Our Lady of Divine Mercy
Saint Faustina, Patron of Divine Mercy, Invoking God's Mercy on all Sinners
Feast Day: October 5th
The story took place not too long ago. Faustina was born in the early 20th Century in 1905, as Elena Kowalska in Glogowiec, Poland. She wanted to become a Nun but was originally rejected by numerous religious orders. In 1925, she finally entered into the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Warsaw, Poland. She had a special affinity for the Blessed Virgin and an intrinsically mystical belief in the concept of Reconciliation. Sister Faustina began experiencing visions and also began receiving the Stigmata, the wounds of Jesus Christ. She wrote about her experiences but since she was not formally schooled, and nearly illiterate, her translations were not well-received in Rome and refuted. However, when the future Pope John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla Kowalska, became an Archbishop in Poland, some of Faustina’s followers asked him to take another look at her writings. A kinder translation of her prose was then produced and this time, her writings earned the respect of the leaders in Rome. Its title is The Divine Mercy in My Soul, and like Saint Catherine of Siena’s The Dialog, it is considered by many to be a masterpiece. Saints Catherine and Faustina are two shining examples of strong women who could not be deterred by their lack of formal education. Faustina’s preeminently kindhearted and idealistic goal of invoking God’s Mercy on all the sinners in the world, leaves us honored to have her story added to our collection. We are eternally grateful to our friend Jo Ann in Prairieville, Louisiana, for alerting us about her exemplary life! © 2013