A spiritual retreat of members and volunteers of the Faustinum Apostles of Divine Mercy Association will be held at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki on September 29. The theme of the meeting will be Saint Faustina – a Witness of Freeing Confidence. The motto for the conferences and prayers will be the mystic’s and modern prophetess’ words: “I have put my trust in God and am not afraid of anything” (Diary, 589). The retreat will be delivered by Sr. M. Gaudia Skass ISMM, the spokeswoman of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, involved for many years in the proclamation of the Message of Mercy in Poland and abroad, and Sr. Maria Faustyna Ciborowska ISMM, a Bible scholar and Doctor of Theology.
On September 23th (Saturday), the 12th pilgrimage counting several thousand Greek Catholics from Slovakia will arrive to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. At 9.15 am, Akathistos will be sung in honor of the Blessed Mother of God. The solemn Byzantine Rite Mass at 10 am will be chaired by Archbishop Peter Rusnák, the Metropolitan of Bratislava. After lunch break (about 2.00 pm), Sister M. Clareta Fečova from the convent of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki will provide a conference about Our Lady in the life and writings of Saint Faustina. The pilgrims will pray at the grace-famous image of Merciful Jesus next to the tomb of St. Faustina. The pilgrimage will end officially at 3 pm with prayer at the Hour of Mercy, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and a pastoral blessing.
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a special gift from God for our times, because it was dictated by Jesus Himself and has great promises attached to its trustful recitation. It is now the best known and widely practiced prayer to Divine Mercy. Its words are recited not only by Roman Catholics, but also by Greek Catholics, Maronites, Orthodox Christians, Protestants, Anglicans and people of other faiths, who experience its extraordinary effectiveness in obtaining graces and temporal benefits.
As a result, various initiatives and works of mercy have sprung up around this prayer. The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy maintains the Perpetual Chaplet and the Chaplet for the Dying projects, and produces television and radio broadcasts in Poland, Rome and Slovakia.
At the Shrine of Divine Mercy, this prayer is recited every day by the Sisters and pilgrims. Communion is always practiced after a short prayer at the Hour of Mercy (3 pm). This service (Hour of Mercy and Chaplet) is broadcast by several TV stations, including TVP 3 national, TVP Vilnius, 12 radio stations, online at www.faustyna.pl in 8 languages, in our mobile Faustyna.pl app and our YouTube channel of the same name. Thanks to this connectivity, every day and at the same time, more than a million people are crying out to God with one voice, asking for His mercy for us and the whole world, and for the necessary graces for the Holy Church, our homeland, Europe and the world.
The Sisters from the community of our Congregation in Washington, D.C., organize the next “Evening with Merciful Jesus” on September 22nd at the John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C .
You can also join the event online atwww.jp2shrine.org/youtube. The lecture will be followed by Adoration of the Lord Jesus and a meet-up with refreshments.
“Evenings with Merciful Jesus” are organized for young people who want to follow St. Faustina and St. John Paul II to discover the new quality of life in friendship with the merciful Lord Jesus.
The Dives in Misericordia Covenant Community National Convention will be held on September 15-17 this year. It will be attended by Sister Emanuela Gemza of the Krakow community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, president of the “Faustinum” association, who will share the spiritual wealth and mission of St. Faustina as recorded in her famous Diary.
On September 14-17, young women who are involved in the Girl Scouts of Europe Movement will meet at the Shrine in Górka Klasztorna near Lobżenica. The organizers expect more than two hundred people to come to the oldest place of Marian devotion in Poland. The National Scout Girl Pilgrimage will be held under the theme Guide of Faith. The event will be attended by Sr. Gaudia Skass from the convent at the Divine Mercy Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki, who will share her experience of the Mother of God in the life of St. Faustina and her own on Saturday, September 16.
The Scouts of Europe is a movement that exists in 20 European countries, bringing together Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christian organizations to cultivate love for their countries along with love for other nations, so inherent in the spirit of Christianity. Catholic organizations enjoy the status of a private association of the faithful under pontifical law, granted by the Holy See in 2003, which means that the scouting formation carried out in the movement is an educational tool leading to holiness.
A spiritual retreat of members of the Faustinum Association will be held at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki on September 15-17, themed A Treasure in Clay Pots. It will be delivered by Fr. Artur Ciepielski from Slovakia and Sr. M. Clareta Fečova, I.S.M.M., vice-director of the Faustinum Apostles of Divine Mercy Association, based on Scriptures and the Diary of St. Faustina. The retreat will be followed by a ceremony before the Eucharist to welcome new members to the Faustinum Association from Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
This Saturday, on September 9, a youth pilgrimage from the Diocese of Płock will proceed from Płońsk to Czerwińsk. It will be participated by Sisters Rachela and Helena from the convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Płock. The pilgrimage will be a vocational activity, therefore it will be an opportunity to share the spiritual experience of St. Faustina and the Sisters’ own vocation with the young pilgrims.
