The Original Divine Mercy Institute at World Youth Day - LISBON - 2023
In the summer of 2023, 1.5 million young people converged on the sea port town of Lisbon Portugal for the 17th World Youth Day (August 1-6). For the first time in World Youth Day history, a presentation was given highlighting the Original Image of Divine Mercy.
The Archdiocese of Vilnius teamed up with The Original Divine Mercy Institute to put together a 2-hour workshop about Divine Mercy as revealed to Saint Faustina Kowalska in her mystical apparitions in Vilnius in the early 1930’s. The workshop was held in the beautiful Auditorium of the School of Dentistry and featured a short film introducing the Original Image (see below). Also featured were several worship songs by the Lithuanian Youth Day Choir (LJD šlovinimo choras). Special musical guests included the Youth of Mercy from the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Vilnius, Deimantė Emilija, Rūta Bernotaitė, Edgaras Mosiejus, and former opera singer, Fr. Povilas Narijauskas, who is now rector of the Shrine of Divine Mercy. Together these 70+ voices formed a powerful sound of praise that filled the 1000-seat auditorium.
The workshop also featured keynote speakers Gintaras Grušas, Archbishop of Vilnius, who spoke on Mercy, and Daniel diSilva, President of the Original Divine Mercy Institute, who gave a theological treatment of the details of Saint Faustina’s Masterpiece of Mercy.
Special guest Kęstutis Kėvalas, Archbishop of Kaunas, Lithuania, was also present for the event which ended in blessings from the two archbishops and various preists who were also present.
Although the presentation was given only once during the 6-day festival, many people were blessed and this exclusive event which was considered a great success by all who were present.
The Lisbon event was the first WYD since COVID-19 pandemic, and the tenth WYD that was held in Europe. At the closing of World Youth Day in Lisbon, it was officially announced that the next WYD will be held in 2027 in Seoul, Korea, marking the second time WYD will have been held in Asia, the first time that WYD will have been held in East Asia, as well as the first time a WYD will be held in a Koreanic-language-speaking (Korean) country. See you there!
This 7-minute film is an introduction to the epic tale that is the history of the Original Image of Divine Mercy. The full history of the painting was first compiled in a full-length documentary by directory and researcher Daniel diSilva in 2016, produced by the Archdiocese of Vilnius, Lithuania. This short film was featured as part of a workshop presented by the Archdiocese of Vilnius at World Youth Day in Lisbon (Portugal) in 2023. The film rolled as an introduction to a presentation by Daniel diSilva on the significance of the Original Image of Divine Mercy.
For more information about a presentation on the Original Image of Divine Mercy, please email our scheduling office at originaldivinemercy at gmail .com.