As part of the Samaritanka project, a retreat for women will be held on June 13–15 and June 20–22, 2025, at the diocesan retreat house Fides et Ratio in Shchuchinsk. The retreat is titled: “You are anxious and troubled about many things” (Luke 10:41). The program includes meditations on the Word of God, workshops, and lectures. The retreat will be led by: Sr. Anastasis Omelchenko from the Petropavl community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, Sr. Kazimiera Wanat, Sr. Madlen Hofmann, and Fr. Hans Reiner.
As part of this series, group workshops will take place on June 13–15 at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. They will focus on the theme of self-acceptance in the context of one’s life story, emotions, physicality, and spiritual dimension. Participants will work both individually and in groups, guided by sisters from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and Monika Guzewicz, PhD in psychology, psychotherapist, former university lecturer, and co-creator of the Godfullness Jesuits project. The workshops are organized by the Association of Apostles of Divine Mercy “Faustinum”. More information is available at: www.faustinum.pl
The regular monthly Holy Mass for the members and volunteers of the Association of the Apostles of Divine Mercy Faustinum will be celebrated on Friday, June 13 at 3:20 PM at the Diocesan Shrine of Divine Mercy in Košice, in the KVP district. Afterwards, at 4:00 PM, a formation meeting of the local group will take place at the parish house. This year’s sixth meeting on the Mission of Mercy of Saint Faustina will be led by Sr. Mariela Lengyelová ISMM from the Košice community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.
Holy Masses for the Faustinum Association have been celebrated since 2006. More information about the association can be found at faustinum.pl.
On June 11th, at 5 p.m. at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, Holy Mass will be celebrated at the grace-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina. The special intention will be God’s blessing and needed graces for those participating in the Chaplet for the Dying, supporting this work materially and spiritually, for a serene death for the moribund recommended to prayer in this work, and the joy of heaven for the deceased.
In this work, not only Poles support the dying, but also people from many countries around the world. This year alone, people from over 30 countries have joined, including Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Peru, Venezuela, South Africa, Colombia, Venezuela, the USA, Canada, Australia, the Caribbean, and many European countries such as Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg… The most foreigners who joined this work came from Italy, Spain, France, and the USA.
On June 9, 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 .
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On June 7 this year, another meeting of the “Faustinum” association community will take place at the church of Santo Spirito in Sassia in Rome. The theme will be trust in the Bible and in the “Diary” of St. Faustina. The meeting will be led by the sisters from the Roman community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy and Fr. Łukasz Brus, and the topic will be: “The Faith of Thomas.” The meeting will begin at 12:30 p.m. and will include: conferences, prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Holy Mass at 3:30 p.m., followed by a procession to St. Peter’s Square for prayer with the Holy Father Leo XIV before Pentecost.
The meeting will also be available via Google Meet.
On May 30th (Friday), the Church is making a novena before the feast of the Holy Spirit. In the chapels of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, including the one with the miracle-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina at the Shrine of Divine Mercy, this novena is combined with the May devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. You can participate in it on-line and ask for the light and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit for you, the Church, our country and the world, so that the Spirit lead us to full familiarity with Jesus, reveal to us the depth of His merciful love and teach us to perceive His presence and action in our daily lives. At the end of the novena in the Łagiewniki Shrine, a prayer vigil will be held.
On June 7th at 9 pm a prayerful vigil before the feast of the Pentecost will begin at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. We will gather in the chapel of the miracle-famous image of Divine Mercy and the tomb of St. Faustina, which will become the Cenacle. Together with Mary, the Mother of Mercy, we shall be asking the Holy Spirit for the Light, Power and Graces for us, the Holy Church, our Country and the entire World. The vigil will end with the Eucharist celebrated at 10 p.m. You can join in this prayer online at www.saint-faustina.org where it will be broadcast.
On June 7th, the 28th anniversary of the first pilgrimage made by Pope John Paul II to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki will be celebrated. The Pope prayed in front of the grace-famous painting of Merciful Jesus and at the tomb of (then Blessed) Sister Faustina. He also gave a short speech in which he conveyed many important matters. He said that nothing is more necessary to man than the Mercy of God. The pope added, that he took the message of Mercy from this place to the Holy See and that it shaped the image of his pontificate. He thanked for being able to fulfill the wish of Jesus concerning the introduction of the Feast of Mercy in Poland. In a special message addressed the sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, he encouraged them in their charismatic apostolic ministry, entrusted to him by Sister Faustina.
