Faustina Kowalska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids SaintFaustina Kowalska OLM |
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| Virgin, Religious, Christian Mystic, "Apostle of Divine Mercy" |
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| Born | 25 August 1905 Głogowiec, Łęczyca County, Congress Poland, Russian Empire |
| Died | 5 October 1938 (aged 33) Kraków, Second Polish Republic |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 18 April 1993, St. Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II |
| Canonized | 30 April 2000, St. Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II |
| Major shrine | Basilica of Divine Mercy, Kraków, Poland |
| Feast | 5 October |
Maria Faustyna Kowalska (born Helena Kowalska; 25 August 1905 – 5 October 1938) was a Polish Catholic nun. She is also known as Saint Maria Faustyna Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament. She had special spiritual experiences, which are called mystical visions.
Her visions of Jesus Christ led to a special Catholic prayer practice called the Divine Mercy. Because of this, she is known as the "Apostle of Divine Mercy".
Throughout her life, Faustina said she had visions of Jesus and conversations with him. She wrote these down in her diary. This diary was later published as The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul.
When she was 20, she joined a convent in Warsaw. She later moved to Płock and then to Vilnius. There, she met Father Michał Sopoćko, who became her spiritual guide. He supported her devotion to the Divine Mercy.
With Father Sopoćko's help, Sister Faustina asked an artist to paint the first Divine Mercy image. This painting was based on her vision of Jesus. Father Sopoćko celebrated Mass with this painting present on the Sunday after Easter. This day is now known as Divine Mercy Sunday.
The Catholic Church declared Faustina a saint on 30 April 2000. She is honored as a virgin and the "Apostle of Divine Mercy". Her tomb is in the Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Kraków, Poland.
Contents
Early Life of Saint Faustina
Helena Kowalska was born on 25 August 1905. She was born in Głogowiec, a village in Poland. She was the third of ten children in her family. Her parents, Stanisław and Marianna Kowalska, were poor but very religious. Her father worked as a carpenter and farmer.
Faustina later said that she first felt a calling to serve God when she was seven years old. This happened during a special prayer time in church. She wanted to join a convent after finishing school. However, her parents did not allow her to.
When she was 16, she started working as a housekeeper. She worked first in Aleksandrów Łódzki, then in Łódź. She did this to support herself and help her family.
Joining the Convent in Warsaw
In 1924, when Faustina was 19, she went to a dance with her sister. Faustina said that during the dance, she had a vision of Jesus suffering. After this vision, she went to the Łódź Cathedral. She later said that Jesus told her to go to Warsaw right away and join a convent.
She took a train to Warsaw, which was about 85 miles away. She went without asking her parents and knew no one there. She only had the dress she was wearing. When she arrived, she went into the first church she saw. She attended Mass and asked the priest for help. He suggested she stay with a trustworthy local woman, Mrs. Lipszycowa, until she found a convent.
Faustina tried to join several convents in Warsaw. But each time, she was turned away. One convent told her, "we do not accept maids here," because she looked poor. Faustina could read and write, and she had about three or four years of schooling.
After several weeks of searching, the Mother Superior at the Zgromadzenie Sióstr Matki Bożej Miłosierdzia (Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy) convent decided to accept her. But Faustina had to pay for her nun's clothing. Faustina felt that God was leading her to this specific convent.
In 1925, Faustina worked as a housemaid to save the money she needed. She made payments to the convent throughout the year. Finally, she was accepted, just as the Mother Superior had promised. On 30 April 1926, at age 20, she received her nun's clothing. She was given the religious name Sister Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament. In April 1928, she made her first promises as a nun. Her parents were there for the ceremony. She remained a nun for the rest of her life.
From February to April 1929, she worked as a cook at the convent in Wilno (now Vilnius, Lithuania). This first stay in Vilnius was short. But she returned later and met Father Michael Sopoćko, who helped her with her mission. A year after returning from Vilnius, in May 1930, she moved to the convent in Płock, Poland, for almost two years.
Life as a Nun
Płock and the Divine Mercy Image
Faustina arrived in Płock in May 1930. That year, she started showing signs of an illness, which doctors later thought was tuberculosis. She was sent to rest for several months at a farm owned by her religious order. After she recovered, she returned to the convent. By February 1931, she had been in Płock for about nine months.
Faustina wrote in her diary about a special vision. On the night of Sunday, 22 February 1931, in her room in Płock, Jesus appeared to her. He was wearing a white robe with red and pale rays shining from his heart. In her diary, she wrote that Jesus told her:
Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: "Jesus, I trust in You" (in Polish: "Jezu, ufam Tobie"). I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish.
Faustina did not know how to paint. She asked other nuns for help, but no one could assist her. Three years later, after she moved to Vilnius, the first painting of the image was made under her guidance.
In the same message on 22 February 1931, Jesus also told Faustina that he wanted the Divine Mercy image to be "solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter Sunday; that Sunday is to be the Feast of Mercy." This is now known as Divine Mercy Sunday.
