Archive News

From July 8 to 15, in Braslav, near the lake, Sister Konstancja from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Pastavy, along with devotees of Divine Mercy, is organizing a Vacation with God for kids and teens under the theme Jesus and His Parables. Local Salvatorian Fathers will assist with sacramental services such as confession and the Eucharist.

The Vacation with God project for children and youth is organized by the Sisters each year in a different location and with a different main theme.

Children from grades 1-6 will spend their first summer vacation days in Slovakia’s Nižný Hrušov at the convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy under this motto, from July 8 to 10.  The summer days have been prepared for them by animators from the parish together with Sisters from the local community, and the coordinator of the whole event is the provost, Fr. Jozef Kozák.

Due to maintenance work on July 8th, there will be interruptions in the online transmission from the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki, from the chapel with the miraculous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina. We apologize for these inconveniences, but carrying out this work is necessary.

On Sunday, July 7th, St. Faustina’s relics will be introduced at the 11 am Mass in the Church of St. Martin in Šintave, western Slovakia. First degree relics of the Apostle of Divine Mercy will be handed over by Sr. Blanka Krajčíková from the convent of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Košice, Slovakia. On this occasion, she will share the spiritual legacy of St. Faustina, and especially the message of Mercy with which Jesus sent her to the whole world.

The sisters of Our Lady of Mercy from the community in Washington DC invite you to join them for pilgrimage and spiritual Retreat to Poland on July 14, 2024 to Friday, July 26, 2024.

If you desire to deepen your spiritual life, want to visit places where God has shown His grace to man in a special way and create a community of people who want to “go deeper” – you can’t miss it!

The pilgrimage has been designed to be a prayer-filled spiritual experience! This is an extraordinary journey in the footsteps of two saints who changed the world by reminding us of the truth that the name of our God is MERCY!

You can join them from any part of the world!

For more details and registration, go to the John Paul II National Shrine website:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-pilgrimage-to-poland-tickets-807189253787?aff=oddtdtcreator

The annual retreat for Divine Mercy devotees will be held at the Jesuit Retreat House in Prešov, Slovakia, on June 28-30. The retreat, entitled If you knew the gift of God (John 4:10), will be led by Sr. M. Blanka Krajčíková, I.S.M.M., from the Košice community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, together with Jesuit Fathers from the Prešov community.

On June 29th, celebrations will be held in Łódź to mark the 100th anniversary of the revelations of Jesus in Wenecja Park and St. Stanislaus Kostka Cathedral. Following these events, Helena Kowalska decided to enter a convent, regardless of her parents’ opposition. The festivities will begin at 10 a.m. in the Słowacki Park with a game under the theme Interrupted Dance, during which the Łódź Song and Dance Ensemble and Czerwone Gitary’s ex musician Bernard Dornowski will perform. A testimony and word on vocation will be given by Fr.  Piotr Kleszcz. At 12:30 p.m., Run with Faustina is planned, followed by a procession with the relics of the Apostle of Divine Mercy to the cathedral along the path she herself trodden 100 years ago after the revelation of Jesus calling her to convent life. A service will be celebrated in the cathedral at 2 pm, presided over by Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, Metropolitan of Łódź, and a renewed entrustment of the city Church to Divine Mercy. Saint Faustina has been the patron saint of the city of Łódź since 2005.

The celebration is organized by Archdiocese of Łódź, the Parish of St. Faustina in Łódź and the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.

On June 29th, 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, the moribund are supported not only by Poles, but also by people from many countries around the world. This year alone, people from more than 30 countries have signed up, including Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Singapore, Mauritius, India, Burkina Faso, USA, Canada and many European countries even not very Catholic, such as Turkey, Belgium, Norway, Lithuania and Latvia. The largest number of internationals joined this work from Italy, Spain and France.

On June 22, a meeting of those responsible for Mercy groups in Italy will be held at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Rome. The motto of the event will be the words of the Psalmist: “Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me” (Ps 66:16). The meeting agenda includes a lecture by Card. Angelo Comastri, Archpriest Emeritus of the Vatican Basilica and Vicar General Emeritus of the Holy Father, titled Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever (Ps 136:1), followed by a presentation of the various Divine Mercy communities. After the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet at 4 pm, Holy Mass will be celebrated, presided over by Mons. Graham Bell, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization and delegate to the 2025 Jubilee.