Under this title, a retreat on the dignity of women will take place from May 30 to June 1 at the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul in the town of Chkalovo, Kazakhstan. The retreat will be led by Sr. Anastasis Omelchenko from the Petropavlovsk community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, Sr. Kazimiera Wanat, Sr. Madlen Hofmann, and Fr. Hans Reiner. The program includes reflections on the Word of God, conferences, and workshops.
In May, in a number of parishes in Poland, children participate for the first time in the sacraments of confession and Holy Communion. More and more children in special white clothes arrive with their priests, catechists and parents to the Shrine of Divine Mercy to make thanks for the great gift of God’s mercy which is the Eucharistic presence of the Lord Jesus and His indwelling in the human soul and to ask for fidelity and growth in the love of God and other people.
It is a tradition in Poland that Catholics gather in every church and even at small roadside shrines in May to celebrate “Majówki” – a special kind of devotion to the Virgin Mary, during which the Litany of Loreto is sung. At the Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki, the May devotions are celebrated in the chapel of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina every day at 7:00 pm and on Sundays and other holidays at 6:30 pm. You can also join in the prayer online, at /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 May: For children and youth so that they nurture the spirit of faith, hope and love and for new vocations to God’s service in the Church.
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.
On May 31th (Saturday), after a communal prayer in the Basilica of the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki at 7:30 am, the 18th Pilgrimage to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska will begin. The pilgrims will make the distance of 33 km on foot. They will visit the churches of Mary Queen of Poland in Krakow’s Nowy Ruczaj and in Rzozów, and the church of the Most Holy Trinity in Przytkowice as they go. The arrival to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is planned at 6:45 pm. After a Holy Mass, they will return to Krakow by buses.
Under this motto, a retreat for women will be held from June 27–29 at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki as part of the series “With Faustina in Everyday Life.” The theme for these spiritual exercises is a quote from the Diary of St. Faustina: “Under His loving gaze, my soul gains strength and power, becomes aware that it loves and is especially loved, and knows that the Almighty defends it” (Diary, 815). The retreat will be led by Sr. Gaudia Skass from the Kraków community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, who also serves as the spokesperson.
More information: www.faustinum.pl
May 27th is the 19h anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s pilgrimage to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. The Holy Father prayed before the grace-famous painting of Merciful Jesus and at the tomb of St. Faustina, in the chapel of Perpetual Adoration, and in the Basilica he met with the sick, who – as he said – are the most eloquent witnesses of God’s Mercy and have an active part in the salvation of the world. On a general audience in Rome, he recalled this pilgrimage to the Shrine in Łagiewniki: I had the opportunity to point out that only Divine Mercy illuminates the mystery of man. … Contemplating the illuminating wounds of the risen Christ, Sister Faustina Kowalska received a message of trust to humanity, the message of God’s Mercy … This message is indeed the main message of our time: mercy as God’s power and as the boundary for the evils of the whole world.
From May 23 to 25 this year, a conference dedicated to the Divine Mercy will be held in Auckland. Sr. Teresa de la Fuente from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy will participate. During the sessions, she will give two lectures: one on living the message of Divine Mercy, and another on how this message serves as an impulse for evangelization. The day after the conference ends, Sr. Teresa will meet with students in the city.
Saint Faustina is commonly associated with her revelations of Merciful Jesus and not so much with ones of the Virgin Mary. However, she experienced tens of such revelations. While She conversed with Sister Faustina, Mary revealed to her the mystery of Divine Mercy in her own life. She also instructed, reassured and accompanied the Saint in her prophetic mission of Mercy. She told her: Out of the depths of God’s Mercy, I am your Mother (Diary, 449) and I am not only the Queen of Heaven, but also the Mother of Mercy, and your Mother (Diary, 330).
The Blessed Virgin was, for Sister Faustina, primarily the Mother of the Son of God – the Embodiment of Mercy – and thanks to the Divine Mercy, also the mother of every human being. As the caring best Mother of all and a Mistress of spiritual life, she instructed her regarding the contemplation of God in her soul, regarding obedience to the will of God, the art of lovingly accepting one’s own cross and concern for the virtues that condition the attitude of trust in God and mercy towards our fellow human beings. I saw the Mother of God, Sister Faustina noted, who said to me, “Oh, how pleasing to God is the soul that follows faithfully the inspirations of His grace! I gave the Savior to the world; as for you, you have to speak to the world about His great mercy and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Him who will come, not as a merciful Savior, but as a just Judge. Oh, how terrible is that day! Determined is the day of justice, the day of divine wrath. The angels tremble before it. Speak to souls about this great mercy while it is still the time for mercy. If you keep silent now, you will be answering for a great number of souls on that terrible day. Fear nothing. Be faithful to the end. I sympathize with you” (Diary 635).
