When people think of pilgrimage, they often imagine walking ancient roads in Spain, visiting Rome’s basilicas, or embarking on a trip to the Holy Lands. Yet for countless Catholics around the world, Poland holds a special place on the map. It is the homeland of St. Faustina Kowalska, the young nun who shared the message of Divine Mercy with the world. A pilgrimage here is not just about seeing churches or landmarks; it is about stepping into the story of mercy itself.

Meeting St. Faustina Along the Journey

Helena Kowalska, who later became Sister Faustina, grew up in a poor farming family at the start of the 20th century. She was quiet and unassuming, but her life changed when she entered the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy. Between 1931 and 1938, she began receiving visions of Jesus, which would later be recorded in her now-famous diary.

The image of Christ with two rays streaming from His heart – one red, one pale – was painted under her direction in Vilnius. That same image, which millions now recognize as the Divine Mercy, is at the heart of devotion in parishes and homes worldwide. To walk the places where she lived and prayed is to feel the origins of that message in a very real way.

Kraków-Łagiewniki: The Heartbeat of Divine Mercy

Most pilgrims begin in Kraków at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Łagiewniki. The original convent chapel, where St. Faustina prayed and eventually passed away, holds her tomb and the image of Divine Mercy that she described. It is a small, quiet space, the kind where the smell of wax and incense lingers. Many visitors describe kneeling there as one of the most moving parts of the journey.

Next door, a soaring modern basilica welcomes thousands of pilgrims daily. St. John Paul II, himself a son of Poland, consecrated it in 2002. He called it the center of Divine Mercy devotion for the world. Standing in that vast space, surrounded by pilgrims from many nations, the sense of unity in prayer is hard to put into words.

In the Footsteps of John Paul II

A Divine Mercy pilgrimage is never only about St. Faustina. It is also about the man who made sure her message reached the Church: Pope John Paul II. Pilgrims often travel to Wadowice, the small town where Karol Wojtyła was born. His childhood home has been converted into a museum, and the parish church where he was baptized remains standing.

Walking through Wadowice, you get the feeling of how intertwined these two saints are. As a young priest, John Paul II would visit St. Faustina’s convent often. Later, as pope, he canonized her and established Divine Mercy Sunday. Visiting his hometown offers pilgrims a chance to see where his deep devotion began.

Warsaw and Vilnius: Expanding the Path

Warsaw is another meaningful stop. It was here that Faustina first entered religious life. Her simple cell is still preserved. Standing inside, you realize just how hidden her life had been, and yet how extraordinary her mission had become.

Some groups also travel on to Vilnius in Lithuania. This is where the very first Divine Mercy image was painted, under Faustina’s direction, by artist Eugeniusz Kazimirowski. Seeing that painting in person, still hanging in the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy, is like stepping back into the 1930s when the devotion was just beginning to spread.

A Pilgrimage of Prayer and Community

Unlike a sightseeing tour, a pilgrimage is built around prayer. Masses are celebrated at the shrines, chaplets are prayed together at three o’clock, and there are quiet moments to reflect and write down intentions. Many pilgrims bring burdens – family struggles, health challenges, grief – and leave with a sense of peace.

There’s also the human side of the trip: meals shared over bowls of borscht, laughter on long bus rides, or conversations in the hotel lobby late at night. That mix of the sacred and the ordinary is part of what makes a pilgrimage so memorable.

Why Travel With Select International Tours

Select International Tours has been guiding Catholic pilgrims for more than thirty years. Their itineraries in Poland are shaped to allow not just visits to holy sites, but also time for prayer, reflection, and the unique culture of the country. You aren’t rushed from one place to the next. There’s room for silence in the chapel at Łagiewniki, for walking the cobblestones in Kraków’s old square, and even for sampling pierogi and poppy-seed cake in a local café.

Each group travels with a guide and a spiritual director. That means there’s someone to explain the history and another to help frame the experience spiritually. It’s that balance of knowledge and prayer that sets Select International Tours apart.

Why Divine Mercy Matters Today

In many ways, the world needs St. Faustina’s message now more than ever. Her simple prayer, “Jesus, I trust in You”, speaks directly into a time marked by division, fear, and uncertainty. Pilgrims who journey to Poland often come home changed, carrying that prayer into their own lives and communities.

Whether it’s kneeling at Faustina’s tomb, standing in the church where John Paul II was baptized, or gazing at the first Divine Mercy image in Vilnius, the experience is profoundly personal and deeply universal. It is a journey that invites you not only to travel but to be transformed.