From March 11th, before the feast of St. Joseph, all the convents of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy will be celebrating the traditional novena to St. Joseph.

The Saint is among the patrons of the Congregation and has enjoyed great reverence since its beginning. His images decorate all the convent chapels. Usually, St. Joseph has a separate altar devoted to him on the right side of the presbytery, as it is the case at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. His statues can be found in convent corridors, monastic cells, places of apostolic service, as well as in gardens and nunnery courtyards.  He is the host of every property, house, convent, and thus has everything under his care, not only material matters, with which he is most often associated, but also, and perhaps above all, he cares for the spiritual matters of the communities of our Congregation and the works they carry out. The nuns refer to St. Joseph as the Protector and Father, and so address him in their prayers, certain that “it has never been heard that anyone calling on his care and begging for help has been left without consolation”. In matters of urgency, the Sisters send him “telegrams”, listing very specific problems that need to be dealt with.