Stoned To Death With Popcorn

It's a pity that the beatification process of Fulton J. Sheen - the remarkable human being, Catholic, famous preacher, archbishop and most of all - faithful follower of Christ - has been stalled by two disputing dioceses in USA. Hopefully, they will resolve quickly their differences and the process will come to its completion.

As we await it with great anticipation, let's remind ourselves some of his most famous quotes (click here). I must admit cheekily, that my favorite quote, certainly one of his most popular, is this:

“Hearing nuns' confessions is like being stoned to death with popcorn.”

Somehow, being a Catholic priest and a long-time confessor of nuns of numerous congregations, both  in active and contemplative service of the Church, I can attest to the truth of this quote!

Cardinal Martini - Humble and Honest

I am sure most of you have already become familiar with the short interview the late Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini gave to his Jesuit confrere Fr. Georg Sporschill shortly before his death (August 31, 2012). If you Google for the text of the interview, you will find hundreds if not thousands of links to it (for your convenience I post two links - in English and in Polish). Sadly, almost all of these numerous links share the common sensational tone, focusing on a challenging statement of the Cardinal that the Catholic Church is outdated 200 years, missing completely or most of other valid points the Cardinal stresses in his humble and honest conversation.

No End To Sad News

As many of us are concerned about my Dad's health and treatment progress in Krakow's hospital, praying and sending get well wishes, I got another bad news this morning. One of my catechists, Frederick Masasi, was killed last night by a hit-and-run lorry in Kamugegi village where he lived as served God as catechist. The driver and the people who were with him apparently stopped, went back, saw what happened and drove away leaving Frederick on the side of the road. Outrageous!

The funeral will be tomorrow in Kamugegi at 11am. I would like to ask you all to say a prayer for the repose of his soul. He was a very good catechist, liked by all and serving God tirelessly till old age. May Merciful Lord receive him in heaven. Rest in peace, Frederick!

Full Circle

Today is the seventh anniversary of the death of my classmate, Father Piotr Wrona. I will have honor to visit his parents in Krowodrza district of Kraków and present to them a special photo album of the pictures taken during the very first Mass celebrated in St. Gemma Galgani convent in Kiabakari on April 11 last year, the day after the official blessing of the convent, in which we used for the first time the chalice and patena which once belonged to Father Piotr and were offered to me by his parents. I wrote extensively on this topic in my previous posts (see here, here and here), so I won't repeat myself. It will certainly be an emotional moment later today and I am looking forward to it. The whole story will make the full circle, since the day I was presented the chalice, then the Holy Mass and now reconnecting with his parents to present this special album. I think Father Piotr in heaven and his parents in Krowodrza will be happy to see the way we honored him and commemorated that very special day. May his soul rest in peace!

The Grave

A few days ago a man came to my office asking for advice what to do in a case when the family members of a deceased elder decided to renovate his grave paying their respect to him. The man was buried 28 years ago in a family plot adjacent to the Divine Mercy Hill, just on the other side of the road that runs around the hill...

Miss You...

Tomorrow is Mothers' Day in Poland. For the third year I celebrate this special day with a Holy Mass for my Mum and my spiritual pilgrimage to her grave in Rakowice Cemetery in Kraków. I miss her so much. It always is too late to love more and cherish more and care more... Too late...

Lightning

Just came back from one of the outstations. Upon my arrival to the village, people told me about a tragic accident that occurred some tens days ago there. Three boys took shelter under the overhanging of the roof of the chapel as the thunderstorm was about to come down with fury on that area. Unfortunately, recklessly, one of the boys played with his mobile phone, trying to call someone. The lighting struck...

Would You?

In times like this, when I am sick and in pain, and not because of my mistake or fault, but 'just like that', getting sick of malaria and typhoid, as now, it feels like a special kiss from God. It feels and it conveys a message to me that I am alive and that part of my life is needed for someone or something else. It feels like God telling me He needs me and my life and health is worthy of sharing with others... It is hard to explain precisely this feeling, this message... But I believe that in times like this one now, my life means something, has its broader purpose and serves some worthy causes...

