Watch and share this inspirational video to tell girls around you that they are simply awesome!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Full Respect
His Excellency Bishop Jan Zając, auxiliary of Archdiocese of Kraków and rector of Divine Mercy Shrine in Kraków-Łagiewniki celebrated his 75th Birthday today in the shrine together with three priests - confessors in the shrine - who celebrated their Golden Jubilee of priesthood. Bishop Jan Zając was my rector in the major seminary in Kraków, donated personally Divine Mercy image to the shrine in Kiabakari, was present on behalf of the Metropolitan of Kraków during the dedication of Kiabakari parochial church on July 3, 1997 and has been my mentor, guide, spiritual father and great consolation throughout all these past twenty + years in the missions. I could not have possibly missed his celebration today. Happy Birthday, Bishop Jan! Congrats, Jubilearians! Photos courtesy of Piotr Bednarczyk
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Saturday, June 21, 2014
Polish Power
Yesterday a brand-new Kraków Arena - a multifunctional indoor center in Kraków, just a mile or so from where I live in the town, was officially opened. The first major event serving as an opener was a volleyball game between arch rivals Poland and Brazil. The venue as you would expect was fully packed with fifteen thousand or so spectators who got an excellent and first hand opportunity to admire the new impressive facility. Poland won the game 3-1 by the way!
The way my fellow Poles sung our national anthem holding cards with national colors gave me goose bumps. In times like these we endure in our country at this particular time of our history, it feels so good to express in such a powerful manner that we are proud to be Polish. Polish Power!
The way my fellow Poles sung our national anthem holding cards with national colors gave me goose bumps. In times like these we endure in our country at this particular time of our history, it feels so good to express in such a powerful manner that we are proud to be Polish. Polish Power!
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
New Website Same Address
Just to let you know that our Foundation Kiabakari website underwent a major upgrade and facelift. The address is the same at www.kiabakari.org but the content is totally different and more user-friendly. Great job done by our two volunteers - Agata Krupa and Tomasz Zbrzeżny. Kudos to them! Enjoy!
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| Screenshot of the the new website |
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Kiabakari 1991-2014 - Polish Language Version
Proudly presenting a concerted effort of Prosonica Studio to prepare a Polish language version of the original Kiabakari 1991-2014 documentary movie of the history of Kiabakari mission and its planned future I made with my friend Mr. Aldimilablis Novatus in April this year.
The work of recording the Polish narration was done very nicely in my humble opinion and synchronizing with the movie scenes and English narration in the background is done well as well.
Here it is for the first time published publicly in my channel on YouTube:
The work of recording the Polish narration was done very nicely in my humble opinion and synchronizing with the movie scenes and English narration in the background is done well as well.
Here it is for the first time published publicly in my channel on YouTube:
Friday, June 6, 2014
Back Home
Landed in Kraków airport close to midnight last night, then a taxi to St. Kazimierz parish where I stay. It took a while to get some sleep, things to do first, laundry and so forth, but managed to wake up on time and go to Sisters' convent a few hundred meters away from the parish for the 6.45am Holy Mass.
Now waiting for the funeral Mass of Sr. Aniela, one of my favorite sisters, who suffered immensely in her long illness, whom I have always knows as jovial, full of life and energy person. May Lord grant her eternal peace.
I still feel a bit dizzy having covered yesterday a distance from Fatima by bus to Lisbon, visiting St. Anthony church built on his birthplace in Lisbon there, long wait at the airport and four hours flight to Warsaw, another wait for the connection to Krakow, and from the Balice airport to my ghetto.
My personal pilgrimage to Fatima was a must for me this time when I am in Europe. Long due after the last one I did my my fellow missionary, Fr. Piotr, back in 2001. I had a truckload of reasons to go there - to praise the Lord with Our Lady, to thank Merciful God, Our Lady, St. Joseph, Fatima seers, to ask for forgiveness for our sins and failures, to commit myself and ourselves in Kiabakari, family, foundation and friends anew to Our Lady and her maternal protection and intercession. So many intentions to present to Our Lady - my personal and others.
I feel in peace now and happy, hopeful and focused, totally surrendered to God and His Will under protection of Our Lady of Fatima.
May Lord's Will be done. Amen.
Now waiting for the funeral Mass of Sr. Aniela, one of my favorite sisters, who suffered immensely in her long illness, whom I have always knows as jovial, full of life and energy person. May Lord grant her eternal peace.
