Krakow's
Lagiewniki's Basilica of Divine Mercy dominates the
sanctuary.
The
Lord's Mercy icon remains
in the heart of the sanctuary, i.e. the convent's
chapel, where St. Faustyna's relics are also to be found.
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The
Sanctuary of Our Lord's Mercy in Krakow's Lagiewniki
District
By esthetic standards the
20th-century icon of the Lord’s Grace hardly
matches other Krakow’s twenty-odd wonder-making
sacred images that are usually much older and
mostly valuable as objects of art. Yet devotion
of thousands of believers has made the painting
sacrosanct. It depicts Christ as He appeared
before a visionary Polish nun, St. Faustyna
Kowalska, one February evening in 1931. The Lord
instructed her to commission this very likeness
of Himself, complete with the caption which reads
in Polish: Jesus, I trust Thee. What is more, in
the series of appearances over the ensuing years
He also revealed to St. Faustyna His dogma of
Divine Mercy.
At first the pious sister found
little understanding among her contemporaries who
thought the days of miracles were long past. The Church gave
rather lukewarm support to St. Faustyna and the revelations she
had heard. Nonetheless, with time the
knowledge of them and the cult of the
picture have spread far.
Nowadays the icon adorns
many a Catholic chapel throughout the world. And
pilgrims, both Polish and foreign, come daily in their thousands
to pray before the original picture
at the Krakow convent in the Lagiewniki area
where 33-year-old Sister Faustyna died in 1938
and where she is buried. Some of the resultant
faith cures are well documented.
The
World's center of Divine Mercy
Now
the 19th-century brick convent of the Sisters of God's Mother
of Mercy is part of the vast Sanctuary of Divine Mercy (Sanktuarium
Bozego Milosierdzia in Polish) complete with a spacious main church, an array of chapels, a
viewing tower, a modern pastoral lodge, cafeterias, shops,
parking lots, etc.
On
August 17, 2002 Pope John Paul II consecrated the sanctuary's
majestic 1,600-sq-m brand-new basilica. His Holiness, previously
the Krakow archbishop Karol Wojtyla, is said to be once a driving force behind the
worldwide Catholic movement to worship the Lord’s
Mercy with its center in the Lagiewniki sanctuary.
Every year some two million pilgrims from all
over the world visit the shrine.
Regular
Holy Masses in the Lagiewniki Sanctuary of Divine Mercy
Every
Sunday and on church holidays the faithful may hear Holy Mass in the sanctuary's
spacious modern basilica at 9
a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m., 3:20 p.m., and 6 p.m. On
weekdays and on Saturdays the service takes place at 9 a.m.,
10 a.m., 3:20 p.m., and 6 p.m.
Also,
there are regular Holy Mass services in the convent's old
chapel with the relics of St. Faustyna. They take place at 7
a.m., 8:30 a.m., and 7 p.m. on Sundays; at 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.
on church holidays; and at 6:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays
and Saturdays.
Every
day there is a special prayer in the basilica in the Hour of
Mercy at 3 p.m. followed by the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
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Czestochowa
Jasna Gora Sanctuary in Czestochowa
is the holiest place of Poland and one of the
world’s most important destinations for
pilgrims.
Kalwaria
With its 42 Baroque churches and chapels
of all shapes and sizes in addition to the
central basilica and the Franciscan monastery,
the Kalwaria Zebrzydowska sanctuary is Europe's
biggest Calvary shrine.
Skalka Sanctuary
Poland’s second holiest shrine at the
site of St. Stanislav’s 1079 martyrdom.
Splendid Baroque church and fine monastery
modeled on a Renaissance castle.
In the footsteps of
Pope John Paul II
Hotels
in Krakow
Hostels
and other cheap lodgings in Krakow
Good
restaurants in
Krakow
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The
Lagiewniki sanctuary's contact info
Postal
address: Sanktuarium Bozego Milosierdzia, ul. Siostry Faustyny
3, 30-608 Krakow, Poland.
Information desk's phone numbers: (+48) 122523311 or (+48)
122523333 (service available between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on
weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Sanctuary
of Divine Mercy in Krakow's district of Lagiewniki, how to get
there.
The
sanctuary is situated some four kilometers south of Krakow's
central Old Town historic district.
Taxi
is the most convenient means of transport. The fare from the
center of Krakow to the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy should not exceed an
equivalent of four euro. Conversely, you may take trams number
8 or number 19, get off at a stop called Sanctuarium, cross
the busy Zakopianska street (there is an underpass), and walk
some 300 meters up Siostry Faustyny street.
Note:
Special train service links several popular places of
pilgrimage in the Krakow region, the Lagiewniki Sanctuary of
Divine Mercy in that number. The purpose-built 'Papal Train' (Pociag
Papieski) shuttles three times a day between Krakow and Wadowice,
Pope John Paul II’s birthplace,
via Krakow’s Lagiewniki district and the town of Kalwaria
Zebrzydowska famous for its Calvary sanctuary,
Europe’s largest. The train leaves from Krakow’s central
rail station at 8:55 a.m., 12:55, and 16:55, to arrive to
Wadowice at 10:08 a.m., 14:08, and 18:08 respectively, and
it’s back to Krakow Glowny main station at 11:43 a.m.,
15:43, and 19:43. Air-conditioned cars with facilities for the
disabled take 160 passengers who may enjoy multimedia
presentations in Polish, English, and German about John Paul
II and their travel destinations. Tickets cost an equivalent
of about 3 euro one way and roughly 4.5 euro return, and they
stay valid throughout the day so a single ticket suffice for a
day-trip to all of the above-mentioned sites.
Pastoral
Lodge of the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy
Address: 3 Siostry Faustyny street (near the E77 road to
Zakopane and the A4 motorway). www.pastorallodge.com.pl Email:
recepcja@pastorallodge.com.pl Phone (+4812) 2523300. Fax:
(+4812) 2637997. Accommodation in 46 comfortable rooms with
private bathrooms (4 single rooms, 40 double rooms, 4 four-bed
rooms). For your convenience: restaurant, cafe,
air-conditioned conference hall for up to 230 participants,
conference hall for up to 30 participants, secure car
park.
Krakow churches
Krakow numerous churches are
architectural gems, art hoards, and spiritual
hubs
Wawel Cathedral on
the Wawel Hill
Poland's impressive national shrine
dates from the 14th century and shelters plenty
of superb church art. The Sigismund Chapel is a
masterpiece of the Renaissance art and
architecture. Giant Zygmunt
bell of 1520 ranks with the world's
largest. Most Polish
kings are buried here together with the
greatest national heroes.
Basilica of the
Virgin Mary's at
the Grand Square
Immense Gothic church, the city of
Krakow's principal temple since the 13th century,
boasts the world's greatest
Gothic sculpture among its many excellent
works of art. Huge stained-glass widows of the
chancel date from the 14th century.
Tyniec Abbey
Hilltop monastery-fortress dates
from the 11th c.
Bielany Monastery
Magnificent 17th-century Baroque
hermitage complex atop the Silver Mountain hovers
over Krakow.
St. Norbert's
Convent
Vast fortified complex on the Vistula
river is home to Krakow’s once powerful
Premonstratensian Sisters since the 12th c.
Roman Catholic
Church
Sunday Masses
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