On Monday, September 15, it will be 20 years since the presence and apostolic service of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Slovakia began. On this occasion, at 10:00 a.m. in the parish church of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, a solemn Eucharist will be presided over by Bishop Stanislav Stolárik, during which new members will be admitted to the Association of Apostles of Divine Mercy “Faustinum.” The program will also include a thanksgiving adoration and, at the conclusion of the celebration, the Hour of Mercy prayer and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The Superior General of the Congregation, Mother Miriam Janiec, will participate in the celebration.
The first convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Slovakia was established in the village of Nižný Hrušov near Vranov nad Topľou. It was erected on September 15, 2005, by the Superior General of the Congregation, Mother Gracjana Szewc, and solemnly consecrated by Archbishop Alojz Tkáč of Košice. The first superior of the community was Sr. M. Faustyna Olszewska from Poland. The other members were two Slovak sisters: Sr. M. Clareta Fečová (the current superior of the convent) and Sr. M. Tymotea Čandová. The sisters also served for several years in Bratislava and currently continue their ministry in Nižný Hrušov and Košice.
On September 14 and 15, in Sacrofano, Rome, a Congress of Mercy groups will take place under the theme: “To love, to hope, to practice mercy – a path open to all.” Participating will be Sr. Tymoteusza Kmiotek and Sr. Wincenta Mąka from the Roman community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.
Program
September 14
9:30 – Opening, morning prayer
10:00 – Presentation of various mercy groups
10:30 – “Hope does not disappoint” – lecture by Fr. Luigi Maria Epicoco, theologian and writer
12:00 – “Experiencing mercy and practicing mercy” – lecture by Fr. Fabio Rosini
15:00 – Hour of Mercy and Chaplet of Divine Mercy – Sisters
15:30 – Time of testimonies from representatives of various groups, including the Sisters
18:00 – Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Cardinal Angelo de Donatis
21:00 – Eucharistic Vigil
September 15
13:30 – Holy Mass at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Rome, presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri
15:00 – Hour of Mercy and Chaplet of Divine Mercy
15:30 – Jubilee pilgrimage and passage through the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica
17:00 – Vigil in St. Peter’s Square on the occasion of the Jubilee with Pope Leo XIV
On 13 and 14 of September, we will be celebraring the 90th anniversary of the revelation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Jesus taught humanity two prayers: Modlitwy Pańskiej, when the Apostles asked Him for it, and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which He dictated to St. Faustina in Polish, in the Vilnius convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1935. As she noted in her Diary: In the evening when I was in my cell, I saw an Angel, the executor of divine wrath. He was clothed in a dazing robe, his face gloriously bright, a cloud beneath his feet. From the cloud, bolts of thunder and flashes of lightning were springing into his hands; and from his hand they were going forth, and only then were they striking the earth. When I saw this sign of divine wrath which was about to strike the earth, and in particular a certain place, which for good reasons I cannot name, I began to implore the Angel to hold off for a few moments, and the world would do penance. But my plea was a mere nothing in the face of divine anger. Just then I saw the Most Holy Trinity. The greatness of Its majesty pierced me deeply and I did not dare to repeat my entrietaties. At that very moment I felt in my soul the power of Jesus’ grace which dwells in my soul. When I became conscious of this grace, I was instantly snatched up before the Throne of God. Oh, how great is our Lord and God and how incomprehensible His holiness! I will make no attempt to describe this greatness, because before long we shall all see Him as He is. I found myself pleading with God for the world with words heard interiorly.
As I was praying in this manner, I saw the Angel’s helplessness: he could not carry out the just punishment,which was rightly due for sins. Never before had I prayed with such inner power as I did then.
The words with which I entreated God are these: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ for our sins, and those of the whole world; for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us.
