May 27th is the 16th 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.
On May 22nd at 8 pm, in the Łagiewniki Shrine’s chapel of the Divine Mercy image and the tomb of St. Faustina, the traditional monthly youth meeting, dubbed the Łagiewniki 22, will take place. This year, the Sisters and participants of the meetings are following a new theme: Come and Trust! In prayer, the young people will entrust all the difficult matters of the Church, the world and their personal problems to the merciful Lord. The evenings of adoration will also be a spiritual preparation for the 20th anniversary of the act of entrusting the world to Divine Mercy, which was done by St. Pope John Paul II in 17 August 2002 at the Łagiewniki Shrine.
On May 21-22, an annual retreat for Divine Mercy devotees will be held at the Holy Trinity Church in Varíne, Slovakia. Sister M. Alžbeta Mikušová from the Košice community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy will be the retreat giver.
On May 21th (Saturday), the 11th pilgrimage counting several thousand Greek Catholics from Slovakia will arrive to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. At 9.15 am, Akathistos will be sung in honor of the Blessed Mother of God. The solemn Byzantine Rite Mass at 10 am will be chaired by Archbishop Jan Babjak, S.J., the retired Metropolitan of Presov. After lunch break (about 2.15 pm), Sister M. Clareta Fečova from the convent of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki will provide a conference about on trust and prayer. The pilgrims will pray at the grace-famous image of Merciful Jesus next to the tomb of St. Faustina. The pilgrimage will end officially at 3 pm with prayer at the Hour of Mercy, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and a pastoral blessing.
On Saturday, May 21st, there will be a spring pilgrimage to the Rock Shrine of Divine Mercy on Mount Butkov in Slovakia. Celebrations will start with communal 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 the convent at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. Solemn Mass in honor of St. John Paul II at 3.30 p.m. will be presided over by Bishop Tomáš Galis of Žilina. The site devoted to the worship of Divine Mercy located at Mount Butkov (11th floor of a stone quarry), where a large illuminated cross, in addition to statues of St. Faustina and St. John Paul II have been placed, is part of the Rock Shrine of Divine Mercy with a church in Ladce.
The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy would like to thank all those who have supported the on-line broadcasting from the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki at www.saint-faustina.org, on You Tube and on our mobile Faustyna.pl app for Android and iOS. Thanks to these broadcasts, people can virtually travel to the Łagiewniki Shrine 24 hours a day to participate in the Liturgy and pray for their intentions.
For all the Contributors and Benefactors of this work, on May 18th, at 5 p.m., Holy Mass will be celebrated in the chapel of the miracle-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina. We commend everyone to the Mercy of God in daily prayer in this holy place.
On May 18th, faithful across Australia and Oceania will join in prayer of the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 pm for the 5 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 18th, all those participating will pray for the following intentions: More information and how to join: www.worldchaplet.org
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 13 May, in Derdy near Warsaw, at the election session of the 19th General Chapter of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, the ministry of Superior General was entrusted for a second term to Sr. MiriamJaniec. Sister Petra Kowalczyk was elected Vicaress General. The following Sisters have been elected for the General Council: Sr. Nicola Kwiecińska, Sr. Stella Boruch and Sr. Gaudia Skass. The office of the General Treasurer will be held in the next six years by Sr. Natalia Wideł.
On May 4 begins the 19th General Chapter of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. During the Chapter, the sisters will elect a new General Superior and board of the Congregation for a 6-year term of office and discuss many aspects of the charismatic mission of cooperating with the saving Mercy of God in various ways, especially in works of charity and spreading the message of Mercy which Jesus entrusted to St. Faustina. The sisters participating in the Chapter will also debate in current challenges faced by the Congregation.
On May 11-13, the Parish of St. Herbert in Wodzisław Śląski will host a retreat for primary school children. It will be led by Sr. Maria Faustyna Ciborowska and Sr. Stefania Kromska from the convent of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy at the Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki, who will share the spiritual heritage of St. Faustina. The message of God’s mercy is also addressed to children.
On May 8-10 an annual retreat for venerators of Divine Mercy will be held at the Center of Divine Mercy in Smižany, Slovakia. The theme of the retreat will be: “I give you my peace…” and it will be delivered by Fr. Artur Ciepielski and Sr. M. Antoniana Štullerová from the Košice community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy.
On May 8, as on every eighth day of the month, the community of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Gdansk, Częstochowa, Kalisz and Kiekrz will support married couples praying for offspring. 835 of them are already expecting children, with many more already enjoying parenthood. Intentions asking for prayer for this purpose (names of married couples) can be sent by email at: www.modlitwaopotomstwo.pl.
The community of people praying for children led by Fr. Andrzej Wiecki and sisters of the Gdańsk community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy cordially invite married couples trying to conceive to Adoration of Merciful Jesus with a prayer for healing, which will take place on 8 April at 8.00 pm at the shrine of the Pregnant Holy Mother in Matemblewo. Live stream: www.facebook.com/modlitwaopotomstwo
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).
