On Friday, December 13, the last formation meeting of this year for members and volunteers of the “Faustinum” association will take place in Koprivnica (northern Slovakia). The group operates at the parish of St. Andrew the Apostle. The meeting will begin with a communal prayer during the Hour of Mercy. Conferences on the topic of Divine Mercy in the Bible and the “Diary” of St. Faustina will be delivered by Sr. Mariela Lengyelová from the Košice community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Slovakia.
The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy expresses gratitude to all Benefactors and Donors for supporting the apostolic works that are used by thousands of Internet users and dying people in need of prayerful support. Thank you for the gifts sent to support the work of “Chaplet for the Dying,” on-line broadcast from the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki and the website: www.faustyna.pl and its versions in foreign languages. In these gifts of the heart, the mercy of God is visible, which is poured out on the world through human hearts and hands. In their daily prayers, the sisters respond with prayer, commending all the Donors and Benefactors to God’s mercy and asking for God’s blessing and needed favors for them. Let God’s Mercy be glorified in all this!
The final formation meeting this year for members and volunteers of the “Faustinum” Association in Prešov, eastern Slovakia, will take place on Tuesday, December 10. The meeting will begin at 4:00 PM with conferences on the mission of Divine Mercy of St. Faustina, delivered by Fr. Jozef Heske and Sr. M. Clareta Fečová from the Hrušov community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The program will also include sharing the Word of God and the Eucharist at 6:00 PM, concluding the monthly meeting of the apostles of Divine Mercy.
On December 7th and 8th, Sr. Tymoteusza Kmiotek and Sr. Wincenta Mąka from the Roman community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy will participate in the solemn introduction of the relics of St. Faustina to the Parish of Our Lady of the Assumption in Cagliari, Sardinia. On this occasion, they will share with the faithful the prophetic mission and spiritual heritage of the Apostle of Divine Mercy. The program also includes communal prayer during the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, as well as a fraternal meeting with the faithful.
On December 8, at the invitation of Fr. Czesław Las, pastor of the Parish of Divine Mercy in Żukowo, Sr. Diana Kuczek from the Kraków community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy will share the message of Divine Mercy and the spiritual heritage of St. Faustina during Sunday Masses. After the Mass at 3:30 PM, a meeting will also be held to inaugurate the establishment of the community of the Association of Apostles of Divine Mercy “Faustinum” in this parish. This year, the parish is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
On November 29, spiritual preparations for the celebration of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary will begin in all the houses of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. There is to be a communal novena consisting of antiphons and the Litany of Loreto. In addition the sisters will be marking the Holy Day with an annual gift to the Mother of Mercy. Over and above the obligatory prayer in the convents’ chapels and her spiritual exercise, Saint Faustina used to make a novena which consisted in saying 1,000 „Hail Marys” each day. She admitted: Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Apart from recreation, I have only prayed and worked. I have not said a single unnecessary word during these days. Although I must admit that such a matter requires a good deal of attention and effort, nothing is too much when it comes to honoring the Immaculate Virgin (Diary, 1413). You yourselves can also take part in the prayer online, thanks to our live transmissions from the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki.
Sister Faustina would begin every Advent with Virgin Mary. Before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, she would practice a novena with the whole Congregation, and in addition to that, she would always try to offer something more to the Mother of God (e.g. a novena of a thousand Hail Marys). She considered mercy that Mary experienced as a gift of her immaculate conception and the fullness of grace guaranteed to her by Archangel Gabriel, and the gift of Divine motherhood. The one who was chosen to become the Mother of the Son of God knows best how to experience the period of awaiting the coming of Jesus. She advised Sister Faustina: “try to make yourself meek and humble, so that Jesus, Who dwells perpetually in your heart, may rest. Adore Him in your heart, do not leave your interior” (Diary, 785). This may also be our decision for this Advent week to prepare our hearts for God’s ever more complete presence therein.