The next morning, when I enered chapel, heard these words interiorly: Every time you enter the chapel, immediately recite the prayer which I taught you yesterday. When had said the prayer, in my soul I heard these words: This prayer will will serve to appease My wrath. You will recite it for nine days, on the beads of the rosary, in the folllowing manner: First of all, you will say one OUR FATHER and HAIL MARY and the I BELIEVE IN GOD. Then on the following words: ‘Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and on the whole world.” In conclusion, three times you will recite these words: „Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and thw whole world” (Diary, 474-476).
In consequent revelations, the Lord Jesus associated many great promises with this prayer, on the condition it is recited in the spirit of trust in Him and mercy towards one’s neighbors. The general promise states that trustful recitation of the Chaplet can help a person acquire anything which is compliant with the will of God. Moreover, He provided us with additional promises, which apply to the joyful grace and the grace of serene death, without fear and apprehension. They can be obtaied not only by thise who pray the Chaplet trustfully, but also by the dying at whose side the prayer is said in a proper manner.
Today, apart from the call Jesus, I trust in You!, it is the best known prayer to Divine Mercy, recited on all continents and languages, even in those of small tribes. More information on the Chaplet and its story can be found here.
The “Community of Mercy,” operating at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Melbourne, Australia, is leading a pastoral initiative of praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in the countries of Australia and Oceania. On September 14 – the day of the revelation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to St. Faustina – at 3:00 p.m., the faithful of this part of the world will join in prayer, asking for peace in the world and in our hearts, for the necessary graces for the Holy Church and its shepherds, especially for people who are lost and doubting, for mutual mercy and reconciliation among people, as well as for personal intentions.
This prayer initiative, organized twice a year (on May 18 and September 14), also includes the Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy and devotees of Divine Mercy from other countries and continents. More information: www.worldchaplet.org.
Under this motto, the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy is organizing a retreat with a workshop element for women aged 18–35 who wish to discern their vocation to consecrated life. The event will take place at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. A time of silence, prayer, workshops on the retreat theme, and the opportunity to talk with a priest, a sister, or a psychologist will help participants not only to rediscover their journey with God, but also to discern His plan for them. The retreat, conducted in Polish, will take place on September 12–14, 2025, and will be led by Fr. Wojciech Kaczmarek CM, Sr. M. Ewangelista Sobkowicz ISMM, and Magdalena Poprawa. More information and registration.
Under this motto, on September 14 this year, the sisters from the Brazilian community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy are organizing in Rio de Janeiro a meeting for young people who wish to discern their life vocation and live it out. The program includes: an integration activity, prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet, adoration, a conference on God’s call to life, to love, and to the fulfillment of a concrete mission, delivered by Fr. José Guilherme, as well as an evening of praise and agape. The sisters organize such meetings in their convent every month to provide young people with suitable conditions for silence and for listening to God’s voice.
On Sunday, September 14, on the 90th anniversary of the revelation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to St. Faustina, Sr. Diana Kuczek from Kraków-Łagiewniki will share the message of Divine Mercy with the faithful of the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Tarnobrzeg after the Holy Mass at 10:00, 11:30, and 13:00. The program also includes prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, as well as a meeting of the “Faustinum” community, to which the apostles of Divine Mercy and the community’s chaplain, Fr. Andrzej Cag, invite all who wish to participate.
On Saturday, September 6 this year, consecrated persons from all over Poland will once again make a pilgrimage to the oldest Polish shrine on Łysa Góra in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, where the relics of the Holy Cross are kept and venerated. The pilgrimage, organized under the motto “Pilgrims of Hope,” will include: a conference by Fr. Adam Wikczyński on St. John Paul II as a pilgrim of hope, as well as testimonies about St. Charles de Foucauld and Blessed Michael Sopoćko as pilgrims of hope. At 12:00 p.m., the solemn Eucharist will be presided over by Archbishop Wacław Depo, Metropolitan of Częstochowa, followed by adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the veneration of the relics of the Holy Cross, which will conclude the pilgrimage.
