Polish Christmas in Lake Zone

On Friday, December 28, 2012, we had a second Christmas in our Polish community of Lake Zone. This time the venue was SMA regional house in Bwiru, Mwanza. Some twenty people attended. It was a marvelous time and a great initiative which we must preserve and continue. Enjoy a few pictures I took on that day.

Polish Day in Dar

Just a few pictures from the evening meeting of Polish Ambassador, Consul and Commerce official from Polish Embassy in Nairobi - with Polish community in Dar es Salaam on December 14, 2012. A very good idea of mobile consulate in Tanzania, which helps us living in Tanzania a lot. And an opportunity to know better each other.

Mission Accomplished

Typing these words at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. I am on my way back to Kiabakari. God willing, I will land in Mwanza midday, then will proceed to Buzuruga bus terminal to catch a bus to Kiabakari. Should be back home in Kia in the evening...

First Aid Fiesta

Apologies for posting these photos late. On December 1, 2012 we had a special fiesta as the conclusion and finale of First Aid project of Foundation Kiabakari financed by Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs   program of 'Polish Aid 2012'. A lot of effort went into the preparation of this major event. I am deeply grateful to all involved in the preparation and the event itself. But all we did paid off as you can see in the pictures below (posted in no particular order). Enjoy!

Altar Servers

The Solemnity of the Christ the King was celebrated in style in Kiabakari. We gave to the King thirty eight new servants in His House - the new altar servers who were officially accepted by Rev. Father Janusz Machota, the regional superior of SMA congregation in Tanzania, who with his confrere visited me on Saturday and stayed through Sunday. After a long preparation, our boys were ready to start serving the King of Mercy in His Shrine in Kiabakari in the liturgy celebrated in the church. Here are some pictures of the Holy Mass yesterday...

The Visit

Writing these words in Mwanza, at SMA regional house, I wrap up the visitation of the Mother General of Little Servants of Mary Immaculate Sisters Congregation, Mother Beata Chwistek from Stara Wieś in Poland, in Shirati and Kiabakari, as the part of her visitation of the African Province of the Congregation. Tomorrow our guests - Mother General, Assistant General, Mother Provincial - will fly to Dar es Salaam and onward to South Africa. We, Sister Superior of Kiabakari community and myself will drive back to Kiabakari. It was an important and historical visit. The very first one of the Mother General in Kiabakari convent. I am very satisfied and very glad. And I know this visit will bear multiple fruit. For now just a couple of pictures from the artistic program of our school children presented to the Guests.

Two Small Coins

“Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."” (Mk 12:41-44)

A couple of weeks ago a letter came for the youth of Musoma Cathedral who asked me for a retreat here in Kiabakari, in the diocesan shrine of Divine Mercy. Some of those youth I worked with back in 2002-2006 when I was a pastor there. The letter brought back memories of that period and one particular moment of it, when the youth group of Musoma Cathedral asked me for a retreat day for them. I complied and we had a recollection day in the cathedral...

The Avenues Of Love

November is my favorite month. The mystery of the Communion of Saints fully relived and experienced anew by the whole Church. All Saints Solemnity congratulating our sisters and brothers for passing the exam of holy life, worthy of God's accolade and acceptance in Heaven. Asking our champions to keep a watchful eye on us walking together towards the gates of Heaven...

Blessing

Finally, 'mvua za vuli' (short rainy season) have arrived. A genuine blessing in this part of the world, and I guess, all over where people know what it means to lack water for certain periods of the year. Thank you, Lord!

For a few days now we have enjoyed thunderstorms with good downpours. Our plastic tanks filled up quickly and we pumped the rain water out of them up to the main concrete tank by the church. One good rain fills six tanks (3-4 thousand liters capacity) in a matter of a couple of hours. The main water tank by the church though depends mainly on the water from the village pipeline which never comes up our hill (we need to use boost pump each time we get the news that the water appeared in the neighbors' taps. We harvest the rain water only from the small portion of the church roofs, unfortunately, as the village pipeline failure to deliver water to inhabitants of Nyamisisye and Kiabakari villages in relatively new backward development.

It looks like the situation is not going to improve in the foreseeable future, so we have to react quickly and install gutters and build main retention tanks for rain water, funds permitting. Just a few pictures below taken with mobile phone camera to show you the beauty of the Vuli season.

Year of Faith

I love the official logo of the Year of Faith. So meaningful and true and depicting the reality of the Church and the Faith in the modern world. What is important, who is important, in whose boat we are sailing, under whose sail we travel together... As I am getting ready for yet another meeting of our parochial committee for the Year of Faith in Kiabakari, as I look at the logo to find inspiration and remind myself again that 'sentire cum Ecclesia' is modus operandi for here in Kiabakari. And this is exactly what we are going to do. 

Thank You

Thank you all, who supported me through your kind prayers, thoughts and spiritual solidarity in my solitary retreat. I felt your presence and the power of your prayers. This was truly a genuine experience of the communion of saints. And it surely helped me a lot to stay composed, focused, faithful to the schedule of the retreat and open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God bless you much!

Into The Wilderness

Tomorrow is the day I will begin my personal retreat in solitude in the wilderness. It coincides with the beginning of the Year of the Faith, the fact I am very happy of. I humbly ask all of you for your kind prayers so that the Lord's Will is fulfilled in this time of silence, detachment and prayer. I will take all of you and all your intentions with me and will pray for you and them. I will be offline for eight days. Hopefully, this retreat I do in the jubilee year of my priesthood, will strengthen me to face boldly and calmly the challenges that lie ahead of me, my world and the Kiabakari community. Fiat Voluntas Tua, Domine!

I will come back to the blog after this experience. Take care for now!

Celebration

Entrance Dance

Tanzania, Tanzania!

School Anthem

WACOM 2014

Anyone who wants to join me on the journey to Bogota, Colombia in August 2014 for the World Apostolic Congress on Divine Mercy (WACOM 2014), especially pilgrims from Tanzania, please, contact me on my email through the contact page on WACOM website (click here). So far, I was blessed to attend the congress in Rome and in Kraków. I won't make it to Australia this year in October. but surely I would love to take part in Colombia in two years time. Let's go together!

My ID from WACOM 2008 in Rome

One Year

I wish to congratulate my classmate, His Excellency Bishop Grzegorz Ryś, auxiliary bishop of Archdiocese of Kraków, and his fellow auxiliary bishop Damian Muskus, for the first anniversary of their episcopal consecration which we celebrate today. I regret I was unable to participate in the consecration Mass as on that day a year ago I was in the air returning to Tanzania from Poland, and it was impossible to postpone the flight as I was rushing back to be present at the Centenary celebrations of Christianity in our Diocese of Musoma.

I celebrated Holy Mass today for both Bishops, thanking God for the gift of their apostolate and praying for them that Divine Mercy may shine through the service to the Church and the world. Auguri! Please, pray for them!

Bishop Grzegorz Ryś

Bishop Damian Muskus

Weekend? You bet!

Whenever I come across people excited by TGIF (Thanks God It's Friday) frenzy, I question myself if I am abnormal. To me, Friday is the beginning of the busiest time of the week. This 'weekend' is no exception to this rule...

First Aid Kits

The First Aid Project 'Huduma ya Kwanza' is going on very well in Kiabakari. Volunteers of our Foundation Kiabakari are doing exceptional job running courses for inhabitants of Kukirango ward and for teachers of primary and secondary schools in the area. Apart from teaching aids which Karolina and Agata prepared, now they finished preparing special first aid kits for each school - fourteen in total. every headmistress/headmaster will be presented with the kit for free at the end of the course for each school. Here are a few pictures of the prepared kits and its contents. Well done, Karolina and Agata!

The Road Map

Last evening we had a very constructive and fruitful meeting of the Parochial Executive Council. Planning the Year of the Faith and highlights of this time of grace. For us, in Kiabakari, this special period of the history of mankind means a lot as it coincides with a few events of heavy caliber which need careful and thorough planning and execution...

Beautiful Day

Unexpectedly beautiful day today. Students from Makoko language school coming for the second Mass and a chat, led by Resurrection Sisters. St. Cecilia choir 45-members strong coming from Musoma Cathedral singing both Masses and offering their condolences for the loss of my Dad. Heart warming. Gratitude!

Graduation

Just to let you know that I posted a new photo album on Facebook with pictures taken today at Chief Edward Wanzagi Girls' Secondary School on the occasion of the second graduation of the Form Four students. The link to the album is here. Enjoy!

Auf Wiedersehen! Kwaherini!

Time has come to say goodbye to Denise and Thomas. We wish them well! We pray for God's blessings in their lives - for their future family and good satisfying jobs. Till we meet again!

Our Kiabakari team at the moment:
Amon, Aurelia, William, Karolina, me and Agata

Herzlich Willkommen!

I guess Kiabakari is becoming an attractive tourist destination for German citizens. Since yesterday we welcomed parents of Thomas Back, our volunteer who together with his fiancee - Denise Carl, are getting ready to go back to Germany, after one year of voluntary work as teachers in our pre-school. When Denise's parents and relatives came, I was away in Poland. This time I enjoy the presence and visit of Thomas' parents, and am grateful for their coming, kindness and warm characters. So, before they live on Thursday morning for good, I say to them - Herzlich willkommen!

She Was Luckier Than Him

On September 17, 1939, Soviet Union invaded Poland, dividing my country among two powers - Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union. Seventy three years passed and it seems as if it is a dream, a story, a fairytale or rather - a nightmare - that never occurred. Yet it was real, and the outcome of that invasion we inherit till now, when Europe was divided, our country carved and new post-war communist Poland was born. My mother side of family land in Eastern Poland has been lost, now in Ukraine. So many relatives perished under Soviet oppression. My grandfather lieutenant Adam Jakubiec was executed in Katyn forest in April 1940. Here is a remarkable story of a girl luckier than him who survived and now tells her story. Read it here.

Such Faith

The Gospel of Saint Luke, chapter 7, verses 1 to 10, is read today. It is all about a simple yet powerful faith in Jesus and His tender merciful Heart, which is touched by the people's misery. It is all about Jesus' praise of such faith and His rebuke that He did not find such faith in the Children of the Chosen Nation:

The Word

Just to share with Polish readers the homily of my classmate and the chairman of the new evangelization program of City of Kraków during the Jericho prayer (I wrote about it a few days ago).

Demonstrate Your Faith

Saint Jacob Apostle in his letter which is quoted in today's Second Reading of the Liturgy of the Word of the Twenty  Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time Cycle B, writes the following profound words:

"What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works? 
Can that faith save him? 
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
"Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, "
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.

Indeed someone might say,
"You have faith and I have works."
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works." (Jas 2:14-18)

New Milestone In The History

Today some of us witnessed a history in making, with a new milestone in the history of the Congregation of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ firmly laid down with the first vows of three novices in Kahangala, Archdiocese of Mwanza. These three young men are the first Africans to enter the Congregation. As a neighbor and a friend of the Resurrection Fathers since the very first day the first one of them arrived to Tanzania ten years ago, I could not miss this great opportunity to show my support and appreciation for their efforts in Tanzania.

IB Office In Pre-School

Thanks to the great dedication and creativity of Denise and Thomas, they created a fully equipped office for Internationaler Bund volunteers in the premises of our pre-school with all kinds of teaching aids, laptop I gave them (a gift of one young boy from Ulmerfeld in Austria), scanner and printer. I allowed them to use for this end one of the offices in the former pastoral center - now pre-school. They took this offer seriously and put a lot of effort in making sure that future volunteers of IB will have a secure and orderly place to keep their tools, stationary, school equipment being a property of IB in Kiabakari. It is my firm hope that the coming volunteers will appreciate this huge effort of Denise and Thomas and will contribute more to keep this office useful and fully furnished with everything that is needed for the volunteers-teachers work in our school.

Time Flies By Fast

It looks unreal, but unfortunately it is real. One year has passed since Denise and Thomas arrived to Kiabakari as volunteers-teachers from Germany to work in our Bl. John Paul II Center for Education and Formation. And now time has come to say goodbye to them as they get ready to go back home and pave way for the next couple who will arrive next Friday from the same organization - Internationaler Bund in Germany. We will welcome them with open hearts and hands. But today it was time to bid farewell to Denise and Thomas. Check the pictures from the farewell party organized by the school community in their honor. The link to pictures on Facebook is here.

False Prophet

While I was reading today's Gospel I felt uneasy. And I noticed that those present in the morning Mass were still and quiet and their face expression changed...

A Quiet Day?

Yeah, it was supposed to be a quiet day. An office routine day. As I am recovering from amoeba and fluctuating blood pressure, I wanted today just to stay home and be available to people coming to the office. And sure, they did come!

Uphill

It has been a bit uphill for me for the last few months this year, with all sorts of 'dark side of the moon' experiences. After recovering somehow, though not completely from flu / pneumonia, I had a bit of a rough time for the last week with efforts to stabilize my blood pressure. Today I felt unwell and after the first Mass I asked the doctor from our health center with a lab technician to have a look at me. They found out after lab check that I have amoeba. I wonder where exactly I got it. Not sure. So, I am on medication now, which roughs my feathers a bit, but luckily I have a visiting priest who came for a short retreat to Kiabakari, so he helped me with Masses today. Thanks be to God! I hope that drugs will kill off amoeba quickly and I will be completely fit for work in a short time. Prayers appreciated, homies of Kiabakari Snippets! Thanks in advance!

Misfire

Tomorrow's reading of the Twenty Third Sunday of the Ordinary Time, cycle B, highlights the issue of God's priorities in our lives. When we read all readings, in particular the Apostle Jacob's letter and Mark Evangelist Gospel, in the light of agendas and priorities of our own prayer, we will have to admit in honesty that God's priorities and ours differ quite significantly. Simply, we misfire badly in prayer. Most of us focus on earthly goods and possessions, instant solution for our needs and problems. But the Liturgy of the Word of tomorrow's Sunday tells us loud and clear that on the top of the list of God's priorities is faith which is the ultimate treasure we should go after.

Four Pillars

Just came back from the Holy Mass at Sisters' convent. After breakfast, I asked the local superior to sign the contract drawn between Ad Gentes agency of Polish Episcopal Conference and Blessed John Paul II Center for Education and Formation, on behalf of the Center. When I was in Poland in April this year, I went to Ad Gentes office in Warsaw and applied for funding for breakfasts for students of our pre-school and primary school for the period of two years, plus funds for salaries of two workers (a cook and a janitor) for two years as well...

Choose Wisely

This morning I read one my favorite passages from the Sacred Scripture in today's Gospel:

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.

