The building at 2 Rossa Street (now 4 Rossa Street) dates from the 17th century. Until 1945, it was owned by the Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commonly called the Visitation Sisters. Surrounded by a convent orchard, it served as a 'guest house.’
From September 1932 to November 1934, Blessed Father Michael Sopoćko lived here.
Blessed Father Michael’s apartment was on the first floor, next to that of Father Józef Poniatowski, the chaplain, who worked at the Curia as a notary. Eugene Kazimirowski, a painter, lived on the ground floor. It was him whom Blessed Father Michael Sopoćko asked to paint the image of Divine Mercy, with the inscription “Jesus, I trust in You!”, based on the vision of St. Faustina Kowalska.
St. Sr. Faustina with the knowledge and permission of her superior came several times a week with another sister to Fr. Michael and then to the painter. The image was created as a memory portrait. Fr. Sopoćko himself posed for this painting, to make the painter’s task easier.
The work was completed strictly according to sr. Faustina’s indications in July 1934 (after six months) and remained in the possession of Fr. Michael, who had covered all the costs associated with painting the image.
In November 1934, Fr. Sopoćko moved to the building by St. Michael’s Church, belonging to the Bernardine Sisters.
Currently, in the room where the painting was painted there is a chapel. The building has preserved authentic stairs which were certainly walked on by St. Sr. Faustina, Bl. Fr. Sopoćko and Eugene Kazimirowski. On the wall above the stairs hangs the cross commissioned by Fr. M. Sopoćko intended for the garrison church of St. Ignatius, which Fr. M. Sopoćko, being a chaplain of the Polish Army, rebuilt between 1926-1929. The cross hung in the temple until 1945, that is, until it was closed by the Soviet authorities.
The Visitation Sisters’ convent in 1945 also shared the fate of other sacral buildings in Vilnius. The communist authorities converted it into a prison. However, this building has survived to modern times in good condition, because it housed the prison administration.
Nowadays, the house is the post of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Merciful Jesus.