ST.FAUSTINAS TIMELINE The main events of the life of St. Faustina Kowalska, her cause of beatification and canonization, and her ongoing mission of mercy in our time: 1900s AUGUST 25, 1905: Sister Faustina is born Helen Kowalska in the village of Glogowiec, near Lodz, Poland. 1910s 1912: At the age of seven, Helen hears for the first time a voice in her soul, calling her to a more perfect way of life. 1920s JUNE 19-25, 1925: At the age of 20, during the Octave of Corpus Christi, Helen makes a vow of perpetual chastity. AUGUST 1, 1925: Helen is accepted into the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy as a lay sister. She begins her postulancy at Warsaw and then leaves for Krakow to complete it. APRIL 30, 1926: Helen begins her two-year novitiate in Krakow, receiving her religious habit and the name Maria Faustina. 1930s FEBRUARY 22, 1931: Sister Faustina sees the Lord Jesus dressed in a white robe. Red and pale rays stream forth from the area of His Heart. Paint an image, He tells her, according to the pattern you see, bearing the signature, Jesus, I trust in You. JANUARY 2, 1934: Sister Faustina meets with the artist Eugene Kazimirowski, who, through Fr. Michael Sopocko (her spiritual director and confessor), has been commissioned to paint the image of The Divine Mercy. JUNE 1934: The Kazimirowski painting is completed. Sister Faustina is disappointed with it and cries to the Lord, Who will paint You as beautiful as You are? In reply, she hears the words, Not in the beauty of the color nor of the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace (Diary, 313). The painting is hung in the corridor of the Bernardine Sisters’ Convent near St. Michael’s Church in Vilnius, where Fr. Sopocko is rector. JULY 1934: Following the instructions of her spiritual director (Fr. Sopocko), Sr. Faustina begins keeping a personal diary, which she entitles Divine Mercy in My Soul. AUGUST 1934: Sister Faustina suffers a violent attack of asthma for the first time, perhaps already due to tuberculosis, which is to cause her almost constant suffering for the few remaining years of her life. OCTOBER 26, 1934: Sister Faustina sees the Lord Jesus above the chapel in Vilnius, with the same red and pale rays coming from the area of His Heart. The rays envelop the chapel and the students’ infirmary, and then spread out over the whole world. APRIL 26-28, 1935: During the celebration concluding the Jubilee Year of the Redemption of the world, the Kazimirowski image of The Divine Mercy is transferred to Ostra Brama (Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy in Vilnius) and placed in a high window so it may be seen from far away. This event coincides with the Second Sunday of Easter, which, according to Sister Faustina, is to be celebrated as the Feast of Divine Mercy. Father Sopocko delivers a homily about The Divine Mercy. JANUARY 8, 1936: Sister Faustina visits Bishop Romuald Jalbrzykowski and tells him that Jesus has asked for a new congregation to be founded. OCTOBER 5, 1936: Father Sopocko writes to Sr. Faustina, asking for the texts of the Chaplet and the Novena to The Divine Mercy. DECEMBER 9, 1936: With her health deteriorating, Sr. Faustina is sent to the hospital in Pradnik, a sanatorium in Krakow for tuberculosis patients. Except for a few days during the Christmas season, she remains there until March 27, 1937. DECEMBER 13, 1936: Under the appearance of her confessor, Jesus Himself hears Sr. Faustina’s confession. APRIL 4, 1937: Father Sopocko publishes an article on The Divine Mercy in the Vilnius Catholic Weekly. APRIL 4, 1937: By permission of Archbishop Romuald Jalbrzykowski, the Kazmirowski image is blessed and placed in St. Michael’s Church in Vilnius. SEPTEMBER 27, 1937: Sister Faustina and Mother Irene meet with the printer who is to print holy cards bearing the image of The Divine Mercy. NOVEMBER 1937: Through the efforts of Fr. Sopocko, the Litany, Chaplet, and Novena to The Divine Mercy are published by the J. Cebulski Press in Krakow in a pamphlet entitled Christ, King of Mercy. On the cover of the pamphlet is a color picture representing the merciful Christ with the signature, Jesus, I trust in You. Holy cards, bearing a copy of Kazimirowski’s image of The Divine Mercy on the front, and the chaplet on the back, are also printed by Cebulski. NOVEMBER 10, 1937: Sister Faustina and Mother Superior Irene look over the pamphlet containing the Litany, Chaplet, and Novena, to The Divine Mercy, and the Lord tells Sr. Faustina that many souls have already been drawn to Him through the image. APRIL 21, 1938: Suffering greatly from tuberculosis, Sr. Faustina leaves the convent for her final, five-month stay at the sanatorium in Pradnik. APRIL 22-MAY 6, 1938: For 14 days, at the sanatorium in Pradnik, Sr. Faustina receives Holy Communion from an angel. JUNE 24, 1938: Sister Faustina sees the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the sky in the midst of a great