We Remember...

...in Kiabakari that tomorrow is the first anniversary of that fatal flight of Tupolev 154M '101' to Smolensk which ended in tragic death of 96 passengers on board on April 10, 2010. We will remember our late President Lech Kaczyński, his wife and all other prominent figures of our nation - in tomorrow's Mass which will be presided by the bishop of Musoma, Rt. Rev. Michael Msonganzila at 10am in our church.

Inexplicable Mystery

Yesterday our local community lost one of its prominent figures, in the field of education in our area. He was my parishioner. But I never ever administered any of Church's sacraments to this man. He simply refused to bless his marriage. He had no apparent reasons to do so. He had no impediments that anyone was aware of. He was just promising that one day, someday... Too late.

Burning Alive

Sick in my stomach, I was barely able to finish the Holy Mass just a moment ago. Praying to God for mercy on souls of those who lost their lives just a few hours ago in my neighborhood. One of them someone I knew very well for many many years. So far four members of our local community in Kiabakari lost their lives - two shot dead by the police force, two burned alive by angry mob taking justice in their hands...

Sad Reality

We have got sad news last night, in the middle of the night, that older brother of Sister Grace, the administrator of our health center, has passed away after long illness... I celebrated a Holy Mass for the repose of the soul of late Godfrey, we consoled Sister Grace and feel for her and her immediate family back at home. Now we've got a serious problem. How to get Sister Grace back home for the funeral, and if not possible, at least to be present during the wake?

Crossroads

"Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him". (Sir 15:17) Someone once said: 'Having chosen once, I have to choose every day..." ... Well, I guess it is not enough to choose every day. Not only every day, but every hour, every second, every time I have to make a decision which way to go, what to say, what to do, what to choose, how to react, what to think, how to understand someone or something - in which light - Divine Light, light of faith or simple enlightenment of my human reason? What is the outcome of my decisions? I am free to choose... surely my past experiences, my past choices, things I am used to do, will influence somehow my present decisions or will incline me to tend to choose something over something else... but still I am absolutely free at the end of the day to choose... and I have to live with my decision... and some of them are irreversible and I have to live with the outcome of these decisions forever... This freedom God has given us out of His love and respect for us is scary...

The Point Of Death

“My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live (...) “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded.”" (the whole episode at Mk 5:21-43) The words of Jesus to the little girl: "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" are immensely encouraging to all girls in Africa, in Tanzania, and in our region of Tanzania in particular, who live in a male dominated society, ruled by male biased rules and customs, discriminating the girls and women in many areas of their lives, mainly in education, healthcare, employment, payroll, ownership of land and property...

Grandfather

Another adorable day in our Polish encyclopedia of customs. The Grandfather's Day today. Both of my Grandpas passed away long time ago. The Father of my Mum - in April 1940 in Katyń Forest (I wrote about him in my post here). The second, my Dad's Dad - passed away in 1983 when I was a freshman in the metropolitan seminary in Kraków...

Two Years

It's already two years since my Mum passed away, on January 3, 2009. I remember that day as if it happened today. The day before my brother called and told me she was put into intensive care unit in the hospital she knew too well already for the past years of her battle with numerous illnesses... It was Friday. Then on Saturday I said Mass for her and drove to Butiama, some 13 kilometers from Kiabakari to see the parish priest of Butiama...

The Rural Death Row

We have just put two convicts on the rural death row. It always happens whenever we are about to celebrate a parochial feast, as we are getting ready to do just that the day after tomorrow, when Bishop Michael Msonganzila will come to celebrate a Holy Mass with the sacrament of Confirmation for some 300 young and old members of the parochial community. There  always is a death sentence accompanying these joyful events. They aren't that joyful to some convicts though. And although we have a prison in Kiabakari, those convicts we put to death on the occasion of our feasts are not from that prison...They are from the green mile a.k.a. the rural death row...