Today, I am sending you with My mercy to the whole of mankind (Diary 1588). Roman Catholic Saint-Maria Faustina Kowalska, known as Saint Faustina, born Helena Kowalska was a Polish Nun who is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church as a Saint. Sister Amelia, who had a very sensitive conscience, asked her, 'Sister, how come, when you try so hard but over the week you still commit such a lot of sins. That joy faded somewhat towards the end of her first year in the novitiate when she started to go through a period of extremely painful spiritual experiences known as the passive nights. I didnt understand any of the things my confessor said to me. St Mary Faustina Kowalska was born on 25 August 1905 in Glogowiec, Poland, to a poor, religious family of peasants, the third of 10 children. During the ceremony she fainted twice. We were together in the novitiate for a year, recalled Sister Krescencja Bogdanik, who was a year ahead of her in her vocation. Whereas, it turned out, God let her know how much she would suffer. Throughout her life, she reported a number of visions of Jesus and conversations with him, which she wrote about in her diary, later published as the book Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul. Spreading of Devotion to The Divine Mercy, Plenary Indulgence for the Feast of Mercy, In Theology Moral Qualification of aHuman Act, In the School ofSt.Faustina andJohnPaul II, History of the Devotion to The Divine Mercy, The Knowledge of the Mystery of Divine Mercy, The Contemplation of Divine Mercy in Everyday Life, The Apostolic Movement of The Divine Mercy, Prayer through the Intercession of St. Faustina, Superior General, Mother Michaela Moraczewska, Churches dedicated in honor of St. Faustina, Let us know about a church or chapel of St. Faustina, Let us know about another St. Faustina patronage activity, Shrine of Divine Mercy in Cracow-Lagiewniki, Chapel of the miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, Shrine of the Birth and Baptism of St. Faustina in Swinice Warckie, Family Home of Saint Faustina in Gogowiec, Convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, Center of Divine Mercy Spirituality in Rome, The Rome House of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, Let us know about another Shrine of Divine Mercy. She wrote in her diary, Jesus reminded me, as He had told me the first time, that the words Jesus, I trust in You must be in the inscription(Diary 327). By her bedside were the chaplain, Father Teodor Czaputa and Mother Superior Irena Krzyanowska, while the rest of the Sisters stood in the corridor. After a brief stay in Warsaw in the ytnia and at Grochw, she was again sent off to Pock, and from there for a short time to Biaa, an agricultural colony of the Pock house. As the devotion became more and more widely known the opinion of Sister Faustinas sainthood grew as well. Sister Faustina decided to leave and straightaway write to the Holy Father to dispense her from her vows. On Jesus confirmation that He meant a material picture, she informed the local superior, Sister Ra Kobukowska, about the situation, who demanded a sign confirming the truth of the visions. First she stayed at the house of her uncle Micha Rapacki, at No. O Mother of God, Mary Most Holy, You, O Mother, are now my Mother in a very special way, because Your beloved Son is my Bridegroom, so we are both Your children. The day of judgement has been determined, the day of Gods anger, the angels tremble at the thought of it. First, say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Apostles Creed; next, on the Our Father beads you will say Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world; and on the Hail Mary beads you will say these words, For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. At the end, you will say these words three times, Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world (Diary 476). Sister Faustina fulfilled this mission not only by the witness of her own life and the writing of her diary, in which she revealed Gods extraordinary merciful love for each human being, but also through her everyday relations with her neighbours. God never sends suffering that is unbearable, she used to say, for the greater the suffering, the greater Gods grace. On that day are open all the Divine floodgates through which graces flow; let no soul fear to approach Me, even if its sins be as scarlet (Diary 699). Soon after that mysterious event she returned to Gogowiec to ask her parents permission to enter a convent. [2]. But Sister Faustina was not pleased, although the artist and Father Sopoko did all they could to render as faithful an image of Jesus as possible. He directed her to his acquaintances, Aldona and Samuel Lipszyc, in Ostrwek in the district of Klembw, who needed a nanny for their children, with a note saying that he did not know the girl but hoped she would be useful. From that moment on I felt a greater intimacy with God, my Bridegroom. The Holy Father John Paul II wrote that in the age of totalitarianisms Sister Faustina became the ambassador of the message that the only power strong enough to counteract their evil is the truth of Gods Mercy. And now praised be the Divine Mercy in us and through us., It was at Prdnik Hospital that she spoke for the last time with her Vilnian spiritual director, Father Sopoko, who was in Krakw in early September 1938 and had the opportunity to visit his extraordinary penitent before she died and hear instructions directly from her relating to the work of Mercy which Jesus had initiated through her services. Her