brilliance. Rays are streaming from the wound in His side and spreading out over the entire world. JUNE 1938: She stops writing the Diary due to illness. SEPTEMBER 2, 1938: Father Sopocko visits her at the sanatorium in Pradnik and discovers her in ecstasy. SEPTEMBER 26, 1938: Father Sopocko visits her in Krakow for the last time and notes that she looked like an unearthly being, … I no longer had the slightest doubt that what she had written in her Diary about receiving Holy Communion from an angel was really true. OCTOBER 5, 1938: At 10:45 p.m., Sr. Faustina dies of tuberculosis in Krakow, at the age of 33. OCTOBER 7, 1938: Her funeral coincides with the First Friday of the month and the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. SEPTEMBER 1, 1939: German tanks and planes cross the Polish frontier, and the Nazis take control of Poland. In the course of the war, the city of Warsaw, along with many other Polish cities and towns, is destroyed by incendiary and demolition bombs, an apparent fulfillment of Sr. Faustina’s earlier prophecy: One day Jesus told me that He would cause a chastisement to fall upon the most beautiful city in our country [probably, Warsaw]. This chastisement would be that with which God had punished Sodom and Gomorrah (Diary, 39). 1940s SPRING, 1940: Father Joseph Jarzebowski, MIC, a Marian priest from Warsaw who had been blacklisted by the Nazi SS, hears about the devotion to The Divine Mercy at a camp in Vikomir, Lithuania. JULY-SEPTEMBER 1940: Father Jarzebowski prays to The Divine Mercy to help him escape to America. FEBRUARY 25, 1941: Hearing of Fr. Jarzebowski’s plan to escape, Fr. Sopocko gives him a Latin memorandum outlining the message and devotion to The Divine Mercy. Father Jarzebowski promises to do his best to keep the memorandum safe and have it printed when he reaches America. Entrusting himself and his mission to The Divine Mercy, he vows to spend the rest of his life spreading the mercy message and devotion if he reaches safety. FEBRUARY 26, 1941: Carrying a picture of the Merciful Jesus next to his heart and Fr. Sopocko’s Divine Mercy memorandum in his traveling bag, Fr. Jarzebowski leaves his hiding place in Vilnius and boards an ordinary trans-Siberian train. Traveling across the whole of Russia and Siberia, he reaches Vladivostock, where the customs officer searches everything except the bag containing the memorandum. No one seems to notice that his American visa is obsolete and invalid, and he is granted Japanese transit. When he reaches Japan, he finds $30.00 and a ticket to the United States waiting for him, sent by Fr. Joseph Luniewski, MIC, of the Marians in America. The Polish embassy validates his American visa, and he leaves for the United States. MAY 1941: Father Jarzebowski lands on American soil. Full of gratitude to the mercy of God and remembering his promises to Fr. Sopocko, he begins to share the message and devotion of mercy privately. At a Detroit print shop, the first sample copies of the image are made. JUNE 1941: Asked to assist as confessor at the annual retreat for the Felician Sisters in Enfield, Connecticut, Fr. Jarzebowski speaks to the sisters about the revelations to Sr. Faustina and the essence of the message and devotion to The Divine Mercy, mentioning the special graces given to him. The sisters make a copy of his brief account, and the provincial superior donates a sum of money to have several hundred copies of the image printed. 1941: At a house meeting in Washington, D.C., a tiny group of Marians decides to undertake as an apostolate the spreading of the message and devotion to The Divine Mercy, and they begin printing the first novena leaflets. 1950s NOVEMBER 28, 1958: Sister Faustina’s prophecy about the apparent destruction of the devotion to The Divine Mercy (see Diary, 378 and 1659) begins its fulfillment by a decree of condemnation due to incorrect translations in the Italian version of her Diary. The severe ban is mitigated by Pope John XXIII on March 6, 1959, to a Notification that prohibited the spreading of the devotion according to Sr. Faustina. 1960s OCTOBER 21, 1965: In the Archdiocese of Krakow, 27 years after the death of Faustina, Bishop Julian Groblicki, specially delegated by Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, begins the Informative Process relating to the life and virtues of Sr. Faustina. From this moment, Sr. Faustina is worthy of the title Servant of God. NOVEMBER 25, 1966: While the Informative Process relating to the virtues, writings, and devotion of the Servant of God Sr. Faustina is being conducted (October 21, 1965, to September 20, 1967), her remains are exhumed and translated to a tomb specially prepared for this purpose in the chapel of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Lagiewniki. Over the tomb is a black slab with a cross in the center. The slab usually has fresh flowers brought by the faithful, who plead for numerous graces through her intercession. JUNE 26, 1967: Archbishop Karol Wojtyla becomes Cardinal Karol Wojtyla. SEPTEMBER 20, 1967: The Archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, officially closes the first informative stage in the process for the beatification of the Servant of God Sr. Faustina Kowalska. JANUARY 31, 1968: By a decree of the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Process of Beatification of the Servant of God Sr. Faustina Kowalska is formally inaugurated. 