The Last Shipment

Finally, the last shipment of remaining four items on the shopping list for the new delivery unit in our health center will be on the way from Dar es Salaam to Kiabakari by the end of this week. My supplier, Crown Limited from Dar, has notified me that the missing items have arrived to their showroom in Mikocheni and they are finally in the position to ship them to me. It's been a long wait since May when the first items started to arrive to the health center. I am happy now that the project generously supported by the Polish Foreign Ministry via Polish Embassy in Nairobi through the Small Grants scheme will be done and dusted. It will allow me to sit down with the staff of the health center and our volunteers and talk about the immediate needs of the health facility, so I could propose a new project to the embassy. A good news day today indeed!

Once Again On The Foundation Kiabakari Exhibition

I would like to draw attention of Polish readers of my blog (of course, nonexpendable Google translator can help readers of any language, to read in their native languages) to the nice article with photos of the exhibition ongoing in ŻyWa Pracownia in Kazimierz district of Kraków, prepared by Foundation Kiabakari. The link to the article is here. I would like to thank the authors of this article for their kind initiative.

Here We Go Again

Rainy season still some weeks ahead and we have just run out of water from our main tanks. So today the order of the day is to clean those tanks in expectation of the new intake - be it rain or the water from the village water pipeline system. Luckily, I have bought recently and installed five plastic tanks of various capacity - 3-4 thousand liters each - for harvesting rain water from the roofs of the mission buildings. Three of them are still full. So, while cleaning those main tanks with antiseptic chemicals, we will put 60 liters buckets in all bathrooms in the main house and St. Martha, with regular buckets for fetching water and plastic jugs to pour water over us while taking improvised showers. Then we will fill them with the rain water from outside plastic tanks.

Back to scout-camping-like ways of washing and cleaning for now. I hope it will not take long till the rains come and we can enjoy again proper showers.

Jericho In Kraków

All inhabitants of Kraków, reading my blog, I would like to encourage and invite to take part in Jericho in Kraków - six days and nights of continuous prayer for the people and the city of Kraków in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord in the church of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Kazimierz. This is a preparatory prayer meeting before the new evangelization of the city of Kraków which will take place in October this year. You can read more on this topic in the Facebook page of the new evangelization of Kraków here. May the Spirit of the Lord descend upon my beloved city and renew its face!

Cardinal Martini - Humble and Honest

I am sure most of you have already become familiar with the short interview the late Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini gave to his Jesuit confrere Fr. Georg Sporschill shortly before his death (August 31, 2012). If you Google for the text of the interview, you will find hundreds if not thousands of links to it (for your convenience I post two links - in English and in Polish). Sadly, almost all of these numerous links share the common sensational tone, focusing on a challenging statement of the Cardinal that the Catholic Church is outdated 200 years, missing completely or most of other valid points the Cardinal stresses in his humble and honest conversation.

Synodal Website

I would like to draw your kind attention, my esteemed readers, to the newly established website / blog of the diocesan synod in Musoma Diocese, recently announced by His Excellency, the Bishop of Musoma, Rt. Rev. Michael Msonganzila (July 11, 2012). The first meeting of the members of the synodal steering committee proposed the set up of the website of the synod and a bulletin/newsletter as well. I am happy to invite all of you not only to pray for the success of the Synod, but also to participate in it actively via the synodal website http://sinodimusoma.blogspot.com. I would like especially to encourage readers inhabiting/belonging to the diocese of Musoma - to take active part in the works of the Synod. Your prayers, comments, opinions, remarks, proposals, ideas and participation of any kind is crucial to the success of the first diocesan Synod of Musoma Diocese. God bless the Synod! God bless Diocese of Musoma! God bless all of you, my esteemed readers!

The Abyss Of Silence

My blogging has become more and more difficult to me these days. No wonder why the pace of updating you with my life, work, thoughts, reflection, narration of the daily life in Kiabakari - has become a trickle instead of a river like steady flow of communication. It is not that I have run out of ideas or inspiration. Not at all. The real problem, as I see it and as I would like to phrase it, would be a growing need of silence in me. The more I get involved in the daily struggle in Kiabakari, parochial and spiritual life of my community, demands of various projects and challenges at hand, needs of my volunteers, groups, movements, parochial institutions and individuals - the more I desire to dive deeper into the abyss of silence and pure presence of the Real One. I know that I cannot completely detach myself from the demands of my active life, my duties and responsibilities, not yet at least, but the thought I had in me, persistent to the extent of consulting my spiritual director in my first year in the seminary to discern this spirit if it was good or bad (and he said it came from the evil spirit, because I was destined to the active service in the Church), is coming back to me in full force, thirty years after, pushing me to desire contemplative life in all its fullness and uncompromising nature. For some time, let's say - four years - this thought is ever present in me. And I wonder, if this is what will happen to me in the future, living the last part of my life in total seclusion and silence. I don't know, I will need real discernment and help from professionals in these matters, but I do not say 'no' upfront to it. I accept this notion and if God wants me there, I guess I will be ready. Please, pray for me so His Will be done, not mine.

Photo Exhibition

Miss Agata Krupa, the volunteer of Foundation Kiabakari, has prepared - with the cooperation with dr Jadwiga Żyłka, also the volunteer of the Foundation, and her sister Magdalena Żyłka, the owner of Żywa Pracownia in Kraków - a photo exhibition entitled: 'Kiabakari - Afryka Obiektywem Malowana' (Kiabakari - Africa painted with the lens). I would like to encourage all readers of my blog, living in Poland, in particular in Kraków and its vicinity, to visit the exhibition. I would like also to commend especially the painstaking work of Miss Agata who prepared pictures, framed them and set up the exhibition. Thank you so much! My gratitude goes to both sisters - Jadwiga and Magdalena - for their kind thought to stage this exhibition in their workshop in Kraków and for their invaluable help in making it possible. It is my hope that this exhibition will find positive interest in many visitors and will help to open up Kiabakari, its joy and problems to the concerned sensitive hearts of people. God bless the organizers, visitors and all benefactors of Foundation Kiabakari (www.kiabakari.org).

Diocesan Synod

The Bishop of Musoma, Rt. Rev. Michael Msonganzila, announced his intent to open diocesan synod on July 12, 2012, on the day of the priestly ordination in Musoma Cathedral. He elected 28 members of the preparatory committee. I found myself included. Today we had the very first meeting of the committee, chaired by the Bishop himself. I must say that it was a very interesting experience and I felt the presence and the work of the Holy Spirit himself. Synodal works were set in motion, various small theme committees were established. I hope and pray the Holy Spirit will firmly guide us and keep us focused on what is important for this time in the Diocese of Musoma. I have high hopes after this meeting. Please, put this important ecclesiastical event which will last till 2014 in your kind prayers! God bless the Synod! God bless the Diocese of Musoma! God bless us all!

Silver Jubilee of Priesthood

Yesterday I had a unique opportunity to see and feel how it may look like next year when I will be celebrating my silver jubilee of priestly ordination. My sisters, Denise and Thomas, frater William and the chairman of the parish lay council, together with myself - drove to Kigera-Etuma village, some 20 km beyond Musoma, in Nyegina parish, to the home village of Father Godfried Maruru, a priest of Diocese of Musoma and my friend, who celebrated yesterday his silver jubilee of priesthood...

