Exactly 10 years ago, the first youth gathering “Łagiewnicka 22” took place at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. On this special anniversary, the sisters of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Kraków are returning to the original program of these meetings, summarized in three words: Word, Prayer, Community. We invite you to the chapel with the renowned image of Merciful Jesus this coming Friday (November 22) at 7:00 PM. Sister Gaudia Skass will deliver the Word, followed by a time of silent prayer and adoration of Divine Mercy during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Afterwards, there will be a gathering with some tasty refreshments and a Q&A session with Sister Gaudia.
From November 18 to 22, 2024, a retreat for priests will be held at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki under the theme: “The Merciful Gaze That Saves.” It will be led by Fr. Piotr Wieczorek, a pastor, retreat leader, spiritual director, and diocesan moderator of the evangelization community “Mamre.” In the Gospels, we often encounter Jesus, whose merciful gaze calls, forgives, sees people and their deepest needs, and restores their dignity as children of God. This retreat, experienced in silence, will be an opportunity for a personal encounter with the gaze of the Merciful Jesus, to once again accept His love so that He can transform and heal our hearts.
The retreat is organized by the sisters of the retreat community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. More information is available at: www.faustinum.pl
From November 15-17 of this year, the North American Divine Mercy Congress organized by WACOM will be held in Vancouver, Canada, under the theme: “Divine Mercy and Mary – Our Hope.” Confirmed participants include Archbishop Gintaras Grušas from Vilnius, Archbishop J. Michael Miller from Vancouver, Bishop A. Savarimuthu from the Diocese of Palayamkottai, Fr. Patrice Chocholski, Secretary General of WACOM, and Sr. Inga Kvassayova from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Lakeville, USA, who will deliver a lecture on the spirituality of mercy, introducing Congress participants to the spiritual teachings of St. Faustina.
On November 15-17, a vocational retreat for women of different ages will take place in the Discalced Carmelites monastery in Lorinčík near Košice in the south of Slovakia. The theme of the event will be “Healed and Free”. It will be led by the Carmelites and Sr. Benediktína Fečová from the Košice community of the Congregation of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy.
November is a special month of acting out of mercy towards the dead, whose souls are maturing in Purgatory to fully experience love. Saint Faustina visited that place in her mystical experiences and described it in the Diary: … I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in Purgatory. The souls call her ‘The Star of the Sea’. She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard and interior voice] which said, My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it (Diary, 20).
Sister Faustina put this question to her deceased sisters while walking by the convent’s cemetery in Krakow-Łagiewniki. She received the following answer: We are happy in the measure that we have fulfilled God’s will (Diary, 515 and 518). Afterwards, the Saint meditated at length on how she was fulfilling the will of God and how she was using the time of her earthly life. This is something to think about when we visit the graves of our loved ones at this time of the year. Every cemetery contains unusual life stories of many people and at the same time it reminds us of the transience of human life, provoking thoughts on its meaning and purpose. Through the life of St. Faustina and her mystical experience, God, who wants happiness for every human being in both this and eternal life, reminds us in a powerful way where happiness lies and how to achieve it.
On November 16th (the third Saturday of the month), the monthly meeting of the Krakow community of the Association of Apostles of Divine Mercy “Faustinum” will take place at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The program includes: the Rosary, a lecture from the series “The Mission and Spirituality of St. Faustina,” prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Eucharist, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with a prayer of worship, as well as an agape meal.
The “Faustinum” Association, established in 1996 by the then-Archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, as an apostolic work of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, brings together priests, consecrated persons, and laypeople from nearly 90 countries who, following the example of St. Faustina, wish to participate in Jesus’ mission of spreading the message of Mercy to the world through their lives, deeds, words, and prayers. The primary mission of “Faustinum” is to form apostles of Divine Mercy, a task the sisters carry out in several languages. More information is available at: www.faustinum.en
Sister Faustina wrote in her Diary: My beloved native land, Poland, if you only knew how many sacrifices and prayers I offer to God for you! (Diary, 1038) and There is no day in which I do not pray for you (Diary, 1188). And when she begged Jesus for a blessing for Poland, He said to her: For your sake I bless the entire country (Diary, 39) and For your sake I am blessing the earth (Diary, 980, 1078). Another time, He said: For your sake I bless the world (Diary, 1061). Now, when she has a greater ability to act, she has not ceased her intercession in Heaven. May she today, in the light of the mystery of God’s Mercy, show the modern generations the treasure which is our Homeland with all its heritage, and may she support all our people in their efforts for the common good and moral rebirth of Poles, so that they confidently turn to God in Whom the world finds peace and human beings find happiness.
