The Sanctuary of The Divine Mercy

The Sanctuary of The Divine Mercy
for the Archdiocese of Chicago

St. Stanislaus Kostka Church
- The Year of Mercy
  
  In 2007, Cardinal Francis George designated St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish as The Sanctuary of The Divine Mercy in Chicago. Artist Stefan Niedorezo, in consultation with Fr. Anthony, began work on a design for a large monstrance. Work was completed in May 2008, with the unveiling of the monstrance on May 31, 2008.
  
  The iconic monstrance, Our Lady of the Sign, Ark of Mercy, blessed by Cardinal George in 2008, draws people from Chicago and beyond for 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration in this historic church. Moreover, except for a brief period during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, our doors have remained open day and night for individual prayer and Adoration since 2008. An article on the inspiration and creation of the monstrance can be found here.
- Divine Mercy
  
  Through St. Faustina Kowalska, our Merciful Savior has given the world new ways to access His Divine Mercy. This is done through the Image of The Divine Mercy, the Hour of Divine Mercy, the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy, and the Feast of The Divine Mercy.
  
  All of the Divine Mercy devotions proclaim the message of God’s merciful love and draw us to the Holy Eucharist, the great Sacrament of Mercy, where Our Lord suffered and died on the cross.
  
  “My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners…It is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy.” (Diary, 367)
- Maria Faustina Kowalska
  
  saint
  
  Sister Faustina was a religious sister with the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland during the 1930’s, when our Lord began appearing to her in visions. Sr. Faustina recorded these experiences, which she compiled into notebooks. Today, these notebooks are known as the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul, and contain God's loving message of Divine Mercy.
  
  In 1931, St. Faustina had a vision of Our Lord. She saw him dressed in a white garment with His right hand raised in blessing. His left hand was touching His chest in the area of the Heart. From this spot, two large rays of light, one red and one white, come forth.
  
  Jesus said to her:
  
  "Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory.” (Diary, 47, 48)
- Divine Mercy
  
  image
  
  During a subsequent vision, St. Faustina asked the Lord about the meaning of the rays in the image. She heard these words in reply:
  
  “The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water, which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood, which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him.” (Diary, 299)
  
  Saint John Paul II canonized Sr. Faustina in 2000 making her the first saint of the new millennium.
- The Hour of Divine Mercy
  
  3 o'clock
  
  In the revelations to St. Faustina, Jesus asked for a special prayer and meditation on His Passion each afternoon at three o’clock. This is the hour that recalls His death on the cross.
  
  “At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion.” (Diary, 1320)
  
  “As often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world — mercy triumphed over justice.” (Diary, 1572)
- The Feast of Divine Mercy
  
  divine mercy sunday
  
  While the Chaplet may be recited at any time, our Lord specifically told St. Faustina to recite it during the nine days before the Feast of Mercy (the first Sunday after Easter). He then added:
  
  "By this Novena, I will grant every possible grace to souls." (Diary, 796)
  
  Ask for His Mercy.
  Be merciful to others.
  Trust in Jesus.
- The Chaplet of Divine Mercy
  
  The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy is an intercessory prayer that extends the offering of the Eucharist and is prayed on rosary beads.
  
  “Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this Chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy.” (Diary, 687)
  
  “When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the Merciful Savior.” (Diary, 1541)
  
  “Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will.” (Diary, 1731)
How to Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

prayed using rosary beads
- 1. Make the sign of the cross
  
  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
  
  2. St. Faustina's Prayer for Sinners
  
  O Jesus, eternal Truth, our Life, I call upon You and I beg Your mercy for poor sinners. O sweetest Heart of my Lord, full of pity and unfathomable mercy, I plead with You for poor sinners. O Most Sacred Heart, Fount of Mercy from which gush forth rays of inconceivable graces upon the entire human race, I beg of You light for poor sinners. O Jesus, be mindful of Your own bitter Passion and do not permit the loss of souls redeemed at so dear a price of Your most precious Blood. O Jesus, when I consider the great price of Your Blood, I rejoice at its immensity, for one drop alone would have been enough for the salvation of all sinners. Although sin is an abyss of wickedness and ingratitude, the price paid for us can never be equalled. Therefore, let every soul trust in the Passion of the Lord, and place its hope in His mercy. God will not deny His mercy to anyone. Heaven and earth may change, but God's mercy will never be exhausted. Oh, what immense joy burns in my heart when I contemplate Your incomprehensible goodness, O Jesus! I desire to bring all sinners to Your feet that they may glorify Your mercy throughout endless ages. (Diary, 72)
  
  You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.
  
  Repeat 3 times:
  O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You!
  
  3. Our Father
  
  Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
  
  4. Hail Mary
  
  Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
  
  5. The Apostles’ Creed
  
  I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
  
  6. The Eternal Father
  
  Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
  
  7. On the 10 small beads of each decade
  
  For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
  
  8. Repeat for the remaining decades
  
  Saying the "Eternal Father" on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 times "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" on the following "Hail Mary" beads.
  
  9. Conclude with Holy God
  
  Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (Repeat 3 times)
  
  10. Optional Closing Prayers
  
  Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
  
  O Greatly Merciful God, Infinite Goodness, today all mankind calls out from the abyss of its misery to Your mercy — to Your compassion, O God; and it is with its mighty voice of misery that it cries out. Gracious God, do not reject the prayer of this earth's exiles! O Lord, Goodness beyond our understanding, Who are acquainted with our misery through and through, and know that by our own power we cannot ascend to You, we implore You: anticipate us with Your grace and keep on increasing Your mercy in us, that we may faithfully do Your holy will all through our life and at death's hour. Let the omnipotence of Your mercy shield us from the darts of our salvation’s enemies, that we may with confidence, as Your children, await Your [Son’s] final coming — that day known to You alone. And we expect to obtain everything promised us by Jesus in spite of all our wretchedness. For Jesus is our Hope: through His merciful Heart, as through an open gate, we pass through to heaven. (Diary, 1570)