Home Page

Just to let you know that I have just begun to work on my home page www.wojciechkoscielniak.pl which has been left hanging by me for a few years now. I had no focus strong enough to sit down and take care of it, but I feel as my Silver Jubilee of priesthood is approaching, I need to have this home page done and fully functional. I hope this intention is not a short lived anymore and with the help of pros it will be become a nice online place to visit. A hub for all my other websites, blog, audio and video sites, photo galleries etc. Please, keep your fingers crossed that this initiative lives till the final success.

Liturgical Calendar In Songs

Radio Interviews

Kiabakari On SoundCloud

This is the link to the group I have created on SoundCloud - a home for any kind of audio creations by people related to Kiabakari in Tanzania, East Africa.

 Kiabakari

If you are one of them, I would be very happy if you could upload your sounds from Kiabakari to this group. Cheers!

Yesu, Nakutumainia!

And this is the first fruit of my painstaking uploading efforts using internet speed as it is in our area. It took more than 48 hours to upload all of these twelve tracks, but I am happy that the patience paid off. So, with joy I welcome all of you to click on the link and listen to the first album on Divine Mercy, recorded by my choir of St. Faustina back in 1995. Enjoy!

Yesu, Nakutumainia!

SoundCloud

I have added a new feature on this blog. SoundCloud service may be well known already to many of you, for others maybe not so much. This is an internet service where you can upload your sounds, share with others or listen to other people's audio creations. I must admit it adds quite a new perspective to the social communication among people. It adds also a new dimension to my apostolate and relations with my friends and readers. The ability to upload sounds - be it a homily, church song, sounds from real life, audio productions etc - opens up for me an excellent opportunity to share with you audio treasures I have saved on my HDD already and to upload in the future new creations. You will find a SoundCloud upload button in the right sidebar below my personal links. If you wish to share with me your sounds, you are welcome. Please, mind though, that all you want to share with me must not be of an offensive nature of any kind - and it must bring a positive message of high moral standards. Welcome then to SoundCloud! You will find me and my sounds here.

Hate For Life

St. Lawrence feast today. Astonishing words of Jesus in the feast's Gospel: "Whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life." (Jn 12). Hating owns life and at the same time preserving it for later, for eternal life. Quite a difficult idea to grasp and comprehend. What does it mean actually to hate one's life in this world? The Hindu saying comes to mind - 'Only fool builds a house on a bridge'...

Reality Check

Yeah, the day was quite a productive affair. But time comes for reality check. When I need internet most, it gives up on me. Vodacom is gone this evening, now Airtel is dying. I wonder if time will come eventually when we will enjoy internet speed like in Mwanza or Dar es Salaam. In our case, it gets from bad to worse. It sucks big time!

Lake Malawi/Nyasa Row

Reading comments to this article in Malawian newspaper, makes my blood chill. Is this another war in making? Is this border dispute between Malawi and Tanzania opening a frightening Pandora's box? So much hatred, contempt, derogatory opinion, cliche comments. People, stop this insanity!

Lake Malawi/Nyasa row: Time to show strong leadership | Malawi news, Malawi - NyasaTimes breaking online news source from Malawi

Recycling Education

I would like to share with you quickly a remarkable story of a lady in my home parish who relentlessly goes around people's houses collecting papers, magazines, newspapers for recycling. The money she gets from the recycling center she collects until it suffices to support one child in my pre- and primary school in Kiabakari through the educational adoption program of Foundation Kiabakari. So far this year she was able to adopt educationally four children already. Amazing effort! Recycling for education. Recycling wasted paper to give it a new meaning - a hope for quality education for underprivileged children in rural Tanzania. Hats off to the wonderful lady! I applaud her effort as I send a thanksgiving letter to her today for the donation of the fourth adopted child in our school.

Postmortem

I had a strong resolve to gather myself and drive to Musoma as there were things on the to-do list to be taken care of. But after yet another short sleep night, waking up this morning at 3.30am for the pilgrims' from Dodoma Holy Mass before they left driving back home, I found my pool of strength to be so much depleted that I felt it was not prudent to force myself to drive to Musoma and do the list. So, the plan B kicked in - staying home and doing postmortem of the pilgrimage and planning ahead what next. So this is precisely what I've been doing since morning and I must admit it was a wise choice to remain focused at home. A good and productive day. I feel very content and satisfied!

The Dark Lining

"As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant."

New Volunteers

I expect to welcome two new volunteers in Kiabakari, coming from Germany, through the same Internazionalen Bund organization that sent Denise and Thomas last September. Franziska and Tobias Breitfeld will replace Denise and Thomas who will be going back home after a full year of genuine commitment, hard work, dedication, going beyond their duties and showing remarkable talents, skills and sense of responsibility for our children and the ability to blend in perfectly in our parochial community. It is my hope that new volunteers will follow in their footsteps, building on the solid foundation of priceless legacy that Denise and Thomas will leave in Kiabakari.

Our new volunteers have just started blogging. This is their Kiabakari experience blog: http://breitiandfraegokiabakari.blogspot.de/

On behalf of the whole Kiabakari community I wish them God's blessings in their preparations and every success in their voluntary work for the benefit of the young generation in Kiabakari.

So Sad

Read carefully the Gospel of tomorrow's Eighteenth Sunday of the Year B. The follow up of last Sunday's Gospel. But this time we do not ask ourselves if we follow real Jesus or prefer to create a fake Jesus according to our expectations or convenience. This time we ask - what are we looking for in our life of faith? Do we look for Jesus and the truth He revealed to us? Or we follow Him because He gives us something - food, money, things we desire... "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled."

No Job For Old Men

I'm getting old. It feels and shows clearly in particular in times like these, when we receive pilgrims for long and rich program in Kiabakari. A busload of pilgrims set off yesterday morning from Dodoma. They were supposed to reach Kiabakari by 8-9pm last night. We waited and waited. They arrived finally at 1am this morning! My people were really tired and disenchanted by this long wait...

Real Or Fake?

The question I raised in today’s homily was - whom actually am I following as a Christian? Do I follow Jesus of Nazareth, a real one from the Gospel, Son of God; true Jesus as He presents himself to us? Or do I follow Jesus created by my expectations, shaped by the father of the lie, nature of this world and people’s criteria which tell me what kind of leader, messiah, savior our acceptable Jesus should be? Let me explain...

 

Let The Roller-skates Roll!

The wait for the charity challenge 'Roller-skates Without Borders' start is over. Kamil, the hero of the challenge is on his way to Zittau, the departure point on his journey map. Last minute preparations are almost over as well. We, in Kiabakari, are ready as well. I will be sending daily dispatches from Kiabakari, reporting on what has been going on on each given day during the duration of the challenge, enriched with pictures from our daily life in the parish and our institutions. You may follow the daily report from the route of the challenge along with my reports and pictures by clicking on the link of the official blog of the challenge - here. Let the roller-skates roll! Please, continue to spread the word on the challenge, support it if you can by kind donations and help us to improve the quality and broader spectrum of medical services offered in our health center in Kiabakari! Together we can make a difference!

The One Who Knows

Saint James Apostle, the first among Apostles to shed his blood for his Master, whose liturgical feast we celebrate today, is one of the three true 'Illuminati', the chosen ones among the Apostles, who were allowed by the Master himself to know Him best and participate in the full account of His life, teachings, mysteries and actions...

Halftime Over

As I feel better and better each new day, I reckon the halftime is almost over. After six months of hectic schedule and huge challenges with little or no rest, my body gave up and I got sick...

