Sunday, February 22, 2026, marked the 95th anniversary of the first apparition of Christ to Saint Faustina Kowalska, in which He asked her to paint his image of Divine Mercy with the phrase "Jesus, I trust in You".

In her Diary, the Polish saint wrote that on the evening of February 22, 1931, while she was in her cell in the convent of Plock (Poland), she saw Christ “dressed in a white tunic. He had one hand raised in blessing and with the other he touched the tunic over his chest. From the opening of the tunic at his chest, two large rays came out: one red and the other pale.”

“In silence, I gazed attentively at the Lord; my soul was filled with awe, but also with great joy. After a moment, Jesus said to me: Paint an image according to the pattern you see and sign it: Jesus, I trust in You. I desire that this image be venerated first in your chapel and (then) throughout the world,” wrote Saint Faustina.

The saint said that Christ continued: “I promise that the soul that venerates this image will not perish. I also promise victory over enemies here on earth, and especially at the hour of death. I myself will defend it as my Glory.”

Soon the image began to spread to other cities and countries, becoming one of the greatest devotions in the Catholic world. In fact, on April 30, 2000, in his homily at the canonization of Saint Faustina, Pope John Paul II established that the second Sunday of Easter be designated as Divine Mercy Sunday.

Saint Faustina received many other extraordinary graces: the hidden stigmata, the gift of prophecy, as well as numerous private revelations such as the prayer of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The Polish saint passed away on October 5, 1938, at the age of 33.