From 28 to 30 November, a retreat on Divine Mercy will take place in the parish of St. Catherine of Alexandria in the town of Šarišské Dravce, as well as in the parishes of Poloma and Krásna Lúka. At the invitation of Fr. Michal Paľovčík, it will be led by Sr. Jana Mária Krnáčová from the Košice community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy. A sign of the spiritual renewal of the faithful will be the blessing of the image of the Merciful Jesus.
Under this motto, in San Romano in Tuscany, on November 28–30, a retreat will be held for the members and volunteers of “Faustinum”, aimed at good preparation for the experience of Advent and the Christmas season. It will be led by: Fr. Francesco Brasa, a Franciscan and the priest responsible for “Faustinum” in Italy, who will speak, among other things, about St. Faustina’s encounter with the Infant Jesus (the Incarnate Mercy) in the Eucharist, and Sr. Wincenta Mąka from the Roman community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, who will speak about the presence of Jesus in pure hearts. The program includes: Holy Mass, conferences, common prayer to the Divine Mercy, adoration, the rosary prayer based on the reflections from St. Faustina’s Diary, and sharing personal experiences of the retreat.
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”. Specific intention for November: for the necessary graces for the sick, the dying as well as for the joy of heaven for the deceased.
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.
Advent is approaching, Sister Faustina wrote in her Diary. I want to prepare my heart for the coming of the Lord Jesus by silence and recollection of spirit, uniting myself with the Most Holy Mother and faithfully imitating Her virtue of silence, by which She found pleasure in the eyes of God Himself. I trust that, by Her side, I will persevere in this resolution (Diary, 1398). This year, the first Sunday of Advent falls on 30th of November. Liturgically, Advent and the new year in the liturgy of the Church begins with vespers on November 29th. It constitutes a time of joyful anticipation of Christmas, spiritual preparation for this holiday and for the second coming of Christ on Earth, in addition to building our sensitivity to His everyday coming to us here and now, as St. Faustina did, through exercise in silence and recollection of spirit. The joy of experiencing the mystery of faith which tells us of the birth of the Son of God in human flesh, Mercy Incarnate, depends on this expectation and spiritual preparation.
On November 29, a day of recollection with the Mother of God will take place at the convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Rio de Janeiro. Mary is the One who, even without understanding everything, trusted completely and said “yes” with faith and hope. Participants of this retreat will reflect on how to unite their own “yes” with Her “yes,” which transformed history; how Mary’s example helps renew trust in God, even in moments of uncertainty, so as to live with hearts open to God’s will.
On November 22 this year, a meeting for young people called “Łagiewnicka 22” will take place at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. It will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the chapel with the grace-famed 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 text from St. Faustina’s Diary about God’s generosity with a commentary by Sr. Gaudia Skass, followed by a moment of silent prayer and the worship of Divine Mercy during the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
On November 22 of this year, another meeting of the “Faustinum” Association community will take place at the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia in Rome. During the meeting, the topic of trust in the school of St. Faustina will be discussed. The meeting will be led by the sisters from the Roman community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and Fr. Łukasz Brus, the rector. The theme will be: “The Supernatural Virtue of Love and the Attitude of Trust.” The gathering will begin with prayer at the Hour of Mercy (3:00 p.m.) and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, followed by Holy Mass at 3:20 p.m. The program also includes conferences, adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and the Rosary with meditations from St. Faustina’s Diary.
It will also be possible to participate via Google Meet.
November is a special month of acting out of mercy towards the dead, whose souls are maturing in Purgatory to fully experience love. Saint Faustina visited that place in her mystical experiences and described it in the Diary: … I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in Purgatory. The souls call her ‘The Star of the Sea’. She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard and interior voice] which said, My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it (Diary, 20).
