WACOM stands for the World Apostolic Congress on Mercy.

The Congress seeks to proclaim and witness Divine Mercy – His message of infinite love and hope for individuals and the world.

This initiative, held every three years in a different country, brings together thousands of participants from around the world.

You can learn more about WACOM here:

During his pontificate, Pope John Paul II was particularly concerned about spreading the message of Divine Mercy. The Pope canonized Sr. Faustina, established the first Sunday after Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday, and in 2002, he dedicated the world to Divine Mercy, expressing his desire that the message of God’s merciful love be made known to all the peoples of the Earth, and fill their hearts with hope.

Only a few months after Pope John Paul II had passed away, the idea of a World Congress of Mercy was born in Krakow in 2005.

Pope Benedict XVI blessed the idea of a World Congress of Mercy. The first Congress in Rome in 2008 was held with the support of fifteen eminent cardinals of the world, including Cardinal Audrys Juozas Bačkis from Lithuania and Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina (pope Francis).

Vilnius has a special place in the history of Divine Mercy. With the arrival of Sister Faustina Kovalska in Vilnius in 1933, devotion to Divine Mercy began to develop.

At that time, Sr. Faustina experienced visions during which Jesus asked her to remind mankind of God’s mercy and to point out concrete ways to achieve it.

With the help of Fr. Michael Sopocko, Sr. Faustina’s confessor and spiritual advisor, the first Divine Mercy painting was painted in Vilnius (1934), a new order was founded, and a diary was kept.

The prayer of the Divine Mercy Chaplet was also dictated in Vilnius, and in 1935, on the first Sunday after Easter, the painted image of Divine Mercy was exposed for the faithful for the first time in the chapel of the Gate of Dawn.

To participate in the Congress, you must:

1. Fill in the registration form (for individual participants or groups).
2. Pay the participation fee.

Once both steps have been completed, you will be issued with a Participant Ticket, which will be sent to you by email.

You can find detailed registration steps and links here.

Registration is open until May 22, 2026, or while spots are still available.

If you have any questions, please contact registration@wacomvilnius.org

We invite you to delve deeper into the message of Divine Mercy that has spread from Vilnius, and discover its connections to the city where WACOM6 will take place:

• Sites that testify to the history of devotion to Divine Mercy in Vilnius: www.cityofmercy.lt
• A continuous webcast from the Shrine of Divine Mercy, where the first Divine Mercy image is venerated, can be seen at: www.gailestingumas.lt The Divine Mercy Chaplet is recited here every day at 3:00 PM. (GMT+03:00).

The Congress will be held in English, Lithuanian, Polish, and Italian.

The conference part of the event (the programme before lunch) will take place in English, with simultaneous interpretation into Lithuanian, Polish, and Italian.

During the afternoon programme, individual sessions will be conducted in Lithuanian, English, Polish, and Italian; some of them will also be provided with simultaneous interpretation.

Holy Masses will be celebrated in different languages, with homilies translated.

If a group of participants requires interpretation into additional languages and is able to provide its own interpreter, the Congress organizers can provide the necessary interpretation equipment.

By purchasing a ticket, participants are entitled to:

• attend the full Congress programme,
• receive a participant welcome pack,
• receive meals (lunches and dinners; exceptions: dinner only on the first day, lunch only on the last day),
• free use of public city transport during the event.

The Hill of the Saviour is a special place in Vilnius, closely connected with the history of Divine Mercy. In the 17th century, the monasteries of the Missionaries, the Visitandines, and the Sisters of Charity were established here and carried out a mission of mercy among the city’s residents. Later, this place also became the starting point of the message of Divine Mercy: nearby, at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Eugeniusz Kazimirowski painted the first image of Divine Mercy according to the visions of St. Faustina.

The history of this place also bears witness to hope even in the most difficult circumstances. During the Soviet period, a prison operated here; however, even then the prisoners set up a chapel in the dome, and Holy Mass became a sign of hope for them. Today, on one side there still stands the former prison, while on the other side there is a hospice that cares for seriously ill patients.

For this reason, this place uniquely testifies to God’s mercy—both in the history of the nation and the Church, and in the lives of particular people. That is why the Mercy Congress is taking place here, in the very place from which the message of Divine Mercy spread to the whole world.

Yes. Without purchasing a ticket or registering, everyone is welcome to attend:

• the opening Holy Mass of the Congress,
• the Corpus Christi (Devintinės) Eucharistic procession,
• afternoon programme activities,
• evening concerts,
• Holy Masses on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Please note that priority for afternoon programme activities and evening concerts will be given to registered participants who have purchased a Congress ticket.

Vilnius – a Safe European Capital. Since 2004, Lithuania has been a full member of the European Union and NATO, actively contributing to the strengthening of regional security and ensuring the highest standards for international events.

In response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Lithuanian government continuously monitors the geopolitical situation and stands in solidarity with Ukraine. Vilnius is characterized by low crime rates, a safe environment, and well-developed infrastructure for welcoming visitors.

Afternoon activities are part of the congress program, taking place from June 8 to 11 in various locations and churches in Vilnius' Old Town. These are open meetings that invite congress participants to delve into the theme "Building a City of Mercy".

During the afternoon activities, there will be spaces for prayer and contemplation, conferences and discussions with international speakers, cultural events, excursions to places of mercy in Vilnius, film screenings, and real experiences of works of mercy in the city. These activities will allow participants not only to listen to presentations, but also to experience how the theme of mercy comes alive in the city’s spaces and communities.

Priority to participate in the afternoon activities is given to congress participants who hold a valid accreditation. If there are available places, the activities will also be open to anyone interested.