1970s APRIL 15, 1978: In response to inquiries from Poland, and in particular Cardinal Wojtyla, about the Notification of 1959, the Sacred Congregation for the Canonization of Saints declares the Notification is no longer binding due to the changed circumstances and the opinion of many Polish ordinaries. OCTOBER 16, 1978: Cardinal Karol Wojtyla is elected Pope John Paul II. 1980s NOVEMBER 30, 1980: Pope John Paul II publishes his encyclical letter Rich in Mercy (Dives in Misericordia), in which he stresses that Jesus Christ has revealed God, who is rich in mercy, as the Father. He speaks of mercy as the most stupendous attribute of the Creator and Redeemer (RIM, 13). JUNE 19, 1981: The Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints, having completed the investigation of all available writings of the Servant of God Sr. Faustina, issues a decree stating that nothing stands in the way of proceeding further with her cause. OCTOBER 8, 1981: The Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship issues a decree confirming the Latin text of a Votive Mass of The Divine Mercy for the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Krakow, Poland. 1990s APRIL 10, 1991: Pope John Paul II, at his general audience, speaks about Sr. Faustina, showing his great respect for her, relating her to his encyclical Rich in Mercy, and emphasizing her role in bringing the message of mercy to the world. MARCH 7, 1992: In the presence of the Holy Father, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints promulgates the Decree of Heroic Virtues, by which the Church acknowledges that Sr. Faustina practiced all the Christian virtues to a heroic degree. As a result, she receives the title Venerable Servant of God, and the way is opened for verification of the miracle attributed to her intercession. In that same year, the healing of Maureen Digan at the tomb of Sr. Faustina is recognized as a miracle by three separate panels appointed by the Sacred Congregation: first a panel of doctors, then of theologians, and finally, of cardinals and bishops. DECEMBER 21, 1992: The Holy Father publishes the Church’s acceptance of the miracle as granted through the intercession of Sr. Faustina and announces the date for her solemn beatification. APRIL 18, 1993: St. Faustina is beatified in Rome on the Second Sunday of Easter (which our Lord has revealed to her as the Feast of Divine Mercy). SEPTEMBER 4, 1993: John Paul II prays the Rosary at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy, Ostra Brama, in Vilnius, Lithuania, where the image of the Merciful Jesus was first displayed. SEPTEMBER 5, 1993: John Paul II kneels and prays before the image of The Divine Mercy, painted under the direction of Sr. Faustina, in the Church of the Holy Spirit, Vilnius. JANUARY 23, 1995: Pope John Paul II grants to the Polish Bishops that the Sunday after Easter be the Sunday of Divine Mercy because of the need and desire of the faithful. APRIL 23, 1995: Pope John Paul II celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday in Holy Spirit Church, the Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Rome (L’Osservatore Romano, English Edition, April 26, 1995). In his homily, he challenges us to trust in the Lord and be apostles of Divine Mercy. In his Regina Caeli address, he speaks of this Sunday as the day of thanksgiving for God’s mercy, called the Sunday of Divine Mercy. He challenges us to personally experience this mercy in order to be merciful and forgive — and so break the spiral of violence by the miracle of forgiveness (emphasis in original). JUNE 7, 1997: Pope John Paul II makes a pilgrimage to the Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Lagiewniki (Krakow), Poland, at the convent where the relics of Sr. Faustina are honored. He says, The message of Divine Mercy has always been near and dear to me. John Paul II then goes on to highlight how Divine Mercy helped him and his compatriots in Poland endure the tragic experience of the Second World War, emphasizing, This was also my personal experience, which I took with me to the See of Peter and which in a sense forms the image of this Pontificate. NOVEMBER 20, 1999: Pope John Paul II accepts the healing of the heart of Fr. Ronald Pytel of Baltimore, Maryland, as the miracle for the canonization of then Blessed Faustina. 