On September 9, (Saturday), the 21th National Railway Workers’ Pilgrimage will arrive at the Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki. It will start at 10 AM with the devotion Way of the Cross. At noon, the central moment of the pilgrimage will take place: Holy Mass presided over by Bishop Robert Chrząszcz. The pilgrims will also visit the chapel with the grace-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, to whom they will entrust their personal intentions. The pilgrimage will end with prayer at the Hour of Mercy (3 pm) and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
On September 3 (Sunday) at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Plock at the Old Market Square, another formative meeting of the Faustinum Divine Mercy Apostles Association community will be held. The topic of the meeting is: “Spiritual life as a work of God’s mercy in us”.. It will begin at 2:15 p.m. with communal adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, to be continued with prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, followed by a conference and Holy Mass at 5 p.m. The meetings are hosted by Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy and priests.
As part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of St. Faustina’s stay in Łódź and the 600th anniversary of the city she patronizes, the archdiocesan pilgrimage to Głogowiec and the Shrine in Świnice Warckie will take place on September 2. The pilgrimage community will form in front of the family home of the Apostle of Divine Mercy in Głogowiec at 10 a.m. and proceed to her parish church, now the Baptismal Shrine of St. Faustina. At 12 pm, solemn Eucharist will be presided over by the Metropolitan Bishop of Łódź, Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, who will renew the entrustment of the Church of Łódź to Divine Mercy. At 3 pm, the Hour of Mercy and Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be prayed, which will conclude the event.
On August 25-27, the birth anniversary of St. Faustina will be celebrated by the Brazilian Canção Nova TV in São Paulo who will be broadcasting a special show titled The Last Call to Salvation. The featured guests will include Bp. Tiago, Stanisław Błaszczyk from the Diocese of São Sebastiãodo Rio de Janeiro, Bp. Robert Chrząszcz from Krakow, who has many years of experience serving in Brazil for many years, Ewa Czaczkowska, the author of St. Faustina’s biography and Sisters Solange Diniz Pereira and Christofora Jagła from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Rio de Janeiro.
Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy from several houses in Poland and Kazakhstan will also participate in World Youth Day in Lisbon, along with youth. The next meeting of young people from all over the world will be an excellent opportunity to share the spiritual heritage of St. Faustina, who was a Patron of these youth meetings in Australia in 2008 and in Krakow in 2016.
World Youth Day in Portugal will be held from August 1-6 under the motto “Mary got ready and hurried…” (Luke 1:39). Pope Francis will arrive in Lisbon on 2 August and will remain in Portugal until the last day of the event.
The Firm In Faith Founded On Love national conference of married couples will be held from July 21-23 in Lincolnshire, Illinois, USA. It will be attended by Sr. Donata Farbaniec of the Washington, D.C., community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, who will share the message of Mercy as recorded in the Diary of St. Faustina in the context of this year’s theme of the conference. The event is organized by Family Missionaries of Christ.
Every evening in November, the Rosary for the Dead is prayed in the chapel with the image of the Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina at the Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki, as well as in all other chapels of the Congregation. Praying the Rosary with others in a church, a public chapel, with your family, or in a religious community or pious organization can gain you a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions. In Poland a plenary indulgence can also be obtained by reciting the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Prayer is a great good that those still living on Earth can offer to those who have already departed from it and are expecting our aid, as they cannot help themselves anymore. Mercy rendered to the dead, like any good done to others, is also the wealth of those who practice it.
On July 9-13, in the Miłosierdzie Retreat House in Derdy near Warsaw, a retreat for members and volunteers of the Faustinum Association will be held. This will be the second in a series of retreats that correspond to the themes of the various stages of formation, either communal or individual. This retreat, with the theme “Invited to trust”, will be attended by those members and volunteers of Faustinum who have completed their second year of formation in the Association. The retreat will be hosted by Fr. Krzysztof Kowal, MS and Sr. M. Emanuela Gemza, ISMM.
On July 3-7, Sr. Hedvig Uličná of the Košice community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy will lead meetings about God’s mercy and St. Faustina for Hungarian-speaking children between the ages of 6 and 10. A summer camp for these children is being organized in Košice, Slovakia.
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 December: For a spiritually fruitful experience of Advent and Christmas for us and our families, as well as for the grace of conversion and confession for those who have long not used this sacrament to make Christmas happen in their hearts too.
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.
On 6 July falls the 142th anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa Ewa nee Sułkowska, Countess Potocka, the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland. Is it a small thing to save one soul, she wrote. This idea guided her life and work, which she established to rescue women and girls in need of deep moral renewal (“the Magdalenas”). The Congregation later gave to the Church and the world the trasure that was Sister Faustina, apostle of Divine Mercy who is now recognized as its spiritual co-founder. Mother Teresa Potocka died in the palace of Wilanów. Her mortal remains rest in the tomb of the Congregation at the Powązki cemetery in Warsaw. We do not call her a saint, because only the Church has the right to give that title, said Fr. Zygmunt Golian, her spiritual director, in the funeral speech. However, let our efforts at work, for which he was ready to give her life, prove her sanctity. More information about the life and work of Mother Teresa Potocka can be found here.
