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

and 

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

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...

A Quiet Day?

Yeah, it was supposed to be a quiet day. An office routine day. As I am recovering from amoeba and fluctuating blood pressure, I wanted today just to stay home and be available to people coming to the office. And sure, they did come!

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!

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...

It Is Done

I'm back, fresh from the emergency meeting with the staff of our health center. Sister Grace, the administrator of the facility, sets off tomorrow morning to Zambia to join her family grieving after the loss of her older brother. There was no other option, but I had to volunteer to step into her shoes and take over administrative duties for the time being till she comes back. My heart is filled with mixed feelings as I am not sure what to expect and what will happen in her absence. Will be posting news as story unfolds. In the meantime I ask humbly for your prayers - first of all for her late brother, for the safe journey of Sister Grace and for us who stay behind that we may run the health center smoothly and efficiently. And may God help us all!!!

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?

Proclaiming Love Of Life In the Face of Death

Yesterday along with a few people who have been friends with our foreman in construction projects - Mr Sayi Tumaini - we traveled to Malili - half distance between Kiabakari and Mwanza, to take part in the funeral of Sayi's Mum who died last Saturday after a very long battle with cancer...

Vanity

A keyword of today's first reading of the liturgy of 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time. 'Vanity. All things are vanity!' And the Gospel adds: 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?'

I look at this Word of God in a perspective of two people. First is a priest emeritus who lived in our home parish in Kraków and died 26 years ago. The second is Patrick Morley, a co-author of the book "The Dad in the Mirror."