On August 17, 2002, during the consecration of the Basilica of Divine Mercy, Pope John Paul II performed a solemn act of entrusting the world to Divine Mercy. The whole world was preparing for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of this event. In the National Shrine in Kahlenberg, under the spiritual care of the Rector Roman Krekora CR, on the initiative of Agata Wiśniowski, every third Sunday of the month was devoted to the reflections on individual words of the Act of Entrustment, which were prepared by Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski, Metropolitan of Krakow. During the Polish-language Holy Masses at 11.00 and 12.00, to which children were invited in a special way, the spiritual heritage of St. John Paul II was recalled in accordance with the reflections set for the next month.
To Krakow came people from all over the world, associated with the cult of Divine Mercy, St. Sister Faustina and the heritage of St. John Paul ll to participate in the celebration of the 20th anniversary of entrusting the world to Divine Mercy. Church of St. Joseph – Polish Shrine on Kahlenberg (Vienna, Austria) were represented by Agata, Dariusz and Nathalie Wiśniowscy and Paweł Pazera.
The main celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the Act of Entrustment of the World to Divine Mercy, which was performed by John Paul II, took place on August 14 in the Basilica of Divine Mercy in Łagiewniki. The ceremony began with a Holy Mass at 10.00 a.m. celebrated by Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski. The Holy Mass was concelebrated by many priests who came to the celebrations from churches scattered around the world that venerate God mercy in a special way. Representatives of the Kahlenberg National Shrine actively participated in the preparation and participation in the liturgy, which was celebrated in Polish, Latin and several other languages. Dariusz Wiśniowski read the first reading. During the procession with gifts on behalf of the Rector of the Polish National Shrine in Kahlenberg, Agata and Nathalie Wiśniowski and Paweł Pazera handed over a copy of the image of Mary’s name, the original of which was donated by Pope Pius X to the church in Kahlenberg in 1683 after the victory of the Polish king Jan lll Sobieski. In addition, the delegation from Vienna made a gift from the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver of Salzburg (Maria Sorg) – a copy of a modern icon depicting Blessed Maria Teresa Ledóchowska holding a girl in her arms. The picture draws attention to the widespread problem of the exploitation of women not only 100 years ago in Africa, but also in the modern world.
The Archbishop quoted fragments of the Act of Entrustment of the World to Divine Mercy, which John Paul II performed on 17 August 2002 in Łagiewniki in Kraków. He also emphasized the fundamental importance of Christ’s message of truth and love. After the homily, two new Bells of Hope were blessed: for the Vineyard in Ukraine (Diocese of Kamianets-Podilsk), which is a gift from the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Łagiewniki, and a bell for the Church of Divine Mercy in Lower Chitttering (Diocese of Perth in Australia) – a gift from the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Keysborough (a suburb of Melbourne).
On August 15, the next day of the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of entrusting the world to Divine Mercy, homilies in the basilica were delivered by Father Tarsicius Bukowski OFM, spokesman of the Marian Shrine in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. At the Holy Mass at 10.30 a.m., Michał Lorenc’s “Ave Maria” was performed by a Polish mezzo-soprano from Vienna, Alina Mazur accompanied by organist – virtuoso Prof. Krzysztof Michałek from the Academy of Music in Krakow, the main organist of the Basilica of Divine Mercy in Krakow – Łagiewniki and the organist of St. Mary’s Basilica in Krakow.
Alina Mazur
