Blessed Michał Sopoćko

Biography

Blessed Michał Sopoćko, also known as Father Michał, was born on November 1, 1888, in Juszewszczyzna, Ashmyany, Poland. He began his journey towards priesthood by studying at the seminary in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1910. Four years later, in 1914, he was ordained as a priest.

Father Michał served as a parish priest in Vilnius and also served as a military chaplain during World War I from 1914 to 1918. He was assigned to Vilnius and later to Warsaw, Poland. In 1926, he earned his doctorate in theology and became the spiritual director of the seminary in Vilnius.

In 1928, Father Michał became a professor of pastoral theology at Stefan Batory University in Vilnius. It was during this time that he encountered Saint Faustina Kowalska and became her spiritual director and confessor in mid-1933. Under his guidance, Father Michał arranged for Eugeniusz Kazimirowski to paint the Divine Mercy image in 1934. He started preaching about the message of Divine Mercy in 1935 and wrote the first booklet about it in 1936.

During World War II, from 1942 to 1944, Father Micha≈Ç went into hiding to escape the occupying Nazi forces. Despite the challenges and dangers, he continued to spread the devotion to Divine Mercy. Inspired by the messages received by Saint Faustina, he founded the Zgromadzenie Sióstr Jezusa Mi≈Çosiernego (Sisters of Merciful Jesus).

In 1959, the Vatican temporarily forbade the Divine Mercy devotion and censured Father Michał. However, in 1965, Archbishop Karol Wojtyła (who later became Pope John Paul II) reopened the investigation of the vision and messages, resulting in the reversal of the ban and censure in 1978. This was a significant vindication for Father Michał and the Divine Mercy devotion.

During the period of re-investigation, Father Michał wrote the four-volume masterpiece "Miłosierdzie Boga w dziełach Jego" (Mercy of God in His works). His extensive work helped to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Divine Mercy among the faithful.

Blessed Michał Sopoćko passed away on February 15, 1975, in Bialystok, Poland, from natural causes. He was buried in Bialystok, but in 1988, his remains were re-interred in the Church of Divine Mercy in Białostoczek, Poland.

In recognition of his heroic virtues, Blessed Michał Sopoćko was venerated by Pope John Paul II on December 20, 2004. He was officially beatified on September 28, 2008, by Pope Benedict XVI. The beatification ceremony took place at the Square of the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy in Bialystok, Poland, and was presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato.

Blessed Michał Sopoćko's dedication to the Divine Mercy devotion and his tireless efforts in spreading this message have made him an inspiration to many Catholics around the world.