Faustina Kowalska was a Polish Catholic nun and mystic who lived from 1905 to 1938. Born Helena Kowalska, she joined the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1926. She is best known for her reported mystical experiences and conversations with Jesus Christ, which she documented in her writings. These visions inspired the widespread Catholic devotion to Divine Mercy. Often referred to as the "secretary" of Divine Mercy, her spiritual legacy remains central to modern Catholic practice.
Life and mysticism
After feeling a religious calling as a child, Kowalska entered a Warsaw convent in 1926. During her time in Płock and Vilnius, she experienced visions of Jesus, including one in 1931 where she saw an image of Christ with red and pale rays. Under the guidance of her spiritual director, Father Michał Sopoćko, she helped facilitate the creation of the first Divine Mercy painting. She spent her final years in Kraków, where she died in 1938.
Veneration and legacy
The Catholic Church canonized her in 2000. She is venerated as the "Apostle of Divine Mercy" and is celebrated on October 5. Her spiritual insights were preserved in her published diary, titled Divine Mercy in My Soul. This text, along with the specific imagery she described, helped establish the feast of Divine Mercy Sunday, which is observed on the Sunday following Easter.