On May 8 we will be celebrating the 154th 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 1, the 6th National Bible Reading will take place, this time selected texts from the Gospel according to St. Luke. Ceremonial celebration led by bishop Wiesław Lechowicz will take place at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki at 7.00 a.m and will be broadcasted together with the Eucharist by TVP1 and on the website: www.saint-faustina.org, You Tube and on mobile applications: faustyna.pl . Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, chairman of the EPP and Mateusz Morawiecki, president of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Poland took the patronage over the event.
April 30th is the 22th anniversary of the canonization of Sr. Faustina Kowalska from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, an apostle of Divine Mercy. Her canonization took place at St. Peter’s Square in Rome and at the Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki in the year 2000. Saint Faustina described the event with details more than 60 years earlier, at the end of March 1937 (Diary, 1044-1048). Whoever participated in these events knows that her vision was fulfilled accurately. On that day, the Holy Father John Paul II introduced the Feast of Divine Mercy for the whole Church and provided it with the message of Mercy as articulated by St. Faustina for the third millennium of our faith. You can find out more the testimony of miraculous healing which was tested for the canonization, a description of the event and the canonization homily of the Holy Father at faustyna.pl. We give daily thanks for this “gift of God our time”, as St. Faustina and the message of Mercy which she provided us with were called by St. John Paul II. Millions of people around the world are joining in St. Faustina’s prophetic mission of proclaiming the biblical truth about the merciful Love of God to the world through the witness of life, deeds, words and prayer, creating the Apostolic Movement of the Divine Mercy, which is the “new congregation” as demanded by Jesus. May the anniversary of the Apostle of Divine Mercy’s canonization be an opportunity for us not only to give thanks, but also to explore the abundant heritage of the Saint.
On April 25, 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 (325-354). 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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Such is the title of the 28th episode of our short film clip series about the Message of Mercy from Jesus, based on the Diary of Sister Faustina. Every episode contains a dialog between Jesus and St. Faustina. In this episode, Jesus is saying: “I want the Feast of Mercy to be a refuge and sanctuary for all souls, and especially for poor sinners.On that day are open all the Divine floodgates through which graces flow” (Diary, 699). Saint Faustina responds: “Jesus, Lover of human salvation, draw all the souls up to Divine life; may the greatness of Your mercy be praised here on Earth and in eternity” (Diary, 1466).
The script for a series of short films featuring Jesus’ message of mercy was written by Sr. M. Elżbieta Siepak, ISMM. This message reveals God’s merciful love and calls us to respond to it with an attitude of trust in God, that is, by doing His will, and by doing good to others through deeds, words and prayer. The narrators are Adam Woronowicz and Aleksandra Posielężna, and the music was written by the Krakow composed and musician, Paweł Bębenek. The one-minute film clips with beautiful outdoor scenes are produced by the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in cooperation with TVP. You can watch them all on you YouTube channel: Faustina.pl.
On the octave of the Resurrection, the greatest feast of the Catholic Church, ends on the Feast of Divine Mercy, widely called the Mercy Sunday. Jesus demanded the establishment of the feast when He revealed Himself to St. Faustina, repeatedly expressing His desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy: He said: I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. (Diary, 699). On this day, we can receive the grace of washing of regeneration (one of the graces of baptism), but also obtain many other graces and earthly blessings, if they are in accordance with the will of God. The condition is a pure heart without attachment to sin and the attitude of trust in God, which is the desire to do His will and active love of one’s neighbors. The only vessel for drawing the graces is trust, as Jesus taught St. Faustina, because God’s Mercy has no limits and the joy of God is to give much – very much. Such is the Merciful Love we can get to know better and venerate as we celebrate the holiday. Click here to learn more about the Feast and its history in the Church.
The Feast of Mercy, in accordance with the wishes of Jesus expressed to St. Faustina and the decisions of the Holy Father John Paul II, is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter (this year it is April 24). The central ceremony held at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. They will be preceded by a novena of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy made on Good Friday, and a night vigil which starts in the Basilica on Saturday at 9:00 pm. Sunday Masses at the Shrine of Divine Mercy will be the celebrated according to the following program:
6:00 am – Fr. Andrzej Tarasiuk (basilica).
7:00 am – Bp Jan Zając (chapel of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina) – transmission in TVP 1.
8:00 am – Bp Damian Muskus (basilica).
10:00 am – Bp Marek Jędraszewski, Archbishop of Krakow – field altar in front of the basilica – transmission in TVP 1.
10.00 am –Holy Mass in English (chapel of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina).
12:30 pm Holy Mass in English Bp Roman Pindel (basilica).
3:00 pm – Hour of Mercy and Chaplet of Divine Mercy – Fr. Zbigniew Bielas, Rector of the Shrine and the sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy (basilica).
4:00 pm – Bp Andrzej Jeż (basilica).
5:00 pm –Holy Mass in Spanish (Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows).
6:00 pm – Bp Artur Ważny (basilica).
7:00 pm – Fr. Grzegorz Zembroń, M.S. (chapel of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina)
Masses from the basilica, the Hour of Mercy prayer (3:00 pm), and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be broadcast by TV Milosierdzie at the website of our Rectory, www.milosierdzie.pl, whereas Holy Mass at 7:00 am, 7:00 pm and visitation of the Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina by pilgrims will be live streamed at www.saint-faustina.en .