On December 2th, at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, Mass will be celebrated at 5 pm in the intentions of all the sponsors, donors and contributors of the media works carried out by the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, and especially those who support the Chaplet for the Dying at www.faustyna.pl and its language versions. Thanks to this support each year we are helping about 40 thousand dying people. Hundreds of thousands of individuals around the world can make a virtual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Łagiewniki and connect in prayer next to the miracle-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina. Sisters from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy pray daily for the donors and benefactors who support the work, but this particular Eucharist will be a special gift of gratitude. You can join this celebration via the live video broadcast at www.saint-faustina.org and in the Faustyna.pl application.
From November 30 to December 1, 2024, a special gathering for women of various faiths outside the Catholic tradition will take place in Astana as part of the Samaritan Project. The event is themed “The Strength of a Woman”, inspired by the story of the Judean widow Judith. The program will feature conferences, meditations, and workshops. Leading the meeting are Sr. Anastasis Omelchenko from the Petropavlovsk community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, alongside Sr. Kazimiera Wanat, Sr. Madlen Hofman, and Fr. Hans Peter Rainer.
Under this title, from November 29 to December 1, a retreat will take place at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki as part of the “School of Prayer with St. Faustina” series. She prayed: “Sweetest Mother, instruct me on the interior life” (Diary 915). In the pages of the Gospel, we meet Mary listening attentively to God’s voice, showing us how to listen to and accept the Word of God. Together with St. Faustina, the participants of the retreat will entrust themselves to Mary, the Virgin Listener, asking her to teach them how to faithfully listen to the Word and open their hearts to the God who comes. The retreat will be led by Fr. Dr. Marek Chmielniak SAC, a member of the Council for the Apostolate of the Laity of the Polish Bishops’ Conference and director of the Pallottine retreat house in Ząbkowice Śląskie, and Sr. M. Eliana Chmielewska of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, serving in the Board of the “Faustinum” Association.
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 November: for the necessary graces for the sick, the dying as well as for the joy of heaven for the deceased.
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.
Advent is approaching, Sister Faustina wrote in her Diary. I want to prepare my heart for the coming of the Lord Jesus by silence and recollection of spirit, uniting myself with the Most Holy Mother and faithfully imitating Her virtue of silence, by which She found pleasure in the eyes of God Himself. I trust that, by Her side, I will persevere in this resolution (Diary, 1398). This year, the first Sunday of Advent falls on 1th of December. Liturgically, Advent and the new year in the liturgy of the Church begins with vespers on November 30th. It constitutes a time of joyful anticipation of Christmas, spiritual preparation for this holiday and for the second coming of Christ on Earth, in addition to building our sensitivity to His everyday coming to us here and now, as St. Faustina did, through exercise in silence and recollection of spirit. The joy of experiencing the mystery of faith which tells us of the birth of the Son of God in human flesh, Mercy Incarnate, depends on this expectation and spiritual preparation.
On November 24, at the invitation of Fr. Bartosz Adamczewski, pastor of St. Faustina Parish in Warsaw’s Bródno district, Sr. Diana Kuczek from the convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki, along with members of the “Faustinum” association from the community on Żytnia Street, will share the message of Divine Mercy during Sunday Masses. Before the evening Eucharist at 5:00 PM, there will also be an inaugural meeting to establish the “Faustinum” community in this parish, a heartfelt desire of those who gather in this church.
The traditional three-day retreat for devotees of Divine Mercy will take place on November 22–24 in Dolný Smokovec in the Slovak Tatras. The retreat, under the theme: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (cf. 2 Cor 12:9), will be led by Fr. Miroslav Liška and Sr. M. Clareta Fečová ISMM from the Hrušov community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The program includes: Eucharist, conferences, prayer during the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, communal adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and veneration of the relics of St. Faustina.
This coming Sunday (November 24th), the Parish of St. John Paul II in Podsarnie (Archdiocese of Kraków) will celebrate the solemn introduction of the relics of St. Sister Faustina. The event will be attended by Sr. Norberta and Sr. Agnes from the convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at the Łagiewniki Sanctuary. On this occasion, the sisters will share with the faithful of Podsarnie and Harkabuz the prophetic mission of the Apostle of Divine Mercy and her spiritual legacy.
