Sanctuary of Divine Mercy
| Sanctuary of Divine Mercy | |
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 Basilica of the Divine Mercy |
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| Construction year: | 1999 |
| Inauguration: | 2002 |
| Style elements : | Postmodern |
| Client: | Catholic Church |
| Location: | 50 ° 1 '12 " N , 19 ° 56' 15" E |
| Address: | ul. Siostry Faustyny 3 Krakow Poland |
| Purpose: | Roman Catholic pilgrimage church |
| Diocese : | Krakow |
The Sanctuary of Divine Mercy ( Polish Sanctuary of Divine Mercy , latin sanctuary Divinae Misericordiae ) in Krakow - Lagiewniki is a young international sanctuary for the worship of the Divine Mercy in the miraculous image of Merciful Jesus by Adolf Hyła according to the descriptions of St. Faustina. . The center of the sanctuary is the miraculous image in the St. Joseph Chapel of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, built in 1891, with the relics of St. Faustina kept in a small sarcophagus below . About two million pilgrims from all over the world visit the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy each year. The beautiful St. Joseph Chapel cannot receive that many pilgrims. Therefore it was necessary to build a new, larger church. The Foundation of the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy , which was launched in 1996 to life, commissioned Prof. Witold Cęckiewicz the construction of a minor basilica , which on 17 August 2002 Pope John Paul II. As Basilica of the Divine Mercy ordained was. Not far to the south is the St. John Paul II Church .
History of the monastery
The Monastery of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Cracow-Łagiewniki was built at the suggestion of Prince Alexander Lubomirski , at whose expense a farmland near Cracow was bought, on which an institution for girls in need of moral protection was first built, then a neo-Gothic one Monastery chapel and finally a large convent building for the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The whole estate was named for Józefów because the sisters were convinced that it was thanks to St. Joseph that this foundation was requested. The St. Joseph Chapel was inaugurated by Cardinal Albin Dunajewski on August 20, 1891. A wing of the monastery building, which was intended for the House of Mercy , became a haven for girls and women in need of help and moral renewal. Respect for human dignity, trust in God, who is merciful, care and a deeper understanding of Christian values, all these were the basis of the sisters' educational activity. Sister Faustyna Kowalska lived here during her novitiate 1925–1930 and for the last few weeks until her death on October 5, 1938.
The sisters prepared their pupils for a dignified life in society - under their leadership, workshops for embroidery and weaving, a laundry and a bookbinding were run, and the sisters taught them gardening and agricultural work. Sister Faustyna's mystical experiences and the miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus painted by Adolf Hyła for the monastery chapel according to her description in 1944 quickly became popular. The House of Mercy operated from the creation of the monastery until 1962, when the Congregation's state authorities confiscated the educational institution and most of the property. In 1966 the remains of St. Faustina were exhumed and buried in the monastery chapel under a stone slab. In 1969 the sisters founded źródło ("source") - a center of open care for socially difficult young people, which existed until 1991. In 1989 the state authorities returned the educational institution to the congregation, which today houses a boarding school, a high school, a vocational school for gastronomy and hairdressing, and a secondary school for morally neglected girls.
The Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy
St. Faustina
The Pope from Cracow promoted the spiritual legacy and devotion of Sr. Faustyna. In 1993 she was beatified. Now their relics have been recovered in a shrine that was placed on the left side altar of the monastery church of St. Joseph under the original picture of the Merciful Jesus. On April 30, 2000, the first official Sunday of Mercy , Sr. Faustyna was canonized. In the meantime the new basilica was under construction, and since its completion the sanctuary has been one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Europe.
The message of mercy
Jesus said to Sister Faustina: In the Old Testament I sent prophets to my people with thunder and lightning, today I send you with my mercy to all humanity. The message of St. Sister Faustina consists in proclaiming and asking for God's mercy for the world, and so on. a. by practicing new forms of cult: the picture with the signature JEZU, UFAM TOBIE ("Jesus, I trust in you"), the Feast of Mercy, the Rosary of the Divine Mercy and the Hour of Mercy. Jesus promised many graces to the people who practice it, but also to all those who proclaim and venerate mercy, but on the condition of authentic devotion, that is, in a spirit of trust in God and mercy towards one's neighbor.
The devotion to the mercy of God
The essence of devotion to God's mercy includes trust in God and mercy. Trust here means an inner attitude towards God, which is expressed in the fulfillment of His will. The words JEZU, UFAM TOBIE express a deep faith and trust in the love of God. Just trust, without practicing specific forms of cult, gives us the graces that Jesus attached to this devotion. Out of my mercy , said Jesus, graces can only be drawn with a vessel, and that is trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it gets.