Monastic life involves changing one’s place of living and, often, also of the type of apostolic work. Usually, in mid-August, the sisters move to other convents, where they are sent due to their vocation of obedience. This frequently means not only a new place to live, but also a different kind of work. The sisters are sent wherever the Congregation is taking up new tasks or needs to answer to the needs of its apostolic work. For the sisters, it is an opportunity to acquire freedom of all earthly attachments in order to live only for God and His Kingdom.
On 30–31 August this year, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki, visitors will be able to see the manuscript of the famous “Diary” of the Apostle of Divine Mercy and the silver ring from her perpetual vows to Jesus. The “Diary”, considered one of the pearls of mystical literature, has been translated into dozens of languages and distributed worldwide in millions of copies. Saint John Paul II called it the “Gospel of Mercy”, while Archbishop of Hong Kong John Tong Hon, in the foreword to the Chinese edition, wrote that “it is truly the most wonderful gift of God offered to the world, …a spiritual treasure for the entire Church.” The exhibition is organized to mark the 100th anniversary of her entry into the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The handwritten “Diary” consists of six notebooks of various sizes, densely written on both sides (a total of 477 pages), as well as a notebook entitled “My Preparation for Holy Communion.” The manuscript contains no corrections or deletions, even when the Author omitted a letter or wrote a word incorrectly. The words of the Lord Jesus, at the instruction of her Vilnius confessor Fr. M. Sopoćko, were underlined in pencil, which in some editions is marked in bold or italics.
The “Diary” in electronic form is available at: www.saint-faustina.org, in its various language versions, and in the app “Faustyna.pl.”
In the summer months, during the holidays, the numbers of visitors who join the works of “Chaplet for the Dying” and “Perpetual Chaplet of Divine Mercy” at www.saint-faustina.org are not decreasing. On the contrary, they are growing! Thanks to these works, the call for “mercy on us and the whole world” is being made constantly, day and night, every day. Participants in this prayer are located in dozens of countries, including Canada, the US, Kazakhstan, Argentina, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Colombia, Panama, Ukraine, Switzerland, Australia and England. Those who would like to join in this prayer can feel free to fill out the proper form.
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 August is prayer: Coverage of costs: servers and fiber optic cables, streaming carried out by Livestream Vimeo, and ongoing maintenance of equipment needed for broadcasting.
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.
In August, during evening devotions, the Chaplet of Our Lady of Mercy is sung or recited in all the chapels of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. At the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, evening devotions are celebrated on weekdays at 7 pm (except Thursdays). You can join through on-line video stream at www.saint-faustina.org. The words of the Chaplet of Our Lady of Mercy and more information about Mary as Our Lady of Mercy, in particular concerning this title of Mary, her worship and iconography in the history of the Church and the Congregation, can be found at www.saint-faustina.org, tab: Our Lady of Mercy.
In the last days of August, in the convents of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy which run Youth Education Centers operate (Krakow, Kalisz and Wroclaw), student dormitories, community centers or kindergartens, like in other educational institutions in Poland, preparations for the new school year are under way. Here, the opening of the school year is always accompanied by a Holy Mass, during which the teachers and the pupils and students ask God for His blessing and the graces needed during the next ten months, so that they may become more than just a period of effective learning, but also a time of fruitful spiritual growth.
During the summer, the sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy go on holidays too. Usually, they spend these days visiting their families or other convents of the Congregation. The younger sisters are happy to organize their stay at the retreat house of the Congregation in Zakopane’s Krzeptówki and Rabka, because they can also stay with members of their families there. What is more, they can make hiking trips from there. We would like to wish you all to make your holiday a time of restoration of your spiritual and physical strength.
The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, which hosts the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Płock, has launched a live broadcast from this place on the website: www.faustynaplock.pl and on YouTube. Thanks to this, it is possible to participate in services held in this church, as well as visit the place—where the prophetic mission of St. Faustina began (the revelations of the image of Merciful Jesus and the Feast of Mercy)—for personal prayer. Holy Masses at this Sanctuary are celebrated daily at 6:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and on Sundays at 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Every day at 3:00 p.m., there is a prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, as well as adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from the morning to the evening Eucharist (on Mondays starting at 10:00 a.m.).
