One Of Twelve

The last day of the first month of the new year of 2011 creates an ambiance for a recapitulation of the first of twelve slices of the time given us by God as a gift and a challenge as well. Time to stop in our tracks and look back and around. Where am I? Where am I heading? What has happened in this period of time? what about my New Year resolutions? Am I underway to achieve them and fulfill them? Am I firmly on the path  of salvation with Christ and His Church? Who am I on this last day of the first out of twelve months of this year? Whom did I create out of myself in these thirty first days? Did I spread crumbs of goodness or bitterness? Did I proclaim love and compassion or envy and suffering of others? Today is the best day to sit down in the shadow of the tabernacle and ask myself these questions in the light of the Holy Spirit...

Courage

The Liturgy of the Word of today's Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time speaks to me about the courage. Though there is not a single word about the courage itself. But what is genuine humility spoken about in the Holy Scripture, the humility understood and defined by God Himself, if not our courage to trust God and go beyond our fear and need to stay in the comfort of the known world to us?

Heat Wave

Since I arrived to this area twenty years ago I don't recall heat like this we have been experiencing for the past few weeks. Is it normal to have 30+ Centigrades room temperature, 32-35 Centigrades in the shadow outside and 60 Centigrades in the sun? Normally, my brain refuses to work efficiently in a room temperature exceeding 30 Centigrades. And these days it has become a constant feature! No rains, scorching sun, no water in pipes. What a fun!

Graduation Day - Pictures

Too tired, too overwhelmed, too high on emotions to write anything sensible after today's first ever graduation at our Pre-School in Kiabakari. So, just a quick post with a link to some sixty photos from the event. Hope you will like them and appreciate a huge amount of work put into the preparations of this historic celebration - on the side of children, sisters and parents. The pictures are here.

Graduation Day

Frenetic days this week as we continue to press ahead in all three fronts in the construction - fixing pipes and valves of the distribution system of water from the main tank, working on the sisters' convent and the finishing touches of the classroom and the furniture for the standard one students in our center for education and formation. And at the same time we are busy with the preparations for the graduation day for our children from pre-school who finished their education last year and will start the standard one class on February 7, 2011...

Under The Tanzanian Sun

This is just a quick post for those of my noble readers who have no access to my Facebook profile and photo albums there. If you wish to see the beauty of Tanzania, its people, landscapes, wildlife and flora, please visit this link. For more pictures, please visit my photo albums gallery here. I hope you will enjoy it.

Grandfather

Another adorable day in our Polish encyclopedia of customs. The Grandfather's Day today. Both of my Grandpas passed away long time ago. The Father of my Mum - in April 1940 in Katyń Forest (I wrote about him in my post here). The second, my Dad's Dad - passed away in 1983 when I was a freshman in the metropolitan seminary in Kraków...

Μετανοεῖτε

The Catholic Church in the eyes of the secular world sometimes is nothing more than an international relief or social welfare agency, taking care of orphans, underprivileged, building hospitals, schools, water wells, orphanages, fighting deforestation, social injustice, global warming, you name it. Though these human activities are important, we as Catholics must not forget that the primordial task on our hands is preaching true conversion to God and salvation through the Church and the sacramental means at our disposal...

Controls

Feeling trashed a bit after the full day payload, being a typical busy Saturday, I decided to calm myself down and relax a bit walking down the lane of my past musical interests and likes... I needed something that will allow me to breathe with my full self... with enough space for my mental slow travels, experiencing along the way some surges of feelings, ups and downs... quite an effective self therapy, taking my mind off the high blood pressure issues, stresses of life and responsibilities and imminent challenges looming over the horizon...

The Busiest Day

Isn't it a bit weird that Saturdays are busiest days of every week for me? As far as I remember correctly, in Polish, European and American parishes I know, Saturday is quite an easy going day, the day of rest and little things to go about...But not for me. Am I sane?

Thin Line

There is a fine line between life and death, security and safety, happiness and sorrow, confidence and fear... I guess it applies to all humans all worldwide, but in particular here, in a rural Tanzania. Today we have seen this thin line for ourselves...

Grandmother

On January 21, we, Poles, celebrate Grandmother's Day. Sadly, both my Grannies are in Heaven now, still I do observe, pay attention and celebrate this day as I have lots to be grateful for having such wonderful Grandmas in my life. I was and am lucky, to be honest. My Grandmothers were the best ever Grandmas in the history of the humanity!

