Retreat - Friday - Sixth Day Texts

The penultimate day of our week-long parochial faith awakening spiritual experience. The day for the sick and the day for the meditation on the mystery of the Cross. The conclusion of the day was the meeting with married couples taking on the issue of the crisis of the father figure in the world. Here are the texts:

Retreat - Corpus Christi Solemnity - Fifth Day Texts

Today the Holy Mother Church is celebrating the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. The Solemnity of the Most Holy Eucharist. Here is today's text of the homily and four short reflection at four altars during the Eucharistic Procession this afternoon in our parish. Please, continue praying for me and for the whole community taking part in this important spiritual exercise in the parish. Thanks in advance!

Retreat - Wednesday - Fourth Day Texts

Here are texts from today's spiritual talks.

Retreat - Tuesday - Third Day Texts

Here they are. Spiritual talk on the mystery of the Communion of Saints, the fifth secret word for children and spiritual talk for the youth and students on their real vocation to fly high. You can also follow the texts on the official website of our St. Kazimierz parish here. Continue participating in the retreat in this virtual way. God will come to you with proper answers and blessings! Let us continue praying for each other!

Silver Jubilee in Wawel Cathedral - Photos

I haven't posted pictures from our jubilee in the cathedral yet. Apologies. Here they come:

Retreat - Monday - Second Day Texts

Here are texts of my spiritual talks from today, the second day of the parochial retreat.

Retreat - Sunday - First Day Texts

As promised, but a bit earlier as I've got a couple of hours of break midday, I would like to share with you the texts from today's homilies on the first day of our parochial retreat, so all of you far away from Kraków may join us and follow the path we have just taken. These are two homilies - one general and one for children's Mass (today we celebrated the first anniversary of the First Communion of children who received the First Communion in May last year). I post original texts in Polish, so please, use the Google translator to choose your language. Continue praying for us. Thank you.

Retreat Texts

In an hour our week-long parochial retreat will begin. I would like to announce that every day in the late evening around 10 P.M. (Eastern European Time - GMT+2) I will be posting daily texts of homilies and spiritual talks that I preached on that given day. Thus enabling all of you to participate in the retreat with us present in the parochial church of St. Kazimierz on Kraków's Grzegórzki district. Let us pray for each other during this time of special grace. As always, use Google Translator provided in the right sidebar to translate texts in your own language, please. God bless us all!

The Journey Within

Rainer Maria Rilke said once - "The only journey is the journey within." And this is precisely what we are about to do starting tomorrow when I begin a week-long parochial retreat as a preparation of the community of the faithful for the upcoming visitation of the sacred image of Divine Mercy in our parish. For the whole week I will try to guide the parochial community in prayer, meditations, spiritual talks and reflections along the main theme of the spiritual journey within ourselves for the sake of the renewal of our parish and our bonds as the family of God. The program of the retreat is here. I ask all of you humbly for your kind prayers and support so that the Almighty and Merciful God may use me as He pleases for the sake of His children in our parish. May the Holy Spirit guide and enlighten us along the spiritual path within and may God's will be done to the fullest. I promise you my sincere prayers for you and for all your needs. God bless us all!

Upper Room

I am sitting in the upper room of the rectory of Ulmerfeld parish in diocese of St. Polten in Austria, in my best friend parish, focusing on the notes for the upcoming parochial week-long retreat in St. Kazimierz parish in Kraków, my home parish, as a preparation for the visitation of the picture of Jesus, the King of Mercy (4-5 June). The retreat will begin this Sunday and I am deeply grateful to Fr. Wiesiek for the opportunity of three calm days in his parish to work on final shapes of the spiritual talks. Please, pray for the parochial community at St. Kazimierz and myself - may the Holy Spirit guide and enlighten us. May the Holy Spirit enable me to speak only what God wants and may these words penetrate the deepest cores of the faithful hearts and consciences. As always, I will pray in a special way for all of you, my esteemed readers. God bless and protect and guide us all!

Goosebumps

Back home from ordination class 1988 jubilee retreat at Totus Tuus retreat center near Zembrzyce. It was a sacred time. I praise the Lord's name for our retreat master, Fr. Kazimierz Duraj, spiritual director from our major seminary. Absolutely mesmerizing spiritual talks and homilies. Tomorrow morning all of us will celebrate the Holy Mass at St. Stanislaus altar in Wawel cathedral presided by His Eminence Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, his three auxiliaries - bishops Jan Zając (our former rector), Jan Szkodoń (our former spiritual director) and our classmate Grzegorz Ryś. we expect most of our colleagues to make it to the cathedral - we are 59 left, so expect a huge concelebration. And all of us vested with the same stole - made for our ordination as deacons. Looking forward to this unique reunion at the same place we were ordained exactly twenty five years ago. We will sing again the same song we sung as newly ordained priests on that day - Pan jest Mocą swojego Ludu! Goosebumps...

