Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

committed as there. In h e r la s t post before en tering the convent, she h ad found a second family, to which she gave h e r h ea r t , with h e r own b rand of directness and devotion. She rem ained with them a whole year, and th e time repaid h e r for the previous to rm en t, for i t was a period of mental relaxation, of happy p repara tion for th e day when she would pass through th e gates of "her" convent. Her p repara tions were easy, w ithout special effort. She had only to save a certa in sum of money, required by the Congregation of an en tran t. At la s t Helenka found "her" convent. I t is true th a t the search began with some disappointments, for a couple of convents she approached refused her. But one day she knocked a t the door of the Congregation of S isters of Our Lady of Mercy on Zytnia Street. In S ister F au s tina ’s Diary th e details of the scene are noted. The then Superior, Mother Michael, came out to h e r and after a short conversation told h e r to go to the chapel and ask "the Lord of th e House", i.e. th e Lord Jesu s , if He would accept h e r into th e Congregation. W ithout hesita tion Helenka wen t to the chapel as she had been told. In answer she h ea rd a voice in h e r soul: ’Yes, I accept you." Rejoicing, she quickly re tu rned w ith th e news of the Lord’s answer, and the Superior replied, "If the Lord accepts you, so do I." But despite th is positive reply, m a tte rs were still delayed and Helenka had to be pa tien t. She had no money, and the Congregation asked each new en tra n t for a certain minimal dowry to cover the most essential expenses. The time during which she was to collect the 'money was agreed as a year, and the certa in ty which now arose filled the girl’s h e a r t with overwhelming happiness. The first, probably most difficult step had been taken . Her dreams were on th e way to being realised. With God’s help she would fulfil the necessary conditions, and in a year, w ithout obstacles, she would cross th e convent threshold a t las t. Both Mrs Lipszyc and h e r friend Dr K a tharine S teinberg, who was then 46