On My Way

This morning together with my classmate, Fr. Emil Furtak, we will begin our week-long pilgrimage to the holy relics of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati in Turin Cathedral and Saint Gemma Galgani in Lucca city.

We have been there already once in August 2005. This time I feel deep need to thank Pier Giorgio and Gemma for their intercession and protection over us in Kiabakari, surrendering my Sisters, parochial workers, staff of our institutions, the mission, our health center, pre-school, primary school and our dreams and challenges to their continuous protection and intercession.

I will pray also for all of my esteemed readers and all intentions dear to your hearts. Please, pray for our safe journey to Italy and back. God willing, we will be back on Saturday in Kraków. The detailed report will follow then.

God bless us all!

In His Heart

What an incredible encounter it was. Having an unique opportunity to pay visit to His Eminence Franciszek Cardinal Macharski, Archbishop Emeritus of Kraków, in his simple residence in the compound of "Ecce Homo" Shrine under care of Albertine Sisters, to celebrate the Holy Mass together, to have a long and lovely chat over a cup of coffee and a cake.

Polish President Bronisław Komorowski and H.E. Cardinal Macharski (more on this story here)

In my twenty six years of priesthood it was the very first time that I was a main celebrant in the Mass with His Eminence participating. A genuinely overwhelming honor.

Cardinal Francis seemed to be happy that I paid him a visit after a couple of years since my last one. Inspite of his fatigue due to his age, he was very generous to spend so much time with me (more than an hour), asking questions and offering witty remarks. He has not lost his cute sense of humor. So great to see him in such a great form and spirits.

I loved one detail in particular. His Eminence wore today a light blue clerical shirt (today is very hot in Kraków, over 30 C) with Kraków City emblem on his breast pocket. Apparently, our city is deep in his heart. And in his seclusion and silence of 'Ecce Homo' shrine, he prays for the city and all the people. He has all of us in his fatherly heart. Such a great man! He loves his city, he loves his people and cares for us. And in return, we love him!

Kraków City Logo

Special Day

Feeling blessed and honored to have the opportunity to visit His Eminence Franciszek Cardinal Macharski today at his residence at 'Ecce Homo' Shrine in Krakow and to celebrate Holy Mass with him at 11.00 am. He is my bishop who accepted me to the major seminary in Krakow, formated me and led through all steps until ordination to diaconate and priesthood. He is the one who sent me to my first and second parishes in our Archdiocese. He is the one who sent me to Tanzania as a Fidei Donum missionary and took care of me throughout the years. Respect and filial love to this remarkable Man of God, now Archbishop Emeritus of Krakow, 87 years old. Please, pray with me for him!

Africa

Just recently I met in Kraków with dr Jadzia Żyłka, the doctor in charge of Kiabakari health center in 2008-2010. She had a surprise gift for me - a new album of Leszek Możdżer - 'Polska' - an autographed copy! What a gem. Thank you, Jadzia, for your consideration and for taking pains to get this copy to artists. I appreciate it very very much.

Here is the proof:

And the circled track in the album - 'Africa' - is this one. Enjoy!

I Met An Angel

If there is one single God's creature that made my work of sowing a Word of God about Divine Mercy in Kiabakari in the hearts and souls of wonderful people of Puławy in Archdiocese of Lublin in Eastern Poland on last Sunday much easier and pleasant - it must have been the Angel of God in human form - Reverend Sister Irmina Syroka, the organist, cantor and choir master of Divine Mercy Parish in Puławy.

Sister Irmina in my humble opinion has the most sacred voice I have ever heard in my life. As if the Angel from heaven sang using her charisms and talents. I would easily placed her in the top spot in my personal ranking of all cantors and organ players in the whole world.

Bad enough, when I asked her about her recordings, Cds, DVDs - there were none. Such a humble and simple person full of Holy Spirit. I searched the internet and came up with few pictures and few YouTube videos with horrible quality which does not do justice to the purity and magnificence of Sister's voice.

Nevertheless, meet the Angel of God in the form of Sister Irmina Syroka of Benedictine Sisters congregation from Puławy Divine Mercy Parish.