At the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Płock, part of the Pilgrim House has been opened, including 3 apartments (living room/bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette) for 3–4 people. One of them is adapted for a person with disabilities and their caregiver or companion. The rooms with bathrooms and internet access are equipped with kitchenettes with electric stoves, microwaves, refrigerators, and all necessary dishes. More photos can be found in the Gallery. In the historic part of the monastery complex of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, there are 55 beds in 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-person rooms.
The Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Płock is located at the Old Market Square, built on the Vistula River escarpment in the place where St. Faustina lived and began her prophetic mission with the revelation of the image of Merciful Jesus and the Feast of Divine Mercy. Guests staying here can not only strengthen their spirit through participation in devotions and all-day Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, but also explore one of the oldest cities in Poland and the over thousand-year history of the Church in this diocese.
Registration
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of St. Faustina’s entry into the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, an “Evening of Adoration” will be held in the chapel with the miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus and at the tomb of the Apostle of Divine Mercy in the Łagiewniki Shrine, on Saturday, 30 August at 7:00 p.m. It will feature Hubert Kowalski, professional musicians and choristers, as well as the Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, who will sing hymns inspired by the “Diary” of St. Faustina. It will be a prayer through heart and music.
August 25th is the 120th birthday of Helena Kowalska – St. Faustina, known throughout the world of the Apostle of Divine Mercy. She was born as the third child in the family of Marianna and Stanisław Kowalski in the village of Głogowiec. The certificate of baptism states that she was born about eight in the morning, and on that year, it was a Friday. Sister Faustina’s mother – Marianna née Babel – recalled that she had sanctified her womb, because the earlier births nearly cost her life, but her subsequent children were born without problems. She said about Helena: “Blessed child, dearest daughter.” Sister Faustina, in turn, constantly thanked God for her parents, God-fearing, righteous and diligent people who brought up their children in a spirit of faith and love of God and other people. Today, the birthplace of the Apostle of Divine Mercy belongs to her Baptismal Shrine, and remains under the care of the Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy’s convent in Świnice Warckie. The place of her birth is visited by pilgrims not only from Poland, but also other countries in the world, who travel along the trail of her life.
On the eve of the feast of August 24, after Mass at 6 pm, a procession will set out with the Blessed Sacrament from the parish church of the Baptismal Shrine of St. Faustina to her family home, where there will be an all-night adoration and prayer vigil.
August 25th is the 30nd anniversary of the recognition of Saint Faustina as the spiritual co-founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The decision was made on the 90th anniversary of her birth at the convent of the Sisters at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki under the leadership of the then Superior General, Mother Paulina Słomka. After prior discernment among theologians and pastors of the Church, at the end of the night vigil in front of the grace-famous Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina, Mother General spoke the words of the act, in which she confessed, among others: Holy Sister Faustina … you are not only a renewal of the spirituality and charism of our Congregation, but also its spiritual co-founder. What God did in your life, fulfilling the works of Mother Teresa Potocka and Mother Teresa Rondeau, and what He allowed us to read, we are glad to acknowledge, thankful to the Mercy of God for the great things that have taken place in you and through you in our Congregation. Sister Faustina received the charism of proclaiming the message of Mercy to the world with action, word and prayer, or to nurture this essential evangelical value, the mercy of God and human mercy. Not only did she enrich the charismatic heritage of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, which was founded by countess Mother Teresa of nee Sułkowski Potocka to save fallen women, but also the Church, beginning with the Apostolic Movement of Divine Mercy (the “new congregation” which Jesus desired to be founded) and bringing a new school of spirituality based entirely on the mystery of Divine Mercy to its history. The first heirs of St. Faustina were the members of the Congregation to which she belonged, therefore, John Paul II during his pilgrimage to Krakow-Łagiewniki in 1997, said: Dear Sisters! There is an extraordinary calling for you. By choosing the Blessed Faustina from among you, Christ made your Congregation a guardian of this place, and at the same time He called for a special apostolate of His mercy. Please, take this work. Today’s man needs your preaching of mercy; he needs your works of mercy and he needs your prayers for mercy. Do not neglect any of these dimensions of the apostolate. The full text of the act of recognition of St. Faustina as the spiritual co-founder of the Congregation is read in every community of the Congregation every year on October 5th, the day of her liturgical feast.
