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.
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.
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 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 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.
“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.
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.
In August, during evening devotions, the Chaplet of Our Lady of Mercy is sung or recited in all the chapels of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. At the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, evening devotions are celebrated on weekdays at 7 pm (except Thursdays). You can join through on-line video stream at www.saint-faustina.org. The words of the Chaplet of Our Lady of Mercy and more information about Mary as Our Lady of Mercy, in particular concerning this title of Mary, her worship and iconography in the history of the Church and the Congregation, can be found at www.saint-faustina.org, tab: Our Lady of Mercy.
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.
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.
In the summer months, during the holidays, the numbers of visitors who join the works of “Chaplet for the Dying” and “Perpetual Chaplet of Divine Mercy” at www.saint-faustina.org are not decreasing. On the contrary, they are growing! Thanks to these works, the call for “mercy on us and the whole world” is being made constantly, day and night, every day. Participants in this prayer are located in dozens of countries, including Canada, the US, Kazakhstan, Argentina, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Colombia, Panama, Ukraine, Switzerland, Australia and England. Those who would like to join in this prayer can feel free to fill out the proper form.
During the summer, the sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy go on holidays too. Usually, they spend these days visiting their families or other convents of the Congregation. The younger sisters are happy to organize their stay at the retreat house of the Congregation in Zakopane’s Krzeptówki and Rabka, because they can also stay with members of their families there. What is more, they can make hiking trips from there. We would like to wish you all to make your holiday a time of restoration of your spiritual and physical strength.
The Diary of St. Faustina, which enjoys immense popularity, is sought after in foreign languages in Poland, too. The convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at the Łagiewniki Shrine often receives inquiries about the possibility of purchasing its translations, as well as reproductions of the Divine Mercy image with inscriptions in other languages. In response to the needs of pilgrims and online inquirers, the Misericordia publishing company ensures that foreign language versions of the Diary and images of Merciful Jesus with inscriptions in other languages than Polish are available in the Łagiewniki bookstore. These can also be ordered in various formats, on different materials, and in different languages by writing to: zamówienia@misericordia.faustyna.net.
The Misericordia publishing company serves the mission of proclaiming the message of Mercy, so in the company bookstore at the Łagiewniki Shrine (next to the basilica), you can also purchase other books related to the life, mission, and spirituality of St. Faustina, as well as devotional items and souvenirs. The online store operates at www.misericordia.faustyna.pl
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”. Specjal intention for July: for safe holidays for those who rest and that everyone may use this time to grow spiritually in their trust in God and in the richness of mercy shown to people.
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.
Spring is a time of awakening of nature, but also of our hearts and desires. This time can be experienced in Kiekrz on rest and walks or on individual retreats with the Bible and the Diary of St. Faustina. The retreats are held according to the program proposed by the spiritual director (a Sister from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy) in complete silence, excluding cell phones and other electronic devices. The chapel shrine, accommodation, meals (according to your needs) beautiful surroundings with a small Kierskie lake (place of the revelation of Lord Jesus to St. Faustina). These retreats can be used by all who wish to do so. Please send your applications to email: domkiekrz@faustyna.pl.
The past year brought further progress in the development of the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Płock. The stonework on the foundations, exterior stairs and handicapped persons’ exit has been completed. Sanitary installations and electrical fixtures, in addition to interior carpentry in the church and pilgrim house took place successively.
Plans for 2024 include installing ironwork, completing the aluminum and wood joinery throughout the newly built facility, and finishing works. In addition, sanitary and electrical works will continue in white assembly, installation of electrical, and tele-technical equipment. A task for the current year is also to complete all the adaptation work in the temporary chapel and connect the newly built facilities to the existing ones into a functional whole. As funds are raised, the plan also includes landscaping work for parking lots, fencing, an entrance gate and green areas.
The Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Plock is being erected by the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy thanks to the donations made for this purpose by devotees of Divine Mercy and people of good will. Sisters thank you for every gift of heart that makes the place of the first revelation of Merciful Jesus to St. Faustina come to life. Thanks to these gifts, the church is growing and therefore the Sisters would like to ask for further support. Holy Mass is celebrated on the 22nd day of each month and the Sisters pray daily together with the faithful at the Hour of Mercy and with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in the intention of everyone who support the construction of the Shrine spiritually and physically.
Donations for the expansion of the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Płock can be deposited into the account:
Zgromadzenie Sióstr Matki Bożej Miłosierdzia
Stary Rynek 14/18
09-404 Płock
Bank PEKAO SA
I O w Płocku
ul. Kolegialna 14a
SWIFT CODE: PKOPPLPW
PLN IBAN: 72 1240 3174 1111 0000 2890 0836
USD IBAN: 56 1240 3174 1787 0010 1057 7746
EUR IBAN: 28 1240 3174 1978 0010 1057 7818
Responding to the needs of individual pilgrims from all over the world who come to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy has prepared a very functional guide to this holy place using QR codes. It contains not only information about the individual locations, but above all the message of the treasure of this place, the spiritual heritage of St. Faustina, especially given by Jesus and recorded in her Diary. From now on, each pilgrim, scanning a QR code on a smartphone, will be guided by the sisters to a particular site, learn what meetings and conversations with the Inhabitants of Heaven St. Faustina had there. With the help of a 3D map one can see the entire Shrine and move on to the next object. The guide has already been made available not only in Polish, but also in English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, Slovak, German and Russian. For other language areas, a scanned QR code automatically selects English.
The Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy and apostles of Divine Mercy following in the footsteps of St. Faustina and participating in her mission to proclaim the message of Mercy to the world with their witness of life, deeds, words and prayers will remember and celebrate the following anniversaries in 2024:
January 2 – the 90th anniversary of the start of work on painting the first image of the Merciful Jesus in the studio of painter Eugeniusz Kazimirowski under the guidance of St. Faustina.
February – 95th anniversary of St. Faustina’s first arrival in Vilnius.
17 March – 120 years of the Congregation’s ministry in Częstochowa.
16 April – the 90th anniversary of the dedication of the most famous Divine Mercy Image of Jesus at the Shrine of Divine Mercy Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki, where His words to Sister Faustina were fulfilled: I want this picture venerated first in your chapel, and in the whole world (Diary, 47).
June – the 95th anniversary of Sister Faustina’s arrival to minister at the Congregation’s home in Warsaw’s Grochów district.
June/July – the 90th anniversary of the completion of the painting of the first picture of Merciful Jesus in the studio of Eugeniusz Kazimirowski. Sister Faustina lamented that the Jesus in this painting was not as beautiful as she saw Him.
July – 95th anniversary of Sister Faustina’s stay at the Congregation’s house in Kiekrz.
22 August – 30 years of the Congregation’s ministry in the Czech Republic, first in Ronov; then the community of Sisters moved to Dvůr Králové nad Labem.
31 August – 95th years of the Congregation’s ministry in Biała near Płock.
22 November – 10th anniversary of the evenings of worship at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki: The Łagiewniki 22.
The Chaplet for the Dying project supports a daily average of 125 moribund, whose names have been reported to us by SMS or e-mail. The moribund are spiritually supported not only by people from Poland, but also from other countries worldwide, who have declared their willingness to hold vigil on a selected day and time to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the intention of the person whose name they have received by text message or e-mail. We still need more people who will take up this ministry of mercy, so that help will quickly reach those who are the weakest, but are making the most important decisions and fighting the most difficult fights of their lives. Information about the project and applications are accessible via www.saint-faustina.org. The work is carried out by the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy’s Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki at: www.faustyna.pl.
On every Thursday at 5 pm, at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, a Divine Mercy Holy Mass is celebrated for the intercession of St. Faustina in the intention of requests and thanks to the faithful offered in the chapel with the image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of the Apostle of Divine Mercy. You can add an intention right before the Mass and those who cannot physically be present at it can join us in prayer thanks to the online broadcast at www.faustyna.pl.
Every day at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy gather at the Image of Divine Mercy and the tomb of St. Faustina to pray the Rosary for families and married couples experiencing difficulties and crises. Also at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Płock, Holy Mass is celebrated on every 22nd day of a month at 5pm with this intention. To join this prayer in the Łagiewniki Shrine, also in the intention of your family or loved ones, you can access the live video broadcasting at www.saint-faustina.org.
The Lord Jesus, in the devotion to Divine Mercy, gives us a special time of grace at three o’clock in the afternoon. It is the moment of His dying on the cross, of which he said to Sister Faustina: “This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world. … In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion…” (Diary, 1320). In order to take advantage of these promises of Jesus, one must pray with confidence and add deeds of mercy towards others to the trustful prayer. Jesus proposes three ways of experiencing the prayer at the Hour of Mercy: celebrating the Way of the Cross, visiting the Blessed Sacrament, and if it is impossible, connecting with Him, dying on the cross, wherever 3 pm finds us. In this prayer, we turn directly to Jesus, and in our pleading, we appeal to the merits of His painful Passion. It is a privileged time in the Divine Mercy devotion, which is why the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are practiced every day in all convents of the Congregation. You can join in this prayer through an on-line transmission from the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki at faustyna.pl and via the Faustyna.pl application.
Sanktuarium (The Shrine) is the title of the latest film about the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow, a place chosen by God, where, as St. Faustina died, a great treasure was laid – the message of Divine Mercy. It is a place of many a revelation, miracle and pilgrimage from all over the world. The documentary tells about this special site on the religious map of the world, which TV, radio and online broadcasts have allowed millions of pilgrims weekly to come to visit. The narrative of the film includes the theme of the national TV broadcasting that is the mission of TVP, that has accompanied the Shrine for 30 years, including the three years of daily broadcasting. The documentary, directed by Grzegorz Styła, contains fascinating testimonies of people from all over the world. It is available on TVP VOD.
A video titled Divine Mercy in daily life has been made recently for the Maria Vision TV, featuring Sr. Gaudia Skass from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, who speaks about the Łagiewniki Shrine as a sacred site, where St. Faustina lived and where she passed to the house of the Heavenly Father. Any place where we are, if we are experiencing our lives with Jesus, can be such a holy place. The beautifully shot film is available in English.