The St. Faustina Youth Education Center in Krakow was honored with the Małopolska Voivodeship’s Veritatis Splendor award. This recognition highlighted the Center’s commitment to fostering cultural, social, and interfaith dialogue in line with the teachings and legacy of St. John Paul II. The award was presented during a gala at the Krakow Philharmonic.
The resolution awarding the honor states: “The St. Faustina Youth Educational Center provides a supportive and secure environment for young girls, many of whom come from challenging backgrounds and face serious emotional struggles. The Center’s approach is deeply personalized, focusing on each girl’s unique needs to help them rebuild confidence and self-worth. Educators prepare the girls for future roles as wives and mothers and equip them with professional skills. The Center’s success is evident in the many alumnae who, upon leaving, have returned to healthy educational and social paths and become involved in helping others. Educators place a strong emphasis on cultivating values championed by the Patron of Małopolska, St. John Paul II, including love for others, empathy, solidarity, responsibility, and mercy.”
The award was first presented in 2016. Each year, recipients are chosen by the Board of Directors of the Małopolska Region based on recommendations from the Veritatis Splendor Chapter, which includes representatives from intellectual, social, and cultural spheres.
Exactly 10 years ago, the first youth gathering “Łagiewnicka 22” took place at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. On this special anniversary, the sisters of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Kraków are returning to the original program of these meetings, summarized in three words: Word, Prayer, Community. We invite you to the chapel with the renowned image of Merciful Jesus this coming Friday (November 22) at 7:00 PM. Sister Gaudia Skass will deliver the Word, followed by a time of silent prayer and adoration of Divine Mercy during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Afterwards, there will be a gathering with some tasty refreshments and a Q&A session with Sister Gaudia.
From November 18 to 22, 2024, a retreat for priests will be held at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki under the theme: “The Merciful Gaze That Saves.” It will be led by Fr. Piotr Wieczorek, a pastor, retreat leader, spiritual director, and diocesan moderator of the evangelization community “Mamre.” In the Gospels, we often encounter Jesus, whose merciful gaze calls, forgives, sees people and their deepest needs, and restores their dignity as children of God. This retreat, experienced in silence, will be an opportunity for a personal encounter with the gaze of the Merciful Jesus, to once again accept His love so that He can transform and heal our hearts.
The retreat is organized by the sisters of the retreat community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. More information is available at: www.faustinum.pl
On November 22 this year, the traditional „Evening with Merciful Jesus” will take place at the National Shrine of St. John Paul II in Washington, USA. It will be led by the sisters from the Washington community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The program includes: the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, adoration with praise of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and intercessory prayer, the sacrament of confession, and a conference by Sister Faustia Szaboóvá on how to overcome obstacles on the path to holiness, based on the words of Jesus recorded in St. Faustina’s Diary and her spiritual experiences. The evening will conclude with a fraternal agape.
“Evenings with Merciful Jesus” are organized for young people who want to follow in the footsteps of St. Faustina and St. John Paul II and discover a new quality of life in friendship with Merciful Jesus.
From November 15-17 of this year, the North American Divine Mercy Congress organized by WACOM will be held in Vancouver, Canada, under the theme: “Divine Mercy and Mary – Our Hope.” Confirmed participants include Archbishop Gintaras Grušas from Vilnius, Archbishop J. Michael Miller from Vancouver, Bishop A. Savarimuthu from the Diocese of Palayamkottai, Fr. Patrice Chocholski, Secretary General of WACOM, and Sr. Inga Kvassayova from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Lakeville, USA, who will deliver a lecture on the spirituality of mercy, introducing Congress participants to the spiritual teachings of St. Faustina.
