Among Catholic devotions, the Divine Mercy message is widely recognized through its iconic image of Christ with red and white rays streaming from His heart, the witness of St. Faustina, and the global prominence of Krakow, Poland.

Yet beyond this familiar center lies another deeply significant, though lesser-known, place: Vilnius, Lithuania—a city quietly central to the origins of the devotion.

More than 450 miles north of Krakow, the Lithuanian capital Vilnius holds the original Image of Divine Mercy—the only one ever seen by Saint Faustina Kowalska herself. Often called the “City of Mercy,” Vilnius carries both a spiritual legacy and a history shaped by suffering and resilience.

Archbishop Gintaras Grusas describes the city not only as the site of Divine Mercy revelations, but also as a place that has long needed—and demonstrated—mercy through its turbulent past.

Even before St. Faustina’s time, Vilnius was under the patronage of the Mother of Mercy. The revered image of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, created in the 1600s and crowned by Pope Pius XI in 1927, became a symbol of protection and miracles.

It was in the chapel housing this image that the Divine Mercy painting was first publicly displayed—what Archbishop Grusas calls “mercy upon mercy.”

The story begins with St. Faustina, a Polish nun who experienced visions of Jesus in the early 20th century. In 1931, while in Plock, she received the first vision instructing her to have an image painted with the words: “Jesus, I trust in You.”

Two years later, after transferring to Vilnius, she met her spiritual director, Michael Sopocko. With his help, artist Eugene Kazimierowski painted the original Divine Mercy image in 1934 under Faustina’s careful guidance.

The image depicts Christ blessing with one hand while pointing to His heart with the other, from which flow two rays—pale and red—symbolizing water and blood.

Faustina recorded Jesus’ promises in her diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, including the assurance of grace and protection for those who venerate the image.

Though she would later return to Poland due to illness and die in 1938 at age 33, the original painting remained in Vilnius, fulfilling Christ’s request to be placed in a position of honor.

The image’s journey through history is as remarkable as its origin. During World War II and the subsequent Soviet occupation, churches in Lithuania were closed, looted, or repurposed. The Church of St. Michael—where the image was once displayed—was shut down in 1948.

Despite the danger, the painting was quietly preserved. In 1951, two women rescued it by bribing a church keeper.

It was hidden, moved across borders to Belarus, and later returned secretly to Lithuania—all while surviving political upheaval untouched.

Only in the early 2000s was its full significance rediscovered. After careful restoration, the image was permanently placed in 2005 at the Shrine of Divine Mercy, where it remains today.

Today, the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Vilnius serves as a vibrant spiritual center. Though modest in size, it offers a continuous rhythm of prayer—daily Mass, the Divine Mercy Chaplet in multiple languages, perpetual adoration, confessions, and weekly vespers led by the city’s youth.

Pilgrims can also trace the footsteps of St. Faustina through guided visits to key locations: her former convent, the studio where the image was painted, and the churches that safeguarded it.

More than just housing a sacred image, the shrine invites the faithful to live its message—trust in God’s mercy and extend that mercy to others.

As one seminarian reflected, it is through the life of a young nun who suffered greatly that the world is taught how to receive grace.

In Vilnius, the message of Divine Mercy is not only remembered—it is lived daily, in prayer, in history, and in the enduring faith of those who continue to seek it.