Water

A new year has begun with empty water pipes. Reason for empty pipes? Water Authority which administers the pipeline from the Lake to Butiama did not pay electricity bills to Tanesco (Electricity Supply Company). How comes we pay water bills and yet they get cut off from power grid and now God only knows how many people - 40-60 thousand people - along the pipeline are forced to fetch water from contaminated creeks and streams, catch rain water from roofs whenever rain comes (which does not happen often, unfortunately, this season) or from scarce waterholes in the area...

So Sweet

I simply could not withhold a broad smile, when I sat for the first reading of this morning's Holy Mass in Our Lady of Perpetual Help chapel in the shrine. Sister who read the first reading has still some pronunciation issues, as she is Zambian and sometimes swahili gives her troubles and sometimes she simply mixes swahili with her native ki-Bemba vernacular language...

January 18

On January 18, 1945 the Soviet forces of the 2nd Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev entered Kraków and forced the German army to withdraw. Krakow emerged as a city in the newly established People's Republic of Poland... Some people call this a 'Liberation' of Kraków. Others - 'The End of Kraków as we knew it before the Second World War began'...

The Sea Of Grass

The picture I found accidentally today, while browsing through online albums of my photos, triggered emotions and heavy thoughts... I live among people I love, respect, cherish and serve to the best of my poor abilities...I am surrounded by caring hearts, loving souls... Yet so many times I feel lonely, abandoned by everyone, helpless... Don't get me wrong... I am not talking about relationships, friendships, feelings of unity and closeness...

Rwanda

Just to share with you a picture collage made by and published on YouTube by a former volunteer in Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Health Center in Kiabakari, dr Jadwiga Żyłka (in charge of the health center from December 2008 till May 2010). Once she was done with her tour of duty, she decided to go around the Lake Victoria on a scouting mission to see and understand more... Once she got to Rwanda, she took some outstanding photographs which she decided to share with us now. And I gladly present her work inspired by the reality she saw there... I do not say enjoy, but there is little to enjoy about these photos. I just wish you to comprehend more and pray for peace in Africa and worldwide. The link to pictures is here. Well done, Jadzia! Thanks for sharing with us the images of your journey...

Your Desperate Cook

Here I am. Your Desperate Cook. Desperately trying to cook something edible. Starting years back with first attempt to not to burn boiling water, going through pains, sweat and blood to climb the steep ladder of chef's mastery... I am not there yet, but fancying to rediscover in me vast pools of cooking abilities, hidden in my self... Once my sisters are gone to their convent, which, please God, will happen anytime in March, I am fully intending to rediscover myself and reinvent myself and reinstate myself in the kitchen as a sassy seasonal Desperate Cook. Will keep you posted how things pan out for me and my happy 'customers'. I hope no one gets hurt or sick eating what I come up with in my fabulous kitchen. Here it is an official opening of yet another illustrious cooking season for Your Desperate Cook - an all time hit - yummiest ever home made loaf of bread, famous all over the world!

The Splendor

On January 15, 2002, I woke up as usual in my house in Kiabakari. Got ready for the morning Holy Mass preceded with confessions for those who wished to confesss before the Eucharist. Had my head full of many things while I celebrated the sacred liturgy, praying for the gift of discernment and the guidance of the Holy Spirit...

The Good News

The beatification of the Servant of God, Holy Father John Paul II, has hit headlines worldwide today. And the date set for the proclamation could not be better! The Divine Mercy Sunday is the perfect venue for the beatification Mass. Just yesterday during our meeting in the diocese, I asked the bishop to make sure he does not miss the Divine Mercy Sunday Mass in Kiabakari shrine. Now the announcement of the beatification on this precisely day changes the whole picture and makes my head spinning already, thinking how to merge the major pilgrimage day for hundreds of pilgrims with this happy event. Prayers appreciated! May the Holy Spirit guide is in preparations for this joyous day! Thanks be to God! Stay tuned for more news what we come up with for that day!

The Hand

Woke up in pieces this morning, felt as a pile of trash to be disposed any time soon... Got myself fixed somehow, thought quickly that all this is due to high B.P. probably. Shrugged off worries, jumped into my old truck and drove slowly to Bunda for the regular service as a confessor of Discalded Cloistered Carmelite Sisters in Bunda Carmel. It was my first time there since I came back from holidays, as they had the Superior General of Carmelite Fathers with them for Christmas and New Year services...