On November 15-17, a vocational retreat for women of different ages will take place in the Discalced Carmelites monastery in Lorinčík near Košice in the south of Slovakia. The theme of the event will be “Healed and Free”. It will be led by the Carmelites and Sr. Benediktína Fečová from the Košice community of the Congregation of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy.
November is a special month of acting out of mercy towards the dead, whose souls are maturing in Purgatory to fully experience love. Saint Faustina visited that place in her mystical experiences and described it in the Diary: … I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in Purgatory. The souls call her ‘The Star of the Sea’. She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard and interior voice] which said, My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it (Diary, 20).
Sister Faustina put this question to her deceased sisters while walking by the convent’s cemetery in Krakow-Łagiewniki. She received the following answer: We are happy in the measure that we have fulfilled God’s will (Diary, 515 and 518). Afterwards, the Saint meditated at length on how she was fulfilling the will of God and how she was using the time of her earthly life. This is something to think about when we visit the graves of our loved ones at this time of the year. Every cemetery contains unusual life stories of many people and at the same time it reminds us of the transience of human life, provoking thoughts on its meaning and purpose. Through the life of St. Faustina and her mystical experience, God, who wants happiness for every human being in both this and eternal life, reminds us in a powerful way where happiness lies and how to achieve it.
On November 16th (the third Saturday of the month), the monthly meeting of the Krakow community of the Association of Apostles of Divine Mercy “Faustinum” will take place at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The program includes: the Rosary, a lecture from the series “The Mission and Spirituality of St. Faustina,” prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Eucharist, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with a prayer of worship, as well as an agape meal.
The “Faustinum” Association, established in 1996 by the then-Archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, as an apostolic work of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, brings together priests, consecrated persons, and laypeople from nearly 90 countries who, following the example of St. Faustina, wish to participate in Jesus’ mission of spreading the message of Mercy to the world through their lives, deeds, words, and prayers. The primary mission of “Faustinum” is to form apostles of Divine Mercy, a task the sisters carry out in several languages. More information is available at: www.faustinum.en
Sister Faustina wrote in her Diary: My beloved native land, Poland, if you only knew how many sacrifices and prayers I offer to God for you! (Diary, 1038) and There is no day in which I do not pray for you (Diary, 1188). And when she begged Jesus for a blessing for Poland, He said to her: For your sake I bless the entire country (Diary, 39) and For your sake I am blessing the earth (Diary, 980, 1078). Another time, He said: For your sake I bless the world (Diary, 1061). Now, when she has a greater ability to act, she has not ceased her intercession in Heaven. May she today, in the light of the mystery of God’s Mercy, show the modern generations the treasure which is our Homeland with all its heritage, and may she support all our people in their efforts for the common good and moral rebirth of Poles, so that they confidently turn to God in Whom the world finds peace and human beings find happiness.
On November 10, Sr. Martyna and Sr. Marlena from the Convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Kiekrz will share the message of Divine Mercy and the spirituality of St. Faustina with the faithful in the town of Góra (Lower Silesian Voivodeship). The church in this parish is dedicated to St. Faustina.
On the Feast of All Saints, the Church honors those raised to the altars, known by name and biography, but also all the priests, other consecrated persons and lay faithful who have reached the goal of human life that is eternal union with God in love. There are more saints who live among us than there may seem to be. One piece of evidence for this is the history of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, which has been intertwined with the lives of many unusual people, in addition to St. Faustina Kowalska. Throughout the over 160-year-long existence and activity of the Congregation, some of these individuals were raised to the glory of the altars by the Church. They include Archbishop Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński, who was a co-founder of the Congregation; Pope St. John Paul II, who visited Łagiewniki so often and has done so much for the mission of Mercy; Bl. Julian Nowowiejski, the Bishop who invited the sisters to Płock and who wrote the first history of the Congregation; Bl. Jan Balicki, who initiated the Congregation’s works in Przemyśl and served the sisters and their pupils for three years; Bl. Maria Karwowska, who spent her formation period in the Łagiewniki convent and Bl. Michael Sopoćko, the Vilnius confessor of the convent on the Antokol and spiritual director of St. Faustina. The following are included as candidates for sainthood: the fathers who served as confessors to the convent in Krakow-Łagiewniki: the servant of God Fr. Wojciech Baudiss, S.J.; Fr. Bernard Łubieński (Redemptorist); Fr. Stanisław Bednarski, S.J.; Fr. Stanisław Podoleński, S.J.; Fr. Marian Morawski, S.J.; Fr. Józef Cyrek, S.J.; or the servant of God Fr. Jacek Woroniecki, O.P., the author of The Mystery of Divine Mercy, which was copied from the original manuscript by the sisters in Łagiewniki. This list of saints, blessed and servants of the Lord is much longer, particularly because it can include individuals who did not cooperate with the Congregation permanently, but had a different type of relationship with it. Today, too, saints are among us. They are the people fascinated by the merciful love of Jesus, who participate in His life and His mission to reveal the mystery of Divine Mercy to the world.
