On Palm Sunday, March 29 this year, the Sisters of the Congregation of the Mother of Divine Mercy invite you to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki for a prayer through music and song at 6:30 p.m. – half an hour before Holy Mass, which is celebrated at 7:00 p.m. In the chapel with the grace-filled image of the Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, traditional and new Passion hymns will be sung by the sisters’ choir, accompanied by organ and violin, helping in the contemplation of the mystery of Divine Mercy most fully revealed in the Passion of the Lord Jesus.
On March 29, the “Faustinum” community will begin its formation activities in the parish of St. Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael in Aleksandrów Łódzki. The first meeting will start at 3:00 PM with prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. This will be followed by a meeting in the parish hall with a conference given by Sr. Diana Kuczek from the Kraków community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, as well as an agape gathering. We invite all those interested in the spirituality of St. Faustina, who received the sacrament of Confirmation in this parish.
On this occasion, Sr. Diana will also share the message of Mercy, recorded in the Diary of St. Faustina, with the parish faithful during Holy Mass on Saturday, March 28 at 6:00 PM, and on Sunday at 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, and 6:00 PM.
March 29 is Passion Sunday, also celebrated as Palm Sunday, which starts the Holy Week. On this day, the account of Jesus Christ’s Passion is read from the Gospel during the Holy Mass. The Eucharist is preceded by a procession with colorful Polish palms as a celebration of the memory of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The palms symbolize the Divine life being reborn in the souls of the faithful. At the Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki, Bp. Jan Zając, priests, religious sisters and the faithful will leave the chapel of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina in a solemn procession with palms at 10:15 am and will proceed to the basilica, where Holy Mass will be celebrated. The evangelic description of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem is supplemented by the account of St. Faustina’s visions from her Diary: I saw Jesus riding on a donkey’s foal, and the disciples and a great multitude with branches in their hands joyfully accompanying the Lord Jesus. Some strewed them before His feet where He was riding, while others raised their branches in the air, leaping and jumping before the Lord and not knowing what to do for joy. And I saw another crowd which came out to meet Jesus, likewise with joyful faces and with branches in their hands, and they were crying out unceasingly with joy. There were little children there also. But Jesus was very grave, and the Lord gave me to know how much He was suffering at the time. And at that moment, I saw nothing but only Jesus, whose Heart was saturated with ingratitude (Diary, 642). Jesus gave me to understand how much He had suffered in that triumphal procession. “Hosanna” was reverberating in Jesus’ heart as an echo of ‘Crucify’. Jesus allowed me to feel this in a special way (Diary, 1028).
The devotion, in which we contemplate the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, allows us to discover and explore the merciful love of God to man, to develop the attitude of trusting God in every situation, even the difficult and painful ones and the attitude of mercy toward our neighbors. Jesus took our sins upon Himself and suffered ignominious death for every one of us, to rise again so that we may have life and enjoy it now and forever.
On every Friday at Shrine of Divine Mercy, a communal devotion of the Stations of the Cross, or Way of Sorrows, will be celebrated at the Basilica at 4:00 pm and in the chapel of the Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina at 7:00 pm, with the exception of the first Friday, when the Way will be celebrated at 6:15 pm (online broadcast available at www.saint-faustina.org).
The importance of daily choices. We may not realize just how much depends on our daily choices and taking on the cross every day to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. In fact, here in the earthly life, we get to decide about everything: not only about what is important for our personal, family, professional, social, or national lives… but above all, our eternal lives. We live on earth only to learn how to love, since eternity will consist of loving. And the cross is inscribed in the art of love: enduring of suffering, forgiveness, and sacrifice. The importance of the ability to carry the cross is important for eternal life, as Jesus told Sister Faustina.
Then I saw the Lord Jesus nailed to the cross. When He had hung on it for a while, I saw a multitude of souls crucified like Him. Then I saw a second multitude of souls, and a third. The second multitude were not nailed to [their] crosses, but were holding them firmly in their hands. The third were neither nailed to [their] crosses nor holding them firmly in their hands, but were dragging [their] crosses behind them and were discontent. Jesus then said to me, Do you see these souls? Those who are like Me in the pain and contempt they suffer will be like Me also in glory. And those who resemble Me less in pain and contempt will also bear less resemblance to Me in glory. Among the crucified souls, the most numerous were those of the clergy. I also saw some crucified souls whom I knew, and this gave me great joy. Jesus then said to me, In your meditation tomorrow, you shall think about what you have seen today Diary, 446).
On March 28 this year, the traditional 19th pilgrimage of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy to the Shrine of Saint Joseph in Kalisz will take place, with delegations arriving from many convents. The solemn Eucharist at 12:00 will be presided over by Bishop Łukasz Buzun from the Diocese of Kalisz. The Mass will be preceded by a special conference delivered by Fr. Bogumił Kempa. After the Eucharist, the Superior General, Mother Miriam Janiec, will renew the act of entrusting the Congregation to the care of Saint Joseph. After lunch, there will be a performance entitled “Saved by Saint Joseph” by girls from the House of Mercy in Kalisz, followed by a meeting at the convent.
