On October 8, at the Shrine of Sister Faustina in Kiekrz, a pilgrimage ceremony will take place. Mass at noon on the Małe Kierskie Lake, in the place of the revelation of Jesus to St. Faustina, will be presided by Bishop Jan Glapiak. It will be preceded by a procession with relics of St. Faustina, which will depart from the convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy to the altar over a Małe Kierskie Lake. The preparation for this event will be the triduum from 5 to 7 of October. The Masses during the triduum will be celebrated at 6 pm.
This Sunday, October 8, there will be a solemn introduction of the relics of St. Faustina to the Church of St. John the Baptist in Hruštín, Slovakia’ Orava region. Relics of the Apostle of Divine Mercy will be handed over by Sr. Clareta Fečova from the convent of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. On this occasion, she will share the spiritual legacy of St. Faustina, especially the message of Mercy with which Jesus sent her to the whole world.
The liturgical feast of St. Faustina, October 5th, at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in the chapel with the miracle-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, Holy Mass will be celebrated at 6.30 am, 5.00 pm and 7.00 pm. Prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be recited at 3pm, as on all days. From 8.30 pm, Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament will be led by Sisters from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy. The evening of grace and praise will end at 10.45 pm, i.e., at the hour when St. Faustina departed to the House of the Lord. In the Basilica, Holy Mass will be celebrated in the Sunday order.
On October 5, which is the anniversary of St. Faustina’s birth in Heaven, the site where the Apostle of Divine Mercy left the earth to go to the Heavenly Father’s house, will be opened to visitors. Usually, it is unavailable for pilgrims, because it is inside the religious cloister. Entering the Shrine, you can only see a plaque and the window of the old infirmary decorated with flowers. On October 5, however, the oratory, in which the relics of St. Faustina body are deposited, along with more than a hundred relics of other saints and blessed, will be made available to pilgrims from 10.00 am to 6.30 pm.
On the feast of St. Faustina in Płock, on October 5th, a solemn service will be celebrated in the Shrine of Divine Mercy at the Old Market. Holy Mass will take place on that day at the following times: 6.30 am, 12 pm and solemn summa at 5 pm, celebrated by Bp. Piotr Libera. As every day, at 3 p.m. – prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and at 4 p.m. – prayer of the rosary and the Litany of Saint Faustina.
Before the feast of St. Faustina, a triduum of Holy Masses will be celebrated from October 2nd to 4th at 5 pm. The main celebrant will be Fr. Jarosław Kwiatkowski.
The feast of St. Faustina Kowalska, the patroness of the city of Lodz, will take place on October 5th at the parish church consecrated in her honor as the Parish of St. Faustina at Plac Niepodległości. Holy Mass at 6 pm. After Mass, a procession with relics of St. Faustina will pass down the Piotrkowska Street to the Archicathedral Basilica, where the Act of Entrusting the Archdiocese to Divine Mercy will be renewed.
October 5 marks the 85th anniversary of St. Faustina’s, the Apostle of Divine Mercy, birth for heaven. On this day her liturgical memory is celebrated as is a feast in all convents of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. St. Faustina is a great mystic of the Church and a prophet whom Jesus sent to the whole world with the message of Mercy. Her school of spirituality recorded in the Diary serves millions of people around the world. Saint John Paul II said of her simply that “she is a gift of God for our time, a gift of Poland to the entire Church.”
Her influence on the life of the Church is expressed, for example, in the widespread practice of the Divine Mercy devotion in the forms she provided. Today, there is probably no country without a Divine Mercy Image; the Feast of Mercy on the first Sunday after Easter was included in liturgical calendar of the entire Church in 2000; the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is recited even in tribal languages, although it was dictated in Polish, as is the entire message of Mercy; the practice of praying at the moment of Jesus’ agony on the Cross, the Hour of Mercy, is gaining popularity, along with the entire Mercy devotion. The Apostolic Divine Mercy Movement, a “congregation” that Jesus demanded to be founded, is one of the largest movements in the modern Church.
