Aug 14, 2021 | FORUM, NEWS
The Three Fountain (Three Springs) on Via Laurentina in Rome is a well-known place, because it is the place where the martyrdom of St. Paul took place. Legend has it that when St. Paul was beheaded as a result of the persecution of Nero, his head bounced off the ground three times before stopping. Suddenly, three springs gushed out of the ground, that is why this place is called “Le Tre Fontane”, or “Three fountains”.
Near the place of the martyrdom of St. Paul, the Mother of God appeared, but let’s start at the beginning;
In 1913, in a stable on the outskirts of Rome, Bruno Cornacchiola was born. He was not baptized until his father returned from prison. He grew up and grew up in the godless environment of Roman slums, where almost all criminals and prostitutes lived. There were constant arguments, curses and beatings in Bruno’s house. The older ones ran away from home at night. One day, when Bruno was wandering around the building, a monk became interested in him and took him to a convent. He was fed and washed there. The sisters started teaching him the catechism. After 40 days of preparation, sixteen-year-old Bruno received his First Communion and the sacrament of confirmation. At the age of 20, he was drafted into the army. After leaving the military service, Bruno Cornacchiola married a girl he had known from childhood and only thanks to her insistence, he agreed to a church wedding. Then Bruno joined the Communist Party. He went with the Italian army to Spain for the civil war, where he began to spy for the communists. In Zaragoza he met a German soldier who had impressed him a lot, he belonged to a Protestant sect and breathed hatred towards the Pope and the Catholic Church. Since then, hatred of the Catholic Church in Bruno grew to such an extent that he bought himself a dagger and wrote “Death to the Pope” on it. After the end of the war, he returned to Rome and began to work as a tram conductor. It was during this time that he made contact with Seventh-day Adventists. Bruno was very committed and zealous in fighting the Catholic Church, the cult of the Mother of God and the Pope, and did his best to convince as many people as possible and make them adhere to the Adventist sect. This prompted him to deliver a speech in Piazza della Croce Rossa, in which he was supposed to ridicule the worship of the Eucharist, the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was a great honor and an opportunity for him to become a pastor.
For this reason, on Saturday, April 12, 1947, were going to Ostia with his children; 10-year-old Isola, 7-year-old Carlo and 4-year-old Gianfranco. They missed the train, so he decided to go to ‘’Via Laurentina alle Tre Fontane’’ the three fountains’’ to prepare his speech in peace.
It was a beautiful sunny day, the children started to play in the eucalyptus forest and Bruno was preparing his speech. There was a grotto near where they were. Bruno checked from time to time where the children are and what they are doing. One moment he did not hear the answer of the youngest son, he started looking for him very concerned. He reached a nearby grotto and found a child kneeling with his hands folded in prayer. Bruno called the other children. Upon arriving, they also kneeled in front of the “beautiful lady” who was in the grotto and whom only Bruno could not see. Bruno was terrified, his children were pale and motionless, he did not know what to do, he worried about his children, in his helplessness for the first time in a long time he asked for the Lord’s help with all his heart. At this point, the darkness of the grotto brightened and he also saw a “beautiful lady”.
She was about five to seven feet, had a white dress with a pink band around her hips, dark brown hair and a green cloak around her head and hips, and hold a Bible in her hands. The Lady introduced herself as the “Virgin of Revelation.” She said: “I am the Virgin of Revelation, and Revelation is the words of God that speak of Me as well. You are persecuting me, but it is high time you stop this. Come back to the holy communion of the Catholic Church. ”The first Fridays of the Month offered to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which you celebrated, encouraged by your concerned, faithful spouse, before you finally embarked on the path of error, saved you. She talked to Bruno for an hour and a quarter: she explained to him the meaning of prayer, invited him to confession and delivered a message to the Pope.
Finally, she smiled, bowed and gradually disappeared, leaving only a beautiful scent in the grotto. Before she left, the Virgin of Revelation left him a sign, dispelling his doubts, confirming the credibility of God’s message, and rejecting Satan’s actions. The sign was about the announcement of Bruno Cornacchiola’s future meeting with the priest, who would verify the truth of the apparition. After returning home, Bruno told his wife what happened and asked her forgiveness for his earlier behavior. Bruno Cornacchiola had subsequent apparitions on May 6, 23, and 30.
