inside a medieval basilica in France. It shows Jesus carrying Judas’s body on His shoulders, symbolizing God’s boundless love and mercy. 

“One of the great images of Jesus is as the Good Shepherd who carries all of us in and through the challenging moments of our lives,” Fr. Scott said. “It’s an image that portrays that God is with us in every moment of life.”

Fr. Scott went onto explain that every life has its challenges, and we can be assured that God is with us in all of these moments.  

“We call this home Mercy Home,” he said. “We depend upon the mercy of God in all of our lives. … When I first saw this carving, it forced me to reflect and pray and ponder. I think about the many ways in which God supports, carries, loves me and my family and friends and coworkers here at Mercy Home and all of our young people. God shows His tender mercy and love in all of his creation.”

Following Fr. Scott’s reflection, everyone dug into a delicious Easter meal of chicken, ham, potatoes, veggies, rolls, and desserts. Youth living at our girls home even enjoyed a visit from the Easter Bunny and the annual the Easter egg hunt. The front lawn of the girls home was strewn with hundreds of colorful eggs packed with candy. Everyone had a great time collecting the hidden treasures, and several young people were especially lucky, having found the coveted golden eggs that could be traded in for special gifts.

The night at both campuses ended with our kids receiving Easter baskets from our friends at Fill a Heart 4 Kids, the perfect way to conclude a special, inspiring night spent celebrating together. The nonprofit organization provides a wide variety of care and support that helps transform holidays into special experiences to help children feel loved and remembered and has donated Easter baskets for several years.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who played a part in making this Easter a special one for our young people!