From the very beginning of its history, the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy has been closely connected with the mystery of Divine and human mercy. At first, it proclaimed the power of God’s merciful love through deeds, carrying out apostolic work aimed at helping girls and women in need of moral support to change their lives.
It was to this Congregation that God called Saint Sister Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938), through whom He entrusted to the Church and the world the prophetic message of Mercy. In this message, He recalled the biblical truth of His merciful love and called for its proclamation with renewed power through the witness of life, deeds, words, and prayer, especially through the practice of the new forms of devotion to the Divine Mercy (the Image of the Merciful Jesus, the Feast of Mercy, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, prayer at the hour of His death on the Cross, known as the Hour of Mercy, and the spreading of devotion to the Divine Mercy).
The Congregation gradually became involved in carrying out this mission, and since 25 August 1995, when it recognized Sister Faustina as its spiritual co-foundress, many new apostolic works have come into being. Today, the Sisters proclaim the mystery of Divine Mercy through the witness of lives lived in trust in God and mercy toward others, through works of mercy, the spoken word, and prayer. They run youth educational centers for girls who are morally at risk, homes for single mothers, boarding houses, care homes for children with disabilities and for adults, therapeutic and community centers, preschools, and retreat houses. They proclaim the message of Mercy in Shrines, parishes, and prisons; safeguard the spiritual heritage of Saint Faustina; form apostles of the Divine Mercy in the international association “Faustinum”; organize and conduct retreats based on the Word of God and Saint Faustina’s Diary; teach catechesis in schools; run the Misericordia Publishing House; coordinate the Chaplet for the Dying and the Perpetual Chaplet initiatives; publish the quarterly Message of Mercy; manage websites; cooperate with the media, scholars, and artists; and remain active on social media, striving in all their works to make present in today’s world the Gospel value of Divine and human mercy. Through prayer and sacrifice, they also implore God’s mercy for the Church and the world in every house of the Congregation, especially in its contemplative monastery.
The History of the Devotion to Divine Mercy:
Saint Faustina » The „New Congregation” » The Apostolic Movement of the Divine Mercy
On the form of the Devotion to Divine Mercy:
Mercy » Devotion to the Divine Mercy » Spreading of Devotion to the Divine Mercy