Responding to Pope Francis’ request during World Youth Day in Krakow to “Put on your mountain boots, get up and do Raban,” a grand celebration has been prepared: the Global Vigil before the Feast of Divine Mercy, scheduled for April 26, 2025. 

Over the past two years, the ‘Symphony of Mercy’ has been created for this purpose. The lyrics are drawn directly from the ‘Diary’ of Saint Faustina Kowalska, and the music is composed by Bartłomiej Gliniak. This composition for symphony orchestra, choirs, soloists, and narrator will be performed in sixteen languages, ensuring that the message of Merciful Love reaches a vast global audience.

In the Jubilee Year 2025, marking the 25th anniversary of the Feast of Divine Mercy, we aspire to sing a song of joy, like David, in gratitude for the gift of Mercy. Heeding Jesus’s words to Saint Faustina, ‘Mankind will not find peace until it turns with trust to My mercy,‘ we wish, like Moses, to raise our hands to the Lord and beseech the gift of Peace for a humanity burdened by pervasive wars and unrest.

The central gathering point for this celebration will be a large square in Krakow, the ‘White Seas,’ situated between the Sanctuaries of Saint John Paul II and Divine Mercy. Utilizing cutting-edge technology, we will establish a live broadcast connecting Krakow with Jasna Góra in Poland, Rome at the Vatican, Kiabakari in Tanzania, São Paulo in Brazil, Stockbridge in the United States, El Salvador in the Philippines, and Keysborough in Melbourne, Australia.”

The celebration will feature the premiere of movements from the Symphony, interspersed with recitations of selected words spoken by Jesus to Saint Faustina. A portion of the Divine Mercy Chaplet will be recited from each continental location. Testimonies of the transformative power of Merciful Love in the world will also be shared. Approximately 50,000 people are expected to gather at Divine Mercy sites on each continent. Invitations will be extended to parishes and communities, and television and internet broadcasts will be provided. We aim to reach over half a billion people with the message of mercy. We are inviting distinguished figures from the cultural world to participate in this event and bear witness through performances

The event is held under the patronage of:

• Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See
• Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, Apostolic Nuncio to Poland
• The Polish Bishops’ Conference
• The Archdiocese of Krakow
• Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz
• Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś
• Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz”