Sister Glenda and Tony Meléndez sang during the holy hour, and helped create a fervent atmosphere of prayer.

Los Angeles, September 4, 2008. “God was present among us!” These were the words of one of the many families attending the 2008 Lord of Mercy Congress organized by Hombre Nuevo and Guadalupe Radio this past Sunday, August 3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

When Fr Juan Rivas, LC, convened the congress, he called it a veritable “banquet of blessings” for the 11,000 people who attended. This number includes the 400 volunteers who worked day and night to prepare the congress, offering their time, sacrifices, and joy for the success of the gathering.

The volunteers gathered at 6:00 a.m. to pray and complete the final preparations. At 8:00 a.m., the doors opened with a procession with the Blessed Sacrament. The featured speakers were Fr Eugenio Lira and Fr Juan Rivas, LC. Tony Meléndez and Sister Glenda gave their testimonies and a concert, and also led the praise and worship music during the Eucharistic Hour.

The Mass, Holy Hour, rosary, reflections, prayers, songs, and the opportunity for Confession helped each participant

	Thousands of people participated in the Lord of Mercy Congress.

personally grasp the message of the mega-event: “Jesus is our hope.”

“The greater the sinner, the greater right he has to my mercy,” Jesus told St Faustina Kowalksa. One of the objectives of the conference was to imbue the participants with a deep trust in the mercy of God, and to teach them to extend that same mercy to their neighbor with their words, actions, and prayers.

A video of highlights from the event is posted on the Hombre Nuevo web page.