Personal Links

Just a quick post to draw your attention to the new item on the right sidebar - Personal Links. There you will find links to my other personal sites, starting with the personal homepage which is still under construction (hopefully, this year will be  completed), my Foundation Kiabakari, links to LinkedIn, Pinterest, photo galleries and my YouTube Channel. Welcome!

Day Of Obligation

Twice a month in Kiabakari everybody, regardless of one's creed or belief, celebrates a "day of obligation" when people gather in one place around a sizable tree. This day of obligation is called - a market day (siku ya mnada - in swahili language). The dates on which this day of obligation falls are - each 6th and 23rd day of each month...

It All Comes To This

Yet another sentence from today's Gospel of St Mark, chapter 6, caught my attention and came to me with unique force as I continue to struggle with this flu and was forced to stay home and celebrate the Holy Mass in private in the house chapel this morning: 'The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught'...

Rest A While

Tomorrow's Gospel, taken from Mark 6:30-34:


"The apostles gathered together with Jesusand reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
"Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things."

Rest a while...

Dunes

I had no time to reflect upon the last Sunday's Gospel. As it touched me deeply, I wanted to share with you a few thoughts on this. Since I am homebound and sick with flu, this is an opportune time to fulfill my desire...

Support 'Rolki Bez Granic'

One week remains till the charitable challenge 'Rolki Bez Granic' sets off at the point where three borders meet - namely, Germany, Czech Republic and Poland. Our volunteer - dr Kamil Bekalarek with the support of his future wife - Katarzyna Nawrot - intends to ride roller-skates along the western border of Poland from that three countries borders meeting point till Szczecin (Stettin) at the north-western tip of Poland. All this trying to raise awareness of the healthcare problems in Tanzania and in my mission in particular, as they get ready to come to Kiabakari next July for one year to serve my community in our health center. They will speak about the moral and financial support. They will need your support. So, please join us as we try to raise funds for the new equipment in Kiabakari health center, in particular - a new dental unit - which is badly needed in our Mara region community.

400 kilometers on roller-blades is not a feat for faint-hearted. I salute our volunteers and thank them with all my heart for their noble initiative. And you, my esteemed reader, I ask for support. You may contact me via my email - lalafofofo@gmail.com or by visiting the blog of the challenge - Rolki Bez Granic - by clicking here. Check also the poster of the challenge which I encourage you to download and repost it on your blog, Facebook profile or your website. Thank you in advance for your kind cooperation. Let's all support our volunteers, pray for the success of the challenge and keep our fingers crossed for them!

The Official Opening Of The New Delivery Unit

Yesterday we held a simple function of the official opening of the new delivery unit in our health center in Kiabakari. The modern equipment was donated free of charge by the Polish Foreign Ministry through the embassy in Nairobi in Kenya. We hosted the representative of the Polish ambassador in Kenya, Miss Joanna Popławska, who officiated the opening and received the project report. The photos from the occasion can be seen here. We are very grateful to the Polish government for this wonderful gift who certainly will improve the mother and child healthcare in Kiabakari and the whole Mara Region. Thank you!

Altar Servers Happy Day

Indeed, a very happy day for my altar servers who received a wonderful gift from parents of our German volunteers who visited Kiabakari recently and brought a lot of things for the school, health center and also for the parish. We are very grateful to them and their friends in Germany who magnanimously donated all these valuable gifts. Thank you, Denise and Thomas, our volunteers in Kiabakari, for spreading the word and involving your families and friends in caring for Kiabakari.

Ad Gentes

I am truly grateful for the Polish Episcopal Conference 'Ad Gentes' Department funding for the provision of breakfast for our pre- and primary school students and the salaries of a cook and a cleaning lady - for the next two years. This - together with Foundation Kiabakari continuous educational adoption program - certainly will ease off immensely the pressure to increase school fees due to skyrocketing costs of life in Tanzania and will help to maintain the same high quality education for our children in Kiabakari for the basement level of financial committment of the families. Very, very happy!

Relief

This is a prevailing feeling after the conclusion of five-day long bishop's visitation of my mission. We never did something like this, so long, so fully packed with variety of activities, events, meetings and things. More than six months of preparations involving hundreds of people, donors, task force, man power, workers and specialists to make it happen. As I sit now and breathe after bishop left, I just come to realize that it was a near miracle to synchronize everybody and everything and put all pieces in place in right time perfectly. What a relief now... I am just relieved, happy, satisfied, tired and worn out, but happy and proud of my people and all who helped us especially with preparation of our confirmants and our projects. Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo!

Homing In

As the day wakes up, so are our expectations. This is going to be an interesting day, a homing in day. Our Foundation Kiabakari two new volunteers, Agata and Karolina, have arrived safely to Nairobi yesterday and were met at the airport by Sarafina, our 'envoy', escorted to the hotel and taken care of. Two visiting doctors from Poznań, Wiktor and Adam, arrived yesterday to Nairobi as well, in the evening, and were met by Sarafina and put in the same hotel. Today all five will travel by bus to Sirari border Kenya-Tanzania crossing and further on to Kiabakari. I will fly to Musoma from Dar es Salaam today and, God willing, will reach Kiabakari before the Nairobi detail to get ready to receive the arriving guests. Indeed, a homing in day for all of us. Prayers appreciated as usual for us so we can travel safely and meet happily in Kiabakari. God bless us all!

Why?

Why is it that among all holy women and men of the Catholic Church, only Saint John the Baptist's birthday is celebrated solemnly in the liturgy of the Church? Of course, apart from Our Lord and Blessed Virgin Mary birthday celebrations. Not even Saint Joseph got his own birthday noted and celebrated in the liturgy. Weird. This speaks volumes about the importance of the life of Saint John the Baptist in the history of salvation. Apart from the birth of Jesus himself and his Mother, the birth of John the Baptist is the third most important birth in the scheme of redemption...Wow.

In My Father's Glove

Came across this Tori Amos song this morning. Awakening worlds of memories and bringing tears to my eyes. As she dedicated this song to her Dad, so I do...

Fantastic Challenge

Please, share and spread the news on the challenge 'Rolki Bez Granic' (Rolls Without Frontiers) undertaken by two volunteers of our Foundation Kiabakari - Kamil and Kasia. More on this here. You may become our sponsor and supporter. Read their blog and join us!

Thank You

W imieniu Rodziny i swoim własnym dziekuję z serca Wam wszystkim, Kochani, ktorzy wzięliście udział w pogrzebie mojego Ojca i wspieracie has nadal duchowo modlitwą, swą obecnością i dobrym słowem w tym trudnym dla nas czasie. Dziękujemy!

On behalf of my family and myself I wish to thank cordially all of you who took part in the funeral ceremony of my father and continue to support us spiritually by your prayers, presence and consoling words in this difficult time for us. Thank you!

The Funeral

29 maja 2012 roku zmarł mòj Ojciec, Wiesław Ferdynand Kościelniak. Ceremonia pogrzebowa rozpocznie się dnia 4 czerwca o godzinie 12:00 w kościele św. Kazimierza w Krakowie (Grzegórzki), po Mszy Świętej o godzinie 13:30 począwszy od bramy głównej Krakowskiego Cmentarza Rakowickiego, Zmarły zostanie odprowadzony na miejsce wiecznego spoczynku. / The funeral arrangements for my Dad, Wiesław Ferdynand Kościelniak: the funeral Holy Mass at St. Kazimierz church in Kraków-Grzegórzki on Monday, June 4, at 12:00 (noon), followed by the funeral ceremony starting from the main gate of Rakowice Cemetery in Kraków at 1:30 pm.