The most important part of devotion besides trust is the mercy that every person should show with action, word or prayer. Jesus said to Sister Faustina: I ask of you acts of mercy, which should result from your love for Me. You should always show mercy to your neighbors everywhere, you can neither shirk from it, nor talk out or excuse yourself . A visual summary of the mission of St. Faustina and especially of the devotion to the Divine Mercy is the image of the Merciful Jesus . Sister Faustyna described how the picture was taken in her diary: In the evening [22. February 1931] when I was in the cell, I saw Jesus the Lord in a white robe. One hand was raised in a blessing, the other touching the robe on the chest. Two large rays emanated from the opening of the robe on the chest, one red and one pale. (…) After a while Jesus said to me: "Draw a picture based on what you see, with the signature: JEZU, UFAM TOBIE. Two rays emanating from the heart mean blood, which is the life of souls, and Water that justifies the souls.
To those who venerate the image, Jesus promised eternal redemption, victory over the enemies of the soul, great progress, and all other graces.
Another form of cult is the festival of God's mercy. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. The novena, which consists of praying the rosary of the Divine Mercy for nine days, beginning with Good Friday , serves to prepare for the festival . The time of special grace falls on the moment of Jesus' death on the cross, at 3 p.m., it is the hour of mercy. In this hour I do not deny anything to the soul that asks me through my suffering.
The cult of divine mercy
Initially, the cult of the Divine Mercy flourished in the places where St. Faustina lived. It was later proclaimed by the Poles who were resettled to Siberia or Kazakhstan . Their duties were taken over by Polish soldiers who could be found all over the world during the Second World War . The cult of the Divine Mercy and information about the work of St. Faustina were also disseminated by the other congregations (monasteries) . In 1959, however, the Holy See forbade the dissemination of the Divine Divine Mercy devotion in the form narrated by Sister Faustina . During this time theologians deepened their knowledge of the mystery of God's mercy and of the life and message of St. Sister Faustina. They gave the church a theological processing of the works of the apostle of God's mercy and forms of devotion. In 1978 the Holy See lifted the ban and the cult of the Divine Mercy received a new development force. The greatest advocate in Poland was the Archbishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyła , who later beatified Sister Faustyna as Pope.
The Apostolic Movement of Divine Mercy
Thanks to the mystical experience and charisma of Sister Faustyna, the Apostolic Movement of Divine Mercy arose in the Roman Catholic Church , which took over the sister's work. The apostolic movement proclaims the mystery of God's mercy, asks it for the world, it strives for union with God on the path of trust in Him and mercy towards others. In 1935 Jesus said to Sister Faustyna: You will prepare the world for my final return and you and your fellow sisters will ask for mercy for yourself and for the world. At first, Sister Faustyna thought that her job was to found a contemplative monastery dedicated to asking mercy for the world. Only later did she clearly understand that it is not just about any congregation, but about all congregations (monasteries) and lay people who should take over their work of mercy. Little did she know that the work of proclaiming mercy began with the first devotion to the Divine Mercy; she was afraid of the big task.
Association of the Apostles of Divine Mercy
One of these communities is the Association of the Apostles of the Divine Mercy Faustinum . It was founded by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski on March 6, 1996, with its seat in the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki. Volunteers and members from 61 nations gather in the association (2004). Anyone who wants to explore the mystery of God's mercy, who wants to acquire an attitude of trust, who wants to perform at least one act of mercy towards the neighbor through an act, a word or a prayer out of love for Jesus can belong to the association, and who wants to pray the rosary of God's mercy. Only people who understand Polish, English, German, French, Slovak or Czech can become members, as the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy can guarantee their spiritual and apostolic formation in these languages. Discovering Sister Faustyna's charism, living according to her spirituality and engaging in her mission of proclaiming mercy through action, word and prayer, they become the closest collaborators of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. Not only do they commit themselves to constantly growing in Christian life, but also to spiritual and apostolic formation, which the Faustinum carries out in six languages. The training ends with a test. From now on the member may wear the badge of the association. Members of the Faustinum Association have the opportunity to make the promise to fully surrender themselves to God's mercy for a certain period of time, later for their entire life. The basic training lasts four years. It consists of three series of themes: the biblical cycle, the ABC of inner life and the series of themes on spirituality and the mission of St. Faustina. The first year of training - foundations; the second year of training - the school of trust; the third - the school of mercy; the fourth - human interaction with the mercy of God. In addition to the monthly conferences, you also get a practical guide that should lead to the discovery of God who lives in the soul that is in the state of grace. One should acquire the ability to experience one's own life with God. The formation is carried out collectively in the parishes (if there is a group of people there who are united in the Faustinum Association, as well as a priest who can carry out the formation according to the association's compulsory program) or individually - you order training materials from the secretariat of the Faustinum Association . A Faustinum group is officially established in the parish if there are at least ten members of the association (not volunteers) and if the diocesan bishop gives his approval, which the pastor asks for.
