The Sixth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM6) concluded in Vilnius after a week that brought together thousands of pilgrims, clergy, evangelizers, and Church leaders from more than 50 countries. The international gathering, dedicated to Divine Mercy, marked one of the largest Catholic events ever hosted in Lithuania.
In his closing remarks, Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius reflected on the spiritual significance of the congress, describing it not simply as an event but as a shared pilgrimage into the mystery of God's mercy.
“Over these days, we have not simply attended a congress. We have made a pilgrimage together into the mystery of Divine Mercy,” Archbishop Grušas said. “We arrived as pilgrims. We return home as apostles of mercy.”
Thanking participants from around the world, he emphasized the unifying power of mercy.
“We have come from many nations, languages, cultures, and vocations. Yet once again we have discovered a profound truth: mercy creates communion. Mercy breaks down walls. Mercy makes us brothers and sisters.”
Gratitude for Years of Service
A significant part of the closing ceremony was dedicated to recognizing the many people whose work made the congress possible.
Archbishop Grušas recalled one of the best-known passages from Saint Faustina’s Diary, in which Jesus transformed her difficult work in the convent kitchen into bouquets of beautiful red roses. He used the image to describe the efforts of the organizers.
“Many of those who organized this Congress have carried heavy pots for years,” he said. “They have carried the weight of planning, coordinating, solving problems, answering countless emails, arranging logistics, welcoming pilgrims, and overcoming obstacles that few people ever saw.”
“But today we can see the roses. Today we can see the beauty that God has brought forth through their sacrifice.”
The Archbishop offered special thanks to the core organizing team, volunteers, speakers, musicians, translators, sponsors, and benefactors, as well as the thousands of pilgrims who traveled from across the globe to take part in the congress.
“WACOM is not primarily an event. WACOM is a family. WACOM is a movement of hearts transformed by mercy”, he said.
Building the City of Mercy
This year’s congress was held under the theme “Building the City of Mercy.” Archbishop Grušas reminded participants that the mission does not end with the closing ceremony.
“The Congress is ending. The mission continues,” he said. “Each one of us is being sent forth today as a builder of the City of Mercy. Do not leave mercy in Vilnius. Take it home.”
He encouraged participants to bring the message of Divine Mercy back to their parishes, families, and communities, especially to those who feel forgotten, wounded, or distant from God.
“Be witnesses of hope. Be instruments of reconciliation. Be apostles of Divine Mercy. Be builders of the City of Mercy wherever God sends you.”
A Vision for an International Shrine of Divine Mercy
Archbishop Grušas also spoke about the historic setting of the congress—the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the former Visitation convent complex on Saviour Hill in Vilnius.
He noted that Vilnius holds a unique place in the history of Divine Mercy as the city of Saint Faustina, Blessed Father Michael Sopoćko, and the location where the first Image of Divine Mercy was painted and publicly venerated.
“Our prayer is that one day this Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the entire Visitation complex where we have gathered may become an international Shrine of Divine Mercy,” he said.
The Archbishop invited participants to continue praying for that intention and thanked the Holy Father for his message of support and blessing, as well as the Holy See for entrusting Vilnius with the responsibility of hosting the congress.
WACOM7 Announced for Brazil
One of the highlights of the closing ceremony was the address by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, who has accompanied the congress throughout the week.
Before inviting Archbishop Fisichella to announce the future of the worldwide Divine Mercy movement, Archbishop Grušas reflected on the deeper meaning of the moment.
“Every WACOM is both a culmination and a beginning. Every ending becomes a new mission,” he said.
Archbishop Fisichella then announced that the Seventh World Apostolic Congress on Mercy will be held in three years’ time in Lorena, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
As a sign of gratitude for hosting WACOM6, Archbishop Fisichella presented Archbishop Grušas with a special liturgical stole: an item traditionally given by the Pope only to Missionaries of Mercy.
Addressing the participants, Archbishop Fisichella reminded them of the responsibility that accompanies the experience of receiving God’s mercy.
“No one who has received mercy can ever forget to become a witness of mercy,” he said.
As WACOM6 came to a close, participants departed Vilnius carrying with them the message that had echoed throughout the week: Divine Mercy is not simply a devotion but a way of life, one that must be lived, proclaimed, and shared with the world.