I still feel a bit dizzy having covered yesterday a distance from Fatima by bus to Lisbon, visiting St. Anthony church built on his birthplace in Lisbon there, long wait at the airport and four hours flight to Warsaw, another wait for the connection to Krakow, and from the Balice airport to my ghetto.
My personal pilgrimage to Fatima was a must for me this time when I am in Europe. Long due after the last one I did my my fellow missionary, Fr. Piotr, back in 2001. I had a truckload of reasons to go there - to praise the Lord with Our Lady, to thank Merciful God, Our Lady, St. Joseph, Fatima seers, to ask for forgiveness for our sins and failures, to commit myself and ourselves in Kiabakari, family, foundation and friends anew to Our Lady and her maternal protection and intercession. So many intentions to present to Our Lady - my personal and others.
I feel in peace now and happy, hopeful and focused, totally surrendered to God and His Will under protection of Our Lady of Fatima.
May Lord's Will be done. Amen.
Monday, June 2, 2014
She Owns It
Looks like Shakira owns the World Cup tournament and has the licence to produce official anthems for it. It has been third time her song is set to become the official anthem of the World Cup in Brazil. Really? Check this.
It's Been Too Long
Yes, it has been so long since I last made my personal pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Rosary in Fatima. The first time I went alone in 1997 to thank Our Lady personally for the dedication of the parochial church in Kiabakari.
The second time I went to Fatima with my fellow missionary and friend, Fr. Piotr Pawlus, in 2001, to thank for the Year of the Great Jubilee and all graces we received during that holy time; and prepare spiritually before the elevation of the parochial church of Kiabakari to become the diocesan shrine of Divine Mercy.
It has been thirteen years now since that time. Way too long.
Tomorrow I will set off from Kraków to Fatima for my third personal pilgrimage to Our Lady of Fatima. So many reasons to be grateful for and praise the Lord with Our Lady. So many reasons to be grateful to Our Lady - for her incessant protection and intercession especially in difficult times and situations. So many reasons to be sorry, personally and as a parochial community. So many things to ask for Our Lady, Merciful Mother of Jesus - my own intentions, worries, problems, challenges, dreams and passions, in particular the fulfillment of the vision of Divine Mercy in Kiabakari; but also so many intentions of so many people asking for prayers and intercessions.
Fatima is my favorite Marian shrine. It draws my heart and mind with powerful mystical force. I feel at home there, yet extremely shy and respectful.
I am very happy to be given this opportunity to visit Our Lady of Fatima for the third time. I am very happy also and grateful to the Rectorate of the Shrine for allowing me to celebrate a private Mass in the Chapel of Apparitions on Wednesday morning at 6.00 A.M. before the official program of the day starts. I will celebrate the Holy Mass not only in my intentions but also in all intentions dear to the hearts of all my readers, relatives and friends.
I hope you will be able to participate in this celebration on Wednesday morning at 6.00 A.M. thanks to the internet camera live feed straight from the Chapel of Apparitions (not sure if the feed will be live at that early time of the day, though):
The second time I went to Fatima with my fellow missionary and friend, Fr. Piotr Pawlus, in 2001, to thank for the Year of the Great Jubilee and all graces we received during that holy time; and prepare spiritually before the elevation of the parochial church of Kiabakari to become the diocesan shrine of Divine Mercy.
It has been thirteen years now since that time. Way too long.
Tomorrow I will set off from Kraków to Fatima for my third personal pilgrimage to Our Lady of Fatima. So many reasons to be grateful for and praise the Lord with Our Lady. So many reasons to be grateful to Our Lady - for her incessant protection and intercession especially in difficult times and situations. So many reasons to be sorry, personally and as a parochial community. So many things to ask for Our Lady, Merciful Mother of Jesus - my own intentions, worries, problems, challenges, dreams and passions, in particular the fulfillment of the vision of Divine Mercy in Kiabakari; but also so many intentions of so many people asking for prayers and intercessions.
Fatima is my favorite Marian shrine. It draws my heart and mind with powerful mystical force. I feel at home there, yet extremely shy and respectful.
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| Cova da Iria - the place in Fatima where the Apparitions of Our Lady occurred in 1917 |
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| The Chapel of Apparitions |
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| The Chapel of Apparitions from outside |
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| Jacinta, Lucia and Francisco - the Seers of Fatima |
I hope you will be able to participate in this celebration on Wednesday morning at 6.00 A.M. thanks to the internet camera live feed straight from the Chapel of Apparitions (not sure if the feed will be live at that early time of the day, though):
It will be very short pilgrimage, just one full day in Fatima, but it will be the day filled with prayer, medication and total homage and submission to Our Lady. Let Her Son's Will be done through her maternal intercession.