2000s APRIL 30, 2000: Pope John Paul II canonizes Sr. Faustina Kowalska and proclaims Divine Mercy Sunday for the universal Church. The canonization occurs on Divine Mercy Sunday and is held in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. In his homily, he repeats three times that Sr. Faustina is God’s gift to our time. He also passes on the message of Divine Mercy to the new millennium. Of Divine Mercy Sunday, he says in his homily, It is important that we accept the whole message that comes to us on this Second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church will be called ‘Divine Mercy Sunday.’ AUGUST 17, 2002: Pope John Paul II consecrates the Basilica of The Divine Mercy in Krakow-Lagiewniki, Poland, and entrusts the World to Divine Mercy. Before he solemnly entrusts the world to Divine Mercy, Pope John Paul says, I do so with the burning desire that the message of God’s merciful love, proclaimed here through St. Faustina, may be made known to all the peoples of the earth and fill their hearts with hope (emphasis in original). APRIL 2, 2005: Pope John Paul II dies on the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday. It is altogether fitting that the Great Mercy Pope who established Divine Mercy Sunday for the universal Church goes home to God on its vigil. He leaves his last annual Divine Mercy Sunday message, which is shared with the faithful in St. Peter’s Square on April 3, Divine Mercy Sunday. He closes his message with this summary of The Divine Mercy message and devotion: Jesus, I trust in You, have mercy upon us and upon the whole world. Amen. APRIL 19, 2005: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected Pope and chooses the name of Benedict XVI. In his first message as Pope on April 20, Benedict XVI expresses deep gratitude for a gift of Divine Mercy. He says that he considers it a special grace obtained for him by his predecessor, John Paul II. He goes on to say of John Paul, I seem to feel his strong hand clasping mine; I seem to see his smiling eyes and hear his words, at this moment addressed specifically to me, ‘Do not be afraid!’ MAY 2006: Pope Benedict XVI goes on pilgrimage to Poland, the homeland of John Paul II. On his pilgrimage, Pope Benedict visits the International Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Lagiewniki, Poland. He says in his general audience of May 31 of his visit there: It was here in the neighboring convent that Sr. Faustina Kowalska, contemplating the shining wounds of the Risen Christ, received a message of trust for humanity which John Paul II echoed and interpreted and which really is a central message precisely for our time: Mercy as God’s power, as a barrier against the evil of the world. APRIL 2-6, 2008: The first World Apostolic Congress on Mercy is held in the Vatican. More than 4,000 participants comprising some 200 delegations from every corner of the globe convene in Rome on April 2 for the first World Apostolic Congress on Mercy. Pope Benedict XVI inaugurates the Congress by celebrating Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Square on April 2, the third anniversary of the death of John Paul II. In his homily, Pope Benedict underscores John Paul II’s legacy of mercy and St. Faustina as a prophetic messenger of Divine Mercy for John Paul in helping him make sense of the terrible tragedies of the 20th century. The plenary sessions for the Congress are held in St. John Lateran Basilica, the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, and many prominent cardinals and bishops attend the sessions. Then, at the conclusion of the Congress, on April 6, Pope Benedict gives his Divine Mercy mandate in his Regina Caeli message: Yes, dear friends, the first World Congress on Divine Mercy ended this morning. … I thank the organizers, especially the Vicariate of Rome, and to all the participants I address my cordial greeting which now becomes a mandate: go forth and be witnesses of God’s mercy, a source of hope for every person and for the whole world. May the Risen Lord be with you always! (emphasis added). SEPTEMBER 28, 2008: The spiritual director and confessor of St. Faustina, Fr. Michael Sopocko is beatified in Bialystok, Poland, with an estimated 70,000 people attending. They include 100 religious sisters from 13 countries representing the Congregation of the Sisters of the Merciful Jesus, an order founded by Blessed Michael. Pope Benedict XVI addresses the assembly live by satellite feed from Castel Gandolfo, Italy, and says of Blessed Michael: At his suggestion, [Sister] Faustina described her mystical experiences and apparitions of the merciful Jesus in her well-known Diary. Thanks to his efforts, the image with the words, Jesus, I trust in You was painted and transmitted to the world. The Servant of God became known as a zealous priest, teacher, and promoter of the Divine Mercy devotion. … My beloved Predecessor, the Servant of God John Paul II most certainly rejoices in this beatification in the Fathers house. ------------------------------
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 05:03:16 +0000