African retreat in Poznań
In the last week of 2022, a retreat for sisters from Tanzania, who serve in Poland, Germany and Rome, took place in our house in Poznań. The retreat in Swahili was preached by Fr. Alex, who is currently studying in Poznań. The priest reminded us that as consecrated persons, we are to transform the world and not let it be the other way around, that the world changes us and shapes our religious life. After the retreat, the sisters and the priest came to Wrocław to pray at the tomb of the Founder.Christmas in Świnoujście
"Come into the world to settle accounts of losses, to take an empty seat among us at the table. Once again, let us enjoy the child in us... (from "Carols for the Absent by Z. Preisner) One of the customs of the Christmas Eve supper is to set an extra plate for an unexpected guest or a lonely person. In our community in Świnoujście, this symbolic empty place was occupied by three people this year: Mrs. Barbara - a lonely elderly parishioner, and little Viktoria with her grandmother from Ukraine. The girl and her grandmother experienced Christmas Eve for the first time according to the Catholic tradition, i.e. with reading a fragment from the Holy Bible, sharing the wafer and singing carols. Viktoria experienced this meeting all week, asking every morning "when will Saturday be". Grandma was happy and touched and willingly talked about the Ukrainian supper and tried every prepared Christmas Eve dish with reverence. Mrs. Barbara also could not control her tears and repeated how happy she was that she was not alone that evening and was celebrating in such a solemn way. After dinner, there was the moment Viktoria had been waiting for the most – the presents. All the sisters and ladies received gifts, but Viktoria received the most gifts (we know from the post-Christmas report that after coming home she spread everything on the floor and said: "Oh, I don't know where to start"). It was a joyful and friendly Christmas Eve. We thank God that this year the "empty seat at the table" was not just a tradition, but became a reality for us; that Jesus was born through love in our hearts. Sisters from ŚwinoujścieVisit to prison
The time before Christmas means visiting loved ones, wishing them well and rejoicing together. A community of sisters in the Philippines visited the women's prison in Manila, where a Polish woman sentenced to life imprisonment there for twelve years has been held. Together with her, there are 106 women in one cell, most sleeping on the floor, without a mattress, one next to the other. The woman has no one in the Philippines and no family or friends come to visit her. In cooperation with the Polish embassy, our sisters visit her bringing not only small gifts, but above all comfort and support. Our pre-Christmas visit to Mrs Barbara caused her great joy and emotion. We brought her Polish Christmas dishes so that she could have at least a substitute for Christmas in prison. However, Mrs Barbara was most happy to receive a rosary and a prayer to Sister Dulcissima. She prays a lot in prison and participates in the religious meetings organised there. Not only for her, but also for us, it was a very important Christmas meeting. Due to the ban on bringing phones and taking photos, we are only publishing a photo from the outside and our passes that we were given.
Bethlehem – House of Bread
At the invitation of our sister Janina Michnik, who teaches religious education in the nearby primary school in Racibórz Brzezie, on December 19, i.e. on Monday, we took part in a nativity play, a performance about the birth of Jesus. Undoubtedly, this spectacle brought the viewers closer to the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God and introduced us to the atmosphere of the long-awaited Christmas. The roles of actors were played by almost all children and teenagers who, under the supervision of teachers, were preparing for the Nativity play for a month. The students performed in beautiful costumes and sung well-known carols or pastorals. The set could not miss the Holy Family, shepherds or angels. And when the Silesian family, sitting at the Christmas Eve table, appeared on the stage, its members talked about traditional, but also regional customs related to the preparation of the Christmas Eve supper. Sr. Janina was watching over everything, who was moving the participants into the next stages of the performance. Dances, singing, playing many different instruments are the elements that enrich and enliven this Christmas performance. The spectators were parents and invited guests who rewarded their children with thunderous applause. It is amazing how many talents the students of the school in Brzezie have. Thanks to God for His goodness, which is also happening thanks to the commitment of our sister Janina and the entire teaching staff of the school in Brzezie. s. Małgorzata Cur