In November 1932, Faustina returned to Warsaw. She prepared to take her final vows as a nun. This meant she would be a sister of Our Lady of Mercy forever. The ceremony took place on 1 May 1933, in Łagiewniki.
Vilnius and Meeting Father Sopoćko
In late May 1933, Faustina moved to Vilnius. She worked as a gardener, growing vegetables. She stayed in Vilnius for about three years, until March 1936. The convent in Vilnius was small, with only 18 sisters.
Soon after arriving in Vilnius, Faustina met Father Michael Sopoćko. He was the new spiritual guide for the nuns. He was also a professor at Stefan Batory University (now Vilnius University).
When Faustina first went to Father Sopoćko for confession, she told him about her conversations with Jesus. She said Jesus had a special plan for her. After some time, Father Sopoćko asked a psychiatrist, Helena Maciejewska, to examine Faustina. This happened in 1933. Faustina passed the tests and was found to be mentally healthy.
After this, Father Sopoćko began to trust Faustina. He supported her efforts. He also advised her to start keeping a diary. In it, she was to write down the conversations and messages from Jesus. Faustina told Father Sopoćko about the Divine Mercy image. In January 1934, he introduced her to the artist Eugene Kazimierowski.
By June 1934, Kazimierowski had finished painting the image. He followed Faustina's and Father Sopoćko's directions. This was the only Divine Mercy painting that Faustina ever saw.
Faustina wrote in her diary that on Good Friday, 19 April 1935, Jesus told her he wanted the Divine Mercy image to be honored publicly. A week later, on 26 April 1935, Father Sopoćko gave the first sermon about Divine Mercy. Faustina was there to hear it.
The first Mass where the Divine Mercy image was displayed happened on 28 April 1935. This was the second Sunday of Easter. Faustina attended this Mass. Father Sopoćko got permission from Archbishop Romuald Jałbrzykowski to place the image in the Gate of Dawn Church in Vilnius for that Mass. He celebrated the Mass himself.
On 13 September 1935, while still in Vilnius, Faustina wrote about a vision in her diary. This vision was about the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The chaplet is a prayer that is about one-third the length of the Rosary. Faustina wrote that the chaplet's prayers for mercy have three goals: to receive mercy, to trust in Christ's mercy, and to show mercy to others.
In November 1935, Faustina wrote down rules for a new group of nuns. This group would be dedicated to Divine Mercy. In December, she visited a house in Vilnius. She said she had seen this house in a vision as the first convent for this new group.
In January 1936, Faustina talked to Archbishop Jałbrzykowski about starting a new group. However, he reminded her that she had already promised to stay with her current order forever. In March 1936, Faustina told her superiors she was thinking of leaving her order. She wanted to start a new one specifically for Divine Mercy. But instead, she was moved to Walendów, southwest of Warsaw. She reported that Jesus had told her: "My Daughter, do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My Divine Mercy, I will make up for what you lack."
Kraków and Faustina's Final Years
In 1936, Father Sopoćko wrote the first booklet about the Divine Mercy devotion. Archbishop Jałbrzykowski gave his official church approval for it. The booklet had the Divine Mercy image on its cover. Father Sopoćko sent copies of the booklet to Faustina in Warsaw.
Later in 1936, Faustina became very ill. It was thought to be tuberculosis. She was moved to a special hospital for long-term illness in Prądnik, Kraków. She continued to spend much time praying and reciting the chaplet. She prayed for people who had sinned to change their lives. The last two years of her life were spent praying and writing in her diary.
On 23 March 1937, Faustina wrote in her diary about a vision. She saw that the Feast of Divine Mercy would be celebrated in her local chapel. Large crowds would attend. She also saw that the same celebration would happen in Rome, with the Pope present.
In July 1937, the first holy cards with the Divine Mercy image were printed. In August, Father Sopoćko asked Faustina to write the instructions for the Novena of Divine Mercy. She said Jesus had given her this message on Good Friday, 1937.
Throughout 1937, the Divine Mercy devotion became more known. In November 1937, a pamphlet called Christ, King of Mercy was published. It included the chaplet, the novena, and a special prayer called the litany of Divine Mercy. The Divine Mercy image was on the cover, with the words "Jesus I Trust in You". On 10 November 1937, Mother Irene, Faustina's superior, showed her the booklets while Faustina was resting in bed.
As her health got worse at the end of 1937, Faustina's visions became more intense. She seemed to look forward to the end of her life. In April 1938, her illness had gotten worse. She was sent back to the hospital in Prądnik for her final stay there.
In September 1938, Father Sopoćko visited her at the hospital. He found her very ill but in a state of deep prayer. Later that month, she was taken back home to Kraków to await her death there. Father Sopoćko visited her at the convent for the last time on 26 September 1938.
Faustina died at the age of 33, on 5 October 1938, in Kraków. She was buried on 7 October. Her body now rests at Kraków's Basilica of Divine Mercy.