On October 5, 1947, on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, the largest rosary procession in the history of Rome took place. It began in St. Peter and walked through the streets of the city to the grotto of Tre Fontane. Three pairs of white horses pulled a cart with a large statue of the Virgin of the Revelation blessed by Pope Pius XII. At that time, the Holy Father consented to the public worship in Tre Fontane and entrusted the Conventual Franciscans with pastoral care over pilgrims coming to the place of the apparitions. This place became a destination for pilgrimages, where many healings and conversions took place.
On April 12, 1980, the 33rd anniversary of the apparitions, 3,000 people witnessed the solar miracle. This phenomenon repeated itself two years later ..
Bruno Cornacchiola also met with successive popes: on July 8, 1959, he was received in private audience by Pope John XXIII, and on October 17, 1973, he met with Paul VI. He was also at a private audience with John Paul II.
Thanks to the decision of Pope John Paul II, on March 17, 1994, Cardinal Camillo Ruini issued a decree ordering the construction of a church on the site of the apparitions, and on April 2, 1997, St. John Paul II gave this church the title “Holy Mary of the Third Millennium in Tre Fontane”.
Sr. Weronika Wojciechowska
Jul 27, 2021 | FORUM, NEWS
We live in times of enormous human possibilities. Even 50 years ago, the current lifestyle of people was unattainable for those times, even in the wildest dreams. Today, thanks to technical inventions and the ever-developing globalization in many areas of our lives, one has the impression that the world is at our fingertips, open to every human being, and what we will do with our lives depends only on our decision. In such a situation, choosing a simple, poor life in a monastery may seem completely absurd to contemporaries. For many people, religious life is losing its value today, becoming a kind of “religious folklore” or a medieval relic. Other roles of consecrated persons are perceived mainly in terms of social activity, which at present, with well-developed social institutions, does not play such importance as before. So, you get the impression that the time of religious orders is slowly coming to an end. In such thinking, the fact of the decreasing number of vocations to consecrated life in Europe can also confirm.
However, are we really dealing with a crisis of religious life today, which has become obsolete in the modern world, or is there a world around us in which basic and natural values, such as faith in God, love as a gift of self, truth, goodness and beauty? began to be a misunderstanding?
There is no doubt that in today’s world, spirituality has become one of the most stunted areas of life for many Christians. On the one hand, the weakening of faith, and on the other hand, the more and more felt, though perhaps not realized, desire of God the Creator – this is the drama of contemporary man. The witness of consecrated life has never been so necessary in history as it is today. It does not lose its sense, but it is much more difficult, because it is to fulfill its role in a culture that has chosen individualism as its hallmark. Consecrated life as a path of service, love, self-giving for the sake of often neglected, difficult and needy people stands in complete opposition to today’s mentality.
The essence of the vocation to consecrated life is not the activity, but the identity of the consecrated person. A vocation to religious life is a vocation to a unique bond with Christ that cannot become obsolete. Religious community is to show the passion of life for God – this is its task in the world. Of course, this does not mean that religious life would be the best path for all people. However, this life, which some Christians choose by God’s grace, helps others not to get lost in the variety of ways and offers that exist in the modern world.
Consecrated life should convince you that it is God who gives the experience of happiness that the world seeks and cannot find anywhere else. Money, power, or feelings will not give it unless it is integrated into the experience of faith. It is God who is the Lord of everything, it is up to us to fulfill the task entrusted to us.
S.M. Sybilla Kołtan
Jul 14, 2021 | FORUM, NEWS
Since this year is proclaimed by Pope Francis “the Year of Saint Joseph”, I would like to share with you my friendship with this saint.
Devotion to St. I have always had Joseph, before I entered our Congregation, I knew the litany to St. Joseph by heart. I always tried to entrust many things through his intercession, especially … financial matters … He never refused to help me.
I remember two specific situations in my life.
While I was in Bardo Śląski, the whole community of sisters knew that I had a special devotion to St. Joseph. I was the supervisor then. The house was very large and constantly something broke or needed renovation. Unfortunately, there was not enough money for it. I prayed to my Friend, St. Joseph to help us with these financial matters.
One morning, when I was going down to the chapel, I saw in the corridor in front of the entrance to the chapel that there was a statue of St. Joseph with an envelope in his hand. (I will just add that this figure has never stood there before). I well remember the words I said aloud then: “Oh, its and you, how did you get here?” After a while as I spoke these words, from down the hall, I heard the laughter of the sisters who hid around the corner. It was the youngest sisters in the community who put this figure. As I mentioned, Joseph had an envelope in his hand and, as it turned out, there was money in it. I admit that I was very happy because we were able to renovate such a large room, which we could allocate for a retreat for pilgrims coming to our house and for joint sister meetings.