People from many countries of the world participating in the work of the Perpetual Chaplet of Divine Mercy are praying not only in their own intentions, but also asking for “mercy on us and the whole world”. A detailed intention for March is prayer for a fruitful experience of Lent, and the grace of conversion for all sinners, especially those in danger of losing their salvation.
The work of Perpetual Chaplet is a response to the request of Jesus to constantly implore for mercy “for us and the whole world”. The work has been operated by the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at: www.faustyna.pl since 2011. Anyone can participate in it by filling out a short form and declare to say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which Jesus dictated to St. Faustina at least once.
March, in the tradition of the Congregation, is a time of special veneration of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Mother of God and Guardian of the Son of God, to whose care the Sisters entrust themselves. Saint Joseph cares not only for material matters, but also for spiritual ones. He himself told Saint Sister Faustina that he strongly supports the work entrusted to her by the Lord, namely the mission of proclaiming to the world the message of Mercy, and he promised his protection. However, he asked that she have constant devotion to him and recite daily three Our Fathers and once the Memorare (cf. Diary, 1203). With the words of the Litany to Saint Joseph, we thank him for his fatherly care over the Congregation and the mission of proclaiming the message of Mercy, and we ask for his powerful intercession before God.
On March 23–25 this year, a retreat will be held for children from the Private Catholic School of St. John Paul II in Pruszcz Gdański. The main theme will be divine and human mercy. The first day of the retreat for children in grades 1–8 – divided into three age groups – will be led by Sister Rachela and Sister Agnes from the Kraków community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. Through various games, competitions, music, and surprises, they will strive to convey to the young the message of Merciful Jesus recorded in the “Diary” of Saint Sister Faustina.
On March 23 at 5:00 p.m., in the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki, in the chapel of the Miraculous Image of the Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, Holy Mass will be celebrated for the intentions of the creators, donors, and benefactors who support the website: www.faustyna.pl in its 8 language versions and all the apostolic works carried out through it, especially the “Chaplet for the Dying” and the online broadcast from the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. Thanks to the apostolic work, commitment, and financial support of many people, through these works we bring the gift of the message of Mercy to the world and provide concrete help to people in greatest need. For this support we repay with prayer, which every day we offer to the Divine Mercy through the intercession of St. Sister Faustina for all Benefactors and Donors.
Under this theme, taken from the Gospel of St. Luke (Lk 10:41), a retreat for women will take place on March 20–22 of this year in Kazakhstan, in Oziornoye. The retreat, organized within the framework of the “Samaritan Woman” project, will be led by Sr. Anastasis Omelchenko ISMM and Sr. Kazimiera Wanat CSFN. Martha and Mary encourage us to seek balance: action and presence, activity and silence, where both paths have their place in a woman’s life. An encounter with these sisters and with the most precious Guest of their home may initiate a conversation about the tension between one’s own activity and presence, and about the fact that in womanhood there is room both for action and for silence.
On March 20–22 this year, a retreat for people who have lost a child will take place at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki under the theme: “Acknowledging the Loss.” The retreat may help participants to experience this painful loss in a meaningful way by immersing their wounded hearts in God’s mercy.
The retreat, including workshop elements, will be a time of shared prayer and an opportunity to gain comprehensive knowledge and support in this very delicate and difficult experience.
The retreat will be led by: Anna Gandecka, wife, mother, psychotraumatologist and special education teacher, initiator of the Carissima counseling center in Poznań, which supports people after the loss of a child; Piotr Gandecki, husband and father, working in the editorial team of the magazine “Trwajcie w miłości” (“Remain in Love”); Fr. Marcin Skowron, a priest of the Archdiocese of Poznań, vicar at St. Anthony’s Parish in Poznań and a religion teacher at a high school in Poznań.
From March 19–22 this year, in Mossend, at the Parish of the Holy Family, a Lenten retreat on divine and human mercy will take place, based on the Word of God and the spiritual heritage of Saint Sister Faustina. The retreat for the Polish and English-speaking community will be led by Sr. Gaudia Skass and Sr. Tobiana Domiter from the Kraków community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The retreat will serve as preparation for placing the image of the Merciful Jesus in the church. In addition, the sisters will meet with children from the primary school and with high school youth to share with them the message of Mercy, which calls people to trust in the good God and to practice active love of neighbor. Photo: Foto: Chris Upson
Concern for the conversion of sinners. This is the greatest act of mercy, which has us keep in mind the eternal wellbeing of another human being. Sister Faustina, following Jesus’ example, even made the sacrifice of her life with this intention. The mystical experiences she met heaven, purgatory and hell, because she said that no sacrifice is too great to save a man for eternity. Jesus invited her – and through it well and us – to cooperate in the work of saving sinners, even those for which humanly speaking, there is no hope. Many times He asked: I thirst. I thirst for the salvation of souls. Help Me, My daughter, to save souls. Join your sufferings to My Passion; and offer them to the heavenly Father for sinners (Diary, 1032). The loss of each soul plunges Me into mortal sadness. You always console Me when you pray for sinners. The prayer most pleasing to Me; is prayer for the conversion of sinners. Know, My daughter, that this prayer is always heard and answered (Diary, 1397).
