Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

rem arks often surprised people, and the impression they left was reinforced by the words she often used a t th e end of the conversation: "Sister, I am not saying th is from m y se lf . One such conversation was noted by S ister Placida in all its detail. She was no t much older th an S ister Faustina , and they had been in the novitiate together, so they knew each o ther well. S ister Placida highly valued h e r co-sister as a Religious and for h e r sp iritua l­ ity. She relates: "Not long before the death o f S is ter Faustina, she came to Walendow. She told me tha t she had come specially to talk to me. I was then in great spiritual confusion. I t seemed to me tha t I could not perform my duties and I was th ink ing o f leaving the convent. I had lost my confidence in my superiors. I t seemed to me tha t no one understood me. I avoided my superiors and only spoke to them about the most essential matters. I should explain tha t in addition to strictly religious duties and sp iritua l work, I had duties on the estate and had to work very hard, rising at three in the morning. When a t th is time Sister Faustina unexpectedly came to Walendow - I do not know where she came from or who told her to come - I received her most unwillingly. When she wanted to talk to me, I said, "Why have you come to preachify? You don’t know what a hard life I have." "Not p u t o f f by th is unpleasant welcome, she quietly asked me to talk for a moment, add ing tha t she had the permission o f the superiors. We went out to the garden and sat on the lawn. "Sister Faustina asked me how I was. I answered tha t I felt bad, both sp iritua lly and physically. I had hard work, no one understood me, I had no confidence in my superiors, and there was nothing else for me to do but discard my habit and leave the convent. 428