The influence of her life and mission to proclaim the message of Mercy to the world is also evident in the patronages given to churches. Saint Faustina is the patron saint of Łódź and other places, schools, works of mercy, various associations and communities. Her name is given to girls at baptism and chosen by young persons at the sacrament of confirmation. She was the Patroness of the World Youth Days in Sydney and Krakow. She inspires scientists, theologians, people of culture, art and media, and is one of the Catholic Church’s best-known and best-loved saints. Her relics are in nearly 130 countries around the world, including an Orthodox church in Bucharest and the Anglican Shrine of Divine Mercy in the United Kingdom. All over the world, theological symposiums, diocesan, national, continental and world congresses are held, which draw their dynamism precisely from the life and mission of Faustina. The radiation of this “gift of God” embraces the entire Church and the world, but it is meant to reach every person and prepare the world for the second coming of Christ.
On October 2-4 the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Płock at the Old Market Square will hold a three-day retreat to prepare the liturgical feast of St. Faustina. Based on the Gospel and the spiritual legacy of the Apostle of Divine Mercy, the retreat will be delivered by Fr. Jarosław Kwiatkowski, Rector of the Shrine. Services and conferences will take place at 5 pm.
On October 2-4, the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki will host the traditionally celebrated triduum before the Feast of St. Faustina. Holy Masses at 5 p.m., Father Zbigniew Bielas, rector of the Łagiewniki Sanctuary, will officiate and give occasional sermons.You can participate in the triduum through the online broadcast at www.faustyna.pl, on the Faustyna.pl YouTube channel and the mobile application with the same name.
October 5 marks the 85th anniversary of the Apostle of Divine Mercy’s death. The day was recalled by the late Sister Eufemia Traczyńska as follows: On October 5, at dinner time, there was a bell. It was known that Sr. Faustina was dying. We dropped whatever we were doing and as we were, we went to see her. The chaplain was already in the infirmary with a few of the sisters. We prayed together. We prayed for a long time: the prayers for the dying, litanies and other prayers. We prayed for so long that even the evening Mass was held a little later than usual. At some point, Sr. Faustina gave a sign for Mother Superior to lean toward her, and she said that she would not die yet, and that she would let us know when she would. The sisters left. … When I returned to my cell, I entered the chapel and prayed for the souls in purgatory, asking that they awaken me when Sr. Faustina was dying, because I really wanted to be with her at the moment of her death. I was afraid to ask Mother Superior outright, for we young novices were not allowed to go in there, in case we should be infected with tuberculosis. Sister Amelia was allowed in, because she was already sick. I went to bed at the usual time and immediately fell asleep. Suddenly, someone wakes me up: “Sister, if you want to be present at the death of Sr. Faustina, get up now.” I immediately realized that a mistake had been made… The one who came to wake Sr. Amelia, got into the wrong cell and came to me instead. As soon as I could, I woke Sr. Amelia, I put on my smock and cap, and quickly ran to the infirmary. Sister Amelia followed. It was around eleven at night. When we came there, Sr. Faustina seemed to slightly open her eyes and she smiled a little, and then bowed her head and that was it… Sister Amelia said she probably just died. I looked at Sr. Amelia, but I did not say anything. We prayed on. The candle was burning all the time.
It was the day that Sister Faustina waited longingly for, as she awaited her full union with Jesus to dwell forever in the Father’s house, the heavenly homeland, as she used to say. She promised: I shall not forget you, O poor Earth, thought I feel I shall immediately sink completely in God, as in an ocean of bliss; but it will not prevent me from coming back to Earth and fortifying and encouraging souls to trust in Divine mercy. In fact, being submerged in God will give me unlimited scope for action (Diary, 1582). She faithfully keeps her word, interceding for many graces and earthly blessings to all who confidently turn to her for help. After all, Jesus said to her: “Do whatever you wish; distribute graces as you wish, to whomever and whenever you wish” (Diary, 31).
A spiritual retreat of members and volunteers of the Faustinum Apostles of Divine Mercy Association will be held at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki on September 29. The theme of the meeting will be Saint Faustina – a Witness of Freeing Confidence. The motto for the conferences and prayers will be the mystic’s and modern prophetess’ words: “I have put my trust in God and am not afraid of anything” (Diary, 589). The retreat will be delivered by Sr. M. Gaudia Skass ISMM, the spokeswoman of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, involved for many years in the proclamation of the Message of Mercy in Poland and abroad, and Sr. Maria Faustyna Ciborowska ISMM, a Bible scholar and Doctor of Theology.
