On April 30 of this year falls the 25th anniversary of the canonization of Sister Faustina Kowalska of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. On this occasion, at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki – at the tomb of the Apostle of Divine Mercy – adoration will take place at 4:15 p.m., followed by a Holy Mass of thanksgiving at 5:00 p.m. for the gift of her life and mission of proclaiming the message of Mercy to the world. The Mass will be presided over by Bishop Jan Zając. The program also includes a dance performance entitled “I Was in Heaven”, based on Saint Faustina’s Diary, presented by the “Lilia” Dance Theatre and the Congregation’s students.
Her canonization took place at St. Peter’s Square in Rome and at the Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki in the year 2000. Saint Faustina described the event with details more than 60 years earlier, at the end of March 1937 (Diary, 1044-1048). Whoever participated in these events knows that her vision was fulfilled accurately. On that day, the Holy Father John Paul II introduced the Feast of Divine Mercy for the whole Church and provided it with the message of Mercy as articulated by St. Faustina for the third millennium of our faith. You can find out more the testimony of miraculous healing which was tested for the canonization, a description of the event and the canonization homily of the Holy Father at faustyna.pl. We give daily thanks for this “gift of God our time”, as St. Faustina and the message of Mercy which she provided us with were called by St. John Paul II. Millions of people around the world are joining in St. Faustina’s prophetic mission of proclaiming the biblical truth about the merciful Love of God to the world through the witness of life, deeds, words and prayer, creating the Apostolic Movement of the Divine Mercy, which is the “new congregation” as demanded by Jesus. May the anniversary of the Apostle of Divine Mercy’s canonization be an opportunity for us not only to give thanks, but also to explore the abundant heritage of the Saint.