It happened in Świnice, on 27 August 1905, at one o’clock in the afternoon. Stanislaw Kowalski, aged 40, a farmer from Głogowiec, in the presence of Franciszek Bednarek, aged 35 and Józef Stasiak, aged 40, both farmers from Głogowiec, appeared and showed us the female child born in the village of Głogowiec on August 25 this year, at eight o’clock in the morning, of his wedding wife Marianna née Babel, aged 30. This child received, at baptism held today, the name Helena, and her godparents were Konstanty Bednarek and Marianna Szewczyk. This provision of the rite of baptism from parish records was left by the parish priest, Father Józef Chodyński, who baptized the little Helena Kowalska. The Deed was drawn up in the Russian language, because it was still the time of the Partitions of Poland, when the country was not to be seen on the political map of Europe. Helena’s father, Stanisław Kowalski, signed this record in Polish. The godparents, who were illiterate, confirmed their signatures by an X. In the former parish church, today the Baptismal Shrine of St. Faustina, you can see the same font at which the baby Helena Kowalska became a child of God and a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, baptized two days after her birth, on the eve of the feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The grace of baptism was further developed in her life as she achieved the fullness of mystical union with God here on Earth. Today, she is venerated as an apostle of Divine Mercy, because Jesus chose her as a prophet of our time, and sent her into the world with the message of Mercy.
On August 25, at 5 pm, at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, Holy Mass will be celebrated at the Image of Divine Mercy and the tomb of St. Faustina in the intentions of IT specialists, donors, translators and other individuals contributing to www.saint-faustina.org. The Eucharist is an expression of gratitude from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy for bringing the message of the merciful love of God towards man to the world together. Let it bring great glory to the Divine Mercy in human souls.
On Saturday, August 23, the annual All-Slovak pilgrimage to the Rock Sanctuary of Divine Mercy on Mount Butkov in Slovakia will take place. The celebrations will begin at 12:00 noon with the Way of the Cross on the slope of Mount Butkov, followed at 3:00 p.m. by a joint prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, led by the Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy from Slovakia. The solemn Holy Mass in honor of Our Lady of Mercy will be celebrated at 3:35 p.m. The program will also include concerts of religious songs.
The place dedicated to honoring the Divine Mercy on Mount Butkov (11th level of the quarry), where a large illuminated Cross and monuments to St. Faustina Kowalska and St. John Paul II have been placed, along with a 9-meter statue of Our Lady of Mercy, is part of the “Rock Sanctuary of Divine Mercy” with the church in Ladce.
August 17th is the 23th anniversary of the entrustment of the world to Divine Mercy by Pope John Paul II during his last pilgrimage to Poland at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. After the consecration of the basilica, the Holy Father uttered words in which he entrusted the fate of the world and every human being to God, the Father rich in Mercy. These words became a daily prayer not only for the sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy and the pilgrims coming to the Łagiewniki Shrine, but also to millions of people in the world.
God, Father of Mercy,
Who revealed Your love in your Son, Jesus Christ,
And poured it upon us in the Holy Spirit the Comforter,
today we entrust to you the fate of the world and every human being.
Look upon over us sinners,
heal our weakness,
overcome all the evil,
let all the inhabitants of the Earth experience Your Mercy,
In You, the Triune God,
we have always found a source of hope.
God, Father of Mercy,
for your painful torment and the Resurrection of Your Son
have mercy on us and on the whole world.
