May 13, 2023 | NEWS
Friday, May 19, 2023
19:30 – 21:30
Prayer vigil
Church of Saint Apostles Matthew and Matthias in Racibórz – Brzezie
Saturday, May 20, 2023
9:00
The Eucharist presided over by His Excellency Fr. Bishop Waldemar Musioł, auxiliary bishop of the Opole diocese.
Church of St. Nicholas in Racibórz.
Dulcissima – Marian from Brzezie
10:30
Launch of the symposium entitled Dulcissima – Marian from Brzezie
Racibórz Cultural Center – Strzecha Culture House, ul. Fr. Józefa Londzina 38
Introduction:
Editor Agnieszka Bugała, journalist
Preface:
- Provincial Superior Magdalena Zabłotna SMI
- Mayor of Racibórz Dariusz Polowy
10:45
The Charism of the Founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate Servant of God Fr. John Schneider
Sr. Dr. Elżbieta Cińcio SMI
11:15
Congregation of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate in the times of Sr. M. Dulcissima Hoffmann SMI
Mother General Sr. Dr. M. Sybilla Kołtan SMI
11:45
Lena’s way of vocation
Fr. dr hab. Henryk Olszar, prof. University of Silesia in Katowice
12.15 – 12.45 Break
12:45
SMI monasteries on the path of vocation of Sr.M. Dulcissima Hoffmann SMI
S.M. Małgorzata Cur SMI
13:15
The beginnings of Brzezie nad Odrą – on the 800th anniversary of the first mention of the settlement in the sources.
Grzegorz Wawoczny
13:45–14:15
Discussion panel
14:45
Refreshment
Sunday, May 21, 2023
12:00
Eucharist in the church of Saint Apostles Matthew and Matthias in Racibórz – Brzezie under the leadership of His Excellency Fr. bishop Grzegorz Olszewski, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Katowice
The homily will be delivered by His Excellency Fr. bishop prof. Jacek Kiciński CMF, auxiliary bishop of Wrocław, chairman of the Commission for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
1:30 p.m
Family picnic
Marian songs performed by folk bands from Racibórz and the surrounding area.
School playground at Primary School No. 3 im. Krzysztof Kamila Baczyński in Racibórz – Brzezie
May 5, 2023 | NEWS
Will you go with us to Lisieux to St. Theresa? I was asked by Father Theodore Suchoń, the retired custodian of the shrine of St. Teresa in Rybnik Chwałowice. I can’t hide the fact that the priest surprised me with this question, so I immediately didn’t know what to say. I heard in the receiver: please don’t worry about anything, just ask permission from your superiors. I asked Sr. Provincial Superior for her opinion, I got the green light. However, I knew that May would be a very demanding month for me. However, when I read that April 29 marks the 100th anniversary of the beatification of St. Teresa – I rejoiced heartily. I understood that this is a special time and when I thanked Fr. Theodore and said that I would go it was the Priest who calmly replied – There will be Sister Dulcissima walking in the person of a sister in the thanksgiving procession in Lisieux. I was touched. I also realized that the sender of the invitation to Lisieux that I had received from Fr. Theodore was a Carmelite saint. This is how St. Therese of the Child Jesus invited us to give thanks and adore God.
The central celebration in Lisieux was held in a solemn atmosphere. It was a great celebration! At the shrine of St. Thérèse in Lisieux, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline assured with simplicity of heart that St. Thérèse is teaching us as well as the whole Church today a valuable lesson. He said that St. Thérèse teaches us a Catholicism based on humility, total trust in God, and participation in Christ’s saving mission through intercessory prayer and sacrifice. The cardinal noted that Pope Pius XI called her the star of the pontificate and also pointed out that she is the word that God speaks to us because even today He shows us through her , that for Him the most important thing is humility.
Saint Teresa and Sr. Dulcissima how similar they are. This thought kept coming back to me like a boomerang. I realized, once again, that St. Teresa is a gift of heaven to Sr. Dulcissima, but also to our entire congregation.