On September 30, at 6.30 am, at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, Holy Mass will be celebrated at the Image of Divine Mercy and the tomb of St. Faustina in the intentions of IT specialists, donors, translators and other individuals contributing to www.saint-faustina.org. The Eucharist is an expression of gratitude from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy for bringing the message of the merciful love of God towards man to the world together. Let it bring great glory to the Divine Mercy in human souls.
On Saturday, 30th of September, 14th Living Rosary Pilgrimage will come to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. The program for the meeting includes a 10 am prayer and welcoming of the pilgrims at the Basilica, a special sermon, rosary, and a solemn Mass. The pilgrims will also visit the chapel with the grace-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina.
On September 28, we will be celebrating the anniversary of the beatification of Fr. Michael Sopocko. At 3 pm on squares, corners and intersections of the streets in crowded cities, as well as in other public places and at rural crossroads, people will gather to recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The participants will pray for mercy for themselves, their loved ones, their homeland, the Church and the world. Everyone can join. The event is held to remind us about the message of God’s mercy that Jesus gave to St. Faustina. Just find a place at an intersection and recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, individually or in a group. If this is impossible – you can connect spiritually. More: www.iskra.jezuici.pl.
On September 23th (Saturday), the 12th 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 Peter Rusnák, the Metropolitan of Bratislava. After lunch break (about 2.00 pm), Sister M. Clareta Fečova from the convent of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki will provide a conference about Our Lady in the life and writings of Saint Faustina. 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.
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a special gift from God for our times, because it was dictated by Jesus Himself and has great promises attached to its trustful recitation. It is now the best known and widely practiced prayer to Divine Mercy. Its words are recited not only by Roman Catholics, but also by Greek Catholics, Maronites, Orthodox Christians, Protestants, Anglicans and people of other faiths, who experience its extraordinary effectiveness in obtaining graces and temporal benefits.
As a result, various initiatives and works of mercy have sprung up around this prayer. The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy maintains the Perpetual Chaplet and the Chaplet for the Dying projects, and produces television and radio broadcasts in Poland, Rome and Slovakia.
At the Shrine of Divine Mercy, this prayer is recited every day by the Sisters and pilgrims. Communion is always practiced after a short prayer at the Hour of Mercy (3 pm). This service (Hour of Mercy and Chaplet) is broadcast by several TV stations, including TVP 3 national, TVP Vilnius, 12 radio stations, online at www.faustyna.pl in 8 languages, in our mobile Faustyna.pl app and our YouTube channel of the same name. Thanks to this connectivity, every day and at the same time, more than a million people are crying out to God with one voice, asking for His mercy for us and the whole world, and for the necessary graces for the Holy Church, our homeland, Europe and the world.
The Sisters from the community of our Congregation in Washington, D.C., organize the next “Evening with Merciful Jesus” on September 22nd at the John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C .
You can also join the event online atwww.jp2shrine.org/youtube. The lecture will be followed by Adoration of the Lord Jesus and a meet-up with refreshments.
“Evenings with Merciful Jesus” are organized for young people who want to follow St. Faustina and St. John Paul II to discover the new quality of life in friendship with the merciful Lord Jesus.
The Dives in Misericordia Covenant Community National Convention will be held on September 15-17 this year. It will be attended by Sister Emanuela Gemza of the Krakow community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, president of the “Faustinum” association, who will share the spiritual wealth and mission of St. Faustina as recorded in her famous Diary.
On September 14-17, young women who are involved in the Girl Scouts of Europe Movement will meet at the Shrine in Górka Klasztorna near Lobżenica. The organizers expect more than two hundred people to come to the oldest place of Marian devotion in Poland. The National Scout Girl Pilgrimage will be held under the theme Guide of Faith. The event will be attended by Sr. Gaudia Skass from the convent at the Divine Mercy Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki, who will share her experience of the Mother of God in the life of St. Faustina and her own on Saturday, September 16.