On Thursday, June 20, the monthly formation meeting of the Faustinum group will be held in Nižný Hrušov, Slovakia. The last formation meeting before the summer holidays for the local “Faustinum” group, which will take place at the convent after the 6 pm Mass, will be led by Sisters from the Hrušov community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Slovakia.

The monthly formation meetings of the Faustinum community will be held in Borši (Streda nad Bodrogom parish) in Slovakia on Monday and Tuesday (June 17-18). The program includes conferences on the theme of God’s mercy in the Bible and St. Faustina’s Diary, will be delivered by Sr. M. Hedvig Uličná of the Košice community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Slovakia.

On June 17th, at 5 p.m., at the grace-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, a Holy Mass will be celebrated in thanksgiving and with imploration for God’s blessings and necessary graces for all the creators of the QR code guide to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. Thanks to us, every pilgrim who visits this holy place will be able to discover it along with its treasure, which is the message of Mercy and the spiritual legacy of St. Faustina. The guide has been prepared in 9 languages. For other language areas, a scanned QR code automatically selects English.

On 14-16 and 21-23 June 2024, retreats for women will be held at the Fides et ratio Diocese Retreat House in Shchuchinsk as part of the Samaritan project. The theme of the event will be My beloved is mine and I am his (Song of Songs 2,16). This time, participants will be accompanied by the character of Mary Magdalene, a woman with big heart, filled with God’s love. The retreat will include Gospel meditations, conferences, and Biblical drama. The retreat will be delivered by Sr. Anastasis Omelchenko of the Petropavlovsk community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, Sr. Kazimiera Wanat, Sr. Madlen Hofmann, and Fr. Hans Reiner.

On June 15th (Saturday), at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, the beatification of the Venerable Servant of God Father Michał Rapacz will take place. The announcement will be made by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Father Michał Rapacz, who was murdered by the communists, hailed from Tenczyn. In 1931, he was ordained a priest in Krakow and was sent to pastoral work in Płoki, and later to Rajcza near Żywiec. In November 1937, he was reassigned to Płoki, where he became the parish priest. He was a man of prayer and great compassion. He entrusted himself to God completely. On May 12, 1946, as he was being led to martyrdom by the communists in a nearby forest, he prayed, saying: “Thy will be done, Lord.” His grave is currently located in the Shrine of Our Lady, Guardian of Working Families, in Płoki.

Regular Mass for the Faustinum Apostles of Divine Mercy Association is celebrated every of the month at the Diocesan Shrine of Divine Mercy in Košice-KVP, Slovakia. This month, it will be celebrated on June 14th at 3:20x pm directly after praying the Hour of Mercy and the Divine Mercy Chaplet together. The main celebrant will be Fr. Tomasz Svat. Regular monthly Masses for the intentions of the Faustinum in Slovakia have been celebrated since 2006.

After the Holy Mass, there will be a formation meeting for the “Faustinum” group, led by sisters from the Koszyce community of the Congregation.

On June 9th, at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Church in Oleksów, Sr. Faustyna Olszewska of the Kierzk community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy will share the message of Mercy and the spiritual wealth of St. Faustina with the faithful, not only during the Sunday service, but also at a meetup afterwards.

On June 8, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the Fourth National Convention of members and volunteers of the “Faustinum” Association of Apostles of Divine Mercy will be held at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. It will be guided by the motto Be witnesses of Mercy. The program includes Holy Mass, conferences by Sr. Maria Faustina Ciborowska, I.S.M.M., entitled ‘Go home to your own people, and tell them what the Lord has done for you – the Witness to Mercy in the Bible’ and Sr. Emanuela Gemza, ‘My Personal Testimony,’ followed by group meetings, Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and a final blessing.

On June 5 and 7, the Annual Divine Mercy Medicine, Bioethics, and Spirituality Conference will be held at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, organized by the Healthcare Professionals for Divine Mercy in cooperation with the Marian Fathers. This event will be attended by Sr. Salwatricze from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, who will give a conference on transformation of painful experiences into a gift.

On June 7th, Sr. Ligia and Sr. Wincenta from the Roman community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy will share the message of Mercy and the spiritual legacy of St. Faustina in Viterbo, at the Parish of the Holy Family, with Apostles of Divine Mercy from three different parishes. There will be prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, followed by Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

On June 4th, Sr. Franciszka Siadaczka of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy will celebrate the centenary of her birth. On this occasion, on June 8th at 11:00 a.m. a Mass will be celebrated in Walendów for the intention of the Jubilarian with the participation of Sisters from many convents, followed by wishes, a joint lunch and reminiscences.

