Pillars of Fire In My Soul

cles. Post-war life is convincing the thinking public ever more deeply of the validity of the words that Jesus spoke to Sister Faustina: Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy. And whereas five to six years ago the image of the Merciful Savior was unknown in the churches, so presently [1947] these images are appearing in ever more of them; often they are of large dimensions, and artistically executed. One sees the faithful praying with confidence before them. Some of these images already have many votive offerings hung upon them by hearts grateful for relief in suffering, for conversion, for won- drous graces or outright miracles. 1 In some churches, with the knowledge of the hierarchy, a monthly devotion is arranged for the faithful. Before the beauti- fully decorated Image of The Merciful Savior a priest celebrates Mass and preaches on The Divine Mercy; then all those present together sing the pensive litany to The Divine Mercy, and great numbers of the faithful receive Holy Communion. 2 Divine Providence so ordained that such solemn devotions to The Divine Mercy were first celebrated there where Sister Faustina gave back her beautiful soul into the hands of the Merciful Jesus. This place is Józefów, a convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and an institution for the education and training of wayward girls. It is beautifully situated on a hill in +agiewni- ki near Cracow (near the railroad station, Borek Fa="cki ). These devotions were begun during World War II, on March 7, 1943. Besides the local people, poor displaced persons who came from various parts of Poland and settled in this area until the end of the war, hastened in great numbers to participate in them. Later, the third Sunday of each month became the established day there for these devotions in addition to the first Sunday after Easter, which has come to be considered a kind of “Feast Day Indulgence” [in Polish — Odpust]. 3 28 Pillars of Fire in My Soul