Pope Francis deemed 2016 the Holy Year of Mercy and to coincide with that theme, Our Lady of Sorrows and Saint Martin de Tours Catholic Churches in Saint Martinville are celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday with a festival.

The event, sponsored by the Fete-Dieu Du Teche features prayer, music, outdoor mass and a special seminar, movie and expo on Mother Teresa. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Saint Martinville festival grounds and is free of charge.

This expo celebrating the life and work of Mother Teresa of Calcutta has traveled across the world, inspiring millions and this Sunday it’ll be displayed in Saint Martinville as part of the Bayou Mercy Fest.

Father Michael Champagne with the Community of Jesus Crucified, met Mother Teresa in Rome in the late 90’s.  A life long student of her work, he wrote a doctoral thesis about her life.  The sister was internationally renowned for her compassion.

“She realized that Jesus continues to thirst today, not in Heaven in His glorified body but in you and myself and my brother and sister who are hungry.  So she was moved…to go out into the streets and give lover where he was thirsting and hungering.” said Father Champagne.

Father Champagne says the concept of mercy is a vital reoccurring theme in the Bible and one that Father Champagne says we should all strive for.

“Another priest once said ‘Mercy is, I’m pained by your pain and I will go through pains to alleviate your pain’…reaching out to somebody in need.  God maybe gave us more at this particular moment and we share it with those who have less because we’ve all received it.”

Sunday’s Mercy Fest is also a chance to share the gospel with the community.

“We can as a family and as a church publicly live out our faith and celebrate, thank God. And be encouraged to live more confidently, more lovingly our daily lives.”

Several hundred people are expected to attend Sunday’s event in Saint Martinville.

Confessions will be heard throughout the day.  The Mother Teresa expo will be located at the Saint Martin de Tours gym will also be available along with veneration of her relics.