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The Krakow Sanctuary Of Divine Mercy in Lagiewniki

The Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Lagiewniki (Sanktuarium Miłosierdzia Bożego w Krakowie-Łagiewnikach) is one of the most popular pilgrimage places in Poland. In 2005 the Lagiewniki Sanctuary was even more popular than the famous French La Salette, and every year 2 million people visit it. Both John Paul II and Benedict XVI visited Łagiewniki during their pilgrimages to Poland.

The Convent of Lagiewniki

The Convent of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy was established in 1889 by count Aleksander Lubomirski, who owned the village of Lagiewniki (at the time it was not yet a part of Krakow). Apart from the sisters themselves, the convent housed a “place for young women and girls in need of deep moral revival”, who were to be prepared for a return into noble life in society. These functions were executed by the Lagiewniki nuns until 1962, when the communist Polish authorities annexed the school along with a big part of the convent's land. It was all given back to the Lagiewniki convent in 1989, and at present the convent runs a boarding school, three senior schools, and houses a novitiate for nuns-to-be.

St. Faustyna Kowalska

The Lagiewniki Convent would probably remain unknown to the world if it wasn't for Sister Faustyna Kowalska, 'the apostle of the Divine Mercy'. Born on August 25^th 1905, a third child in a family of ten, she attended school for no more than 3 years and then, after a few years of work as a cleaning lady in noble houses, she entered the Convent of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow-Lagiewniki at the age of 20. During the 13 years she spent in the convent, she had numerous visions of Christ, who told her to keep a diary of their encounters, during which he spoke to her of the Divine Mercy. St. Faustyna's diary remains an important source of knowledge of the Divine Mercy among the uneducated as well as scholars, and has been translated into many languages. St. Faustyna died at the age of 33, was beatified in 1993 and canonized in 2000. Her relics lie in the Krakow-Lagiewniki Sanctuary of Divine Mercy.

The Sanctuary in Lagiewniki

After St. Faustyna was beatified and canonized, Lagiewniki soon became a popular pilgrimage destination, which led to an expansion of the site and, eventually, to the erection of the new basilica, consecrated by John Paul II in 2002. The characteristic building is dominated by an immense, 77-meter tower, from which a beautiful view of Krakow can be seen. The Lagiewniki basilica is paired by a postmodern chapel of the Perpetual Adoration of the Holiest Sacrament.

Getting to Lagiewniki

The exact address of the Lagiewniki Sanctuary is 3 Siostry Faustyny Street. Lagiewniki are a part of Krakow's 9^th district, quite close to the Old Town, reachable by tram lines no. 8, 10, 19, 22, 23 and 40 as well as bus lines no. 106, 108, 133, 155, 166, 178, 206, 213, 223, 263 and 608. Another way to get to Lagiewniki is to take the special Papal Train (Pociag Papieski), which goes from the Krakow Train Station to places linked to John Paul II, including the Sanctuary in Lagiewniki as well as Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and Wadowice. The Papal Train leaves the Krakow Train Station at 8:55, 12:55 and 16:55, and the trip to Lagiewniki takes about 13 minutes.