Money

At times like this, I feel so disappointed and flabbergasted... Jesus warned us long time ago: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.  If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil." (Mt 6:25-34)...

Application

Nah, it's not about looking for a new job. The title of this post may be a bit misleading, but for those who are savvy in technical novelties, the word 'application' means something else. It means a program or software available for instance in iTunes Store that you can download for free or for a small fee and install on your mobile device - ie iPhone, using as an example...

Google Earth

If you ever wondered where, for goodness' sake, this thing called Kiabakari is located exactly on Planet Earth, let me show you on the map and with the the Google Earth tools...

Rain

The very first rain last night and still raining lazily...Dark heavy lead clouds looming over Kiabakari...Cool breeze sways treetops gracefully... I love weather like this. The best condition for intellectual work, meditation, book writing, thinking, unwinding my senses and feelings fed by specially chosen concert on DVD playing in background... Thanking God for this wonderful gift... I will stay home doing some mental work. I'm not going to waste this special time... Check the following short video clips I took some time ago on days like this today. Feel the ambiance and think about coming over for a aromatic cup of coffee and a croissant that awaits you today... We will sit and talk, enjoying music and ourselves, sipping coffee and sharing thoughts how to make the vision of Kiabakari come true...

Touching Moment

Such a touching moment it is! My closest friends and coworkers from our Foundation Kiabakari have gathered together for a special thanksgiving Mass on the occasion of my twentieth anniversary of missionary work in Tanzania. The venue of the Mass is a very special too and very close to my heart as it is  the Royal Cathedral on Wawel Hill in Kraków, the very place I was ordained priest on May 22, 1988. I am extremely grateful and deeply moved for this amazing token of love and friendship. In particular I wish to thank Agata, Bożena and Paweł for this initiative and for their effort to spread the word among our friends and supporters. As my personal token of appreciation I have celebrated the Holy Mass for them, for all members and suporters of Foundation Kiabakari and their families, at the same time as the Mass in Kraków, in the home chapel in my mission, right here in Kiabakari. Thank you, my beloved friends, from the bottom of my heart! Dziekuję Wam, Kochani moi, z całego serca! Asanteni sana, Wapendwa wangu, kwa moyo wangu wote!

Spot The Difference

Spot the difference. These two pictures were taken from the same spot...

11/1/11

This is a lovely date today. January 11, 2001. Or 11/1/11 or 1/11/11. I reminds me of the One who is the Creator of All and Everything. This reminds me of one Love. This reminds of one purpose of my life. This reminds me of one vision of this place I serve... This reminds of the uniqueness of every person. This reminds me that I have only one life... And I should use it wisely.

The Light

I dunno why I have become obsessed with the theme of light today... Is it because of the sacrament of the reconciliation and the purification of my soul through the Precious Blood of Jesus in the absolution? Or is it because I met with a friend for a lunch and a conversation in depth on various topics which cleansed my mind? Or is it because of my body recovering forcefully after ten days or so of high blood pressure and malaria? Or maybe because the fact I just finished reading the Holy Father's mammoth interview published just recently? Maybe the combination of all these factors... The Light of the World, Christ the King, my Lord, rules supreme in my whole person... I would like to share with you the joy of being immersed in light by posting a few pictures depicting the theme of light. This is the link to the album with the said photos. Enjoy! And become more and more the light of this world and for this world!

What Counts

What counts is the Mystery of the Lord's Mercy, Love and Presence. While the whole Catholic Church in Tanzania was gathered in Mwanza for the installation of the new Archbishop of Mwanza, Rt. Rev. Bishop Yuda Thaddeus Ruwaichi, I was going about my pastoral duties in Kiabakari. First - two regular Masses in the shrine, then off to Isaba outstation, the northernmost village in my mission. I love to go there. The community is minute, the chapel is built of mud bricks with a thatched roof, dust inside, no church pews. Confessions done under a tree outside in the dust, sitting on a wooden chair. But I love. The Presence of the Lord is felt so powerfully, so intimately, I can't experience the same somehow in modern, better equipped chapels and churches. It feels as if I celebrate the Mystery of the Presence in Bethlehem crib....

The Metropolitan

After the time of anxious anticipation who might be the successor of the late Archbishop Anthony Mayala of Archdiocese of Mwanza, which is the Metropolitan See of the Province of Lake Zone to which the Diocese of Musoma belongs too, not so long ago we have been told that the Holy Father Benedict XVI has elected Rt. Rev. Bishop Yuda Thaddeus Ruwaichi, the Bishop of Dodoma and the President of Tanzanian Episcopal Conference, from the Order of Capuchin Friars, to be the third native Archbishop of Mwanza.

