Pilgrimage to Lithuania

It’s Tuesday 23rd June 2009 and I’ve finally arrived in Vilnius on a Divine Mercy Pilgrimage Retreat. I was here last year with my Uncle who I accompany on many pilgrimages, and my Aunt. This year my parents have also joined us. We are staying in St. Joseph’s Seminary in Jeruzale, on the outskirts of Vilnius. Our group leader VC gave us an introductory talk on why Divine Mercy is so much part of Vilnius. Lithuania was the last country in Europe to turn to Christianity as a result of a marriage between a polish princess and a Lithuanian Grand duke. The Image of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy at The Gates of Dawn in Vilnius Old Town has been there for 500 years. This is where the “Message of Divine Mercy” was first proclaimed to the world by Fr. Michael Sopocko, St. Faustina’s Spiritual Director.

So many people associate St Faustina and Divine Mercy with Poland but at the time Lithuania was politically part of Poland, and although St. Faustina was born and entered religious life in Poland the important happenings for Divine Mercy occurred in Vilnius. It was here that she met her Spiritual Director Fr. Sopocko. He helped her get the Image of Divine Mercy painted as requested by Our Lord, but he still wasn’t sure if she was for real. He had the painting in St Michael’s church but was embarrassed by other priests telling him it was a peculiar painting of the Sacred Heart so he hid it in the Bernadine convent. When Faustina told him that Our Lord told him not to hide it he believed her. He asked the Carmelite nuns who looked after the Icon of Our Lady of Mercy to show it but they refused. Years later he was asked by a bishop to give a talk at the Shrine of Our Lady. He agreed if he was let show a picture of Jesus beside it. This was the Sunday after Easter; three requests of Our Lord were fulfilled. Proclaiming the message of Mercy, showing the Image and designating the Sunday after Easter Divine Mercy Sunday.