Vilnius, Lithuania, where Saint Faustina Kowalska was living when Our Lord revealed the devotion of Divine Mercy to her, will host around 5,000 pilgrims at the World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM) June 7–12.
This is the sixth annual Congress, and it was previously held in Rome, Kraków, Manila, Bogota, and Samoa. A March 9 press release from Go Vilnius stated that the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization is organizing the event.
St. Faustina first received the visions of Divine Mercy in 1934, when she was living in a convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in the Antakalnis district of Vilnius. In the visions, Jesus appeared to St. Faustina with red and white rays of light streaming from his heart, symbolizing a message of compassion and divine forgiveness. Local artist Eugeniusz Kazimirowski created an image based on the vision.
Vilnius Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains the Shrine of Divine Mercy, where the first painting of the Divine Mercy apparition is displayed. The city has significantly less tourism than other European cities, the press release states, making it an attractive destination for pilgrims and tourists.
According to Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius, the faith traditions of Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish, and Protestant communities have all contributed to the culture and history of Vilnius.
“While in Vilnius, WACOM participants can explore the Way of Mercy,” the archbishop said, “a pilgrimage route linking 14 sacred sites, St. Faustina’s house, and the Gate of Dawn chapel, home to a 17th-century icon of the Mother of Mercy.”
The WACOM program will include conferences, concerts, talks, and openings featuring speakers from around the world. Notable speakers include ex-gangster-turned-Catholic speaker John Pridmore, Archbishop of Krakow Grzegorz Rys, Anglican pastor and Alpha founder Nicky Gumbel, Catholic podcaster Matt Fradd, and the Kissel Family, famous for their YouTube ministry.