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.
August 17th is the 22th anniversary of the entrustment of the world to Divine Mercy by Pope John Paul II during his last pilgrimage to Poland at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. After the consecration of the basilica, the Holy Father uttered words in which he entrusted the fate of the world and every human being to God, the Father rich in Mercy. These words became a daily prayer not only for the sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy and the pilgrims coming to the Łagiewniki Shrine, but also to millions of people in the world.
God, Father of Mercy,
Who revealed Your love in your Son, Jesus Christ,
And poured it upon us in the Holy Spirit the Comforter,
today we entrust to you the fate of the world and every human being.
Look upon over us sinners,
heal our weakness,
overcome all the evil,
let all the inhabitants of the Earth experience Your Mercy,
In You, the Triune God,
we have always found a source of hope.
God, Father of Mercy,
for your painful torment and the Resurrection of Your Son
have mercy on us and on the whole world.
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.
On August 5, the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of the Snows, the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy celebrates its patronal feast, honoring its Patroness – the Mother of Mercy Incarnate. On this day, the election of Mary as the heavenly Superior General of the Congregation has been traditionally renewed since in 1937, in the form of a special, ceremonial prayer. Saint Faustina wrote in her Diary: I saw the Virgin Mary and She said to me, Oh, how very pleased I am with the homage of your love! And at that moment She covered all the sisters of the Congregation with Her mantle. With Her right hand, She clasped Mother General Michael to herself, and with Her left hand she did the so to me, while all the sisters were at Her feet, covered with Her mantle. Then the Mother of God said hen the Mother of God said, Everyone who perseveres zealously till death in My Congregation will be spared the fire of purgatory (Diary, 1244). This day is the anniversary of the dedication of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the oldest church in the West dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Pope Sixtus III, to celebrate the end of the stormy Council of Ephesus (431 AD), which declared the dogma of the divine motherhood of Mary (Theotokos), introduced the feast of the Mother of the Son of God, which was first celebrated in this particular basilica, and with time, successive Popes expanded it to the whole Church. Today, the liturgical calendar of the Church contains the memorial of Our Lady of the Snows, commemorating the miracle associated with the rise of the basilica, and this name is functioning in the minds of the faithful. Therefore, the first circumstance of the establishment of the feast of Mary as Mother of the Son of God – Mercy Incarnate, has been forgotten. For more information about Mary the Mother of Mercy, Her title, worship and iconography in the Church and Congregation, follow the link: Our Lady of Mercy.
On July 27, a novena before the feast of the Patron of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, which falls on August 5, will start. During the novena, the Chaplet of Our Lady of Mercy is sung or recited. In this prayer we ask Mary to defend us from our enemies, accept us at the hour of death and beg for the Mercy of her Son for us. In the chapel of the miracle-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, the novena is celebrated on weekdays at 7 pm, while on Sundays at 6:30 pm. The words of the Chaplet of Our Lady of Mercy.
“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 August 1st, it will be 99 years since Helena Kowalska, known throughout the world under her religious name of Sister Faustina, joined the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. Despite explicit instructions from Jesus to go to Warsaw and enter a convent to begin monastic life, her way to start following her vocation was not easy. As she wrote in her Diary, she knocked on the doors of many convents, but she was accepted nowhere. It was only in the convent at ul. Żytnia in Warsaw that she received an approval to join, but not before she spends a year working as a maid to earn a modest dowry. Finally, on August 1st, 1925 she stepped over the threshold of the closure, and wrote in her Diary: I felt immensely happy; it seemed to me that I had stepped into the life of Paradise. A single prayer was bursting forth from my heart, one of thanksgiving (Diary, 17). She then spent 13 years in many convents of the Congregation, fulfilling simple duties, and at the same time leading a very deep spiritual life. The Lord sent St. Faustina to the world to remind people of the Biblical truth about the merciful love of God to each human being and call them to proclaim it with a new power of witness, deed, word and prayer.
On July 31st, the liturgical calendar includes a commemoration of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus and one of the patron saints of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, which has benefited from Ignatian spirituality throughout its history. Saint Faustina mentions this Saint twice in her Diary, when she writes about his advice concerning keeping the vow of obedience, and on the occasion of her the vision in 1935: The Feast of St. Ignatius. I prayed fervently to this Saint, complaining and asking how he could watch me and not come to my assistance in such important matters, that is in fulfilling God’s will. I said to the Saint: “You, who are our Patron, you were burning with the fire of love and zeal for the greater glory of God, I humbly ask you, please help me carry out God’s plans.” It was during Mass. Then I saw St. Ignatius on the left-hand side of the altar with a big book in his hands. He said to me: “My daughter, I am not indifferent to your affairs; this rule can be applied to the Congregation as well.” With his hand he pointed to the book and vanished. I was extremely pleased that the Saints have us very much in their thoughts and that they are in close touch with us. O, divine Goodness, how beautiful the spiritual world is, if we can be in communion with the Saints already here on earth. All day long I felt that this Patron Saint, whom I hold so dear, was close by my side.
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.
The liturgical calendar includes compulsory commemoration of St. Mary Magdalene, who is the patroness of good change, on 22 of July. Since the beginning, this Saint is the patron of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, especially of the girls and women in need of moral regeneration, the education of whom is the main task of the sisters. Images and statues of Mary Magdalene are found in many convents of the Congregation. In the convent chapel of the miracle-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina at the Shrine in Krakow-Lagiewniki, her the statue is located in the main altar which is dedicated to the patron saint of the Congregation – Our Lady of Mercy.
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.
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.
