St. Faustina Family home

When we say “family home,” we imagine our beloved parents, happy siblings, and grandfather with grandmother, who have so many interesting things to say … Family home means also a history of our ancestors contained in the heritage of our Homeland.

In this family home, Polish home, there has always been Mary, who with love calls and teaches us, just like a long time ago at Cana: Do whatever he tells you (J 2:5). Don’t you hear in the mother’s call the essence of the prayer from the image of Divine Mercy: Jesus, I trust in you!

Helenka Kowalska – religious name Maria Faustina – was born on the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Częstochowa, on August 25, 1905. It was the first year of celebrating Our Lady of Jasna Góra, Mother and Queen of Poland, who was the only hope for the grief-stricken Homeland annexed by other nations. Less than five years from establishing the feast, “unknown offenders stole the crowns of the Queen of Poland, like they wanted to make a statement: – Why do you need a queen? You have the Tsar as a king!

Helenka was born in the village of Głogowiec as the third from the ten children of Stanisław and Marianna Kowalski. Two days later, she was baptized in her parish church of Świnice Warckie. The future Saint was blessed with the holy water by Parish Priest Józef Chodyński, whose grave is located in the local cemetery.