When the Congregation chose Mary for the Heavenly Superior General, St. Faustina had a vision where she saw all the sisters covered under Mary’s coat and heard the words of a great promise: “Everyone who perseveres zealously till death in My Congregation will be spared the fire of purgatory, and I desire that each one distinguish herself by the following virtues: humility and meekness; chastity and love of God and neighbor; compassion and mercy”. After these words, the whole Congregation disappeared from my sight, and I remained alone with the Most Holy Mother who instructed me about the will of God and how to apply it to my life, submitting completely to His most holy decrees. It is impossible for one to please God without obeying His holy will. “My daughter, I strongly recommend that you faithfully fulfill all God’s wishes, for that is most pleasing in His holy eyes. I very much desire that you distinguish yourself in this faithfulness in accomplishing God’s will. Put the will of God before all sacrifices and holocausts” (Diary, 1244).
On May 18, 2020 – the 100th anniversary of the birth of St. John Paul II – the third channel of Polish Television (TVP3) began daily nationwide broadcasts of the Hour of Mercy prayer and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy from the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. The prayers are led by the Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy before the miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina. At 3 p.m., the privileged hour in devotion to Divine Mercy, hundreds of thousands of people gather daily at the foot of the Cross of Jesus through this broadcast – just as Jesus desired – to reflect, even briefly, on the mystery of Divine Mercy revealed in His Passion and to plead for God’s mercy “for us and for the whole world.” It is a time of grace granted to us each day because Jesus attached promises of every kind of grace and temporal blessing (in accordance with His will) to the Hour of Mercy (the moment of His death on the Cross) and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, if we ask with trust and combine this trusting prayer with acts of mercy toward others. The broadcast of the Hour of Mercy and Chaplet on TVP3 is also available at: www. www.saint-faustina.org, on YouTube, and in the Faustyna.pl app for Android and iOS.
On May 22 this year, a meeting of the “Faustinum” association community will take place at the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia in Rome. The theme will focus on trust in the Bible and in the “Diary” of St. Faustina. 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. Paolo Martinelli, rector of the Church of the Holy Spirit. The theme will be: “Peter’s trust and Judas’s distrust.” The program includes: the Hour of Mercy prayer and the Divine Mercy Chaplet to begin the meeting, Holy Mass, conferences, Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary, and fraternal gathering.
The meeting can also be attended via Google Meet.
On May 18th, faithful across Australia and Oceania will join in prayer of the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 pm for the 8 time. The action is the fruit of the Congress of Divine Mercy held in Melbourne in 2018 and involves joining in prayer twice a year: on May 18, which is the anniversary of the birth of St. John Paul II, and on September 13—the anniversary of the revelation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, above all, by the faithful of Australia and Oceania. Also Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy have joined in this prayerful action. Also Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy have joined in this prayerful action.
On May 18 this year, all those participating in this action, also from other countries of the world, will pray for Pope Leo XIV, that his pontificate may be a sign of unity in a divided world, and his words a light for every conscience. More information and how to join: www.worldchaplet.org
On May 17 this year, another formation meeting of the Krakow “Faustinum” community will take place at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki.
Program:
13:30 – Rosary prayer
14:10 – Conferences:
• Stage II: ABCs of the spiritual life – Sr. Maria Faustyna Ciborowska ISMM
• Stage I: Biblical series – Sr. M. Emanuela Gemza ISMM
14:40 – Time for personal prayer and reflection
15:00 – Prayer at the Hour of Mercy
15:30 – Announcements – “Faustinum” Hall
15:50 – Group meetings
17:00 – Holy Mass
17:50 – Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
18:15 – Agape – “Faustinum” Hall.
