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 Saturday, 28th of September, 15th 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.
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 September: mercy and peace for the whole world, and especially for those nations that suffer persecution, lack of freedom, freedom to profess their faith and respect for their human rights.
The work of Perpetual Chaplet is a response to the request of Jesus to constantly implore for mercy “for us and the whole world”. The work has been operated by the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at: www.faustyna.pl since 2011. Anyone can participate in it by filling out a short form and declare to say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which Jesus dictated to St. Faustina—at least once.
From September 1st, at the Shrine of Divine Mercy, in all the chapels of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, and in some parishes, special evening devotions will begin in honor of Divine Mercy, with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. This form of devotion was introduced in 1993 (after the beatification of Sister Faustina), to follow the monthly forms of worship practiced in May, June or October. The celebrations in September will include the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, recited or sung for the intention of mercy for our homeland and the world. September is the month of the revelation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy by the Lord Jesus and the outbreak of World War II a few years afterwards. These circumstances, as well as the situation in the modern world, are especially urging us to cry for the mercy of God for us and the whole world.
Under this title, from September 20th to 22nd, a retreat on the dignity of women will be held at St. Joseph Parish in Makinsk, Kazakhstan. It 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 reflections on the Word of God, lectures, and workshops, as well as the message of Divine Mercy that Jesus conveyed to St. Faustina.
On September 21-22 of this year, Sister Faustyna Olszewska from the Kiekrz community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy will share the message and spiritual heritage of Saint Faustyna with the faithful at the Parish of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Poniec, Archdiocese of Poznań.
On September 20, following the initiative of Fr. Tomasz Flak, S.C.J., the provost at the Parish of the Elevation of the Holy Cross in Sosnowiec at ul. Bohaterów Getta 31, the first formation meeting of the Faustinum Association of the Apostles of Divine Mercy will be held. It will be hosted by Sr. Clareta Fečova, vice-President of the Association, and Sr. Maria Faustyna Ciborowska from the Krakow convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The meeting agenda includes Holy Mass, communal prayer, a presentation about God revealing Himself, and integration.
From September 13th to 15th, a retreat for girls and women will be held at the Discalced Carmelite Monastery in Lorinčík near Košice in southern Slovakia under the theme: “Who are you to me, and who am I to you, Jesus…” The retreat will be led by Fr. Andrej Valent OCD and Sr. M. Benediktína Fečová from the Košice community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.
On 13 and 14 of September, we will be celebraring the 89th 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.
The Community of Mercy, operating at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Melbourne, Australia, is conducting a pastoral initiative of reciting the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in the countries of Australia and Oceania. On September 14th – the day of the revelation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to St. Faustina – at 3:00 PM, believers in this part of the world will unite in prayer, asking that the message of Mercy reach all people and bring them closer to God, for the Holy Church, its shepherds, and persecuted Christians, for the return of lost youth to God, for peace in Ukraine and the Middle East, for the joy of heaven for the souls suffering in purgatory, and for personal intentions.
This prayer initiative, organized twice a year (on May 18 and September 14), also includes the Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy and devotees of Divine Mercy from other countries and continents. More information: www.worldchaplet.org.
On Sunday, September 1st, the Diocesan Shrine of Divine Mercy in the KVP district of Kosice, Slovakia, will celebrate the 12th anniversary of the church’s consecration. On this occasion, a parish day of communities will take place, with the Faustinum association being well represented. The program will begin with a solemn Holy Mass at 10:00 a.m. and will conclude with a communal prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, accompanied by adoration led by the sisters of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy from Kosice. The Divine Mercy service will be broadcast by LUX Television.
We would like to dedicate these words of St. John Paul II to all benefactors and donors of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, as their cash donations and personal involvement in their apostolic work bring a gift to the world: the message of Mercy, which Jesus entrusted to St. Faustina. Particularly, we would like to thank, here at this website, those who support it and who participate in the works which are implemented through it, especially the “Chaplet for the Dying” and the on-line video streaming from the Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki. Thanks to this support, in the Jubilee Year of Mercy, we have purchased a new camera to broadcast the on-line streams and news on all seven language pages and through the Faustyna.pl application. We pray daily for all donors and benefactors, recommending their intentions to the Divine Mercy through the intercession of St. Faustina.
