Maria Madre Del Buen Pastor

One of my favorite presentations of Our Lady in Bogota numerous churches. Revisiting today in my heart and mind and in prayer to Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd, as I get ready to arrive tomorrow to my mission in Kiabakari to continue relentless quest of fulfilling the Lord's Will and the Vision of Divine Mercy in Kiabakari. Praying for all of you at the feet of Our Lady in that church in Bogota in my spirit and asking for your kind prayers for my safe trip back home and for God's Mercies and Blessings for the challenges that lie ahead of me there.

Our Mother of the Good Shepherd, pray for us!

Silver Jubilee Homily

I have been asked by many people who attended the Jubilee Mass for copies of my homily. I guess the best way to share it with them and with you is to publish the text here. It is in Polish, so please, use Google translator or other software to get it in your own language.

So, here it goes. And remember, please, to pray for me and Kiabakari. God bless you all!

The House of God

The time has come for the House of God to move ahead in its construction process. Started years back, corner stone laid by the late Bishop Justin Samba back in 2006, shortly before his sudden death, it waited for this moment for some six long years...

Momentary Bucket List

Inspired by one of my favorite movies - "The Bucket List", I drew up my own momentary bucket list as I was getting ready to head down to Dar es Salaam for my business trip...

What Exactly Is That?

On the last day of Christmas liturgical period, as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, I've been questioning myself, after meditating on the mystery of Christ Incarnation, His earthly life, Passion Mystery and what followed further on...

Apart From Those Things...

In an hour or so it will be time to go to the other side of the Divine Mercy Hill and celebrate the morning Mass for sisters who are continuing with their annual retreat. The first reading of today's liturgy is an outburst of sincerity of Saint Paul, a big bang of emotions and straightforwardness. I love his frankness and the way he puts things in a passionate way. The last passage of the Second Letter to Corinthians strikes me exceptionally hard: "And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led to sin, and I am not indignant? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness".

Quasimodo of Kiabakari

For a long period of time now, I meet an incarnation of Quasimodo of Notre-Dame in the church bell tower of the shrine. Whenever I go up to the shrine to ring the bell before the morning Mass, he is there, sitting high on the rail of the flight of stairs leading up to the bell, motionless and staring at me from above, as if making sure my ringing is up to standard. The thundering sound of the bell does not bother him at all as he sits and stares down, fully composed and focused on what I do...

Saint Hedwiga

It might have been Saint Stanislaus, bishop and martyr, Solemnity in Polish Church yesterday, but for us it as a grand day of celebration of Saint Hedwig (Jadwiga in Polish, Hedwiga in Swahili) as we gathered together at Buturu, the outstation of Butiama Parish, in the vicinity of Chief Wanzagi Girls' Secondary School, some 10 kilometers from Kiabakari, for the solemn blessing of the recently constructed church, the fruit of work and dedication of many, under the guidance of the parish priest of Butiama, Rev. Father Maciej Braun, CR (visit his blog here)...

Bitter-sweet

This is the taste I have wrapping down my USA voyage, as I celebrate the last Sunday on American soil, in St. Ladislaus Parish in Hempstead, Long Island. The first Sunday after my arrival to the States left a scar on my heart, as it was the day my things were stolen from the closet in the sacristy of the Presentation parochial church in Stockton. Today, on my last Sunday, I feel much better, experiencing the warmth of the welcome and genuine kindness of pastors and the parochial community...

Hope Up

I was notified yesterday by my friends in Stockton not to raise hopes up, though the suspect of the theft of my bag at Presentation Catholic Church in Stockton two weeks ago was caught yesterday. I do hope that my documents will still be recovered and returned to me. There are many people praying for this and I am so overwhelmed and grateful to them for this support. This is the link to the Channel 10 news on the developing story.

Prayers appreciated for the successful recovery of my docs!

13 Out Of 33

This is the number of Chilean miners belonging to Jesus of Nazareth parish in Copiapo, Chile. The parish priest of that parish is 47 year old Polish Claretian priest, Fr. Adam Bartyzol, born in Pieniazkowice in Podhale region of Southern Poland, who has been working in Chile for four years now...

Simple Elegance

I love the parochial church of my friend, Fr. Wieslaw. Its simple elegance is stunning and I feel very much at home in this House of God. Nothing is too much in there, everything is simple, elegant, balanced and 'user friendly'. I enjoy every moment spent on prayer in this holy place or just sitting in there or admiring its well-appointed interior and a pleasant architecture.

Right In The Heart Of The City

Right in the heart of my City of Kraków, in The Main Market Square, is where the smallest church - among all churches in the whole of the Archdiocese of Kraków - is located. The church dedicated to my Patron Saint - St. Wojciech (or in Latin - St. Adalbert). My favorite church!

My City

It feels so good to be back home. Back in my home town, Kraków. Back to neighborhood I grew up and lived in. Back to the city ambiance, streets, history, art, culture. Back to my friends...

Bunda

Half of my sisters, seminarian and myself just came back from Bunda parish, our neighbors, 32 kilometers from Kiabakari on the way to Mwanza. The same town where I go twice a month for penitential service of Carmelite Cloistered Nuns.

13

To many, this number is associated with all bad things imaginable (at least in many cultures this is the case, including Poland; though for Tanzanians, especially in our Mara Region, and Zanaki ethnic group in particular, number 7 is the bad number, while in Poland number 7 is a good luck number to the contrary!).