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The Restored Vilnius Divine mercy Image

Pope blesses our Divine Mercy Image

On October 4, 2003, Our late beloved Holy Father Pope John Paul II blesses one of our Images en route to the diocesan shrine in Camaroon, Africa.

Today there are many variations of the Divine Mercy Image around the world, the most famous being the Hyla, Vilnius, and Skemp Images. The Vilnius Image, featured here, is the original Divine Mercy Image painted under Sister Faustina's direction by Vilnius artist Eugene Kazimirowski in 1934. This Divine Mercy Image is named after the town where the Image was painted and first hung for public display. Both the Hyla and the Skemp are named after the artists who painted them.

To learn the true depth of what this Image is and means, you may now order the new "Oceans of Mercy Retreat" DVD, produced here at Mercy Films, Inc., in association with the John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy. On the DVD there is an 80 minute conference on the Image given by Father Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, vice-postulator for the cause of St. Faustina. All together there are over 5 hours of in-depth and exciting conferences on every major aspect of this message as given to St. Faustina by the Lord. Please take advantage of this information and learn all you can about what this message really means.

The Restoration Project

restoration of Image

Before and after photos of the Vilnius Image after the restoration process in 2003 by the Archbishop of Vilnius, Lithuania.

During World War II, which Faustina predicted just before she died, the original Image fell into disrepair, having been improperly stored in a damp attic. Until now, nearly every Vilnius Image has been made from a reproduction of a black and white photograph that was inaccurately colorized, and consequently none of these Images ever reflected the true beauty and color of the original painting. In June 2003, the restoration of the Image was completed by an expert in Poland under the direction of the Archbishop of Vilnius.

The signature, "Jesus, I Trust In You", (or in Polish, "Jezu Ufam Tobie") which the Lord told Faustina He wanted on the Image, was not on the original Image. Therefore, font, color, and language of this signature may be one's personal preferance. We presently have the Divine Mercy Image available in 12 different languages including Chinese, Gaelic and Latin. We can add any other language, or put up to 3 languages per Image.

Vilnius Image and the Shroud of Turin

Eugene KazimirowskiBecause Faustina was not an artist, her spiritual director Father Sopocko took her to a local Vilnius artist named Eugene Kazimirowski, right, who painted this Image directly under Faustina’s supervision. Sadly remarking, “Lord, who will paint You as beautiful as you are” (Diary 313), Faustina had the artist change the face at least 10 times. Finally, Our Lord told Faustina that it was good enough - to leave it in the state it’s in. Just recently it was accidentally discovered at a prayer group in Arizona, that the face on this Image perfectly matched the one on the Holy Shroud of Turin. This restored Vilnius Image is the only Image painted under St. Faustina’s direction. It is now available for the first time as it was originally painted.

A little-known promise

The restored Image of Vilnius is a beautiful addition to any room or chapel. But greater than it’s beauty are Our Lord’s words, “Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace.” (Diary 313).

Sister Faustina and the Image

Saint Faustina depicted holding a plaque of the Image of Divine Mercy painted by the artist Balabon. (Author updated the Image with the restored version).

“In one of the first booklets that Sister Faustina’s confessor, Father Sopocko, published, he mentioned a promise made by Jesus regarding the veneration of the Image of Himself that He told Faustina to paint, that we cannot find neither in the diary nor in her letters. Before St. Faustina was told by her spiritual director to keep a diary of her spiritual experiences, she used to record those, about which she thought she ought to inform him, on pieces of paper and give them to him. The Sister who was the vice-postulator for Poland knew that there was a collection of these which ultimately must have been given to the investigatory tribunal that was to inspect her writings, and it’s possible that this promise was mentioned among those papers.

Father Seraphim

Father Michael Sopocko, Sister Faustina's spiritual director.

Anyway, Father Sopocko knew about it and I’m sure that if it wasn’t true, he would not have included it in that booklet. It was a promise that Jesus made: I will save those cities and houses in which this Image will be found. He also said: I will likewise protect the persons who will honor and trust in My Mercy.

There were many reports of incidents sent to us by people who said they believed this promise, and enthroned an Image of The Divine Mercy in their homes and summer camps, and on numerous occasions their places were miraculously preserved from damage.” ~ Father Seraphim Michalenko, former vice-postulator for the cause of St. Faustina in North America, shared this in a talk given in Florida on Oct. 13, 2003.

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