Rest In Peace With The Family, Dad!

You have suffered too long too intense too much... Time has come to rest in the bossom of the Lord together with Mum, Your Parents and loved ones. Rest in peace, Dad... We love you and are proud of You!

More Bad News

Bad things spree continues. My car broke down on my way back to Kia. Two hours plus waiting for mechanics. Thanks, Fr. Peter, for coming to my rescue and for the lift back home. The car is still being fixed on the road there. I am just fed up with this old truck giving up on me so many times in the past months...well, maybe this is its age, twenty years old truck...

No End To Sad News

As many of us are concerned about my Dad's health and treatment progress in Krakow's hospital, praying and sending get well wishes, I got another bad news this morning. One of my catechists, Frederick Masasi, was killed last night by a hit-and-run lorry in Kamugegi village where he lived as served God as catechist. The driver and the people who were with him apparently stopped, went back, saw what happened and drove away leaving Frederick on the side of the road. Outrageous!

The funeral will be tomorrow in Kamugegi at 11am. I would like to ask you all to say a prayer for the repose of his soul. He was a very good catechist, liked by all and serving God tirelessly till old age. May Merciful Lord receive him in heaven. Rest in peace, Frederick!

Get Well, Dad!

Just a quick post asking all of you, my esteemed readers, to kindly pray for my Dad who yesterday was admitted to hospital back home in Krakow, Poland, with pneumonia and heart problems. Something that seemed to be a simple case of cold he caught due to weather changes in Poland and Europe in general, has turned out to be a serious problem. My brother and myself are quite concerned. I have offered a Holy Mass for my Dad and pray for him and asked my friends on Facebook to pray as well. Now, I come here and ask all of you, my blog friends, to do the same. Thanks in advance for your spiritual support for my Dad, Wieslaw Ferdynand Kościelniak, 76 years old.

24

On this day, May 22, twenty four years ago, myself and my sixty five classmates were ordained priests in the Archdiocese of Krakow, Poland. Most of us in Wawel Cathedral, including me; thirteen though were ordained in Ludźmierz in Podhale, in the footsteps of Tatra Mountains. The Metropolitan Archbishop of Krakow, His Eminence Franciszek Cardinal Macharski, ordained us to Christ's priesthood. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that my life would turn out to be like it has become after these twenty four years... As I begin today the jubilee year - twenty fifth year of my priesthood - all I can say to the Lord is: 'Thank you!'... and looking ahead for the remainder of my life whatever it turns out to be - 'In Te, Domine, speravi; non confundar in aeternm!'... On this special day to me I wish to acknowledge, give due respect, credit and thanks to all wonderful people God in His generosity enriched me with and transformed me through their contribution and presence in my life in those past twenty four years of my priestly life and service. You are very special and dear to me...Thank you all!

Full Steam Ahead

Back in Kiabakari, after the first weekend, which was marked by the browsing through a pile of documents, letters and things to take care of in the first hand after my comeback from Europe, today is the day to blow a whistle and press the lever to the position - 'full steam ahead'. Sitting in Musoma, sipping a cold soft drink in a short break between tackling of the long to-do list for today, and writing these few words. It may take a long time and will involve a lot of skills, convincing powers and struggle to gather some funds to push our development ahead. But believe, when it comes to spending that hard-earned nickels, it goes just in one flash. Especially when the construction works are concerned - purchasing materials, payments of workers, transportation charges etc. Although it happens all the time, it startles me always whenever this moment comes, when I go to town or Mwanza to place orders or pay for delivered goods. Everything is so expensive here, in particular - construction materials. We are doubly handicapped here in Mara Region. Firstly, Tanzania is in East Africa, and many goods have to be shipped from elsewhere. Secondly, we are in the north-western corner of Tanzania, some 1500 km from Dar es Salaam port, so extra charges for haulage of goods up to Musoma make these, already expensive things, even more expensive still! But, I guess, it makes for a double satisfaction as well. When one can achieve something in these circumstances, it tastes doubly sweet, because one knows what it took to secure the funding and help of donors. And what it takes to make the project a success here. Thanks be to God for all my fantastic friends, sponsors and benefactors, together with my local task force, who make all this happen in Kiabakari. God bless you much! Please, keep your fingers crossed and pray much for the success of the current projects and undertakings. Thanks in advance for your kindness!

Home

Happy to be back home in Kiabakari. Such a heart warming reception from Aurelia, Amon, Denise and Thomas. A lovely dinner, flowers, welcoming note, a special cake made by Denise and Thomas... Amon picked me up at Musoma airport. Now I am unpacked and feeling that the long journey has come to an end for the foreseeable future. Grateful to all loved ones and friends I left in Europe and Dar, focusing on what lies at stake in he next weeks right here in Kiabakari. God bless us all! Going to bed now.

On My Way Back

I'm on my way back to Kiabakari. Tomorrow, God willing, I will be there. Just a few things to deal with and take care of while I am here at the Indian Ocean coast (and imagine, I had no time for a swim in the ocean in these past few days!). Just a few things to pick up at German Supermarket for my volunteers in Kiabakari, and go... It was a calm, composed and very busy time here in Dar es Salaam, but I am happy that I was able to finalize ordering of delivery room equipment for our health center and some other things... Thanks be to God! Your prayers appreciated for the safe flight tomorrow to Musoma and God's blessings for the successful discharge of my duties, responsibilities and challenges that lie ahead in the coming weeks and months. God bless us all!

31st Anniversary

Today also, apart from the 95th Anniversary of Fatima Apparitions, we remember another anniversary, the 31st anniversary of the assassination attempt on Blessed John Paul II on May 13th, 1981.

Till today, the full truth behind this horrific event is yet to be revealed...

Fatima

Ninety five years ago, on this very calendar day, May 13th, 1917, three little children had their very first encounter with the Lady from Heaven. Our Lady of Fatima, the Queen of Peace, the Queen of the Holy Rosary, continued to meet with the children every month on the same day, the thirteenth of each month, except August when children were in jail (read the history of apparitions here). The Fatima Message and the personal devotion to Our Lady of Fatima is one of two major pillars of my personal spirituality. The other is the Divine Mercy message. I wish I was there in Cova da Iria valley today. I will have to wait one more year though, as I plan to go on my third personal pilgrimage to Fatima (the first two in 1997 and 2001) next year when I will be celebrating the Silver Jubilee of my ordination to priesthood. This pilgrimage will have enormous importance to me in the whole scheme of the jubilee year. Today I am traveling in spirit to that sacred place joining pilgrims present there at the feet of the statue of Our Lady in the Apparition Chapel...

Epilogue

Final days before returning back to Kiabakari. Retrospection kicking in, gratitude kicking in, examination of conscience kicking in, focus on remaining things to do kicking in, zeroing on things to do in Tanzania and Kiabakari kicking in. No need for coffee. Alert, sober, composed and ready to tackle what comes my way first, one thing at a time, sometimes all things in one go. Like today. Have a nice easy day!

Euro 2012 Official Anthem

This is so cool! These grannies have just won a competition for an official anthem of Euro 2012. Check it out :)

Thank You!