Touchdown

On this very day, January 8, 1991, around 8pm local time, I set my foot for the very first time on Tanzanian soil, or rather - the concrete surface of the Dar es Salaam International Airport. It's been twenty years exactly since that day when my life changed forever. Please, join me in thanksgiving prayer today for those twenty colorful and memorable, challenging, traumatic, euphoric and wonderful years, for everything that God allowed me to go through and taste, bittersweet memories, lessons learned, wisdom and experience gained... Immense wealth of knowledge, experience and history I am  so much grateful for to God Almighty and to all people God put on my path in those past twenty years. They were and still are absolutely important to me. And I cherish them and salute with pride and gratitude. Thank you for being there for me! I ask you humbly also to pray for me and people I serve and challenges I am facing today and in the days to come so that His will and not mine be done.

Ur

On this day, exactly twenty years ago I left Europe and the world known to me - my personal Ur - and began my journey via Swissair from Rome to Dar es Salaam via Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, towards the Promised Land - Tanzania. I did not now what to expect and what God had called me for in Tanzania back then. I did not know if I manage to be a missionary in Africa. Twenty years later, the picture is clear and some answers to my questions have been already given...

Last Piece

A New Year has dawn and with it a new challenges. Among them - a recollection day each and every Friday throughout the entire year. And in each instance - a spiritual talk which I intend to give to the participants which number varies from Friday to Friday, depending on many variables. Usually, I would plan a series of talks hovering above and touching a certain theme. In some years I would exclude Third Friday of the month for a special guest coming to lead the recollection / retreat day and give a spiritual talk along the theme chosen for Third Fridays of the month in a given year. And this is what I am going to do this year too...

22 Years Ago

January 6, 1989 was a day of episcopal consecration of Rt. Rev. Bishop Justin Tetemu Samba, the late Bishop of Musoma, who received the episcopal dignity through the hands of the Servant of God, Holy Father John Paul II in Vatican Basilica. I wish to brought this important event for the history of salvation of the People of God in Musoma Diocese to ask kindly for your prayers for the repose of his soul. He died on August 23, 2006, after long and painful illness. He was the Bishop who accepted me in Diocese of Musoma and I served the People of God in the diocese since 1991 till now, 16 years under his pastoral guidance and authority, holding various posts he entrusted me along the way, including the episcopal vicar for religious and the pastor of the Cathedral Church in Musoma, not mentioning Kiabakari and the diocesan shrine of Divine Mercy here. May his soul rest in peace and may he pray for us here in Musoma Diocese, keeping alive his legacy...

120

On January 6, 1891 God called a widow, Celine Borzecka, and her daughter Hedwig to begin the Congregation of the Sisters of the Resurrection in Rome. Today we celebrate the 120th Anniversary of the birth of this remarkable family of women religious. The only African mission of the congregation is located just 10 kilometers from Kiabakari, in Buturu, where Sisters run Chief Wanzagi Girls'Secondary School. I salute the whole congregation, wish them God's blessings and protection, praying for them and for all intentions dear to their hearts.

Now You Know

When I post that I happen to have malaria sickness, you may not know exacty what I am talking about. After watching this video, you will know what it's all about. Thank you, Paweł, the CEO and President of our Foundation Kiabakari, for pointing to me this video clip which I gladly share with you in this post below, while I undergo treatment for the disease shown in the documentary. Stay blessed!

Opportunity

As the famous saying goes - "Troubles are opportunities in disguise", I guess it's quite right. At least as far as my ay today is concerned. Grounded home with malaria, fever and recurring from high blood pressure, I found myself in dilemma what to do with a sudden gift of free time I would spend working and doing different things today. The health trouble became an opportunity in disguise to do something else. So I spent the most of the day reading the 'Light of the World' (the latest book-interview with the Holy Father Benedict XVI) and in the meantime working on crude ideas for my new book I am going to write and publish this year - Holy Rosary meditations based on the Rosary Garden paintings themes (the Rosary Garden was my last project before I was transferred from Musoma Cathedral back to Kiabakari in 2006) and anchored in our daily life which I intend to present at a certain angle which I will not disclose at this point of time. Thanks be to God then for this unexpected opportunity to set in motion various things I would not even think of due to the lack of time and pressure I feel racing against the time with the ongoing projects in my mission...

