St. Faustina had remarkable visions of Jesus during her life, leading to the well-beloved Divine Mercy devotion.
Yet, it wasn't always easy for St. Faustina, as she thought these visions were hallucinations and initially wanted to dismiss them.
She needed spiritual guidance, and one of the first priests to counsel her was Fr. Józef Andrasz.
On November 12, 2024, Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski of Krakow announced the initiation of Fr. Andrasz' beatification process.
Who was Fr. Józef Andrasz?
Fr. Józef Andrasz was born in 1891 in Poland and entered the Society of Jesus at an early age.
He was ordained in 1919 and wrote many spiritual books throughout his life.
Fr. Andrasz was also well-known as a respected confessor and spiritual director. He helped St. Faustina shortly after she received the Divine Mercy apparitions.
According to the Jesuit Conference of Europe, "He served as her spiritual director for nearly three years during the formative early phase of her mystical experiences. From the outset, Fr. Andrasz believed in the authenticity of her encounters with Christ and provided unwavering support as she carried out the mission entrusted to her. In her Diary, St. Faustina expressed profound gratitude for his spiritual guidance, which she regarded as essential to her journey."
He died on February 1, 1963, and was a strong advocate for the Divine Mercy devotion until his death.
If beatified, he would join St. Faustina's primary confessor, Fr. Michael Sopocko, who was beatified on September 28, 2008.