Came back this afternoon from a long car trip to visit my friends and relatives in Silesia and south-western part of Poland, in total more than 500 kilometers in my Dad's twenty years' old Opel Astra. But she did very well, if I skip the lack of air-conditioning in the vehicle and high temps outside! All in all I am content and happy to be able to drive safely and come back home safely without any breakdown. Visiting friends and relatives, reconnecting with some of them after many years, it was a truly quality time! And on top of that, I found home a letter from MOPS (Social Security office in Krakow) that the funds for the renovation of our apartment according to needs of the disabled person (my Dad) - in total 80% of the costs - have been available at last and they are ready to start works. Thank God! And thank you all for your prayers! After all, I will not fly back to Tanzania sad and unfulfilled because of the failure of this job. Putting aside the issue that the letter is late one month already, still I will be able to meet with the contractor this Friday and set things in  motion. Then the whole picture of this trip, its meaning and purpose will be totally different. Such a relief! Thank God and thank you all, my friends and spiritual helpers! Your prayers surely made this happen at last!

It Was A Wonderful Sunday

It was a wonderful Sunday yesterday. Reconnecting with my very first parish after my priestly ordination where I spent one and a half years 1988-1990. Great community, great memories, great reunions. It makes such a huge difference when the parish priest is a former missionary in Africa himself. He understands the situation of diocesan priests in the missions. He went through the same experience. He did the same rough road, left alone in the battle for too many times. I am happy that I met Fr. Edward there. He is such a fine man, gentle, understanding and caring in his unique subtle ways. Another factor - my friends in Sułkowice, in particular the family of Wojtek Bargieł. They have been such a great help to me for a few years now. I cannot thank them enough. With people like them, the life of a missionary has its sunny side. Thank you, Lord!

Back Home

I have just returned safely from Rome. Loads of thoughts and emotions going through my heart and mind. What a wonderful four days pilgrimage to the heart of Christianity it was! How amazing people I was blessed to meet. It was just fantastic. Very busy, very tight schedule, lots of things that went throughout those four days, but all in all I am happy and satisfied. Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Blessed John Paul II! Thank you all at Casa Polacca di Giovanni Paolo II in Via Cassia 1200! So grateful to all of you! One remark in the aftermath of the trip to Rome. Ironic that the flight time from Rome Ciampino to Katowice Pyrzowice takes less time than the bus trip from the airport to Krakow. Anyway, I am home now and already back in full swing business. Meeting with the prospective volunteer coming to Kiabakari underway this afternoon, then a late birthday and Patron Saint feast day dinner for the closest ring of my friends in one of my favorite restaurants in Krakow. With a casual walk around in the city center. Tomorrow there is another to-do list. And a mission awareness homilies in Sułkowice, my first love - my first parish after my ordination. A very emotional comeback after years. Prayers appreciated for the success of the visit and reunion with my favorite parochial community. Looking forward so much to this experience. God bless us all!

Thank You

I feel honored and special today. So many relatives, friends, loved ones prayed for me today and wished me well on my birthday and Patron Saint feast day. Thank you all from the bottom of my grateful heart! May God bless us all!

Week Long Snippets

It was a pretty busy week. I am glad I end it on a positive and high spirits note. Returning on Monday from Janów Lubelski, driving my Dad's old car in rain was not a good experience. It left me stressed as the traffic was heavy and many people drive their cars as if in Playstation game. Rested a bit in the afternoon, talked briefly with my Foundation's members. On Tuesday I traveled by train to Warsaw. It was meant to be three days trip, but luckily, I was able to finish the whole to-do list in 24 hours, so I was able to travel back to Kraków on Wednesday afternoon. The train was late one hours, and I felt down a bit, as the exhaustion and weariness kicked in. Nevertheless, next day, on Thursday I felt recharged and able to continue with the agenda. Yesterday was a preparation day for today's trip to Mucharz parish, where this evening I will start my mission awareness weekend in the parish, where my classmate is a parish priest. He invited me for the Patron Saint parochial feast - St. Wojciech, bishop, missionary and martyr. It is my Patron Saint as well, and I feel honored to be invited as the main celebrant and preacher for the occasion. It coincides also with my birthday tomorrow, April 22. It is the last birthday in the range of 40+ as tomorrow I will turn 49 and will start my fiftieth year of my life and the 25th year of my priesthood. I am genuinely surprised that years passed by so quickly! When I was a teenager and a seminarian, looking at guys in their fifties I was thinking - gosh, they are soooooo old! And, tara! I am right here. The only difference is that I feel great, consider my forties the best period of my life and look ahead for so more years to come in my active service of God, the Church and the society. Still, I ask humbly for your kind prayers for me and for all those I serve and for my parents, relatives, formators, teachers and all people God placed on my path who made an impact on my life and the way I am now. I am  deeply grateful to all of them and while celebrating in prayerful and reflective mode my birthday and Patron Saint feast day, I immerse all of them in the Ocean of Divine Mercy. Thank you!

On A Thin Rope

Sitting in the compartment of express train back to Krakow from Warsaw, delayed eventually a full hour, I felt as if I realized that I have been walking on a thin rope recently, struggling to balance between my schedule and duties I imposed on myself during this short trip home - and a growing weariness and tiredness. I was falling asleep on the train, not really sleeping but rather finding myself in between and trying to recompose myself. The trip to Warsaw was shorter than I planned, but I have finished all agendas I wanted so I felt no need to stay any longer there. Still, traveling back to Krakow, I could not find happiness and satisfaction in me. Everything went well, so I should be beaming and glowing. Not the case though. I felt as a beaten up soldier who barely survived yet another battle and does not care anymore what happens next. I know I will go to bed in a short while and tomorrow I will wake up in a better shape, will go for the Mass to sisters' chapel, then the usual long to-do list will follow, with a building up sense and urgency that my time is running out and there are still important things to do, so my conscience does not accuse me on my way back to Tanzania that I backed up, relented and took it easy, thus jeopardizing the progress and future of the vision of Kiabakari. Well, this evening I do not know what I could have done better in Warsaw, I don't find any reason to accuse myself. Yet I am not happy, only tired and my evening prayer is - I commend everything that happened in Warsaw up to you, o Lord! Your will be done... Good night, folks...

Back To Where It All Began

Tomorrow morning, after the Holy Mass at Sisters' chapel (my apartment block is adjacent to Sisters' Provincial house), my journey to the place where it all began will commence...

Full Circle

Today is the seventh anniversary of the death of my classmate, Father Piotr Wrona. I will have honor to visit his parents in Krowodrza district of Kraków and present to them a special photo album of the pictures taken during the very first Mass celebrated in St. Gemma Galgani convent in Kiabakari on April 11 last year, the day after the official blessing of the convent, in which we used for the first time the chalice and patena which once belonged to Father Piotr and were offered to me by his parents. I wrote extensively on this topic in my previous posts (see here, here and here), so I won't repeat myself. It will certainly be an emotional moment later today and I am looking forward to it. The whole story will make the full circle, since the day I was presented the chalice, then the Holy Mass and now reconnecting with his parents to present this special album. I think Father Piotr in heaven and his parents in Krowodrza will be happy to see the way we honored him and commemorated that very special day. May his soul rest in peace!

Two Years

Two years have passed since the Smolensk tragedy, yet the questions unanswered are still there. Here is the list of those who perished on that fatal day (click here). May they rest in peace! I would like to refer you to my older post on this theme (click here). Please, pray for the victims, their families and our Nation.