At the invitation of Jesus, Sister Faustina responded generously: O Jesus, I want to bring souls to the fount of Your mercy to draw the reviving water of life with the vessel of trust. The soul desirous of more of God’s mercy should approach God with greater trust; and if her trust in God is unlimited, then the mercy of God toward it will be likewise limitless. O my God, Who know every beat of my heart, You know how eagerly I desire that all hearts would beat for You alone, that every soul glorify the greatness of Your mercy (Diary, 1489).
On March 21, 2026, another meeting of the community of the “Faustinum” association will take place at the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia in Rome, during which the theme of trust in the school of St. Faustina will be discussed. The meeting will be led by sisters from the Roman community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and Fr. Paweł Obiedziński, and the theme will be: “The Power of the Sacraments.” The meeting will begin with prayer at the Hour of Mercy (3:00 p.m.) and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, followed at 3:20 p.m. by Holy Mass. The program will also include conferences, adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and the Rosary prayer.
It will also be possible to participate in the meeting via a Google Meet livestream.
From March 16 to 21, 2026, a retreat in the German language will be organized for the first time at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki and the St. John Paul II Center. It will be led by Fr. Josef Alber from the Diocese of Fulda, who is a member of the “Faustinum” association. The program includes: the Eucharist, conferences, personal meditation, individual and communal prayer, and ministry in the confessional.
On March 21 this year, the youth meeting “Łagiewnicka 22” will take place at the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. It will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the chapel with the miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina. The meeting will be led by the sisters from the Kraków community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The program includes a passage from the Diary about the meaning and value of suffering and a commentary on it by Sr. Rachela, followed by a moment of silent prayer and praise of Divine Mercy during the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
On March 20 at 5:00 p.m., at the convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Świnice Warckie, another formation meeting will be held for devotees of Divine Mercy who wish to deepen their knowledge of God in the mystery of His merciful love and to benefit from the school of spirituality of Saint Sister Faustina. The program includes: adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharist, conferences, and an agape meal. The “Faustinum” Community is led by Sr. Lilioza Gorzkiewicz, and the spiritual director is Fr. Marek Zieliński. Formation meetings take place on the third Fridays of the month.
From March 18–20, 2026, Sr. Terezjana and Sr. Agnes from the Kraków community will lead a retreat at the Shrine of St. Faustina on Żytnia Street in Warsaw for children from Primary School No. 221. The sisters will invite the youngest participants to the “Garden of Mercy,” and the youth to an encounter with the Merciful Jesus in prayer and in everyday life.
From March 14–18 this year, in Aberdeen, at Our Lady’s Parish, a Lenten retreat on divine and human mercy will take place, based on the Word of God and the spiritual heritage of Saint Sister Faustina. The retreat for the Polish and English-speaking community will be led by Sr. Gaudia Skass and Sr. Tobiana Domiter from the Kraków community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. Photo: Bill Harrison.
From March 10th, before the feast of St. Joseph, all the convents of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy will be celebrating the traditional novena to St. Joseph.
The Saint is among the patrons of the Congregation and has enjoyed great reverence since its beginning. His images decorate all the convent chapels. Usually, St. Joseph has a separate altar devoted to him on the right side of the presbytery, as it is the case at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. His statues can be found in convent corridors, monastic cells, places of apostolic service, as well as in gardens and nunnery courtyards. He is the host of every property, house, convent, and thus has everything under his care, not only material matters, with which he is most often associated, but also, and perhaps above all, he cares for the spiritual matters of the communities of our Congregation and the works they carry out. The nuns refer to St. Joseph as the Protector and Father, and so address him in their prayers, certain that “it has never been heard that anyone calling on his care and begging for help has been left without consolation”. In matters of urgency, the Sisters send him “telegrams”, listing very specific problems that need to be dealt with.
Works of mercy. This fast is what God desires. The following event in the life of St. Faustina is among the things which can convince us of it: The doctor did not allow me to go to the chapel to attend the Passion Service, although I had a great desire for it; however, I prayed in my own room. Suddenly I heard the bell in the next room, and I went in and rendered a service to a seriously sick person. When I returned to my room, I suddenly saw the Lord Jesus, who said, My daughter, you gave Me greater pleasure by rendering Me that service than if you had prayed for a long time. I answered, But it was not to You, Jesus, but to that patient that I rendered this service. And the Lord answered me, Yes, My daughter, but whatever you do for your neighbor, you do for Me (Diary, 1029).
Jesus instructed St. Faustina, and through her, all of us, that there are three ways to provide good to our neighbors: by deed, word, and prayer. He said: In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. (Diary, 742). Jesus asked Sister Faustina to do at least one act of mercy towards her neighbors during a day, and do it out of love for Him. This is the only wealth on earth that has eternal value. It makes us beautiful in our humanity and our Christian vocation, but also rich before God.
