Patroness

The Congregation's Patroness is the Mother of Mercy as portrayed in the image of Our Lady with open arms.

Our Holy Father John Paul II writes in Dives in misericordia : "Mary is the one who obtained mercy in a particular and exceptional way. At the same time, still in an exceptional way, she made possible with the sacrifice of her heart her own sharing in revealing God's mercy. Mary, then, is the one who has the deepest knowledge of the mystery of God's mercy. She knows its price, she knows how great it is. In this sense, we call her the Mother of mercy: our Lady of Mercy " (DM 9).  We celebrate our Patronal Feast Day on August 5th. (cf. Constitutions, Art. 11)

Deeply rooted in the very beginning and existence of our congregation, we consecrate ourselves to Our Lady of Mercy, the congregation's Patroness. Our devotion to Our Lady of Mercy does not only consist in prayer but first and foremost in the imitation of Mary. The sisters of past generations would fix their eyes on Mary so much that with a special act of election in 1937 they chose her, for the first time, also as the Superior General of the congregation. During this ceremony Sister Faustina saw Our Lady's joy and witnessed how She covered all the sisters with her mantle. And Mary promised that: Everyone who perseveres zealously till death in My Congregation will be spared the fire of purgatory... (Diary 1244). We renew this act of election every year on August 5th, entrusting ourselves wholeheartedly to our Heavenly Patroness and Superior General.

We cherish Mary as our personal Mother and as the Mistress of our interior life. After Saint Faustina's example, we strive to model our life on the Blessed Mother's and to develop those virtues most pleasing to her. Our Lady told Saint Faustina: I desire, My dearly beloved daughter, that you practice the three virtues that are dearest to Me--and most pleasing to God. The first is humility, humility, and once again humility; the second virtue, purity; the third virtue, love of God. As My daughter, you must especially radiate with these virtues (Diary 1415).

As the most perfect Mistress of the interior life, the Blessed Mother taught Saint Faustina how to live in unceasing union with God and what to pay special attention to. Thus, the advice and instructions Our Lady gave to Saint Faustina form the blueprint for the interior life of every Sister of Our Lady of Mercy. In summary, they are:

• To discover Jesus' presence in our soul and to foster personal communion with Him in everyday life; 
  My daughter, strive after silence and humility, so that Jesus, who dwells in your heart continuously, may be able to rest. Adore Him in Your heart; do not go out from your inmost being (Diary 785).
• To fulfill God's will as an expression of our trust and love for Him; 
  I strongly recommend that you faithfully fulfill all God's wishes, for that is most pleasing in His eyes… Put the will of God before all sacrifices and holocausts (Diary 1244). 
• To practice the theological virtues (faith, hope, love) and the moral virtues (especially humility and mercy toward our neighbor); 
  I desire that each one distinguish herself by the following virtues: humility and meekness; chastity and love of God and neighbor; compassion and mercy (Diary 1244). 
• To love the cross, since it determines the degree of the soul's union with God; 
  Know, My daughter, although I was raised to the dignity of Mother of God, seven swords of pain pierced My heart (Diary 786). She told St. Faustina to always keep her eyes fixed on the cross (Diary 561); fix your gaze upon the Passion of My Son, and in this way you will be victorious (Diary 449). 
• Our Lady of Mercy supported St. Faustina in her mission, which is now also our apostolic mission, of proclaiming the mystery of Divine Mercy and imploring it for the world. 
  I gave the Savior to the world; as for you, you have to speak to the world about His great mercy... Speak to souls about this great mercy while there is still time for [granting] mercy. If you keep silent now, you will be answering for a great number of souls on that terrible day. Fear nothing. Be faithful to the end. I sympathize with you (Diary 635). Your lives must be like Mine: quiet and hidden, in unceasing union with God, pleading for humanity and preparing it for the second coming of God (Diary 625). ...what I demand from you is prayer, prayer, and once again prayer, for the world...(Diary 325).

And so, through Mary, the Mother of Mercy, we participate with lively faith in the life of Christ and His mission of saving the world (cf. Constitutions, Art. 3).

Immaculate Mother of Mercy, we fly to Your patronage asking that You remain always with us as our Mother and that You form our hearts after Your own. We, Your daughters, desire to serve You faithfully and in all that we are and do, in humility and forgetfulness of self to the end of our lives. (...) May we never hesitate to offer ourselves in sacrifice for Holy Mother Church, the Holy Father, our country, and for the souls entrusted to our care. (...)
(Excerpt from a Prayer to the Immaculate Mother of Mercy)