Diocesan Synod - Official Opening

Today, on the Solemnity of the Pentecost, the Diocesan Synod for the Diocese of Musoma has been officially opened by His Excellency, Bishop Michael Msonganzila, Bishop of Musoma, in the presence of the clergy, religious and the faithful of our diocese. I commend the proceedings of the synod to the guidance and light of the Holy Spirit and the intercession and protection of our Patron Saint of Musoma Diocese - Holy Mary Mother of God. Please, pray for us, pray for the living community of the diocese. May the Holy Spirit makes anew the face of the People of God of Diocese of Musoma. Come, Holy Spirit!

Reunion

In a couple of hours I will be picked up by my classmate and our class chairman, Fr. Marek Hajdyła, and we will drive up to Zembrzyce, small town near Sucha Beskidzka, for our two days of prayer and ordination class reunion, before we celebrate our Silver Jubilee of Ordination on Wednesday, on the very day of our ordination, twenty five years ago. The Jubilee Mass will be celebrated in the cathedral on  Wawel Hill, presided by His Eminence, Stanisław Cardinal Diwisz, our former rector in major seminary - His Excellency Bishop Jan Zając, our former spiritual director - His Excellency Bishop Jan Szkodoń and our classmate - His Excellency Bishop Grzegorz Ryś.

I will carry all of you in my heart along with all intentions dear to your hearts. I promise my prayers for you and for your intentions. Please, pray for us, so the Holy Spirit on whose Solemnity we received our ordination to priesthood, guide and enlighten us, so may continue to go forth and bring abundant fruit of our faith and good deeds as faithful servants of God and His Church.

Pharmacists Of Kraków

Yesterday I had an opportunity to celebrate the Holy Eucharist for the community of pharmacists of the city of Kraków and Małopolska Region. The Holy Mass and the following meeting with dr Jadzia Żyłka (former doctor volunteer administering the health center in Kiabakari in the period of 2009-2010) was held in Capuching church in Loretańska street. It was a wonderful experience for me. And here is the text of my homily:

Surprise

My Mission Support Team in St. Kazimierz home parish in Kraków, has prepared a surprise party for me, on the occasion of my 50th birthday (delayed, as it was actually on April 22nd). Still, it was a lovely afternoon, with a great cake and blowing out candles, nice talk and sharing. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen!

Switzerland? Nope. Poland!

Silver Jubilee - Photos

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!

Radio Interview - Audio File Online

Just to let you know that you can listen to the Radio Bonus interview I gave on Wednesday by clicking the link here. Enjoy.

Diocesan Synod Of Musoma On Facebook

An official Facebook page for Diocesan Synod of Musoma about to begin on Pentecost Sunday has just been launched, being a complimentary of the official page of the Synod which can be accessed here. Feel free to like the page (click here). Your prayers and participation in the synodal works are highly appreciated. May Lord's Will be done through the proceedings of the Synod. Good work of deacon William Bahitwa, working as webmaster of the pages.

Radio Bonus

Yesterday I had an opportunity to talk a bit on various issues concerning myself, my vocation, silver jubilee, my missionary vocation and work, Kiabakari and Divine Mercy and so forth during a radio interview at internet Radio Bonus  in Kraków. The excerpts of the interview have been published just a while ago at the Archdiocese of Kraków portal www.franciszkanska3.pl. The link to the article is here.

For those of you who would like to listen to the recording, I was told it would be aired tomorrow, Friday, May 10th at 5pm Polish time. I was told also that they intend to publish the audio file of the recording, so those of you who cannot access the radio at that particular time, could do so at their convenience.

I wish to express my gratitude to the Radio Bonus staff, in particular to Miss Magda Dobrzyniak and Miss Karolina Putlak who organized the interview, for this unique experience and an opportunity to share. God bless us all!

Eagle Has Landed

Not exactly an eagle, but me landing safely in Warsaw on Thursday and then proceeding to Kraków by train, arriving home in the evening. It is quite difficult to say home to an apartment in which there is nobody waiting for me. No parents nor Grandma living in here anymore. Gone to receive their rewards in Heaven. What is left in here is just emptiness and silence.

This space is too vast for me to fill it. Even with my prayers. Impossible. There will always remain a vacuum in here. Three vibrant personalities creating this place for many years. Not anymore. I won't even try, just occupying my little corner and trying to spend these days of my stay in Poland as bravely as possible. And go back to where I belong.