Divine Mercy

The Divine Mercy of Jesus
The original image (circa 1934) painted according to the apparitions of Kowalska by Eugene Kazimierowski. Oil on canvas. Now permanently enshrined at the Divine Mercy Sanctuary of Vilnius, Lithuania.
Location	Krakow, Poland Vilnius, Lithuania
Date	1930s
Witness	Saint Faustina Kowalska Eugene Kazimierowski
Type	Christological apparition
Holy See approval	Pope John Paul II
Shrine	Minor Basilica and Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy Poland

The Divine Mercy of Jesus, also known as the Divine Mercy, is a Roman Catholic devotion to Jesus Christ associated with the reputed apparitions of Jesus revealed to Saint Faustina Kowalska. The Roman Catholic devotion and venerated image under this Christological title refers to the unlimited merciful love of God towards all people. Sister Kowalska was granted the title "Secretary of Mercy" by the Holy See in the Jubilee Year of 2000.

Sister Faustina Kowalska reported a number of apparitions during religious ecstasy which she wrote in her diary, later published as the book Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul. The three main themes of the devotion are to ask for and obtain the mercy of God, to trust in Christ's abundant mercy, and finally to show mercy to others and act as a conduit for God's mercy towards them.

Pope John Paul II, a native of Poland, had great affinity towards this devotion and authorized it in the Liturgical Calendar of the church. The liturgical feast of the Divine Mercy is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Some members of the Anglican Communion also share its pious beliefs and devotions in an effort towards church renewal.

The primary focus of the Divine Mercy devotion is the merciful love of God and the desire to let that love and mercy flow through one's own heart towards those in need of it. As he dedicated the Shrine of Divine Mercy, Pope John Paul II referred to this when he said: "Apart from the mercy of God there is no other source of hope for mankind".

...
Wikipedia