The Scouts of Europe is a movement that exists in 20 European countries, bringing together Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christian organizations to cultivate love for their countries along with love for other nations, so inherent in the spirit of Christianity. Catholic organizations enjoy the status of a private association of the faithful under pontifical law, granted by the Holy See in 2003, which means that the scouting formation carried out in the movement is an educational tool leading to holiness.
A spiritual retreat of members of the Faustinum Association will be held at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki on September 15-17, themed A Treasure in Clay Pots. It will be delivered by Fr. Artur Ciepielski from Slovakia and Sr. M. Clareta Fečova, I.S.M.M., vice-director of the Faustinum Apostles of Divine Mercy Association, based on Scriptures and the Diary of St. Faustina. The retreat will be followed by a ceremony before the Eucharist to welcome new members to the Faustinum Association from Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
On 13 and 14 of September, we will be celebraring the 88th anniversary of the revelation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Jesus taught humanity two prayers: Modlitwy Pańskiej, when the Apostles asked Him for it, and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which He dictated to St. Faustina in Polish, in the Vilnius convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1935. As she noted in her Diary: In the evening when I was in my cell, I saw an Angel, the executor of divine wrath. He was clothed in a dazing robe, his face gloriously bright, a cloud beneath his feet. From the cloud, bolts of thunder and flashes of lightning were springing into his hands; and from his hand they were going forth, and only then were they striking the earth. When I saw this sign of divine wrath which was about to strike the earth, and in particular a certain place, which for good reasons I cannot name, I began to implore the Angel to hold off for a few moments, and the world would do penance. But my plea was a mere nothing in the face of divine anger. Just then I saw the Most Holy Trinity. The greatness of Its majesty pierced me deeply and I did not dare to repeat my entrietaties. At that very moment I felt in my soul the power of Jesus’ grace which dwells in my soul. When I became conscious of this grace, I was instantly snatched up before the Throne of God. Oh, how great is our Lord and God and how incomprehensible His holiness! I will make no attempt to describe this greatness, because before long we shall all see Him as He is. I found myself pleading with God for the world with words heard interiorly.
As I was praying in this manner, I saw the Angel’s helplessness: he could not carry out the just punishment,which was rightly due for sins. Never before had I prayed with such inner power as I did then.
The words with which I entreated God are these: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ for our sins, and those of the whole world; for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us.
The next morning, when I enered chapel, heard these words interiorly: Every time you enter the chapel, immediately recite the prayer which I taught you yesterday. When had said the prayer, in my soul I heard these words: This prayer will will serve to appease My wrath. You will recite it for nine days, on the beads of the rosary, in the folllowing manner: First of all, you will say one OUR FATHER and HAIL MARY and the I BELIEVE IN GOD. Then on the following words: ‘Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and on the whole world.” In conclusion, three times you will recite these words: „Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and thw whole world” (Diary, 474-476).
In consequent revelations, the Lord Jesus associated many great promises with this prayer, on the condition it is recited in the spirit of trust in Him and mercy towards one’s neighbors. The general promise states that trustful recitation of the Chaplet can help a person acquire anything which is compliant with the will of God. Moreover, He provided us with additional promises, which apply to the joyful grace and the grace of serene death, without fear and apprehension. They can be obtaied not only by thise who pray the Chaplet trustfully, but also by the dying at whose side the prayer is said in a proper manner.
Today, apart from the call Jesus, I trust in You!, it is the best known prayer to Divine Mercy, recited on all continents and languages, even in those of small tribes. More information on the Chaplet and its story can be found here.
On September 14th, faithful across Australia and Oceania will join in prayer of the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 pm. 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 14—the anniversary of the revelation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Also Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy have joined in this prayerful action. More information and how to join: www.worldchaplet.org
This Saturday, on September 9, a youth pilgrimage from the Diocese of Płock will proceed from Płońsk to Czerwińsk. It will be participated by Sisters Rachela and Helena from the convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Płock. The pilgrimage will be a vocational activity, therefore it will be an opportunity to share the spiritual experience of St. Faustina and the Sisters’ own vocation with the young pilgrims.
