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.

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!

Patron Saint

Today, on April 23rd, the Holy Catholic Church, venerates in its liturgy St. Adalbert, archbishop and martyr, who is my Patron Saint. Adalbert is his baptismal name as he wanted to honor his tutor and mentor, bishop Albert, that's why he called himself Adalbert - Ad Albert - from Albert... In Poland and Czech Republic though we know him by his original, native name - Wojciech... meaning 'famous warrior'...

Right In The Heart Of The City

Right in the heart of my City of Kraków, in The Main Market Square, is where the smallest church - among all churches in the whole of the Archdiocese of Kraków - is located. The church dedicated to my Patron Saint - St. Wojciech (or in Latin - St. Adalbert). My favorite church!