Gratitude

Back home with my Dad. So overwhelmed and grateful to Fr. Antoni, the parish priest and the whole fantastic parochial community in Rokiciny Podhalańskie for the Holy Triduum I was blessed to participate together with them. Arguably the best Easter ever since many many years... I had ample time for my private prayer, meditation, thinking, adoration, planning... I feel at peace now with my inner spiritual batteries fully charged. Thank you, Lord!

This Is Not Hollywood

If the script for the Holy Week and Paschal Triduum was not written in the Heart of our loving God, but in Hollywood studios instead, today there would be not be a single soul wandering in the streets of Jerusalem. Jesus, a fallen hero, risen from the dead, would be on the killing rampage, seeking vendetta on all who put Him to death. And if the scenario followed the customary script of any decent action movie, He would not stop till the last villain was put to death. His honor would be satisfied, the justice would be fulfilled. And we would nod in approval saying - it was a honorary thing to do. But He did not choose this path, even if He knew that His vengeance would be totally successful as He was risen from the dead and no human force could touch Him again. He did not go this way. Instead, He chose to meet with His disciples and forgive Apostles for their betrayal. He had no interest in going after culprits, He had no time to meet any of the evil people. He was in the world of goodness to which the evil ones had no access. He went after the good people and revealed Himself to them. He passed from the world of sin and evil. He never looked back after His Resurrection. The question comes to mind - does the same process happened to me during the Holy Triduum? Did I leave the world of evil and entered the world of goodness? There is no looking back. Dying for the sin and the past and rising for the goodness and holiness. Perhaps Easter is the opportune time to revisit our old problems in our families and neighborhoods? Time of reconcilation and forgiveness? Time to let go old quarrels and resentments? Time to mend bridges and restore relationships within our families and neighboorhoods? If this not happens, our Easter will reveal that we are acute behavioral schizophrenics - celebrating Easter in our churches and going back to our past lives which remain the same, in the realm of sin, vendetta and old habits. Our Christian life does not follow Hollywood action movies scripts. This is not Hollywood - our daily Christian life. Think about it. And make sure your own life follows the script written by our Father in heaven. Do not go back to old ways! Move on with Risen Lord! Happy and blessed Easter to you all!

To The Mountains

Time to pack again and leave to the Tatra mountains, to the small rural parish where I will help pastorally during the Holy Triduum. I am very happy to be able to reconnect again with a friend of mine, the parish priest of that parish, who happened to work in my home parish years ago, when I was still a seminarian. Being able to visit him again and serve the local parochial community in this holy time is a really exciting prospect which I am looking forward to very much. As the parish is small in terms of statistics, but big in spirit and faith, I will immerse myself in this divine and human realm and draw from the fonts of loving waters in the liturgy and my private adoration, meditation and prayer. As always, I will take you all with me in my heart, continuing my prayer for all of you and all intentions dear to your hearts. God bless us all in this wonderful Holy time of Lord's Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Holy Triduum

is coming... Today is my last day in Ulmerfeld, with one of my closest friends and classmates, Father Wiesiek (we were ordained together in 1988), and his fantastic parochial community. To be honest, these were days of rest and of recomposing myself, as I arrived to Europe on Thursday mentally tired and burnt out completely. I feel better now and though acclimatization takes time longer than I expected, still - I feel more positive and ready to tackle th coming weeks, duties and challenges. So, upon my return to Krakow tomorrow, I will proceed to one of the parishes at the foothills of Tatra Mountains, to help a friend of mine, who once was a curate in my home parish of St. Kazimierz in Krakow, and now is the parish priest of this parish I am heading to. He is alone there so surely any pastoral assistance on my part will help him a bit. I am looking forward to this experience. Apart from liturgical services, I will have time for prayer and meditation, continuing the inner renewal of my self. Obviously, I will not pray for my intentions only, far from it! Rest assured, all of you will be deeply seeded in this prayer. Have a blessed Holy Week, genuine conversion to God and His Church and may the Holy Triduum bring you back to full life with Risen Lord! It will be thus a very happy Easter indeed.

Ulmerfeld

Will it be a shortest ever post on my blog? Ulmerfeld. I'm home. Enough said.

Another Good Measure

The email from Polish embassy in Nairobi is truly Veronica's cloth for my sad face after the theft of my macbook with all files and pictures. It somehow wiped away my sadness and helplessness. It was a very good email informing me that our application for funding of modern equipment for the delivery room in our health center in Kiabakari has been approved by the Polish Foreign Ministry. This means that upon my return from Poland, we will complete the purchase of all items on pro-forma list supplied by my dealer in Dar to the embassy. Thanks be to God! And thanks be also to very helpful staff of Polish embassy in Nairobi, Miss Joanna Popławska in particular. I am so happy for the ladies in Kiabakari who will have deliveries in a modern delivery room, with all important equipment, incubator, machines etc. happy ending to the day which started so horribly wrong.

For The Good Measure

Life has struck a right balance this morning, for the good measure of good and bad. A lot of good happened yesterday, so this morning it was the turn of the bad to happen. Woke up to discover that my macbook, left by me last night in the communal area of the house I arrived to, is nowhere to be seen. Apparently, a petty thief (like those who walk around in neighborhoods looking for any opportunity to get hold of a bucket, hanging clothes, a chicken, anything) took his chance at around 5.30 am, forced his entry into the mosquito net swing door of the livng room, locked only by the light latch on the inside by the cook who went to the kitchen to fix early breakfast for residents and sneaked in and grabbed whatever he could put his hands on in a flash and ran away. I pray to St. Anthony and St. Jude Thaddeus for help as - apart from the value of the macbook itself, what is most important are the latest pictures we took this year for various projects, especially in our pre-and primary school. These were not backed up yet by me (my fault apparently) on my time machine external hard disc. Non-recoverable loss if the computer is not returned to me by any means possible. I announced a reward to anyone who returns it to me before I leave. We will see. This is the second time this macbook has been stolen. First, in California in the sacristy of the Catholic church. The second time this morning, at very good friends of mine residence, whom I visited while in Dar. Bad luck indeed.

Looking Ahead Together

Last evening something happened that had no precedence since I started to develop the vision of Divine Mercy in Kiabakari. The establishment of a development board of Kiabakari. For twenty odd years my friends, benefactors and myself along with the parochial community in Kiabakari have been pushing the cart of progress and fulfilling of the vison of Kiabakari - only by ourselves. Yesterday it has changed. On the advise and the invitation of Dr Patrick Mgoya, we met at Southern Sun hotel in Dar es Salaam, some ten men, all born and raised in Kiabakari and its vicinity, to sit together and look ahead as a team discussing the development of Kiabakari, not only of the parish. I left the meeting with a very positive feelings and high hopes for the breakthrough in thinking and acting towards genuine development of the place, brought by people who have Kiabakari written in their blood. Although the immediate concern was to set in motion the preparations to the next year ordination of our seminarian Augustino Mapambano from Kiabakari (God willing, of course) and the ways to compensate one family living in an allocated (years back by government) plot for the future expansion of our health center, the perspective was much broader, with my immediate concern for the improvement of water supply for Kiabakari inhabitants which has been particularly bad for the last few years. We talked and set up a procedures for the next steps, and when I am back in Dar from my trip to Europe in May, we will meet again for more detailed to-do list. I was very impressed with positive reactions of the participants who admitted that a thing like this has never happened before and that they were grateful for this opportunity to come together as people of Kiabakari living in diaspora to make a difference in Kiabakari. I would like to ask for your kind prayers, so that this initiative bears long-term fruit for the benefit of all.