Sister Faustina put this question to her deceased sisters while walking by the convent’s cemetery in Krakow-Łagiewniki. She received the following answer: We are happy in the measure that we have fulfilled God’s will (Diary, 515 and 518). Afterwards, the Saint meditated at length on how she was fulfilling the will of God and how she was using the time of her earthly life. This is something to think about when we visit the graves of our loved ones at this time of the year. Every cemetery contains unusual life stories of many people and at the same time it reminds us of the transience of human life, provoking thoughts on its meaning and purpose. Through the life of St. Faustina and her mystical experience, God, who wants happiness for every human being in both this and eternal life, reminds us in a powerful way where happiness lies and how to achieve it.
On 17–21 November, the annual retreat for priests will take place at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. This year’s theme is: “Mercy in the Psalms – how to renew faith through praying with the Psalms?” For the participants, this retreat will be an opportunity for a personal experience of the Father’s mercy, which enables one to be a witness of His love in priestly ministry. The retreat will be led by Fr. Piotr Kwiatek from the Kraków Province of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin — a psychologist, psychotherapist, retreat preacher, and lecturer. It is organized by the Association of the Apostles of Divine Mercy “Faustinum”; more information is available at: www.faustinum.pl
On 17 and 18 November, a meeting of the custodians of the Shrines of Divine Mercy from all over Poland, as well as representatives from Lithuania, France, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, will take place at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. In Poland alone, there are over 30 Shrines of Divine Mercy and several dedicated to St. Faustina. Photos and contact details are available in the “Shrines of Divine Mercy” section at: www.saint-faustina.org
On November 17, another Monday’s meeting will be held at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, dedicated to contemplating the Catechism of the Catholic Church and prayer at the miracle-famous Divine Mercy image and the tomb of St. Faustina for the recovery of faith in the Eucharistic presence of Jesus, and for priests. At 6.45 pm, Fr. Janusz Kościelniak will lead a short meditation based on the articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The focal point of the program will be the encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, with individual blessing. Those who cannot physically come to Łagiewniki, can connect to the on-line broadcast at www.saint-faustina.org .
.
Sister Faustina wrote in her Diary: My beloved native land, Poland, if you only knew how many sacrifices and prayers I offer to God for you! (Diary, 1038) and There is no day in which I do not pray for you (Diary, 1188). And when she begged Jesus for a blessing for Poland, He said to her: For your sake I bless the entire country (Diary, 39) and For your sake I am blessing the earth (Diary, 980, 1078). Another time, He said: For your sake I bless the world (Diary, 1061). Now, when she has a greater ability to act, she has not ceased her intercession in Heaven. May she today, in the light of the mystery of God’s Mercy, show the modern generations the treasure which is our Homeland with all its heritage, and may she support all our people in their efforts for the common good and moral rebirth of Poles, so that they confidently turn to God in Whom the world finds peace and human beings find happiness.
The beautiful tradition of celebrating rosary devotions in October is deeply ingrained in the religious life of the Church in Poland. The devotions are held in every church and in many chapels. In the Shrine of Divine Mercy, the devotion is celebrated in the Convent’s chapel with the miraculous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, every day at 07:00 pm and at 06:30 pm on Sundays, public holidays and the first Friday of the month. In order to pray the rosary in Krakow-Łagiewniki, you can also join in the on-line transmission. Rosary meditations in the spirit of the Divine Mercy and human mercy (including the writings of St. Faustina) are also available in our Misericordia store at the Łagiewniki Shrine and on our website: www.saint-faustina.org
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”. Specific intention for October: for faith and love in families and for the reconciliation of marriages broken and in crisis.
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.saint-faustina.org 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.
October 23 marks the beginning of a novena to be celebrated before the 163th anniversary of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, which was founded in Warsaw on the feast of All Saints, November 1, 1862, by Mother Teresa Ewa Countess Potocka of the Sułowski Dukes. God called St. Faustina Kowalska (spiritual co-founder) to this Congregation, to whom He gave the message of Mercy and sent her on a prophetic mission to proclaim it to the world. In this novena, Sisters in all the Congregation’s convents in Poland and around the world will give thanks for the graces received throughout the history of the Religious Community, ask for the grace to make God’s mercy present today and trust in the mercy of the Holy Trinity for the coming years of witnessing and apostolic service.
