The writings of St. Faustina, an uneducated Polish nun, provide the source of the message and devotion of Divine Mercy. Sis Faustina was born Helen Kowalska in the village of Glogowiek Poland on Aug 25, 1905. Comming from a poor religious family, Helen was the 3rd of the 10 children and was baptized in the Parish Church of Swince Warckie. On Aug 1, 1925, at the age of 20, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. It was a vision of a suffering Christ that led her to enter religious life. She took the name Sr. Maria Faustina of the Most Blessed Sacrament and lived as a member of the congregation for 13 years, working as a cook, gardener and porter. From a very tender age, she was known for her love of prayers, diligence, obedience and concern for the poor and suffering souls. The years she spent in the convent were filled with extraordinary gifts, such as revelations, visions, hidden stigmata, participation in the Passion of the Lord, bilocations, the reading of human souls, prophecy, and rare gifts of mystical espousal and marriage.
In 1930's Sis Faustina wrote a diary of some 600 pages, recording the revelations she was receiving about God's Mercy and she entitled it -"The Divine Mercy In My Soul". The diary reveals the manner in which our Lord entrusted to her a very special mission, namely, to announce to the whole world the message & devotion to His Divine Mercy.
In 1938 at the age of 33 Sis Faustina died of a lung disease, one year before the outbreak of world war II, a war which she had foretold, even indicating it's extent and horror.
The invation of European countries including Poland began the second world war. During this terrible war the devotion to Divine Mercy became a shield of strength and hope for many. Cities throughout Poland suffered major damage. However, the cities of the devotion's origin, Vilao & Cracow were completely spared. In Cracow, explosives planted for the destruction of all major historic buildings and precious national landmarks unexplainably were never detonated. Thus the devotion to Divine mercy begun to spread. During the tragic war years, this devotion grew in strength as people through out Poland and Luthuania turned to the merciful Savior for comfort and hope.
Then, in 1958 n and 1959, Sis Faustina's prophecy about the apparent destruction of the Divine Mercy work (Diary 378) began t0 be fulfiled. The Holy See, having received erroneous and confusing translations of the diary, prohibited the spreading of the devotion in the forms proposed by Sis Faustina. The ban lasted for 20 years.
Meanwhile, in 1978, through the intervention and effort of Archbishop of Cracow, Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, the Holy See completely reversed it's original decision and lifted the ban. Six months after the ban was lifted, Cardinal Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II and from then on was known as the Mercy Pope.
In 1930's Sis Faustina wrote a diary of some 600 pages, recording the revelations she was receiving about God's Mercy and she entitled it -"The Divine Mercy In My Soul". The diary reveals the manner in which our Lord entrusted to her a very special mission, namely, to announce to the whole world the message & devotion to His Divine Mercy.
In 1938 at the age of 33 Sis Faustina died of a lung disease, one year before the outbreak of world war II, a war which she had foretold, even indicating it's extent and horror.
The invation of European countries including Poland began the second world war. During this terrible war the devotion to Divine Mercy became a shield of strength and hope for many. Cities throughout Poland suffered major damage. However, the cities of the devotion's origin, Vilao & Cracow were completely spared. In Cracow, explosives planted for the destruction of all major historic buildings and precious national landmarks unexplainably were never detonated. Thus the devotion to Divine mercy begun to spread. During the tragic war years, this devotion grew in strength as people through out Poland and Luthuania turned to the merciful Savior for comfort and hope.
Then, in 1958 n and 1959, Sis Faustina's prophecy about the apparent destruction of the Divine Mercy work (Diary 378) began t0 be fulfiled. The Holy See, having received erroneous and confusing translations of the diary, prohibited the spreading of the devotion in the forms proposed by Sis Faustina. The ban lasted for 20 years.
Meanwhile, in 1978, through the intervention and effort of Archbishop of Cracow, Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, the Holy See completely reversed it's original decision and lifted the ban. Six months after the ban was lifted, Cardinal Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II and from then on was known as the Mercy Pope.
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