We pray daily for all benefactors and donors, entrusting their intentions to Divine Mercy through the intercession of St. Faustina. The next Holy Mass for those supporting the online broadcast will be celebrated on August 27 at 5:00 PM at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, before the miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus and at the tomb of St. Faustina.
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 August 22, the 21th bicycle pilgrimage will set off from the parish of St. Joseph in Wola, Warsaw, and the parish of Divine Mercy in Grójec to the family home of St. Faustina in Głogowiec. On the trail, the pilgrims are awaited at six Marian shrines (Rokitno, Niepokalanów, Szymanów, Miedniewice, Domaniewice and Mąkolice). They will reach Głogowiec on August 24th. On August 25, at approx. 8.00 am, Holy Mass will be celebrated outside. After the service, the pilgrims will visit the parish church in Świnice Warckie, which is the Baptismal Shrine of St. Faustina. The will also pray at the nearby cemetery with the graves of the parents and siblings of the Apostle of Divine Mercy. The pilgrims can join even on the day of the departure, on the route from Warsaw, Lodz, Rawa Mazowiecka or Grójec.
On the Sunday, this year on August 25th, 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.
Every day in Poland, an average of more than 1,000 people pass away. Globally, at any given moment, countless individuals require not only medical assistance but, more importantly, spiritual support. This spiritual care is crucial in the final hours as individuals transition from this world to eternity. The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy runs the Chaplet for the Dying initiative, offering swift assistance—sometimes within 20 seconds—through mobile and Internet communications. This aid is facilitated by individuals who participate through prayer or financial support. This year, volunteers from 40 countries have pledged their support, but more are needed to urgently provide prayers for those in their final moments. To learn more about participating and to access the entry form, visit www.saint-faustina.org
The sisters warmly invite you to join this meaningful work of mercy and assure you of their prayers. The next Mass dedicated to this cause, praying for a serene death for the dying and eternal joy for the departed, will be celebrated on August 20 at 5 p.m. at the Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, in front of the renowned image of the Merciful Jesus and at the tomb of St. Faustina.
On Saturday, August 24, the annual Slovak National Pilgrimage to the Rock Sanctuary of Divine Mercy on Mount Butkov in Slovakia will take place. The celebrations will begin with a joint prayer during the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, led by the Sisters of the Congregation of the Mother of God’s Mercy from both Slovak communities. The solemn Holy Mass in honor of Our Lady of Mercy will be celebrated at 3:45 PM.
The place dedicated to the veneration of Divine Mercy on Mount Butkov (11th floor of the quarry), where a large illuminated Cross, as well as monuments of St. Faustina and St. John Paul II, and a 9-meter statue of Our Lady of Mercy, have been previously installed, is part of the “Rock Sanctuary of Divine Mercy” with the temple in Ladce.
On August 17-18 this year, Divine Mercy devotees will gather at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki for the XI National Pilgrimage. This event commemorates the anniversary of the consecration of the Divine Mercy Basilica and the entrustment of the world to Divine Mercy by St. John Paul II. Key Event Highlights include a Eucharist celebration at 12:00 PM on Saturday by Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski, Metropolitan of Krakow. Throughout the event, various works of mercy will be showcased in tents set up in the square in front of the basilica. The group Promyczki Dobra will perform two concerts on Saturday, scheduled for 1:30 PM and 4:30 PM, in the St. John Paul II Auditorium. For more information and a detailed program, visit the Shrine Rector’s website, at www.misericordia.eu.
For the first time, a summer pilgrimage will be held from August 3-11 from the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Spišská Nova Ves, Slovakia, to the Rock Shrine on Mount Butkov. The pilgrimage is organized by the Pallottine Fathers, and will be attended, among others, by Sr. Pavla Stanovčáková from the community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Dvur Králové. The route the pilgrims will take is more than 225 kilometers.