At the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, this novena will be celebrated on weekdays at 7 p.m. and on Sundays at 6:20 p.m., followed by an October rosary service.
The first day of November is celebrated in the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy as the day when the Church pays homage to all the Saints and, additionally, as the anniversary of the establishment of the Congregation in Poland. On this day, in 1862, Archbishop Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński consecrated the first chapel and House of Mercy in Warsaw at ul. Żytnia. On this day, the sisters refer especially to the early history of their Congregation. They commemorate its founder, Countess Teresa Ewa Potocka nee Sułkowska, who accepted the invitation of Archbishop Szczęsny Feliński and came to Warsaw to aid “fallen” women in returning to a life of dignity, and to establish a house for them inspired by the House of Mercy in Laval (France), which became the model for their apostolic work and religious life. Together with the Church, the sisters also revere all those who have achieved the goal of their lives: eternal union with God. These saints also include the Divine Mercy apostle, Sr. Faustina Kowalska, raised to the altars as a saint and known all over the world. Saint Faustina was the spiritual co-founder of the Congregation, along with St. Archbishop Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński and the deceased sisters, pupils and Divine Mercy apostles who were members of the association “Faustinum” and who participated in the mission of the Congregation by making the merciful love of God present in the world through their lives, deeds, words and prayers. The sisters in all the convents their gratitude for the Congregation’s past, entrusting its present and future to God’s mercy, so that all Divine plans for it are fulfilled.
On the Feast of All Saints, the Church honors those raised to the altars, known by name and biography, but also all the priests, other consecrated persons and lay faithful who have reached the goal of human life that is eternal union with God in love. There are more saints who live among us than there may seem to be. One piece of evidence for this is the history of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, which has been intertwined with the lives of many unusual people, in addition to St. Faustina Kowalska. Throughout the over 160-year-long existence and activity of the Congregation, some of these individuals were raised to the glory of the altars by the Church. They include Archbishop Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński, who was a co-founder of the Congregation; Pope St. John Paul II, who visited Łagiewniki so often and has done so much for the mission of Mercy; Bl. Julian Nowowiejski, the Bishop who invited the sisters to Płock and who wrote the first history of the Congregation; Bl. Jan Balicki, who initiated the Congregation’s works in Przemyśl and served the sisters and their pupils for three years; Bl. Maria Karwowska, who spent her formation period in the Łagiewniki convent and Bl. Michael Sopoćko, the Vilnius confessor of the convent on the Antokol and spiritual director of St. Faustina. The following are included as candidates for sainthood: the fathers who served as confessors to the convent in Krakow-Łagiewniki: the servant of God Fr. Wojciech Baudiss, S.J.; Fr. Bernard Łubieński (Redemptorist); Fr. Stanisław Bednarski, S.J.; Fr. Stanisław Podoleński, S.J.; Fr. Marian Morawski, S.J.; Fr. Józef Cyrek, S.J.; or the servant of God Fr. Jacek Woroniecki, O.P., the author of The Mystery of Divine Mercy, which was copied from the original manuscript by the sisters in Łagiewniki. This list of saints, blessed and servants of the Lord is much longer, particularly because it can include individuals who did not cooperate with the Congregation permanently, but had a different type of relationship with it. Today, too, saints are among us. They are the people fascinated by the merciful love of Jesus, who participate in His life and His mission to reveal the mystery of Divine Mercy to the world.