If you happen to pass Puławy, make sure you participate in the Mass in that beautiful church.

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your generous outpouring of Your special charisms in gifts in Christ's Church. Thank you for Sister Irmina and her humble apostolate of praising the Lord with her voice and organ playing.

I envy with holy envy parishioners of that parish who have such a gem on daily basis. What a different quality experience of Sacred Liturgy it is led by such a grand person.

Sister Irmina in the middle sitting

Sister Irmina sitting in the middle

Mission Awareness Sunday in Chochołów

It was a great Sunday in Chochołów parish. Wonderful location, beautiful church painstakingly being restored by my classmate and parish priest of Chochołów, Fr. Stanisław Syc. Three Holy Masses and three homilies, wonderful hospitality of highlanders. Could not ask for more blessings! Special thanks to Tomek Woźniak, who drove me there and picked me up again yesterday evening to drive me back to Kraków.

My YouTube Channel

Welcome to my updated YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/VOR822

Combined with the upcoming Kiabakari Mission official website www.kiabakari.com and SoundCloud profile https://soundcloud.com/wojciech-koscielniak YouTube channel will provide extra video media material for viewing and understanding better Kiabakari, the mission, the vision, the people and what Kiabakari is all about.

Welcome!

The Short Documentary On Kiabakari Mission History 1991-2014

I am proud to present to all my friends and readers our newest effort to record the history of Kiabakari mission. This is a short documentary, 17 minutes long, highlighting the main events and milestones on our way as we journey along in quest of fulfilling the Lord's Will in Kiabakari, in particular - completing the Divine Mercy vision in Kiabakari, embracing the whole person - spiritually, physically and intellectually. The video presents the current state of affairs in Kiabakari as of April 2014. It pinpoints also the main challenges we are facing and the priorities which need immediate attention and solutions.

Gratitude to Mr. Aldimilablis Novatus Mchele, my friend and filmmaker, who put together all pieces in one video presentation. Thanks to Mr Mitchell also for voice narration.

Hope you enjoy the documentary. I do hope it will help you to understand better Lord's Ways in Kiabakari. And I really do hope this will make you say a prayer for us and even give us a hand by contributing towards the completion of our goal. God bless us all!

My SoundCloud Account Goes Unlimited!

With almost seventy tracks and growing, I have decided to go pro and unlimited in my SoundCloud account (https://soundcloud.com/wojciech-koscielniak). This will enable me to post gradually more sounds and tracks from Kiabakari and elsewhere. You may also send me your sounds and tracks related to Kiabakari and Tanzania at large. Please, note the widgets on the right hand side bar of this blog:

You can go directly to my SoundCloud account right there. You may also post your tracks and sound by using the DropBox as seen below the upper widget. Hope it helps to connect the blog and my readers with sounds of Kiabakari and Tanzania! Enjoy and have fun!

Priority 2014

Arrived to home town of Kraków last Thursday night for the long awaited vacation intertwined with the quest of securing some help for the completion of our primary school in Kiabakari, medical checkups, visitations of people and places dear to my heart and so forth.

I am very grateful to my colleagues who invited me for mission awareness Sunday, with preaching and fundraisings for the cause. I am grateful also to Miss Agata Krupa, volunteer of Foundation Kiabakari for the design of the info leaflet I will be distributing in the parishes and places wherever I will happen to be. Gratitude to Fr. Roman Zapała who volunteered to cover the expenses of the printing of the publication and to Wydawnictwo Platan in Kryspinów, near Kraków, for offering to print it immediately and for the costs of the materials used only. Thank you so much, you people of immense heart for the mission's cause in Kiabakari. God bless you much! I do hope this little publication will help people I will meet in my quest to know better Kiabakari, Foundation Kiabakari, what we do, what is needed there and so forth.

Here it is - the little leaflet, my little companion on the road from May to August. May God grant special convincing powers to all readers of this publication to move their hearts to join our cause and help to push it forward. It is in Polish language, understandably, and here it is shown front and back on one page for better viewing.