The Shrine in Łagiewniki has one of Krakow’s oldest cemeteries. It is a religious cemetery established in the late 19th century in the back of the former garden of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. Here lie the remains of sisters, chaplains, pupils and other persons connected with the convent in Łagiewniki. Also the body of St. Faustina used to be buried here for 28 years. Another Sister who was interred here is Sr. Faustina’s Superior General, Mother Michael Moraczewska. Others include Sr. Kaliksta Piekarczyk who devoted her life for the intention of saving Krakow during World War II, Mother Ksawera Olszamowska who offered hers for the intention of establishment of the Feast of Divine Mercy in the Church and the message of Mercy, along with many sisters who offered up their daily lives for different intentions. The Convent’s cemetery is right outside the southern wall of the basilica in the Łagiewniki Shrine and is often visited by pilgrims. Near the eastern wall of the basilica, there is a military cemetery from the time of WWI. No individual graves are found here. Instead, there is a large cross and an obelisk with a plaque which says that 266 soldiers from 15 European countries are buried in this place. During the Great War, part of the Congregation’s garden was converted into a large military hospital for over 1,000 patients. It had several temporary wards, where soldiers of different nationalities were treated for typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, pox and scarlet fever – in other words, infectious diseases. Some of the soldiers who could not be saved died in this hospital, which was why they were buried in the cemetery outside the Convent’s wall.
On November 3, as part of the preparations by the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Bolesławiec to receive the relics of St. Sister Faustina and to begin monthly services dedicated to Divine Mercy, Sister Tobiana and Sister Agnes from the Łagiewniki convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy will share the message of Mercy and the spiritual legacy of the Apostle of Divine Mercy during Sunday gatherings at the Eucharist.
The first day of November is celebrated in the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy as the day when the Church pays homage to all the Saints and, additionally, as the anniversary of the establishment of the Congregation in Poland. On this day, in 1862, Archbishop Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński consecrated the first chapel and House of Mercy in Warsaw at ul. Żytnia. On this day, the sisters refer especially to the early history of their Congregation. They commemorate its founder, Countess Teresa Ewa Potocka nee Sułkowska, who accepted the invitation of Archbishop Szczęsny Feliński and came to Warsaw to aid “fallen” women in returning to a life of dignity, and to establish a house for them inspired by the House of Mercy in Laval (France), which became the model for their apostolic work and religious life. Together with the Church, the sisters also revere all those who have achieved the goal of their lives: eternal union with God. These saints also include the Divine Mercy apostle, Sr. Faustina Kowalska, raised to the altars as a saint and known all over the world. Saint Faustina was the spiritual co-founder of the Congregation, along with St. Archbishop Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński and the deceased sisters, pupils and Divine Mercy apostles who were members of the association “Faustinum” and who participated in the mission of the Congregation by making the merciful love of God present in the world through their lives, deeds, words and prayers. The sisters in all the convents their gratitude for the Congregation’s past, entrusting its present and future to God’s mercy, so that all Divine plans for it are fulfilled.