Pilgrimage to Patron Saints of Kiabakari Church
As promised, I would like to write a few words about the personal pilgrimage we undertook with Fr. Emil Furtak to Patron Saints of Kiabakari parochial church - Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and Saint Gemma Galgani.
It was a daring and challenging journey. Fr. Emil was doing the driving and guiding us throughout the whole adventure. More than 3,500 kilometers covered in five days, one day we did more than 1,000 kilometers, the other - more than 900 kilometers.
Everything went smoothly and surprisingly without any problems. First day we traveled to one of our classmates parish in Austria, Fr. John. We spent the night over there. On Tuesday morning we set off at 4.30 a.m. towards Turin which we reached about 3.30 p.m. We found our accommodation at Casa Madre of Salesian congregation adjacent to Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians built by Don Bosco himself whose tomb is in the basilica.
The same evening we went to the cathedral to pray at the tomb of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati located at the left hand side chapel / altar. We were lucky to meet the parish priest of the cathedral, who permitted us to celebrate the Holy Mass praying in all intentions we came with in our hearts.
The following morning we celebrated the Holy Mass in the Basilica at the main altar in honor of Saint Don Bosco, praying through his intercession in particular for children and youth of the world, especially those under our pastoral care.
Then we took a metro and went to visit the Museum of Automobiles, which left us a bit disappointed. We expected something better and more interactive and displaying more of the Italian car history.
Anyway, we returned to the starting point in the city center and took the bus to Juventus new stadium where we spent quite some time, took a guided tour and took pictures in the museum and the stadium itself.
Rain suddenly came with hale, we were lucky to find shelter at the bus stop waiting for the bus taking us back home.
The next day at 6 a.m. we set off to Lucca, where we arrived around 10.30. We were lucky again to get permission to celebrate the Holy Mass at the main altar of the Shrine dedicated to St. Gemma Galgani. Her tomb is located below the main altar. We met mother general of Passionist sisters there who introduced us to two Tanzanian sisters, one from Dodoma and the other from Iringa, members of the congregation.
We were lucky again as one of the assisting priests in the shrine, Don Giuseppe, took us for lunch and nice talk about the shrine and the history of the area. We met another Passionist father there at the lunch as well.
Then we went to the house where Saint Gemma was born, in Camigliano, just outside of Lucca, some 8 kilometers from Lucca. One of the sisters showed us around, then we started our journey back home.
First, we arrived to Cella, to one of the Polish fathers living and working in Reggio d'Emillia diocese. He received us very well, the next morning we said Holy Mass at the chapel of the nursing home, adjacent to the parish.
Then we drove back, climbing Alps and negotiating millions of sharp turns as we climbed up to Passo Giovo, passing on the way some finest machinery the world has to offer - Bugatti Veyrons (eleven of them, we were counting!), Ferraris, Lamborghinis, motorcycles of all sizes and kinds. Wow. The views were breathtaking, hard to explain, you have to see it for yourself.
We went through Brenner Pass, stopped for a short walk in Innsbruck, then drove straight to Ulmerfeld, another classmate of ours' parish, Fr. Wiesiek. We had a nice chat and meal together and after Saturday morning Mass in the parochial church, visiting on the way Fr. John again, we arrived to Krakow shortly after 3 p.m.
It was an exhausting trip and very emotional. I am very very grateful to Merciful God for the grace of this special week when I was able to fulfill my dream of personal pilgrimage to holy shrines of Patron Saints of my parochial church in Kiabakari. I am very grateful to Fr. Emil as well. Without him, his driving skills, his expertise, his knowledge and character - this trip would remain just an unfulfilled dream.
Happiness...
It was a daring and challenging journey. Fr. Emil was doing the driving and guiding us throughout the whole adventure. More than 3,500 kilometers covered in five days, one day we did more than 1,000 kilometers, the other - more than 900 kilometers.
Everything went smoothly and surprisingly without any problems. First day we traveled to one of our classmates parish in Austria, Fr. John. We spent the night over there. On Tuesday morning we set off at 4.30 a.m. towards Turin which we reached about 3.30 p.m. We found our accommodation at Casa Madre of Salesian congregation adjacent to Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians built by Don Bosco himself whose tomb is in the basilica.
The same evening we went to the cathedral to pray at the tomb of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati located at the left hand side chapel / altar. We were lucky to meet the parish priest of the cathedral, who permitted us to celebrate the Holy Mass praying in all intentions we came with in our hearts.