From June 30 to July 2, a vocational retreat for girls and women will take place in the Discalced Carmelites monastery in Lorinčík near Košice in the south of Slovakia, themed “Lord, if you want, you can”. It will be led by the Carmelite Fathers and Sr. Benediktína Fečová from the Košice community of the Congregation of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy.
The Polish name for the votive Mass celebrating the Virgin Mary, celebrated in Advent is “roraty”. The name comes from the words of the introit which begins with: rorate caeli desuper – “Drop down ye heavens from above”. At the altar, a special candle decorated with a white ribbon is lit, symbolizing the Virgin, and the faithful hold lighted candles that illuminate the darkness inside the church while they are waiting for a sign of the coming of Christ. This candle is referred to as “roratka”. At the Shrine of Divine Mercy, this Mass is celebrated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 6.30 am. Internet users can get involved in the prayer online at 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 January: so that divine blessings come to us and our families on each day of 2024 and so that mercy and peace are bestowed on the world.
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 June 25-28, 75 young women from the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia, will participate in an annual camp organized for the discernment of life’s vocation. The motto of the summer camps is We pray hard and play hard! Sister Faustia and Sister Grace from the Washington, D.C., community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy will talk about what a vocation is, how to discern it, what types of vocations there are, what it’s like to be a sister…, as well as give personal testimonies, lead prayer and spend time with the girls. The meeting agenda includes Liturgy of the Hours, Mass, Adoration and all kinds of outdoor games.
The annual retreat for worshipers of Divine Mercy will take place on June 24-26 at the Jesuit retreat house in Prešov, Slovakia. The retreat with God’s greatest attribute, which is His mercy, will be led by Sr. M. Benediktína Fečová ISMM from the Košice community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy together with the Jesuit Fathers from the Prešov community.
On the occasion of the 38th World Youth Day in Portugal, the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy is launching a Brazilian Portuguese version of the Faustyna.pl website, to be operated by Sisters of the convent in Rio de Janeiro. The website features source texts on the mystery of the Divine Mercy, Mary the Mother of Mercy, St. Faustina, her life, mission and spirituality, Shrines of Divine Mercy in Poland and worldwide, and also tells about the life and activities of the Congregation where the Apostle of Divine Mercy lived and died. The website also has the online video streams from the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, the Chaplet for the Dying and the Perpetual Chaplet in addition to contracts for downloading the miracle-famous Divine Mercy Image and the photos and images of St. Faustina.
It is the ninth language version of the website, apart from the Polish, English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian and Slovak ones, which was created thanks to the apostolic service of the team of translators and consultants under the direction of Robert Jankowski, our IT team and the Sisters of the Congregation of the Lady of Mercy.
On August 1th, in the convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, postulant will receive new names and costumes of novices (black dress and a white veil) after a first, ten-month period of religious life. They will begin another two year’s term of novitiate, after which they will be able to make their first religious vows. The ceremony of investiture takes place within enclosure, but a Mass for the intention of the sister who begin their novitiate will be celebrated in the chapel of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy image and the tomb of St. Faustina, at 11:00.
On July 7, the 11th International Walking Pilgrimage will set off from Hidasnemeti (Hungary) across Slovakia to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. During the nine days, the pilgrims will make their way along a 275 km route through Kosice, Radatice, Pečowská Nová Ves, Plavnica, Piwniczna Zdrój, Gostwica, Tymbark and Brzączowice. The pilgrimage will reach Krakow on July 15. At 3 pm, prayer at the Hour of Mercy and Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be recited in the chapel of the convent before the miracle-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina.
The Sisters from the community of our Congregation in Washington, D.C., organize the next “Evening with Merciful Jesus” on July 22nd at the John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C. The honorable guest this month will be Sr. Mary Claire from the community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Lakeville. Her presentation will be titled Heart to Heart with Merciful Jesus.
You can also join the event online atwww.jp2shrine.org/youtube. The lecture will be followed by Adoration of the Lord Jesus and a meet-up with refreshments.
“Evenings with Merciful Jesus” are organized for young people who want to follow St. Faustina and St. John Paul II to discover the new quality of life in friendship with the merciful Lord Jesus.
On June 22, at 7 p.m., a monthly meeting of young faithful, the traditional Łagiewnki 22, will take place at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, at the grace-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina. 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 June 10, Sr. Donata of the Washington, D.C., community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy will lead a day of recollection at the National Center for Padre Pio, in Barto, Pennsylvania. The theme for reflection and prayer will be the devotion to the Divine Mercy in the forms handed down by St. Faustina, especially its essence, that is, the attitude of trusting God to do His will.