Devotion to Divine Mercy
How the Devotion Spread
Before she died, Faustina predicted that "there will be a war, a terrible, terrible war." She asked the nuns to pray for Poland. In 1939, a year after Faustina's death, Archbishop Romuald Jałbrzykowski noticed that her predictions about the war had come true. He allowed people to see the Divine Mercy image publicly. This led to many people coming to see it, and the Divine Mercy devotion began to spread widely. This devotion became a source of strength and hope for many people in Poland during the war. By 1941, the devotion had reached the United States. Millions of Divine Mercy prayer cards were printed and given out around the world.
In 1942, Archbishop Jałbrzykowski was arrested by the Nazis. Father Sopoćko and other professors went into hiding near Vilnius for about two years. During that time, Father Sopoćko worked on setting up a new religious group. This group would be based on the Divine Mercy messages that Faustina had reported. After the war, Father Sopoćko wrote the rules for this group. He helped form what is now called the Congregation of the Sisters of the Divine Mercy. By 1951, 13 years after Faustina's death, there were 150 Divine Mercy centers in Poland.
On 24 June 1956, Pope Pius XII blessed a Divine Mercy Image in Rome. This was the only one blessed by a Pope before the Second Vatican Council. In 1955, under Pope Pius XII, a bishop founded a religious order. This group, called the Congregation of the Most Holy Lord Jesus Christ, Merciful Redeemer, was created to spread devotion to Divine Mercy. Many bishops officially approved writings about the Divine Mercy devotion. Cardinals Adam Stefan Sapieha and August Hlond were among those who approved it. During the time Pope Pius XII was Pope, Vatican Radio talked about Divine Mercy several times.
In 1959, the Holy Office (a part of the Vatican) issued a statement. It said that people should not spread "images and writings that promote devotion to Divine Mercy in the forms proposed by Sister Faustina." This ban was put in place because of a bad translation of Faustina's diary into French or Italian. There were also some misunderstandings about her claims.
The ban lasted for almost 20 years. Meanwhile, Archbishop Karol Wojtyła of Kraków started looking into Faustina's life in 1965. He had the approval of the Holy Office. He interviewed people who knew her. In 1967, he sent many documents about Faustina to the Vatican. He asked for the official process to make her a saint to begin. Then, on 15 April 1978, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (another Vatican office) issued a new statement. This new statement removed the old ban. It said that because many original documents were found and circumstances had changed, the old prohibitions were no longer in effect.
Archbishop Karol Wojtyła later became Pope John Paul II. He was the one who declared Faustina "blessed" and then a "saint." Pope John Paul II died in April 2005, on the day before Divine Mercy Sunday. He himself was later declared "blessed" and then a "saint" by other Popes. Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated on the Sunday after Easter Sunday.
Becoming a Saint
In 1965, with the Vatican's approval, Karol Wojtyła, who was then the Archbishop of Kraków, began the first steps to look into Faustina's life and good qualities. He interviewed people who knew her. In 1967, he sent documents about Faustina to the Vatican. He asked for the official process to make her a saint to begin. This process started in 1968. She was declared "blessed" on 18 April 1993. She was then declared a "saint" on 30 April 2000. Her special feast day is 5 October.
The Vatican's official biography for her sainthood quotes some of her reported conversations with Jesus. A priest named Benedict Groeschel estimated in 2010 that over 100 million Catholics follow the Divine Mercy devotion. Pope John Paul II said that the message Faustina brought was God's answer to the problems and hopes of people in our time, which has seen many terrible events. Jesus told Sister Faustina one day: "Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to the Divine Mercy."
In October 2011, a group of cardinals and bishops asked Pope Benedict XVI for Faustina to be named a Doctor of the Church. This is a special title given to saints who have made important contributions to theology.
On 18 May 2020, the 100th birthday of Pope John Paul II, Pope Francis added Faustina to the official calendar of saints. This means her special day can be celebrated around the world during Mass and other church prayers.
Miracles Attributed to Saint Faustina
To become a saint, the Catholic Church usually requires proof of miracles. The formal process for Faustina becoming "blessed" involved the case of Maureen Digan from Massachusetts. In March 1981, Digan said she was healed while praying at Faustina's tomb. Digan had suffered for decades from lymphedema. This disease causes a lot of swelling from fluid in the body. She had undergone ten operations, including having a leg removed.
Digan reported that while she prayed at Faustina's tomb, she heard a voice say, "ask for my help and I will help you." Her constant pain then stopped. After two days, Digan said her foot, which had been too swollen for her shoe, was healed. When she returned to the United States, five doctors in Boston said she was healed. The Vatican declared her healing a miracle in 1992. This decision was based on what over 20 witnesses said about her condition before the healing.
Films About Saint Faustina
- Divine Mercy: No Escape (United States, 1987)
- Divine Mercy: Sa Buhay ni Sister Faustina ("In the Life of Sister Faustina"; Philippines, 1993)
- Faustina (Poland, 1995)
- Love and Mercy: Faustina (Poland, 2019)
Images for kids
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Saint Faustyna Kowalska
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The original Image of the Divine Mercy, painted under the guidance of Saint Faustina
See also
In Spanish: María Faustina Kowalska para niños