The following morning we celebrated the Holy Mass in the Basilica at the main altar in honor of Saint Don Bosco, praying through his intercession in particular for children and youth of the world, especially those under our pastoral care.
Then we took a metro and went to visit the Museum of Automobiles, which left us a bit disappointed. We expected something better and more interactive and displaying more of the Italian car history.
Anyway, we returned to the starting point in the city center and took the bus to Juventus new stadium where we spent quite some time, took a guided tour and took pictures in the museum and the stadium itself.
Rain suddenly came with hale, we were lucky to find shelter at the bus stop waiting for the bus taking us back home.
The next day at 6 a.m. we set off to Lucca, where we arrived around 10.30. We were lucky again to get permission to celebrate the Holy Mass at the main altar of the Shrine dedicated to St. Gemma Galgani. Her tomb is located below the main altar. We met mother general of Passionist sisters there who introduced us to two Tanzanian sisters, one from Dodoma and the other from Iringa, members of the congregation.
We were lucky again as one of the assisting priests in the shrine, Don Giuseppe, took us for lunch and nice talk about the shrine and the history of the area. We met another Passionist father there at the lunch as well.
Then we went to the house where Saint Gemma was born, in Camigliano, just outside of Lucca, some 8 kilometers from Lucca. One of the sisters showed us around, then we started our journey back home.
First, we arrived to Cella, to one of the Polish fathers living and working in Reggio d'Emillia diocese. He received us very well, the next morning we said Holy Mass at the chapel of the nursing home, adjacent to the parish.
Then we drove back, climbing Alps and negotiating millions of sharp turns as we climbed up to Passo Giovo, passing on the way some finest machinery the world has to offer - Bugatti Veyrons (eleven of them, we were counting!), Ferraris, Lamborghinis, motorcycles of all sizes and kinds. Wow. The views were breathtaking, hard to explain, you have to see it for yourself.
We went through Brenner Pass, stopped for a short walk in Innsbruck, then drove straight to Ulmerfeld, another classmate of ours' parish, Fr. Wiesiek. We had a nice chat and meal together and after Saturday morning Mass in the parochial church, visiting on the way Fr. John again, we arrived to Krakow shortly after 3 p.m.
It was an exhausting trip and very emotional. I am very very grateful to Merciful God for the grace of this special week when I was able to fulfill my dream of personal pilgrimage to holy shrines of Patron Saints of my parochial church in Kiabakari. I am very grateful to Fr. Emil as well. Without him, his driving skills, his expertise, his knowledge and character - this trip would remain just an unfulfilled dream.
Happiness...
The Apostle of Divine Mercy In Kraków
I have just returned home from the funeral service at Salwator cemetery in Kraków of a man whom I will always consider and respect as the Apostle of Divine Mercy in Kraków. The late dr Stefan Bartik was the most gracious, kind, sensitive, patient and caring person among all doctors I consider to be blessed by the grace of encountering them in my life. I grew up in the light of his smile and the warmth of his heart since I was a baby boy. He was a classmate of my Mum, the family friend, our doctor. To me he was always more than a family, he was a role model to me. I feel honored to meet him in my life.
He was the Apostle of Divine Mercy in merciful deeds towards all who surrounded him, his patients in particular. So many fond memories I cherish in my heart of this absolutely remarkable person. I remember one in particular, on the day of imposing the martial law in Poland, on December 13, 1981, when my Mum got very very sick and I had to make my way from Sądowa Street to Salwator to ask dr Stefan for his help. The situation of our country was critically serious, yet he did not care the dangers and came to help my Mum.
His family is my family, and more than a regular family, because we have been close for so many years through spiritual and friendship bonds. I hope his departure to Father's House in heaven will not weaken these important to me ties.
The funeral announcements posted online and in local newspapers witness to my words (I copy here just two of them):
,,Ci, których kochamy nie umierają nigdy,
bo miłość jest nieśmiertelna"
Emily Dickinson
Z głębokim żalem zawiadamiamy,
że w dniu 26 maja 2014 roku
odszedł od nas po ciężkiej chorobie,
w wieku 76 lat,
zaopatrzony świętymi sakramentami
ś†p
STEFAN BARTIK
Lekarz medycyny
Bezgranicznie oddany
Rodzinie, Przyjaciołom i Pacjentom
Najukochańszy Mąż, Brat, Tatuś, Teść,
Ojciec Chrzestny, Wujek, Kuzyn i Przyjaciel
Msza święta żałobna przy Zmarłym odprawiona zostanie
w poniedziałek, dnia 2 czerwca 2014 r. o godz. 13.00
w kaplicy Wszystkich Świętych
na cmentarzu Salwatorskim w Krakowie,
po czym nastąpi odprowadzenie Zmarłego
na miejsce wiecznego spoczynku.