Basilica of the Divine Mercy and associated meeting places
Bronze figure of Pope John Paul II on the bell tower
Memorial plaque in the entrance hall of the lower basilica church with the cornerstone of the Golgotha hill
Entrance hall of the lower basilica church (view of the chapel of St. Faustina )
Chapel of St. Faustina
Chapel of the Greek Catholic Church in the Lower Basilica Church
Upper basilica church with a copy of the miraculous image
Chapel of Eternal Adoration
About two million pilgrims from all over the world visit the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy each year. The beautiful monastery chapel from 1891, in which the miraculous image and the relics of St. Faustina are located, could not receive so many pilgrims. Therefore it was necessary to build a new, larger church. The Foundation of the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy, established in 1996, dealt with the work associated with the construction of a minor basilica and its surroundings. In June 1997 Pope John Paul II blessed a cornerstone from Golgotha on his pilgrimage to Krakow . Construction of the basilica began on September 8, 1999, on the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin . On September 22, 1999, Cardinal Franciszek Macharski solemnly inaugurated the building site. The buildings and the basilica were designed by Prof. Witold Cęckiewicz . The construction work went very quickly from the start. Most of the work was done in two years, but not all objects are finished to this day.
The basilica consists of two churches: an upper and a lower. In the upper one the image of the Merciful Jesus is venerated, in the lower one there is the main chapel and four side chapels, in which foreign groups of pilgrims (with their priests) can celebrate Holy Mass . The lower church is dedicated to St. Faustina. The cassock that Pope John Paul II wore in 1981 when he was seriously injured in an assassination has been exhibited here since 2015. Next to the upper part of the basilica there is an open air altar, a chapel of Perpetual Adoration and the observation tower from which one can see the whole city of Krakow. In the vicinity of the basilica there is the pilgrims' hostel with guest rooms , a conference room and advice centers (for families of alcohol and drug addicts and for anyone who needs support), an amphitheater and a gastronomic section . Buildings belonging to the sanctuary are handicapped accessible.
The interior of the basilica is ascetic but imposing. The basilica can accommodate up to 5,000 worshipers. When you enter the church, you can see a copy of the miraculous image of the monastery chapel above the altar. Below the painting copy is a spherical, golden tabernacle , which symbolizes the globe. It is surrounded by a bronze bush that has been disheveled by the wind. The bush is the metaphor for the sinful, weak person who can only find rest with the Merciful Jesus.
On August 17, 2002, the Krakow Metropolitan Franciszek Cardinal Macharski asked the Pope for the inauguration of the new church. The Pope consecrated the basilica and entrusted the world to the mercy of God. John Paul II expressed the wish that the message of the merciful love of God conveyed through St. Sister Faustina should reach all people on earth and fill their hearts with hope. One year after the inauguration of the basilica, on August 16, 2003, the chairman of the Italian episcopate, Cardinal Camillo Ruini , consecrated the image of Our Lady of Mercy - a copy of the icon of Our Lady of Mercy in the Ostra Brama of Vilnius . The picture is to the left of the presbytery of the basilica. Cardinal Ruini also dedicated the plaque commemorating the inauguration of the basilica by the Pope and the plaque with words of the papal act of consecration of the world to the Divine Mercy.
Pope John Paul II in the sanctuary
Karol Wojtyła was often visiting the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki during the Nazi occupation when he was working in the nearby Solvay factory. After the Second World War he celebrated the Masses of Divine Mercy and gave sermons. In the 1960s he carried out the information process about the life and virtues of Sister Faustyna.
During his fifth pilgrimage home, on June 7, 1997, John Paul II visited the sanctuary. Before the miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus and the relics of St. Sister Faustina, he entrusted the mercy of God with the fate of humanity, the Church and his pontificate. The Pope said at the time: “The message of God's mercy has always been close and dear to me. History has inscribed them, as it were, in the tragic experiences of the Second World War. During these difficult years she was a special hold and an inexhaustible source of hope, not only for the Krakow people but for the whole nation. That was also my personal experience, which I took with me to Rome and which now, to a certain extent, shapes the shape of this pontificate. I thank Divine Providence that, through the introduction of the Feast of Divine Mercy, it was given to me personally to contribute to the fulfillment of the will of Jesus Christ. Here, with the relics of Blessed Faustyna Kowalska, I also thank you for the gift of her beatification. "
The Pope's second visit to Łagiewniki on August 17, 2002 was also solemn. During the visit, John Paul II dedicated the basilica and entrusted the world to God's mercy. Preparations for his visit began in February: prayers, sacrifices, the study of his works. Over 200 people worked on the construction of the basilica. Over 22,000 people from all over the world attended the dedication of the upper church, but most of them came from Poland, Hungary, Italy, the USA, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Germany, France, Holland and Sweden. Even after the Holy Father's visit, people continued to pray: on April 17–24. August an octave of thanks was held. The sanctuary is visited by flocks of pilgrims.
literature
- Jerzy Jędrys: The Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy . Pilgrim guide in German, Wydawnictwo ścieżki wiary, Kraków 2011, ISBN 978-83-8889167-0
Web links
- Official website of the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy (German version)
- To the prehistory
- Prayer of St. Faustina for Church and Priest (German)
- Rosary for Divine Mercy (German)
- Praise to the Divine Mercy (German)
- Prayer for Mercy for the World (German)
- Consecration Prayer to the Merciful Jesus (German)
- Thanksgiving prayer of St. Faustina (German)