At the Shrine of Divine Mercy in the Old Market Square in Płock – the place of the revelation of Divine Mercy Image and the Feast of Mercy to St. Faustina – Holy Mass will be celebrated on April 24, the Mercy Sunday, at 8 am, 10 am, 12 pm and 5 pm. At 3 pm, the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be celebrated.
On April 24th, the Feast of Mercy, Sr. Klara Domańska from the convent of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki will share the message of Mercy and the spiritual heritage of St. Faustina with the faithful in the parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ołpiny near Tuchów. As it will be the Feast of Divine Mercy, she will devote the most attention to this form of Divine Mercy devotion, in order to bring the wealth of grace that Jesus has associated with this day and under what conditions He did so closer to the faithful. The event will include prayer at the Hour of Mercy, Adoration and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
On Divine Mercy Sunday, 24 April 2022, at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, Holy Mass will also be celebrated in other languages:
- English Holy Mass at 10:00 a.m. at the Chapel of the Miraculous Image of the Merciful Jesus and Tomb of St. Faustina
- Spanish Holy Mass at 5:00 p.m. at the Slovakian Chapel in the Lower Basilica.
This intention is the theme of this Good Friday, April 15, novena to begin at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, before the Feast of Mercy. As every day at 3 pm, it will begin with the celebration of Jesus at the moment of His passion on the Cross (the Hour of Mercy), and then we will celebrate the novena before the Feast of Mercy and the one from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, about which Jesus said that He would grant all graces to souls. We will combine the novena from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with the novena to Divine Mercy, which Jesus ordered to be celebrated by St. Faustina. For 9 days, we will be immersing the Holy Church, all nations, and especially Ukraine in the abyss of God’s unfathomable mercy, asking God to end the armed conflict and bring forwards the necessary graces for those suffering from the war in their country.
Not only pilgrims in the Łagiewniki Shrine, but also radio, television and online audiences from many countries of the world will participate in this novena. This event organized by the Faustinum Divine Mercy Apostles Association can be joined at 3 pm or any convenient time by the parishes, communities and individuals celebrating the novena. Texts and audio recordings will be available at www.faustinum.pl and on the
You Tube channel. Together we cry for the mercy of God by trustingly praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in this novena before the Feast of Mercy so that we can really stop the war in Ukraine!!!
On the eve of Mercy Sunday, on the night of Saturday to Sunday (23/24 April), the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Płock, together with the Warriors of Mary, Knights of John Paul II, the Catholic Youth Association, the Home Church and the Catholic renewal in the Holy Spirit, will hold Spiritual Combat Night for the Blessing of the Homeland. In their invitation to this prayerful event, the organizers write: “Our Homeland is facing huge challenges and threats. Let us use this time for prayer, abandoning divisions and prejudices, imploring God for a blessing for Poland together”. The night vigil at the place of the first revelation of the Divine Mercy Image and the Feast of Mercy will begin at 8 pm and will last until 4 am. Holy Mass for the intention of our Homeland will be celebrated at midnight.
Just before Palm Sunday, on April 23rd, the 4th Mercy Festival featuring religious films will take place in Krakow, in the Kijów movie theater at al. Krasińskiego 34. Before the film Odkupienie (Redemption) there will be a short introductory meeting on its theme, hosted by Miłosz Horodyski, with Fr. Józef Pochwat, M.S., from the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, and Fr. Marek Drzewiecki. There will also be a preview for the film Żywy (Alive) in the large auditorium, which will be in theaters in June. These screenings will be non-ticketed.
Meanwhile, in the Studio Room, the following films will be showed: An Ardent Heart, Teraz i w godzinę śmierci [Now and at the Hour of Death], Lady of Guadalupe, and Ballad of a White Cow.
Throughout the day, Caritas volunteers will be collecting donations for war refugees.
On Mercy Sunday, April 24, within a certain time brackets, the YouTube channel of the Kijów theater will show a film titled Bóg w Krakowie [God in Krakow].
Allelujah!!! Jesus lives!!! He lives among us and in us, when we are in a state of grace. Love wins over sin and life over death. Jesus overcame all evil and Satan, the enemy of man. Since then we can also can gain the victory over sin and human weakness through Jesus, and thus live more fully in communion with God. Let God’s mercy be praised in us and through us! We wish you all joyous celebration of this greatest mystery of our faith!
On the occasion of Easter and the Feast of Divine Mercy, the Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy would like to wish all our Benefactors, Associates supporting our apostolic works, as well as Visitors to the Congregation’s website and Members of the Facebook group of the Shrine of Divine Mercy. May you all experience a joyful encounter with the risen, merciful Lord. He is the One who brings peace which the world cannot give, fills our hearts with love and always bestows blessings, as we see Him in the Image which He instructed St. Faustina to paint. We also wish you all graces, and on the Feast of Mercy, may you be granted the greatest promise of Jesus, which is complete absolution from sins and punishment. Blessed Easter to you all!!!
