Faustina Kowalska's Life, and Afterlife, as a Woman Religious
The Polish Review July 1, 2026 DOI: 10.5406/23300841.71.2.02 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Kowalska's legacy as a nun—her diary, her vision for a new congregation, and the three women's communities she inspired—offers insight into the broader experience of women religious before Vatican II, a period of expansion and changing roles. |
Abstract
Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938) is renowned for mystical experiences that have inspired the Divine Mercy devotion. Less appreciated is her legacy as a nun, including the unvarnished account of convent life she captured in her diary, her dreams of a new congregation, and the three distinct women's communities she helped inspire. This article details this legacy, and in the process it sheds light on the broader experience of women religious in the decades before Vatican II, a dynamic period in which women's communities were expanding rapidly and their roles in the Church and the world were being renegotiated.