Into The Sacred Reality

Tomorrow is the day I will go on my personal pilgrimage to St. Wojciech (Adalbert) parish in Mucharz (my Patron Saint). This is the centuries old parish, one of the first in this area, with amazing history. Here it is believed my Patron Saint stayed and preached Good News on two separate occasions in tenth century. It would not be possible to omit this sacred place in my road map of shrines and holy places important to my faith and spirituality which I need to visit and pray there in my time of holidays in Europe this year.

From this parish Wadowice parish was born (the home parish of Saint John Paul II). Mucharz was the very first parish visited pastorally by Karol Wojtyła right after he became the bishop of Kraków. This is the parish and the sacred place which - according to words of Saint John Paul II spoken in 1994 in Vatican during the celebrations of 16th anniversary of his pontificate - had great influence on his faith and his life. 

Time to immerse myself in the sacredness of this holy place and its venerable history full of the presence of the Holy Spirit and of my Patron Saint. The added value of this spiritual journey is the fact that the parish priest of the parish is my classmate from our ordination class, Rev. Fr. Krzysztof Strzelichowski, one of my closest friends in our class. So good to reunite with him again, to celebrate Holy Mass together and have a nice late evening chat over a piece of world renowned cottage bread, a glass of fine wine and our favorite cheese.

Little Angel For Kiabakari

Many, many thanks to Miss Agata Krupa for her thoughtfulness and painstaking work, manufacturing some 230 little angels with big hearts for Kiabakari children along with lovely handsome 'Dziabągi'. It took her a few weeks to accomplish the task and then she needed only one day to sell them all during a special mission market day on Solemnity of Epiphany a week or so ago in Mucharz Parish in Achdiocese of Krakow, where the Parish Priest is my classmate and friend, a man of big heart like these little angels, Fr. Krzysztof Strzelichowski, who wholeheartedly invited Agata to her parish to sell little angels and small creatures called 'Dziabągi' (see pictures below). All income Agata decided to forward to Kiabakari for the benefit of our children.

This Saturday we will see how much this help was needed when we will have special Children's Fiesta with various activities, music, plays, competitions and food. Her initiative along with the help from collection of teddy bears, toys, school gadgets collected by Miss Bożena Koczur and Mrs. Anna Piwowarska on behalf of Foundation Kiabakari - which will be used as gifts to children on Saturday, along with the personal gift of Sylwia Konstantynowicz and her husband Jacek Juras (who are on their way to Kiabakari as I write these words, to represent all our benefactors, during the fiesta) - made this fiesta to be possible.

On behalf of all children in Kiabakari, parents, guardians and the entire community in Kiabakari - we say with grateful hearts, red with love and happiness, like those of little angels - Asanteni sana sana sana! Thank you very very very much! Karibuni kwa Tamasha letu! Welcome to our fiesta!