On August 16–17 this year, devotees of Divine Mercy will come to the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki as part of the 12th National Pilgrimage, organized on the anniversary of the consecration of the Basilica of Divine Mercy and the entrustment of the world to Divine Mercy by St. John Paul II. On Sunday, the Eucharist at 12:00 p.m. will be presided over by Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz. The pilgrimage program includes the presentation of works of mercy in tents on the square in front of the basilica, and on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in the St. John Paul II Hall, a concert entitled “Beautiful is Your Mercy” performed by Paweł Bębenek with his ensemble. More information and the detailed program are available on the Sanctuary Rectorate’s website: www.misericordia.eu.
On the occasion of the centenary of Saint Sister Faustina’s entrance into the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, on August 17 this year, Sister Livia Mikołajczyk will share her spiritual heritage and mission of proclaiming the message of Mercy to the world with the faithful of Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in Woskrzenice Duże (Diocese of Siedlce). Saint Sister Faustina is already present in this parish community in the sign of her holy relics.
On Saturday, August 16 this year, in the convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki, the silver jubilee of the religious profession of Sr. M. Damaris will be celebrated. At 12:00 noon, in the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki, before the miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus and at the tomb of St. Faustina, a solemn Eucharist will be celebrated under the presiding of Fr. Marek Wójtowicz, SJ, with the renewal by the Jubilarian of the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience — whose external sign is a silver ring engraved with the name: Jesus. Sisters from other convents of the Congregation, as well as the Family and persons entrusted to her apostolic work, will join in thanksgiving prayer for the gift of the Jubilarian and in her intentions.
The tenth walking pilgrimage from the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Spiš to the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy on Mount Butkov near Ladce will begin on Saturday, August 2, and will last until Sunday, August 10. The pilgrimage is organized by the Pallottines from Michalovce, and the pilgrims — including Sr. Pavla Stanovčáková from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy — will walk a route of approximately 246 kilometers.
The site dedicated to honoring Divine Mercy on Mount Butkov (11th level of the quarry), where a large illuminated Cross as well as monuments of St. Faustina and St. John Paul II were previously placed, is part of the “Rock Sanctuary of Divine Mercy” with a church in Ladce.
On August 5, the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of the Snows, the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy celebrates its patronal feast, honoring its Patroness – the Mother of Mercy Incarnate. On this day, the election of Mary as the heavenly Superior General of the Congregation has been traditionally renewed since in 1937, in the form of a special, ceremonial prayer. Saint Faustina wrote in her Diary: I saw the Virgin Mary and She said to me, Oh, how very pleased I am with the homage of your love! And at that moment She covered all the sisters of the Congregation with Her mantle. With Her right hand, She clasped Mother General Michael to herself, and with Her left hand she did the so to me, while all the sisters were at Her feet, covered with Her mantle. Then the Mother of God said hen the Mother of God said, Everyone who perseveres zealously till death in My Congregation will be spared the fire of purgatory (Diary, 1244). This day is the anniversary of the dedication of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the oldest church in the West dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Pope Sixtus III, to celebrate the end of the stormy Council of Ephesus (431 AD), which declared the dogma of the divine motherhood of Mary (Theotokos), introduced the feast of the Mother of the Son of God, which was first celebrated in this particular basilica, and with time, successive Popes expanded it to the whole Church. Today, the liturgical calendar of the Church contains the memorial of Our Lady of the Snows, commemorating the miracle associated with the rise of the basilica, and this name is functioning in the minds of the faithful. Therefore, the first circumstance of the establishment of the feast of Mary as Mother of the Son of God – Mercy Incarnate, has been forgotten. For more information about Mary the Mother of Mercy, Her title, worship and iconography in the Church and Congregation, follow the link: Our Lady of Mercy.
On July 27, a novena before the feast of the Patron of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, which falls on August 5, will start. During the novena, the Chaplet of Our Lady of Mercy is sung or recited. In this prayer we ask Mary to defend us from our enemies, accept us at the hour of death and beg for the Mercy of her Son for us. In the chapel of the miracle-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, the novena is celebrated on weekdays at 7 pm, while on Sundays at 6:30 pm. The words of the Chaplet of Our Lady of Mercy.