The Shrine in Łagiewniki has one of Krakow’s oldest cemeteries. It is a religious cemetery established in the late 19th century in the back of the former garden of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. Here lie the remains of sisters, chaplains, pupils and other persons connected with the convent in Łagiewniki. Also the body of St. Faustina used to be buried here for 28 years. Another Sister who was interred here is Sr. Faustina’s Superior General, Mother Michael Moraczewska. Others include Sr. Kaliksta Piekarczyk who devoted her life for the intention of saving Krakow during World War II, Mother Ksawera Olszamowska who offered hers for the intention of establishment of the Feast of Divine Mercy in the Church and the message of Mercy, along with many sisters who offered up their daily lives for different intentions. The Convent’s cemetery is right outside the southern wall of the basilica in the Łagiewniki Shrine and is often visited by pilgrims. Near the eastern wall of the basilica, there is a military cemetery from the time of WWI. No individual graves are found here. Instead, there is a large cross and an obelisk with a plaque which says that 266 soldiers from 15 European countries are buried in this place. During the Great War, part of the Congregation’s garden was converted into a large military hospital for over 1,000 patients. It had several temporary wards, where soldiers of different nationalities were treated for typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, pox and scarlet fever – in other words, infectious diseases. Some of the soldiers who could not be saved died in this hospital, which was why they were buried in the cemetery outside the Convent’s wall.
The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy expresses gratitude to all Benefactors and Donors for supporting the apostolic works that are used by thousands of Internet users and dying people in need of prayerful support. Thank you for the gifts sent to support the work of “Chaplet for the Dying,” on-line broadcast from the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki and the website: www.faustyna.pl and its versions in foreign languages. In these gifts of the heart, the mercy of God is visible, which is poured out on the world through human hearts and hands. In their daily prayers, the sisters respond with prayer, commending all the Donors and Benefactors to God’s mercy and asking for God’s blessing and needed favors for them. Let God’s Mercy be glorified in all this!
As part of this series, on October 24–26 this year, a retreat on prayer that transforms life will be held at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. The retreat will be an opportunity to experience, as St. Faustina did, that an authentic encounter with the merciful Lord takes place only when we stand in truth — and that changes our life.
The retreat will be led by Fr. Dr. Samuel Karwacki, OSPPE, Doctor of Theology of the Interior Life, long-time spiritual director of the Pauline Seminary and national moderator of the Spiritual Adoption of the Conceived Child, together with Sr. M. Emanuela Gemza of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, president of the Association of Apostles of Divine Mercy “Faustinum,” author of books and formation notebooks of “Faustinum.”
Under this motto, taken from the Gospel of St. Luke (Lk 10:41), a retreat for women will be held on October 24–26 this year at the diocesan retreat house Fides et ratio in Shchuchinsk, Kazakhstan. The program will include meditations on the Word of God, workshops, and conferences. The retreat, organized as part of the “Samaritan Woman” project, will be led by Sr. Anastasis Omelchenko of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Petropavlovsk, Sr. Kazimiera Wanat, and Fr. Lucjan Pocałuń.
Bishop István Katona, an honorary member of the Association of the Apostles of Divine Mercy “Faustinum,” passed away on October 21 at the age of 97. He was an apostle of Divine Mercy in Hungary, where he spread the message of Divine Mercy given by St. Faustina and transplanted the work of “Faustinum” from Kraków-Łagiewniki, caring for the formation of the Apostles of Divine Mercy in the Hungarian language.
He was born on October 3, 1928, in Nagykáta. He studied theology in Szeged and was ordained a priest in 1953. In December 1989, he was consecrated bishop and began his ministry in the Diocese of Vác. The Bishops’ Conference entrusted him with the task of supporting and coordinating the work of the newly revived Catholic schools. He carried out this responsibility until 1996 as chairman of the Catholic School Office. From 1997 he served as auxiliary bishop in Eger, and in 2013 he retired. Bishop Katona also chaired the national council of the “Mercy” Foundation. In 2003, after turning 75, he submitted his resignation to the Pope, but St. John Paul II asked him to continue his ministry. In 2013, at the age of 85, István Katona was the oldest active bishop in Europe.
On October 17 at 6:00 p.m., in the convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Świnice Warckie, the first formation meeting will take place for the devotees of the Divine Mercy who desire to deepen their knowledge of God in the mystery of His merciful love and to draw from the school of spirituality of St. Faustina. The emerging “Faustinum” community will be led by Sr. Lilioza Gorzkiewicz, with Fr. Marek Zieliński serving as spiritual director. Formation meetings will be held on the third Friday of each month.