On September 9, (Saturday), the 21th National Railway Workers’ Pilgrimage will arrive at the Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki. It will start at 10 AM with the devotion Way of the Cross. At noon, the central moment of the pilgrimage will take place: Holy Mass presided over by Bishop Robert Chrząszcz. The pilgrims will also visit the chapel with the grace-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, to whom they will entrust their personal intentions. The pilgrimage will end with prayer at the Hour of Mercy (3 pm) and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
On September 3 (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: “Spiritual life as a work of God’s mercy in us”.. It will begin at 2:15 p.m. with communal adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, to be continued with prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, followed by a conference and Holy Mass at 5 p.m. The meetings are hosted by Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy and priests.
As part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of St. Faustina’s stay in Łódź and the 600th anniversary of the city she patronizes, the archdiocesan pilgrimage to Głogowiec and the Shrine in Świnice Warckie will take place on September 2. The pilgrimage community will form in front of the family home of the Apostle of Divine Mercy in Głogowiec at 10 a.m. and proceed to her parish church, now the Baptismal Shrine of St. Faustina. At 12 pm, solemn Eucharist will be presided over by the Metropolitan Bishop of Łódź, Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, who will renew the entrustment of the Church of Łódź to Divine Mercy. At 3 pm, the Hour of Mercy and Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be prayed, which will conclude the event.
Monastic life involves changing one’s place of living and, often, also of the type of apostolic work. Usually, in mid-August, the sisters move to other convents, where they are sent due to their vocation of obedience. This frequently means not only a new place to live, but also a different kind of work. The sisters are sent wherever the Congregation is taking up new tasks or needs to answer to the needs of its apostolic work. For the sisters, it is an opportunity to acquire freedom of all earthly attachments in order to live only for God and His Kingdom.
It happened in Świnice, on 27 August 1905, at one o’clock in the afternoon. Stanislaw Kowalski, aged 40, a farmer from Głogowiec, in the presence of Franciszek Bednarek, aged 35 and Józef Stasiak, aged 40, both farmers from Głogowiec, appeared and showed us the female child born in the village of Głogowiec on August 25 this year, at eight o’clock in the morning, of his wedding wife Marianna née Babel, aged 30. This child received, at baptism held today, the name Helena, and her godparents were Konstanty Bednarek and Marianna Szewczyk. This provision of the rite of baptism from parish records was left by the parish priest, Father Józef Chodyński, who baptized the little Helena Kowalska. The Deed was drawn up in the Russian language, because it was still the time of the Partitions of Poland, when the country was not to be seen on the political map of Europe. Helena’s father, Stanisław Kowalski, signed this record in Polish. The godparents, who were illiterate, confirmed their signatures by an X. In the former parish church, today the Baptismal Shrine of St. Faustina, you can see the same font at which the baby Helena Kowalska became a child of God and a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, baptized two days after her birth, on the eve of the feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The grace of baptism was further developed in her life as she achieved the fullness of mystical union with God here on Earth. Today, she is venerated as an apostle of Divine Mercy, because Jesus chose her as a prophet of our time, and sent her into the world with the message of Mercy.
In the last days of August, in the convents of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy which run Youth Education Centers operate (Krakow, Kalisz and Wroclaw), student dormitories, community centers or kindergartens, like in other educational institutions in Poland, preparations for the new school year are under way. Here, the opening of the school year is always accompanied by a Holy Mass, during which the teachers and the pupils and students ask God for His blessing and the graces needed during the next ten months, so that they may become more than just a period of effective learning, but also a time of fruitful spiritual growth.
On the Sunday after the anniversary of baptism of St. Faustina, this year on August 27th, an annual indulgence at the Baptismal Shrine of the Apostle of Divine Mercy in Świnice Warckie will be held. At 10.00 am, a procession celebrating the relics of the Saint will proceed from her family home in Głogowiec to the parish church in Świnice Warckie, where at the field altar at 12.00 pm solemn Mass will be celebrated. Pilgrims coming from all over Poland and other countries will remain there to pray at the Hour of Mercy (3.00 pm) and recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. In the family home and parish of St. Faustina, two communities of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy live and operate: the active one and the closed one.