The 100th anniversary of the beatification and also the 150th anniversary of the birth of St. Therese of the Child Jesus were events that brought together large crowds for the Eucharist in the Basilica of Lisieux. After the Mass, there was an opportunity for personal prayer and veneration of St. Therese’s relics.
With gratitude in my heart, we returned, back to Poland.
May God be glorified in His angels and saints.
s. Małgorzata Cur
Apr 20, 2023 | NEWS
A very peculiar tradition in Cochem is
is Knipp Monday – a holiday for every Cochem resident.
Once a year, one week after Easter Monday, all the eggs and other goodies left over from Easter are packed into a backpack along with a picnic blanket and off they go to a meadow slope behind the Reichsburg. There one makes oneself comfortable on the meadow, meets young and old and it is eaten in sociable being together, drunk, laughed and played music.
According to legend, on this day over 300 years ago, a young castle servant and his sweetheart wanted to meet in the village of Faid.
On his way there the servant discovered on a meadow
(today’s Knippwiese) heavily armed French troops. He crept up unnoticed and learned that an attack on the Imperial Castle was planned. He ran back as fast as he could and informed the Burgrave, who had his men prepared for defense. Thus the attack was averted the next morning and the surprised enemies were driven away.
Out of sheer gratitude, the lord of the castle henceforth appointed
the Monday after “White Sunday” to a holiday in Cochem.
Yes, and because our residents all celebrated Knipp Monday on the meadow – but now can no longer go there – we celebrated it in our house.
Sister M.Felicitas
Apr 7, 2023 | NEWS
In Cochem it is a tradition, in the early morning of Maundy Thursday
to bless the “Männerweck”. Männerweck is a small bread or roll, that is a pastry made of yeast dough. Whether the word part “men” can be derived from the heavenly bread “manna” is unclear. Manna comes from the Hebrew meaning “what is it?” It is the surprising thing that God bestowed on the Israelites and that served as food for them on their way through the desert.
The blessing of the “Männerwecken” in Cochem has the following historical origin:
In the past, merchants brought their gifts to the local priest on Holy Thursday. It is important to know that the clergy did not receive a fixed salary, but paid for their upkeep from donations from the community. Bakers, butchers and farmers gave what was dispensable.
The priest pronounced the blessing over the food. Perishable goods or those that were donated in abundance, after the blessing, the priest gave to the needy of his parish.
Even in our modern times, the “Männerwecken” are blessed in the parish church. Because many of our residents come from Cochem, but can no longer go to the parish church – we hold a small devotion in the house and bless the “Männerwecken”. These are then distributed to the residents and staff.
Sister M. Felicitas
Apr 7, 2023 | NEWS
Our community at the Generalate, once again on Good Friday meditated on the Passion of Christ during the Way of the Cross in our garden. We initiated this custom during the pandemonium, when it was impossible to go to church. Preparing and experiencing this common Way of the Cross at the hour of Jesus’ death, moves us a lot and allows us to touch even more deeply the mysteries of our salvation.
Mar 28, 2023 | NEWS
“The art of giving lies in giving to a person
something he cannot buy.”
Alan Alexander Milne
At the beginning of February – this year I received from a good acquaintance who works well with the Benedictines from Maria Laach Abbey and also with us Sisters of Mary from Klosterberg – the information that before Easter he will again organize a relief transport to the Roma camp in Slovakia and bring the truck 7.5 tons there himself.
As in the past years (I have reported about it) it is a great need for us to continue to support this project.
Here in Cochem there are many people who have a big heart and bring us donations again and again.
For example
On her 80th birthday, a lady gave up gifts and asked for a donation for the Roma children in the Roma camp. Full of joy she gave me a nice sum.
Also a resident of our house . He is very grateful that he is doing so well here and that he can spend his old age here.
So I could additionally – to the “normal” donations
many Easter bunnies and other sweets for “our” Roma children.
In the meantime all things have arrived on site.
I would love to be there when the sweets are distributed to see the shining eyes of the children.
Yes I am very thankful for the help of the generous
Cochem benefactors – who want to continue to support this good cause.
Sister M. Felicitas