From October 11–15, a retreat on Divine Mercy will take place at the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Jastrzębie Zdrój. Based on the Word of God and the spiritual legacy of St. Faustina recorded in her Diary, it will be led by Sr. Anna Maria Trzcińska from the sanctuary community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. The program includes, in addition to the Eucharist and the sacrament of reconciliation celebrated by priests, conferences, prayer at the Hour of Mercy, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and the Rosary with St. Faustina.
October 16 marks the 134th anniversary of the birth of Fr. Józef Andrasz, SJ, the Krakow confessor and spiritual director of St. Faustina. On this occasion, a Holy Mass will be celebrated for his beatification in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Krakow on October 16 at 6:00 p.m.
The beatification process of the Servant of God Fr. Józef Andrasz, SJ, was officially initiated by Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski, Metropolitan of Krakow, on November 17, 2024, in the Archdiocese of Krakow. The first session of the diocesan tribunal took place on February 3, 2025, marking the symbolic opening of the diocesan phase.
On October 10–12, 2025, the Sisters of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy are organizing days of reflection for women at the Retreat House of St. Faustina in Zakopane-Krzeptówki. The retreat will be led by Fr. Dr. Paweł Gabara.
From October 8–14 this year, a pilgrimage of consecrated persons to Rome will take place on the occasion of the Jubilee Year celebrated in the Church. Delegates from almost all convents of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland and abroad will also take part. They will give thanks for the gift of vocation, life, and the entire spiritual heritage of St. Faustina, and will pray for new and generous vocations.
On October 11, at 6.30 a.m., Mass will be celebrated in the intention of all those who have become involved in the work on the Chaplet for the Dying and the Perpetual Chaplet at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. At the grace-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, we will implore that more people join in these works, bringing mercy to those most in need. This Holy Mass is an expression of gratitude to the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy for jointly bringing the message of God’s merciful love for man to the world. May it bring great glory to Divine Mercy in human souls.
On October 5th we celebrate the 87th anniversary of the birth into heaven of the Apostle of Divine Mercy – the day of her liturgical memorial, and in all convents of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy – a liturgical solemnity. She belongs to the circle of the great mystics of the Church, a prophet sent by Jesus to the whole world with the message of Mercy. Millions of people around the globe draw from her school of spirituality recorded in the Diary. Saint John Paul II simply said of her that “she is a gift of God for our times, a gift from the land of Poland for the whole Church.”
Her impact on the life of the Church is expressed, among other things, in the widespread practice of devotion to Divine Mercy in the forms she transmitted. Today, there is hardly a country without an image of the Merciful Jesus; the Feast of Mercy was inscribed into the universal calendar of the Church in the year 2000, to be celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter; the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is prayed even in tribal languages, though dictated in Polish, as was the entire message of Mercy; ever greater popularity is gained by the practice of prayer at the hour of Jesus’ death on the Cross – the Hour of Mercy – as well as by spreading veneration of Mercy. The Apostolic Movement of Divine Mercy, the “congregation” that Jesus himself requested, is among the largest movements in the contemporary Church.
The influence of her life and mission of proclaiming the message of Mercy to the world is also visible in the dedications of churches. Saint Faustina is patroness of Łódź and other places, of schools, works of mercy, various associations and communities. Her name is given to girls at baptism and chosen by the young at confirmation. She was Patroness of the World Youth Days in Sydney and Krakow. She inspires scholars, theologians, people of culture, art and media, and is among the best-known and most beloved saints of the Catholic Church. Her relics are venerated in almost 130 countries worldwide, including an Orthodox church in Bucharest and the Anglican Shrine of Divine Mercy in Great Britain. Across the globe, theological symposia, diocesan, national, continental and world congresses are held, drawing their dynamism precisely from the life and mission of Saint Faustina. The radiance of this “gift of God” embraces the whole Church and the world, but it is meant to reach every person and prepare the world for the second coming of Christ.