No Sign

Looks like there is no sign of crisis in the Congregation of Little Servants of Blessed Virgin Mary Conceived Immaculate. Neither in local vocations in Africa, nor in their financial wellbeing. Tomorrow three young women will participate in a thanksgiving Mass in their home parish in Shirati in the northwestern part of diocese of Musoma, as they are the very first Tanzanian women who entered that congregation and just recenty made their first vows in Kasisi, Lusaka, Zambia - the headquarters of the African Province of the Congregation...

Faces Of Love 2010

Inspired by the new application on Facebook - My Year in Photos - I got an idea to dedicate this post to the Faces of Love of 2010. The faces of old and new friends - who I have met personally last year and were instrumental in making the year of 2010 such a remarkable time of my life. Unfortunately, I am in the possession of only a handful of pictures of persons I respect and love as genuine Faces of Love. That is why you will not be able to see all of them, though all of them are unique and critically  important to me. For this I apologize, but simply I have only their pictures imprinted in my mind and heart... For those whose pictures I publish, I did not put names under their respective pictures, because they are true revelations of one Love... Love of God... I place these pictures and persons depicted on them on the altar of my grateful heart. Without you, true Faces of Love, my life would become something else... Thank you for being there for me...The link to the album with Faces of Love is here.

Sidelined

For a moment I thought of a deja vu that was going to happen today. On the day my Mum passed away I drove to Butiama as I said in the morning post. The message reached me there. Today I was about to drove to Butiama too, to meet with the parish priest who wanted my advise on some issues. I got anxious a bit as I thought that this smells like a deja vu of January 3, 2009. Luckily, well maybe not so luckily after all, I cancelled the short hop to Butiama as I felt too weary to drive - there has been a new condition developing for me for a past few days, which was not present before - that of a fluctuation of blood pressure which I find quite difficult to handle and to be able to work as normal with this at times high B.P. So, I decided against driving in this condition and instead I chose to stay home and do some other mental work, which I have been doing since the morning hours... Guess so - sometimes being sidelined for health problems is not as bad as having a deja vu that sends a shiver down your spine that something very bad is going to happen any time...

Pure Coincidence?

Was it a pure coincidence that so long awaited Sisters from the Congregation of Little Servants of Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate Conceived who I was asking patiently to come for some 17 years in a row in vain, conceded to my relentless petitioning and came at last to Kiabakari on January 3, 2010, on the first anniversary of the death of my Mum?

Two Years

It's already two years since my Mum passed away, on January 3, 2009. I remember that day as if it happened today. The day before my brother called and told me she was put into intensive care unit in the hospital she knew too well already for the past years of her battle with numerous illnesses... It was Friday. Then on Saturday I said Mass for her and drove to Butiama, some 13 kilometers from Kiabakari to see the parish priest of Butiama...

Fundacja Kiabakari

If you are on Facebook, please add Fundacja Kiabakari to the list of your friends. Together we can make a difference not only in the virtual world, but also and mainly by joining our hearts and hands in supporting noble causes - both present and projected - of our Foundation in Kiabakari. Thank you in advance for your friendship and commitment!

Pleasant Surprise

Browsing internet, looking for some info on Kiabakari to broaden my own perspective, I just came across a hort movie on the construction of the health center in my mission, done by Polish TV back in 2005, in which I actually took part, giving an interview, but never had a chance to watch it. Today it was the first time I was able to see it through. What a pleasant surprise! It's in Polish, but pictures do speak volumes, so I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do now. Here is the link to the movie...

Totus Tuus?

No, this post won't be about the Holy Father John Paul II. Yet it's all about the essence of this latin saying - 'totus tuus ego sum'. And its meaning in our life. The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord - celebrated today across the globe in the Catholic Church - is all about the Lord revealing Himself to all humankind represented by the magi (the wisemen) who came from the far east to do Him homage and offer their treasures...

Theotokos

The Solemnity of Holy Mary, Mother of God has become particularly close to my heart since I was appointed as a parish priest in Musoma Cathedral parish in 2002 by the late Bishop Justin Tetemu Samba. The Cathedral church in Musoma has been dedicated precisely to Holy Mary, Mother of God, and today is the day we not only celebrate a New Year, but also a Patron Saint feast of Musoma Cathedral and the Diocese of Musoma as well, as Holy Mary, Mother of God is the Patroness of our diocese too...