relics are in the Shrine of the Divine Mercy at agiewniki, Krakw. She looked unremarkable, slightly delayed age-wise, rather feeble figure, a maidservant and cook by profession, no dowry, not even the most meagre of trousseaus. Mother Janina Olga Bartkiewicz, who was postulant mistress at the time, showed a big heart to young postulants preparing for the religious life, but at the same time made big demands of them and directed them firmly. Mother Michaela Moraczewska, superior of the Warsaw house, who was present during the conversation, offered to speak to the candidate herself. From henceforth Sister Faustina knew that she was supported in the carrying out of the mission not only by the Blessed Virgin but also St. Joseph. So when we go to confession our souls are spotless and we have nothing to worry about. Born in the village of Gogowiec, near d, in Poland in 1905, and dying in Krakow in 1938, Saint Faustina spent her short life amongst the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, generously conforming herself to the vocation she received from God and developing an intense spiritual life, rich in spiritual gifts and in faithful harmony with them. Under Communism maintaining contact between Poland and the Holy See was not at all easy, and so it was difficult to refute the Holy Sees objections to the writings of Sister Faustina and the forms of worship. This message, Pope Benedict XVI has said, The message of Mercy as the Divine Power, as God putting a check on all the worlds evil, is indeed the chief message of our times. She attended elementary school for merely three years and then she went to work as a housekeeper in various welltodo families in Aleksandrw and d. In the next visions Jesus made great promises to Sister Faustina in connection with the trustful reciting of the Chaplet. But already after three weeks she observed that there was little time in the convent for prayer, and wanted to move to a stricter order. At night, when she prayed prostrating herself on the floor, she saw the tortured face of Jesus and asked, Who has hurt You so much, Jesus? Jesus replied, You will cause Me such pain if your leave this Order. What is Maria Faustina Kowalska known for? To find out more about St. Faustina, click here. For Your Sons sake, You have to love me (Diary 240). She died on Oct. 5, 1938, after being chosen by Jesus and Mary to become the unlikely apostle of the Divine Mercy. She said that she would soon die and that she had finished all she had had to write and pass on. He advised her to be true to these graces, urging her not to stay away from them but to entreat God for a spiritual director who would help her in understanding and carrying out Jesus wishes. Clear on the point that this situation was no obstacle to the initiating of a beatification process, Cardinal Karol Wojtya lost no time and completed the diocesan stage, sending the documentation up to the Rome, where the Congregation for the Causes of Saints continued to examine the heroic virtues of Sister Faustina, and later the miracle wrought at Sister Faustinas grave for Mrs. Maureen Digan from the USA. That was the family atmosphere of little Helenka, Gods chosen one to be the prophet of our times. Apostle of Divine Mercy, Prophet of Our Times, Great Mystic, Mistress of Spiritual Life - these are the epithets usually appended to the name of Sister Faustina Kowalska, St Faustyna (Faustina), of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. Jesus said to Sister Faustina that the sign would come with the graces dispensed through the picture. One day I went to Prdnik to visit her Sister Kajetana Bartkowiak recollected I knocked on the door. The doctor said it was very bad. That is how Sister Faustinas hospital ministry for the dying started. The Apostolic Movement of Divine Mercy, the congregation based on Sister Faustinas mystical experience and charism which Jesus asked her to found, today comprises a variety of congregations, associations, confraternities, apostolates and individuals joining in the accomplishment of her mission. According to Roman Catholic tradition, the chaplet may be said at any time, but it is said especially on Divine Mercy Sunday and Fridays at 3:00 PM. Through the many visions that she had, she was able to grow and nourish her love for Christ in the Eucharist. Macarius the Great was a disciple of Anthony. On her way to Walendw she stopped at Warsaw, where she had the opportunity to discuss the matter with Mother General Michaela Moraczewska, in whom she had always been able to confide. She joined the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and experienced several visions of Jesus. When we got there Sister Faustina as if opened her eyes and gave a faint smile, and then bowed her head and Sister Amelia said that probably she had just died. Faustina was a remarkable child who knew from an early age that she was called to have a religious life. St. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament was born in Poland as Helena Kowalska on Aug. 25, 1905. His right hand was lifted up in a gesture of blessing, and His left hand was touching His breast from which two rays, a red one and a pale one, radiated out. Sr. Faustina died October 5, 1938 and she rests at the Basilica of Divine Mercy in Krakow, Poland. Tell souls about this great mercy of Mine . Your email address will not be published. For it was in Divine Mercy that the world would find peace, and mankind happiness. Faustina was canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church on 30 April 2000, [1] [2] having been considered a mystic and visionary. It turned out to be a false alarm. At first Sister Faustina thought that Jesus wanted her to leave her mother Congregation and found a contemplative order. I got in touch with Eugeniusz Kazimirowski, an artist who lived in the same house as I and undertook to paint the picture, and with Mother Superior, who allowed Sister Faustina to visit him twice a week to instruct him on the details of the painting., The painting of the first picture of the Merciful Jesus started very discreetly at the beginning of January 1934. I went to bed at the usual time, Sister Eufemia recollected, and was soon asleep. That was St. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Divine Mercy revelations, who was canonized in 2000 and whose revelations were celebrated Sunday. Her main occupation at Pock, until her third probation, was serving customers in the bakers shop. When he returned and opened the door to her room he found her levitating over the bed and absorbed in prayer. It was during Vespers in simple words straight from my heart I made a vow of perpetual chastity to God. Sister Faustina is one of the Church's most popular and widely known saints and the greatest mystics in the history of the Church. I observed a profound gravity in her, and had a strange feeling that Sister Faustina took this assurance as a gift from the Divine Mercy, without a trace of pride, Mother Irena recalled. But soon she had to leave for Krakw, where there were better medical facilities for the treatment of tuberculosis. So she did not turn down an invitation to a dance in the Wenecja Park. Although she could not read she was the one who instructed them in the faith and the principles of morality, and prepared them for their First Holy Communion. But she took with her St. Josephs assurance that he was very much in favour of the work of Mercy entrusted her by the Lord. After his ordination on the third Sunday of each month he celebrated Divine Mercy services in this chapel. In 1965, as the Bishop of Krakw, he initiated a diocesan process for raising of Sister Faustina to the glory of the altars. At first Mother General had not consented to her leaving the Congre- gation and had warned Sister Faustina to beware of delusions and imprudent moves, but now that she was travelling to Krakw for a visitation, on 4 May 1937, she said: Up to now, I have always held you back, but now I leave it entirely up to you; if you want to leave, you can do so; if you want to stay in the Congregation, you can stay(Diary 1115). We did not understand her. Faustyna, popularly spelled "Faustina", had apparitions of Jesus Christ which inspired the Roman Catholic devotion to the . Saint Faustina describes God's love as a "Fountain of Mercy." 6. During the terrible war years the devotion to the Divine Mercy spread rapidly, bringing a ray of light and hope into the darkness. At three oclock, beg for My mercy, especially for sinners, and immerse yourself, even for a short moment, in [contemplation on] My Passion, particularly when I was left forsaken at the moment of death. Priests were to preach sermons on Gods loving mercy for Man and make their hearts trust in Him, thereby enabling them to draw on the fountainhead of Divine Mercy. Purified in the passive nights, the powers of her soul no longer put up any opposition: her reason and will longed only for God and whatever He longed for. It has today become known as the most important place in the history of the Divine Mercy message and devotion. Whenever I left the house Mrs. Sadowska said of her maid years later I could rest assured. She realised that she was responsible not only for her own salvation, but also other peoples, and so she resolved to do all in her power to fulfil His will or to make Him transfer these graces to someone else, since she was only wasting them. At first, I was a bit anxious, but after a while peace entered my soul; but I noticed that Jesus heard my Confession in the same way as my confessors. She went to Aleksandrw dzki, a town where Kazimierz Bryszewski and his wife Leokadia had a bakery and shop at No. As she continued to grow and develop in her own faith and spirituality, she was blessed with inspiration to develop the Divine Mercy image. When I went indoors, and thought about what had happened at the gate I heard these words in my soul, My daughter, the blessings uttered by the poor as they leave your gate have reached My ears; they are thankful to Me, your mercy within the bounds of obedience pleased Me, so I descended from My throne to taste the fruit of your mercy. (Diary 1312). Although the first and only apparition in Poland to Saint Faustina of Jesus as the Image of Divine Mercy, occurred on February 22, 1931 in Plock, Saint Faustina had several apparitions of Jesus as Divine Mercy in Vilnius, where she lived in a convent house where she was sent by the superiors of her religious community. One day, Sister Eufemia Traczyska recalled, when we were peeling apples at work in the bakery Sister Faustina came in. Though seriously ill herself, often so ill that she had to leave Mass, she always noticed others, who needed help. After that refusal I indulged in the vanity of life, not paying any attention to the voice of grace, although there was nothing in which my soul could find contentment. God was working in a strange way in my soul. St. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament was born in Poland as Helena Kowalska on Aug. 25, 1905. She had a lot of work, as there were four rooms in the house, the shop, and the bakery. 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