Faustina was born to the name Helena Kowalska in Lodz Poland on August 25, 1905. She was born to a family of 10 children, she being the third eldest. She entered the order of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at 19 years old. The Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy care and educate troubled young woman. She received her religious habit and took the name Maria Faustina, to which she added, "of the Most Blessed Sacrament".
In the 1930's, Sister Faustina received from the Lord a message of mercy that she was told to spread throughout the world. She was asked to become the apostle and secretary of God's mercy, a model of how to be merciful to others, and an instrument for re-emphasising God's plan of mercy for the world.
At the Divine Lord's request, she willingly offered her personal sufferings in union with Him to atone for the sins of others; in her daily life she was to become a doer of mercy, bringing joy and peace to others, and by writing about God's mercy, she was to encourage others to trust in Him and thus prepare the world for His coming again.
She wrote and suffered in secret, with only her spiritual director and some of her superiors aware that anything special was taking place in her life. She recorded everything in her special diary, which was later found with the most beautiful sayings and words, which Christ told her to write. This later became the handbook for devotion to the Divine Mercy.
She was granted the privilege to visit Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. Though she wasn’t harmed and she was protected by her guardian angel when she went to hell. She was amazed of Heaven and couldn’t find the words to write about it.
She later died in 1938, She had taken deeply into her heart, God's gospel command to "b e merciful even as your heavenly Father is merciful"
On her canonisation Pope John Paul II's formal announcement that the Sunday after Easter would henceforth be known as "Divine Mercy Sunday."
More than 200,000 people packed St. Peter's Square as His Holiness canonised the Great Apostle of Mercy, Saint Faustina Kowalska. Sister Faustina, who belonged to the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland, died of tuberculosis in 1938 on the verge of World War II at age 33. Her Beatification and canonisation on April 30th in the year 2000. (Sunday after Easter) where on the same day and she was the first Saint of the millennium.
She also designed a picture which Jesus asked that to be painted of him with the inscription: "Jesus, I Trust in You."
The Divine Mercy Sunday is the first Sunday after Easter Sunday (Pope John Paul II declared) Whoever celebrates this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins though God's unfathomable mercy. You could celebrate by repenting of your sins and going to confession- respect Jesus represented by the Divine Mercy. Receiving Holy Communion, trusting the Lord, and showing mercy on others through actions, works and prayers on their behalf.
Catholic Resources
Faustina was born to the name Helena Kowalska in Lodz Poland on August 25, 1905. She was born to a family of 10 children, she being the third eldest. She entered the order of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at 19 years old. The Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy care and educate troubled young woman. She received her religious habit and took the name Maria Faustina, to which she added, "of the Most Blessed Sacrament".
