“Write that by day and by night My gaze is fixed upon him, and I permit these adversities in order to increase his merit. I do not reward for good results but for the patience and hardship undergone for My sake.” (Saint Faustina’s Diary, 86)

“And the Lord said, I am acting thus with him to give testimony that this work is Mine. Tell him not to fear anything; My gaze is on him day and night. There will be as many crowns to form his crown as there will be souls saved by this work. It is not for the success of a work, but for the suffering that I give reward.” (Saint Faustina’s Diary, 90)

“One evening as I entered my cell, I saw the Lord Jesus exposed in the monstrance under the open sky, as it seemed. At the feet of Jesus I saw my confessor, and behind him a great number of the highest ranking ecclesiastics, clothed in vestments the like of which I had never seen except in this vision; and behind them, groups of religious from various orders; and further still I saw enormous crowds of people, which extended far beyond my vision. I saw the two rays coming out from the Host, as in the image, closely united but not intermingled; and they passed through the hands of my confessor, and then through the hands of the clergy and from their hands to the people, and then they returned to the Host… and at that moment I saw myself once again in the cell which I had just entered.” (Saint Faustina’s Diary, 344)

The Blessed Father Michał Sopoćko was the providential instrument chosen by God to give theological foundation, structure, and worldwide diffusion to the message of Divine Mercy revealed to Saint Faustina Kowalska. His mission went far beyond that of a confessor; he became a true co-worker in the work of Christ the Merciful.

As Saint Faustina’s spiritual director in Vilnius, he received her mystical experiences with prudence, humility, and obedience, discerning in them an authentic call from God for the Church. He encouraged her to write her Diary, which became the principal record of the revelations of Jesus, the Merciful Saviour. Through this guidance, Sopoćko became the bridge between her mystical experience and its theological and ecclesial expression.

It was also through his initiative that the request of Jesus to have the image of Divine Mercy painted was carried out. He arranged the commissioning of the first image based on the vision received by Saint Faustina, ensuring that it would be faithfully realised and made accessible for veneration.

Christ entrusted to Saint Faustina, and thus to Father Sopoćko, three great missions: the painting of the Image of Divine Mercy, the institution of the Feast of Divine Mercy, and the proclamation of the message to the world. Father Sopoćko embraced this calling as the work

of his entire life, dedicating himself to its theological foundation, public dissemination, and defence even amid misunderstanding and opposition within and outside the Church.

His contribution was decisive: he wrote studies, pamphlets, and theological treatises explaining Divine Mercy as the supreme attribute of God, promoted devotion with doctrinal clarity, supported the spread of the Image of Merciful Jesus, and worked tirelessly towards the recognition of the Feast of Divine Mercy by the Church.

Through his direction, Saint Faustina also wrote her Diary, which would later become one of the most important spiritual works in the Church, revealing the depth of Christ’s mercy for the world.

Even during times of war, persecution, and prohibition, Father Sopoćko remained faithful to his mission, convinced that Divine Mercy was God’s answer to a wounded humanity. His obedience to the Church, his perseverance, and his quiet fidelity made him the principal apostle and defender of the message entrusted to Saint Faustina.

His entire life, especially in its final years, was dedicated to one mission alone: to make known to the world that God is Mercy.