On November 10, Sr. Martyna and Sr. Marlena from the Convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Kiekrz will share the message of Divine Mercy and the spirituality of St. Faustina with the faithful in the town of Góra (Lower Silesian Voivodeship). The church in this parish is dedicated to St. Faustina.
On the Feast of All Saints, the Church honors those raised to the altars, known by name and biography, but also all the priests, other consecrated persons and lay faithful who have reached the goal of human life that is eternal union with God in love. There are more saints who live among us than there may seem to be. One piece of evidence for this is the history of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, which has been intertwined with the lives of many unusual people, in addition to St. Faustina Kowalska. Throughout the over 160-year-long existence and activity of the Congregation, some of these individuals were raised to the glory of the altars by the Church. They include Archbishop Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński, who was a co-founder of the Congregation; Pope St. John Paul II, who visited Łagiewniki so often and has done so much for the mission of Mercy; Bl. Julian Nowowiejski, the Bishop who invited the sisters to Płock and who wrote the first history of the Congregation; Bl. Jan Balicki, who initiated the Congregation’s works in Przemyśl and served the sisters and their pupils for three years; Bl. Maria Karwowska, who spent her formation period in the Łagiewniki convent and Bl. Michael Sopoćko, the Vilnius confessor of the convent on the Antokol and spiritual director of St. Faustina. The following are included as candidates for sainthood: the fathers who served as confessors to the convent in Krakow-Łagiewniki: the servant of God Fr. Wojciech Baudiss, S.J.; Fr. Bernard Łubieński (Redemptorist); Fr. Stanisław Bednarski, S.J.; Fr. Stanisław Podoleński, S.J.; Fr. Marian Morawski, S.J.; Fr. Józef Cyrek, S.J.; or the servant of God Fr. Jacek Woroniecki, O.P., the author of The Mystery of Divine Mercy, which was copied from the original manuscript by the sisters in Łagiewniki. This list of saints, blessed and servants of the Lord is much longer, particularly because it can include individuals who did not cooperate with the Congregation permanently, but had a different type of relationship with it. Today, too, saints are among us. They are the people fascinated by the merciful love of Jesus, who participate in His life and His mission to reveal the mystery of Divine Mercy to the world.
The Shrine in Łagiewniki has one of Krakow’s oldest cemeteries. It is a religious cemetery established in the late 19th century in the back of the former garden of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. Here lie the remains of sisters, chaplains, pupils and other persons connected with the convent in Łagiewniki. Also the body of St. Faustina used to be buried here for 28 years. Another Sister who was interred here is Sr. Faustina’s Superior General, Mother Michael Moraczewska. Others include Sr. Kaliksta Piekarczyk who devoted her life for the intention of saving Krakow during World War II, Mother Ksawera Olszamowska who offered hers for the intention of establishment of the Feast of Divine Mercy in the Church and the message of Mercy, along with many sisters who offered up their daily lives for different intentions. The Convent’s cemetery is right outside the southern wall of the basilica in the Łagiewniki Shrine and is often visited by pilgrims. Near the eastern wall of the basilica, there is a military cemetery from the time of WWI. No individual graves are found here. Instead, there is a large cross and an obelisk with a plaque which says that 266 soldiers from 15 European countries are buried in this place. During the Great War, part of the Congregation’s garden was converted into a large military hospital for over 1,000 patients. It had several temporary wards, where soldiers of different nationalities were treated for typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, pox and scarlet fever – in other words, infectious diseases. Some of the soldiers who could not be saved died in this hospital, which was why they were buried in the cemetery outside the Convent’s wall.
On November 3, as part of the preparations by the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Bolesławiec to receive the relics of St. Sister Faustina and to begin monthly services dedicated to Divine Mercy, Sister Tobiana and Sister Agnes from the Łagiewniki convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy will share the message of Mercy and the spiritual legacy of the Apostle of Divine Mercy during Sunday gatherings at the Eucharist.
The first day of November is celebrated in the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy as the day when the Church pays homage to all the Saints and, additionally, as the anniversary of the establishment of the Congregation in Poland. On this day, in 1862, Archbishop Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński consecrated the first chapel and House of Mercy in Warsaw at ul. Żytnia. On this day, the sisters refer especially to the early history of their Congregation. They commemorate its founder, Countess Teresa Ewa Potocka nee Sułkowska, who accepted the invitation of Archbishop Szczęsny Feliński and came to Warsaw to aid “fallen” women in returning to a life of dignity, and to establish a house for them inspired by the House of Mercy in Laval (France), which became the model for their apostolic work and religious life. Together with the Church, the sisters also revere all those who have achieved the goal of their lives: eternal union with God. These saints also include the Divine Mercy apostle, Sr. Faustina Kowalska, raised to the altars as a saint and known all over the world. Saint Faustina was the spiritual co-founder of the Congregation, along with St. Archbishop Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński and the deceased sisters, pupils and Divine Mercy apostles who were members of the association “Faustinum” and who participated in the mission of the Congregation by making the merciful love of God present in the world through their lives, deeds, words and prayers. The sisters in all the convents their gratitude for the Congregation’s past, entrusting its present and future to God’s mercy, so that all Divine plans for it are fulfilled.