A parish retreat will be held from August 8-11 at St. Lawrence Parish in Hrabušice, Slovakia. The day of recollection will be led by Sr. M. Blanka Krajčíková of the Košice community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The program includes conferences, adoration, a meeting with children on Friday and youth on Saturday. The retreat will culminate with a solemn indulgent Mass at 10:30 am.
“I betroth you to Jesus Christ”. These are the words 3 sisters from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy will hear from Bishop Jan Zając on August 3nd during their perpetual vows at 10:00 a.m. The ceremony will take place in the chapel with the famous Divine Mercy image and the tomb of St. Faustina at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. The vows of chastity, poverty and obedience will be made in the presence of the Superior General, Mother Miriam Janiec. The ceremony will be attended by sisters, priests, families and friends. It will be one of the most important days in the lives of these sisters, the Congregation and the Church—the espousal of God and the human soul.
On 2 August, at 10:30 am at the Shrine of Divine Mercy, Sister Mariana from Brazil and Sister Helena from Belarus from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, after serving a two-year novitiate and making an eight-day retreat, will make their first vows before the Superior General, Mother Miriam Janiec. The ceremonies, taking place in the convent chapel of the miracle-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina will be presided Bishop Robert Chrząszcz. The ceremony will be attended by sisters from many convents of the Congregation and families of the sisters. During the first profession, sisters make vows of chastity, poverty and obedience to Jesus for a year, which are then renewed for five consecutive years. After this period, perpetual vows take place.
On July 25-29, a formation retreat of the “Faustinum” Association will be held at the Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki in two groups: first tier, under the motto Endowed with Mercy, and second for those who have already taken the first retreat. The motto of the retreat for the second group is Let God’s Mercy work in you, that is, live, choose, and act according to what God expects, because His plan is optimal for our development and happiness on earth and in eternity. The retreat will be delivered by Fr. Sławomir Czajka, Bible scholar, Director of the St. Casimir Theological Institute in Radom, Sr. Emanuela Gemza, I.S.M.M., head of the “Faustinum” Association, and Sr. Eliana Chmielewska, leader of the Krakow “Faustinum” community.
The Sisters from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Washington, D.C. (USA) are organizing a spiritual retreat on a pilgrimage to Poland from July 14 to 26, 2024. The pilgrimage will be an extraordinary journey following in the footsteps of two saints who changed the world by reminding us of the truth about God, whose name is MERCY! The program includes conferences, prayer, and visits to the most important places associated with St. Faustina and St. John Paul II. Highlights will include an extended stay at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, the site from which the message of Mercy and the consecration of the entire world to Divine Mercy have spread worldwide.
On July 20th this year, Sister Alžbeta Mikušová from the Hruszów community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy will go on a parish pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady in Gaboltov, Slovakia. During this time, he will share the message of Mercy with which the Lord Jesus sent Saint Sister Faustina to the whole world, and will lead prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
July 16 is the 158th anniversary of the death of Mother Thérèse Rondeau, the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in France (Laval), and co-founder of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland. She was born on October 6, 1793 in Laval, France. She was christened Theresa Agatha. Under the influence of her confessor, Fr. J. Chanon, S.J., Theresa undertook working with penitent women, that is to say women in need of deep moral renewal and willing to change their lives. In order to prepare better for this work, in 1818 she moved to Bordeaux, where Mother Teresa de Lamourous ran a house for penitent women, which was called “Mercy”. After a two-month stay, Theresa Rondeau made private vows and returned to Laval to become the foundress of a new work, independent from Bordeaux, and in time this became the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in France. Mother Teresa Potocka, née Ewa Sułkowska, who later became the foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland, adopted the spirituality of the French Congregation and their way of conducting apostolic work. Mother Teresa Rondeau died on 16 July 1866 and was buried within the grounds of the Congregation in Laval; her tomb is in a garden belonging to the convent. Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland has named a co-founder. The spiritual co-founder of the Congregation is St. Faustina Kowalska.
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.