On May 14th, in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Prešov, Slovakia, a “Day of Divine Mercy” will be held. Sister from both communities of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Slovakia will take part, the ones from the Košice and Nižny Hrušov, together with members and volunteers of the “Faustinum” Association. The program includes: Holy Mass, conference by Sister Blanka Krajčíková on the topic “Do not despair – all is not lost”, adoration and prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
In Krakow, on May 11th (Sunday), an annual procession in honor of St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr will walk from the Wawel Hill to the monastery of Skałka (the place of his martyrdom). This beautiful procession dating back to the thirteenth century, is attended by bishops, priests, various male and female religious congregations, parish delegations from the entire archdiocese of Krakow, including some wearing regional costumes, and many other faithful. Traditionally, in the sign of their relics, patrons of Poland are also following: St. Stanislaus, St. Adalbert and other Polish saints, among them St. Faustina, who has participated in this national procession for many years.
Under this theme, a retreat will be held on May 9–11 at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki, dedicated to the topic of forgiving oneself and others as a path to inner freedom. Participants will learn this art from Saint Faustina, who wrote: “We are most like God when we forgive our neighbors” (Diary, 1148). The retreat will be led by Fr. Krzysztof Kowal MS, responsible for the postulancy in the La Salette congregation and a spiritual director, as well as Agata Matysiak, a psychologist and psychotherapist with experience in conducting workshops on interpersonal communication.
More information: www.faustinum.pl
From May 9th to 11th, a retreat for girls aged 16 and above will take place in the town of Oziornoe under the theme: “The Source of Strength is Within You.” It will be led by Sr. Anastasis Omelchenko and Sr. Helena Barchankova from the Petropavlovsk community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, as well as Sr. Madlen Hofmann and Fr. Hans Reiner.
On May 8 we will be celebrating the 157th anniversary of the establishment, by Mother Teresa Ewa Countess Potocki nee Sułkowski, of the first house of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow. The sisters became involved in the education of girls and women in need of deep moral renewal, first in the “House of Mercy” at the Church of Divine Mercy at Smoleńsk street, and then in the convent at the crossroads of Zwierzyniecka and Straszewskiego (now occupied by Hotel Radisson). Since 1891, the convent’s house has been in Krakow-Łagiewniki. Today, the sisters are performing more than their original work, being also involved in the mission of St. Faustina to proclaim the message of Mercy to the world. They do this not only at the Shrine of Divine Mercy among the pilgrims from around the world, but also through many new works: the Association of Divine Mercy Apostles “Faustinum”, the publishing company “Misericordia”, the quarterly magazine “Orędzie Miłosierdzia”, the website available in 8 languages, the online broadcasts from the chapel of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy image and the tomb of St. Faustina, the perpetual Chaplet, the Chaplet for the dying, presence in the media, social networking, visits to parishes in Poland and abroad, participation in symposia and conferences devoted to the Mercy of God and the heritage of St. Faustina, etc. Their ministry, even the most implicit, includes the proclamation of the message of the merciful Love of God to man.
On Sunday, May 4 this year, the 9th National Reading of the Holy Scriptures will take place. It refers to the Baptism of Poland, providing an opportunity to recall the Christian roots of our nation. With its theme and selected texts from the First and Second Letters of St. Paul to the Corinthians and the First Letter of St. Peter, it fits into this year’s pastoral program, which focuses on the virtue of hope. This time, the guiding thought of the event will be: “The Risen Christ – our hope of glory.” The main goal of the National Reading of the Holy Scriptures, which inaugurates the Biblical Week, is to invite the faithful to personal, daily reading and reflection on the Scriptures. The solemn celebration will take place in Warsaw – at the Temple of Divine Providence, at Jasna Góra, and at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki at 7:00 a.m., together with the Eucharist presided over by Bishop Piotr Przyborek from the Archdiocese of Gdańsk. It will be broadcast on TVP1 and at www.faustyna.pl, on YouTube, and via mobile apps: faustyna.pl.
From Sunday, May 4 to May 10, 2025, the Church will observe the 17th Biblical Week under the motto: “The Risen Christ – our hope of glory.”
Under this motto, for the tenth time, on May 4 (Sunday), the Walking Pilgrimage from the Diocese of Gliwice will arrive at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. The pilgrims will be welcomed by Bishop Sławomir Oder, the ordinary of the diocese, who will preside over the Holy Mass at 1:00 PM in the chapel with the miraculous image of Divine Mercy and the tomb of St. Faustina. The pilgrimage program includes participation in the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, as well as a meeting in the conference hall to deepen understanding of the spiritual legacy and prophetic mission of St. Faustina.
