Sanctuary of Divine Mercy, Łagiewniki
In the convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at Łagiewniki, on the edge of Kraków, Saint Faustina Kowalska lived her last years and died in 1938. In the convent chapel hangs the best-known image of the Divine Mercy, painted by Adolf Hyła in 1943, and beneath it her relics rest. During the Second World War a young worker from the nearby Solvay chemical plant, Karol Wojtyła, often stopped here to pray.
As Pope John Paul II, he canonized Faustina in 2000 and instituted Divine Mercy Sunday. On 17 August 2002 he consecrated the new basilica built beside the convent, a modern church shaped like a ship, with a tall tower that has a viewing platform. There he solemnly entrusted the whole world to the Divine Mercy.
Pope Benedict XVI came in 2006. During World Youth Day 2016, Pope Francis prayed here and heard confessions of young pilgrims. Close by stands the Saint John Paul II Centre. About two million pilgrims visit the sanctuary each year.
- Built
- 1999–2002 (basilica)
- Style
- Modern
- Where
- Kraków, Poland
- Map
- Find it on OpenStreetMap
- Read about
- Saint Faustina Kowalska