country: Poland
The Story:
The Shrine of Divine Mercy is in Lagiewniki (Krakow), Poland. The theological idea of the mercy of God goes back to Biblical times, but the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ has been emphasized in a special way since the early 20th century. Jesus revealed the Divine Mercy message to St. Faustina Kowalska in the 1930s. The message and her visions were written from 1934-1938 and published as the Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, a profound account of her mystical encounters with Christ. Jesus said to St. Faustina, “I am Love and Mercy itself.” She was commanded to have an image painted that would convey Christ’s mercy and bring graces to wherever it was displayed. The painting says “Jezu, Ufam Tobie” or “Jesus, I trust in you”. St. John Paul II canonized St. Faustina in 2000, and he dedicated the Second Sunday of Easter in the Roman Catholic Church calendar to Divine Mercy.
The Shrine of Divine Mercy in Lagiewniki (Krakow) Poland is the center of Divine Mercy devotion in the world. It is where St. Faustina is buried. The chapel is dedicated to St. Joseph and is within the complex of the convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, the order to which St. Faustina belonged. The chapel is a very popular place of pilgrimage, and to handle the large crowds, a new church was built (1997-2002), and then was consecrated by St. John Paul II in 2002, during his final pilgrimage to his homeland. Since March 6, 2003, the church has been a Minor Basilica.
Location: Siostry Faustyny 3, 30-420 Kraków, Poland
Phone: +48 12 252 33 11
Accommodations: There are many hotels from budget to 5* in Krakow, a very short drive or tram ride from the Shrine.
Transportation: The Shrine of Divine Mercy is located about 15 minutes (5 mile) drive from Old Town Krakow, in Lagiewniki. Public transportation is also available.
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Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe, OFM was a Polish priest who was killed in Auschwitz after sacrificing his life for a stranger. At the age of twelve, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him and he answered her call to live a chaste life as a martyr and dedicated his life to Mary. In 1907 he joined the Conventual Franciscans seminary, before continuing to Rome to earn doctorates in philosophy and theology. Kolbe was ordained a Priest in 1918 when he returned to Poland, preaching devotion to Mary, which was largely opposed. He contracted tuberculosis but survived. He taught in the Krakow seminary and founded a new Conventual Franciscan monastery at Niepokalanów which became a major publishing center for religious works, newspapers, and anti-Nazi publications. He also founded monasteries in Japan and India, and created a radio station upon return to Poland. When Poland was invaded by the Nazi’s, Kolbe converted the monastery into a hospital and provided shelter to over 2,000 Jews. In 1941 the Gestapo imprisoned Kolbe and moved him to Auschwitz where he continued to act as a priest, which resulted in consistent beatings and punishment. When 10 men were chosen to be starved to death, Kolbe volunteered to take the place of a man with a wife and children. After two weeks of starvation, only Kolbe was still alive – he prayed calmly throughout, until finally he accepted a lethal injection on August 14th. He was then cremated the following day, on the feast of the Assumption of Mary. He was Canonized on October 10, 1982 by Pope John Paul II and is feast day is celebrated on August 14th. St. Maximilian Kolbe is the patron saint of families, Imprisoned people, Journalists, and the pro-life movement. The Basilica of the Immaculate Mediatrix of Grace is a major Shrine in his honor. Years before his death, he kept hair from haircut which are now first class relics. In Auschwitz and Krakow, Pilgrims can visit his prison cell and Martyrdom Museum.
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Located in south central Poland, the renowned icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa (Our Lady of Jasna Gora) is also known as the Black Madonna. It is kept inside the monastery of Jasna Gora in the town of Czestochowa. It was brought to Czestochowa by Prince Ladislaus Opolszy, who brought it to Poland from Ruthenia. It is said that Saint Luke painted the icon on a tablet manufactured by Saint Joseph for the Holy Family that was taken from Jerusalem to Constantinople and given to Princess Anna, wife of Vladimir of Kiev. After Prince Ladislaus founded the Jasna Gora Monastery in 1382, he entrusted the care of the Icon to the Hungarian Pauline monks who lived there. The icon is known as the Black Madonna, because the faces and hands of the Virgin and Child are dark. The slash marks on Our Lady’s face are were likely committed during a robbery and attack on the monastery by iconoclasts. After the attack, renovation of the painting took place from 1430-1434 in the court of King Ladislaus Jagiello.
The defense of Jasna Gora in 1655 during the Swedish invasion was a monumental point in Polish history. When King John Casimir made his vows in 1656, he enthroned Our Lady of Jasna Gora as Queen of Poland. She is beloved by the Polish people, and St. John Paul II entrusted his pontificate to Mary as Our Lady of Czestochowa under the motto of Totus Tuus.
Accommodations: There are many hotels in Czestochowa, from budget to 4*. It is also very feasible to take a day trip to Czestochowa from Krakow and stay in a hotel in the Krakow area.
Transportation: Czestochowa is located on the River Warta about 70 miles from Krakow. Drive: Czestochowa is approximately a 2 hour drive (90 miles) from Krakow on A4 and DK1. Train: There are many departures throughout the day between Krakow Glowny to Czestochowa Stradom. Direct trains take about 1.5 hours one way. Bus: There are many buses (FlixBus) traveling between Krakow and Czestochowa daily – it is a 3 hour ride each way.
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