The beautiful tradition of celebrating rosary devotions in October is deeply ingrained in the religious life of the Church in Poland. The devotions are held in every church and in many chapels. In the Shrine of Divine Mercy, the devotion is celebrated in the Convent’s chapel with the miraculous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, every day at 07:00 pm and at 06:30 pm on Sundays, public holidays and the first Friday of the month. In order to pray the rosary in Krakow-Łagiewniki, you can also join in the on-line transmission. Rosary meditations in the spirit of the Divine Mercy and human mercy (including the writings of St. Faustina) are also available in our Misericordia store at the Łagiewniki Shrine and on our website: www.saint-faustina.org
People from many countries of the world participating in the work of the Perpetual Chaplet of Divine Mercy are praying not only in their own intentions, but also asking for “mercy on us and the whole world”. Specific intention for October: for faith and love in families and for the reconciliation of marriages broken and in crisis.
The work of Perpetual Chaplet is a response to the request of Jesus to constantly implore for mercy “for us and the whole world”. The work has been operated by the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at: www.saint-faustina.org since 2011. Anyone can participate in it by filling out a short form and declare to say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which Jesus dictated to St. Faustina—at least once.
October 23 marks the beginning of a novena to be celebrated before the 162th anniversary of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, which was founded in Warsaw on the feast of All Saints, November 1, 1862, by Mother Teresa Ewa Countess Potocka of the Sułowski Dukes. God called St. Faustina Kowalska (spiritual co-founder) to this Congregation, to whom He gave the message of Mercy and sent her on a prophetic mission to proclaim it to the world. In this novena, Sisters in all the Congregation’s convents in Poland and around the world will give thanks for the graces received throughout the history of the Religious Community, ask for the grace to make God’s mercy present today and trust in the mercy of the Holy Trinity for the coming years of witnessing and apostolic service.
At the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, this novena will be celebrated on weekdays at 7 p.m. and on Sundays at 6:20 p.m., followed by an October rosary service.
On October 28 of this year, Sister Tobiana from the Monastery of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at the Sanctuary in Łagiewniki will meet with the volunteers of the Felician Sisters’ Hospice, named after Blessed Hanna Chrzanowska, at Nowowiejska Street in Warsaw. The topic of the meeting will be discussions on God’s mercy in accompanying the sick and dying, based on the rich experience of Saint Sister Faustina and the writings she left in her “Diary” and Letters.
As part of the Samaritan Woman project, a women’s retreat will be held on October 25-27 at the diocesan retreat house Fides et ratio in Shchuchinsk. The retreat will take place under the theme: „My beloved is mine, and I am his”. This time, the figure of Mary Magdalene— a woman with a great heart, filled with God’s love—will accompany the participants. 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, and Fr. Hans Reiner. The program includes conferences, meditations on the Word of God, and bibliodrama.
From October 25-27 of this year, the annual retreat for devotees of Divine Mercy will be held at the Jesuit retreat house in Prešov, Slovakia, under the theme: “If You Knew the Gift of God.” It will be led by Sr. M. Blanka Krajčíková from the Hrušov community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, together with Jesuit Fathers from the Prešov community.
On October 22nd at 7 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. The evening meetings provide space to worship Divine Mercy during which the participants give thanks for the received blessings and entrust all their personal intentions and all matters of the Church and the world to the Lord Jesus.
On October 19th, at the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia in Rome, there will be another meeting of the Apostles of Divine Mercy “Faustinum” community, during which the topic of trust in the Bible and in the Diary of St. Faustina will be discussed. The meeting will be led by the sisters of the Roman community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and Fr. Massimo Lucidi from the Roman diocese, who will give a lecture on “Sin as an expression of distrust in God.”
The program includes: Prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which will open the meeting, Holy Mass, conferences on trust, which is the first response to God’s merciful love, and a fraternal gathering.