Pogrążeni w głębokim smutku i żalu
Żona, Siostra, Dzieci, Rodzina i Przyjaciele
Z głębokim żalem zawiadamiamy,
że w dniu 26 maja 2014 roku zmarł
dr STEFAN BARTIK
Wspaniały Kolega o prawym charakterze,
cieszący się ogromnym szacunkiem pacjentów.
Wieloletni lekarz reumatolog,
który większość swojego życia zawodowego
związał z Krakowskim Szpitalem Reumatologii i Rehabilitacji,
pełnił przez wiele lat funkcję Zastępcy Ordynatora.
Wieloletni członek Małopolskiego Oddziału
Polskiego Towarzystwa Reumatologicznego,
znany z aktywności zawodowej i społecznej.
Tracimy wspaniałego Kolegę i Przyjaciela.
Wyrazy głębokiego współczucia
Rodzinie i Bliskim
składają
Koleżanki i Koledzy
z Małopolskiego Centrum Reumatologii,
Immunologii i Rehabilitacji
Szpitala Specjalistycznego im. J. Dietla w Krakowie
He was the Apostle of Divine Mercy in merciful deeds towards all who surrounded him, his patients in particular. So many fond memories I cherish in my heart of this absolutely remarkable person. I remember one in particular, on the day of imposing the martial law in Poland, on December 13, 1981, when my Mum got very very sick and I had to make my way from Sądowa Street to Salwator to ask dr Stefan for his help. The situation of our country was critically serious, yet he did not care the dangers and came to help my Mum.
His family is my family, and more than a regular family, because we have been close for so many years through spiritual and friendship bonds. I hope his departure to Father's House in heaven will not weaken these important to me ties.
The funeral announcements posted online and in local newspapers witness to my words (I copy here just two of them):
,,Ci, których kochamy nie umierają nigdy,
bo miłość jest nieśmiertelna"
Emily Dickinson
Z głębokim żalem zawiadamiamy,
że w dniu 26 maja 2014 roku
odszedł od nas po ciężkiej chorobie,
w wieku 76 lat,
zaopatrzony świętymi sakramentami
ś†p
STEFAN BARTIK
Lekarz medycyny
Bezgranicznie oddany
Rodzinie, Przyjaciołom i Pacjentom
Najukochańszy Mąż, Brat, Tatuś, Teść,
Ojciec Chrzestny, Wujek, Kuzyn i Przyjaciel
Msza święta żałobna przy Zmarłym odprawiona zostanie
w poniedziałek, dnia 2 czerwca 2014 r. o godz. 13.00
w kaplicy Wszystkich Świętych
na cmentarzu Salwatorskim w Krakowie,
po czym nastąpi odprowadzenie Zmarłego
na miejsce wiecznego spoczynku.
Pogrążeni w głębokim smutku i żalu
Żona, Siostra, Dzieci, Rodzina i Przyjaciele
and
że w dniu 26 maja 2014 roku zmarł
dr STEFAN BARTIK
Wspaniały Kolega o prawym charakterze,
cieszący się ogromnym szacunkiem pacjentów.
Wieloletni lekarz reumatolog,
który większość swojego życia zawodowego
związał z Krakowskim Szpitalem Reumatologii i Rehabilitacji,
pełnił przez wiele lat funkcję Zastępcy Ordynatora.
Wieloletni członek Małopolskiego Oddziału
Polskiego Towarzystwa Reumatologicznego,
znany z aktywności zawodowej i społecznej.
Tracimy wspaniałego Kolegę i Przyjaciela.
Wyrazy głębokiego współczucia
Rodzinie i Bliskim
składają
Koleżanki i Koledzy
z Małopolskiego Centrum Reumatologii,
Immunologii i Rehabilitacji
Szpitala Specjalistycznego im. J. Dietla w Krakowie
It was raining during the Holy at Salwator cemetery chapel, it was raining during the funeral itself. Kraków bade farewell to one of its finest sons with heavenly tears. And rightly so.
Now we ask dr Stefan to intercede and pray for his family and for all of us as well. I believe he will continue to be the Apostle of Divine Mercy in Father's House in heaven taking care of us, till we meet again there...
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