Nuotraukos autorius Evaldas Lasys
Join us in Vilnius, the City of Mercy, from 7 to 12 June 2026! For six summer days, Vilnius will become a global centre of mercy: a place where every encounter, prayer, and action will be imbued with the spirit of mercy. Thousands of participants from around the world will gather to pray together, share testimonies of faith, praise God, and encounter His Divine Mercy.
The World Congress on Mercy is an initiative of the Catholic Church, held every three years in a different country. Its aim is to help people across the world experience God’s mercy – a mercy that heals, transforms, and inspires acts of compassion.
The Sixth World Congress on Mercy will take place in Vilnius, the city of Divine Mercy, where the message of God’s mercy was renewed for our time through St Faustina. Divine mercy is the most profound attribute of God revealed throughout salvation history.
The theme of the Congress – Building a City of Mercy – invites each participant to become part of a living culture of mercy within their families, communities, and societies. This culture, rooted inrelationship with God and others, fosters openness to dialogue and truth, the ability to recognise human frailty, compassion, and love for one’s neighbour. The City of Mercy is not built from bricks and mortar, but from lives transformed by God’s love. Each participant is called to become a living “stone of mercy” – someone who embodies this culture of mercy in their daily life and surroundings.
Over the course of six enriching days, the programme will include:
- Morning prayer and worship
- Inspiring talks and personal testimonies
- Holy Mass and the Service of Reconciliation
- Excursions and pilgrimages in Vilnius
- Works of love in charitable communities
In 2026, Vilnius will host the 6th World Congress on Mercy. Since its founding, Vilnius has been home to people of many nationalities and faiths. While its history bears the marks of conflict and cultural change, it also reflects a deep tradition of mercy – lived out through countless acts of compassion, many of them carried out by religious communities. This tradition of mercy continues in Vilnius today. It was in Vilnius that St Faustina, with the help of Blessed Father Michał Sopoćko, began her mission of mercy.
The Congress will be held at the heart of mercy in Vilnius – the Hill of the Saviour – a historic site of prayer and charitable service dating back to the 17th century. Missionary monks, Sisters of Charity, and Visitation Sisters once lived, served, and prayed here. They established a hospital and devoted themselves to caring for the sick and the poor. During the Soviet occupation, the Visitation Sisters’ monastery was turned into a prison, becoming a symbol of suffering. It was also here, in interwar Vilnius, that the first globally recognised image of the Merciful Jesus was painted. Based on St Faustina’s visions, the image was brought to life by artist Eugeniusz Kazimirowski. Today, the Sisters of Merciful Jesus continue the legacy of mercy on the Hill of the Saviour, offering hospice care for the seriously ill and dying.
The Congress will take place from 7 to 12 June – between the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ and the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – placing a special focus on the Sacred Heart, the source of Divine Mercy. In response to Pope Francis’ encyclical Dilexit nos, which calls the faithful to turn to the Heart of Jesus, the Congress will be a time of prayer for mercy for a world that has grown numb to suffering and become caught in the tragedy of war. On the final day, a Holy Mass for peace and fraternity will be celebrated, with representatives of all religious denominations present in Vilnius invited to participate.
Have you been longing to visit Vilnius, the City of Mercy? Are you seeking to understand the message of mercy, to encounter it, or even to bear witness to it? Then register now for the Congress on Mercy 2026 in Vilnius!
Whether you are just beginning your journey of faith, or have long lived in the light of God’s mercy, the Congress on Mercy welcomes you. Join us in spreading the light of mercy throughout the world!
Become a builder of the City of Mercy!