Sister Franciszka entered the Congregation in 1945, took her first vows on April 30th, 1948, and made her perpetual vows five years later. During her 79 years of religious life, she performed various duties, including serving as a sacristan in Krakow-Łagiewniki, a nurse and caretaker of the sick in Warsaw’s Grochów, in Zakopane and Walendów. As a pensioner – so far fully fit and active, interested in the life of the Congregation, the Church, Poland and the world – she testifies to God’s merciful love and obtains required graces for everyone.

On June 4th, at 5 p.m. at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, Mass will be celebrated in the intention of all IT Specialists and Donors who have contributed to our on-line broadcasting from the Łagiewniki Shrine and to the purchase of the new camera, which has been on-line since May 27th. The live video streaming is available at Faustyna.pl including its 8 different language versions, our Faustyna.pl YouTube channel and our Faustyna.pl mobile application. Last year, it has been accessed by more than 4,400,000 unique visitors and TV broadcasters in Poland and abroad. May Merciful Jesus abundantly bless our Donors Benefactors. Our Sisters are imploring for these blessings each day in their prayers.

On 5 June (Sunday) at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Plock at the Old Market Square, another formative meeting of the Faustinum Divine Mercy Apostles Association community will be held.  The topic of the meeting is: “Bond with the Church and concern for the salvation of souls”. It will begin at 2:15 p.m. with joint adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. At 3.20 p.m. Eucharist, followed by agape, conference from the series “ABC of spiritual life” and sharing your thoughts and experience on this topic. The meetings are led by sisters from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy and priests.

This Sunday, June 1, a solemn introduction of the relics of St. Faustina to the Church of St. John the Baptist will take place at the parish of Sabinov, Slovakia. Relics of the Apostle of Divine Mercy will be handed over by Sr. Blanka Krajčikova and Sr. Antoniana Štullerová from the convent of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Košice, Slovakia. On this occasion, they will share the spiritual legacy of St. Faustina, especially the message of Mercy with which Jesus sent her to the whole world, they will lead the prayer at the Hour of Mercy, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and Adoration.

On June 1rd, the Youth Meeting at Lednica will be held for the twenty-seventh time. This year the main theme will be the Eucharist, and the motto of the meeting will be Come home. Sisters from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy will be there with Sr. Gaudia Skass who will deliver a message to the participants of this event, which flows from the spiritual legacy of St. Faustina. The Saint’s relics also have accompanied the young during the Lednica meetings for a few years.

On May 27th, work is planned for the installation of the new camera in the chapel with the miraculously famous Divine Mercy image and the tomb of St. Faustina at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, Due to this, video broadcasting at www.faustyna.pl and its other language versions will be temporarily offline. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope for your understanding. We also thank you for all the offerings made for the purchase of the new camera and the conservationist’s approval for its installation.

A spiritual retreat of members and volunteers of the Faustinum Apostles of Divine Mercy Association from Slovakia will be held at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki on May 24-26. The topic of the retreat will be This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! (Matthew, 17:5). The retreat will be delivered by Fr. Tomáš Belá from Košice, Slovakia, and Sr. M. Clareta Fečová from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, vice-head of the Faustinum Association.

On Saturday, May 18st, 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 from Slovakia. Solemn Mass in honor of St. John Paul II at 3.30 p.m. 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.

On May 15th, 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, sisters’ conference on “Mercy – God’s limit for the evil of the whole world”, adoration and prayer at the Hour of Mercy and  the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

This is the motto of a retreat dedicated to listening to the voice of God in the whirlwind of daily activities, joys and worries, to be held at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki on May 10-12. The participants will learn this art from St. Faustina, who wrote: “I’m striving for interior silence, so as to hear His voice…” (Diary, 1828). The retreat will be delivered by Fr. Robert Więcek, S.J., retreatist, director of the National Secretariat of the Pontifical World Prayer Network, and Sr. M. Emanuela Gemza, I.S.M.M., president of the “Faustinum” Association of Apostles of Divine Mercy, author of “Faustinum” books and formation notebooks. For more information, go to www.faustinum.pl.

Such is the theme of the retreat for women of the Kostanay deanery in Kazakhstan to be held on May 3-5 at the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Lisakovsk. The topic of the meeting will be woman’s dignity. It will be delivered by Sr. Anastasis Omelchenko of the Petropavlovsk community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, Sr. Madlen Hofmann. The retreat will feature Bible meditations, lectures and workshops.