On October 15, at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki, a 9-month retreat cycle for women on spiritual motherhood will begin. The meetings will be held every month in the Chapel of St. Sister Faustina in the lower basilica, every third Tuesday of the month from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The program includes: the Eucharist, adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, a lecture, group discussions, the Jasna Góra Appeal, and consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
On October 11-13, a vocational retreat for women of different ages will take place in the Discalced Carmelites monastery in Lorinčík near Košice in the south of Slovakia. The theme of the event will be “Because you are precious in My eyes, you have gained value and I love you (cf. Iz 43:4)”. It will be led by Fr. Pavol Wojnowski, O.C.D., and Sr. Benediktína Fečová from the Košice community of the Congregation of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy.
On October 12, the participants of the “Margaret” apostolate from all over Poland will meet at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. The pilgrimage will begin in the Shrine of Saint John Paul II at 9:00 am with greeting the pilgrims and a rosary prayer for priests. About 11.00 am – conference. Solemn Eucharist at 12.00 an will be presided by Bishop Janusz Mastalski. The pilgrims will also visit the chapel with the grace-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina. The pilgrimage will end with prayer at the Hour of Mercy (3 pm) and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
From October 8 to 12, the sisters from the Roman community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy are organizing a pilgrimage for Italians to follow in the footsteps of St. Faustina and St. John Paul II. The pilgrims will visit places associated with these Apostles of Divine Mercy. The itinerary includes tours and prayer at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki and the Sanctuary of St. John Paul II “Do Not Be Afraid,” followed by personal prayer at Jasna Góra in front of the Black Madonna. The group will also visit the Sanctuary of St. Faustina’s Birth and Baptism in Świnice Warckie, as well as her family home in Głogowiec. For the participants, this pilgrimage will be a time of prayer and reflection on the lives of the saints and their personal spiritual journey.
On October 11, at 6.30 a.m., Mass will be celebrated in the intention of all those who have become involved in the work on the Chaplet for the Dying and the Perpetual Chaplet at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. At the grace-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, we will implore that more people join in these works, bringing mercy to those most in need. This Holy Mass is an expression of gratitude to the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy for jointly bringing the message of God’s merciful love for man to the world. May it bring great glory to Divine Mercy in human souls.
On October 8, the thanksgiving Mass on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the consecration of the Hungarian chapel (Communio Sanctorum) will be celebrated by the Primate of Hungary, Cardinal Péter Erdő, Metropolitan of Esztergom-Budapest, and will be attended by pilgrims from Hungary.
As you enter the Lower Basilica and walk towards St. Faustina’s Chapel, the Communio Sanctorum Chapel will be on the right. This Chapel was consecrated during a Hungarian pilgrimage on 9 October 2004 by Cardinal Péter Erdó, Primate of Hungary, and Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kraków. Its interior decoration is the gift of the Church in Hungary, and that is why it is also known as the Hungarian Chapel. Its side walls are decorated with a splendid series of mosaics depicting over 60 saints and blesseds from Hungary, Poland, and other European countries who have contributed some of the finest chapters in the history of the Church. They are grouped in separate clusters, and each cluster is inscribed with one of the Eight Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, giving a commentary on their lives. This procession of saints is headed by Mary, the Mother of God. Over the marble altar there is a mosaic showing the Merciful Jesus and St. Faustina, circumscribed with the words Jesus, I trust in You in several languages. In front of the altar there is a reliquary in the shape of a right hand containing a relic of St. Stephen, Patron Saint of Hungary. The Chapel’s interior decoration was designed and made by the Hungarian artist Father László Puskás, who is a Uniate Greek Catholic priest, and his wife.
From October 4-7 of this year, Sr. Sangwina Kostecka from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at the Krakow-Łagiewniki Sanctuary will participate in the celebrations in honor of St. Sister Faustina in Luxembourg and Belgium. On October 5, a prayer vigil and veneration of the relics of the Apostle of Divine Mercy will take place at St. Martin’s Church in Beauraing. The program includes conferences led by Sr. Sangwina and Father Remy from the Sanctuary of St. Therese of Lisieux, focusing on St. Faustina and her prayers for priests. The celebrations will be attended by groups praying for priests and devotees of Divine Mercy from Luxembourg and Belgium.
On October 6, 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 Grzegorz Balcerek. 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 3 to 5 of October. The Masses during the triduum will be celebrated at 6 pm.
The International Divine Mercy Apostles Days will take place at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki from October 4-6, under the theme There’s a Rescue – MERCY. The event offers a unique opportunity to gather and share fellowship with others who are embracing the path of trust and mercy, continuing the mission of St. Faustina in various parts of the world. Participants from 40 countries across all continents have confirmed their attendance. Each day’s program includes Holy Mass, conferences, communal prayer, personal testimonies, a visit to St. Faustina’s cell, and ceremonies for welcoming new members into the Faustinum Association.
