|
The process culminating in the canonization of Sister Faustina Kowalska, commenced
twenty seven years after her death in Krakow Poland, in 1938.
As part of the process leading to her canonization, two cases of miraculous healings
were presented for consideration. The first one was the healing of Maureen Digan of
Massachusetts. The second miracle was the healing of a congenital heart condition of Fr.
Pytel after prayers done by members of his parish during the anniversary of Sr. Faustina's
death on October 5 1995.
On April 18, 1993 the Feast of Divine Mercy Sunday (the first Sunday after Easter),
Pope John Paul II elevated Sister Faustina to the status of Blessed during the
Beatification of this Venerable Servant of God, a day when St. Peter's Square was packed
with enthusiastic Divine Mercy devotees.
On March 10, 2000 at 11:30 a.m., during the celebration of sext, in the Consistory Hall
of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, an ordinary public consistory for several causes of
canonization was held, in the presence of the Holy Father.
In 1997 Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to Sister Faustina's tomb in Poland, he
called her the "the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our day." The Pope said at her
tomb, "The message of Divine Mercy has always been near and dear to me..., in a sense
it forms the image of my Pontificate."
Saint Faustina
Sister Faustina was canonized on April 30, 2000 the first Sunday after Easter, on
Divine Mercy Sunday.
She was honoured by becoming the first saint of this millenium, giving thus great
emphasis to the Divine Mercy Devotion.
As one of the great events of the Jubilee 2000, the Holy Father John Paul II, conducted
the ceremony of the canonization of St Faustina, before a crowd of around 200000 Divine
Mercy Pilgrims. |