I never found out where the money came from and who gave it to us (the sisters never told where it came from). However, I believed that it was St. Joseph took care of it.
The next situation happened when we needed money to renovate the kitchen.
Trusting in the help of St. Joseph, I entrusted the whole matter to him and finding money for its renovation.
One day there was a retreat for pilgrims in our house. Then I helped the Sisters in the kitchen and I remember that we were talking about the renovation. At one point the priest who was preaching a retreat with us (now he is a bishop) entered the kitchen. He greeted us, approached me and the kitchen and hands me an envelope, saying: “This is from St. Joseph for my sister ”. The envelope contained enough money to renovate the kitchen.
I remember these two situations in a special way, although there were still many of them.
I love St. Joseph very much. I also call him diminutively “Józefek, help”, I am asking him to come up with “something” and save it. And he has always helped and put wonderful people on my way of life. And it helps to this day. He is reliable in helping. In some matters he works right away, in some you have to wait longer for His intercession, but He always helps and intercedes, you just have to really trust Him, believe and ask for His help.
S.M. Borgia Drobina
Jun 30, 2021 | HISTORY, NEWS
Ordination of the presbyterate
Throughout his priestly life, Fr. Johannes Schneider followed the patron of the Wrocław cathedral both in terms of fidelity to his vocation and flawless priestly chastity. As his biographer, Fr. J. Schweter, thanks to his unblemished priestly chastity, “enjoyed the full happiness of a priestly vocation and had a heart full of compassion for the poor victims of passion and seduction.”
The day of priestly ordination was recognized by Fr. Johannes Schneider as the most important in his life. The goal he had pursued continuously for 12 years and which he had to pay with many sacrifices was finally achieved. Priestly ordination opened for him the possibility of fulfilling his vocation as a priest but also as a defender of the weakest and morally endangered and the founder of a new religious congregation. He never treated the priesthood as an opportunity to raise his social status or start a career.
He celebrated the first Mass on July 2, 1849 in the Wrocław cathedral in the 14th-century St. Mary’s chapel. Sermon during Holy Mass primition was delivered by his compatriot, Fr. Dr. Johannes Klein (1818-1890) vicar from Ścinawa, bachelor of canon law and member of many scientific societies. Fr. Schneider admired his older friend from school days. The primitions were very modest. It is also significant that they took place in Wrocław, and not in the family parish in Rudziczka. Probably the reason for this could be the situation in the neo-presbyter’s home parish. Former parish priest and great protector of Johannes Schneider, Fr. Antoni Hoffmann died in February 1847, and the parish after his death was managed by an administrator, unknown to him. Only on February 24, 1851, Rudziczka received a new parish priest in the person of Fr. Wilhelm Vogt. It also seems that Fr. Johannes Schneider also later, as a priest, did not identify strongly with his family parish. This can be proved by the record of Fr. Walter Schwedowitz, priest of Rudziczka in the years 1921-1945, author of a monograph on six parishes of the Prudnik deanery, including Rudziczka. He does not mention Fr. Johannes Schneider among the priests from the parish in the nineteenth century, but included his short biography at the end of his book, in which he presented Fr. Schneider as a priest from the Rudziczka parish and the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate. This fact may indicate that the author forgot to mention Fr. John in his book or that this figure was not strongly identified with the parish in Rudziczka.
Vicar in Wiązów
The first institution of Fr. Johannes Schneider was a parish in the town of Wiązów in the district of Strzelin. He worked in the church of St. Cross, St. Peter and Paul and St. Jadwiga – the patroness of Silesia.
To Wiązów, Fr. John Schneider hit most probably as a result of the interference of the rector of the Alumnate, Fr. doc. Dr. Joseph Sauer, who could have solicited that Fr. John worked in his native parish, finding him fit and able for this position. Fortunately for Fr. Schneider was that his first parish priest, Fr. Franz Elpelt was a priest very zealous and sensitive to the practical solutions of the then emerging problems related to the so-called a social issue. During his stay, Fr. John Schneider in Wiązów, the parish had about 3,500 believers. The zeal of Fr. Franz Elpelt made Fr. Schneider on the issue of solving the problems of poor people, especially the moral poverty among working women. In the town of Wiązów, many girls worked in a cigar factory. At that time, they fell into all sorts of addictions and bad company. Fr. Schneider organized meetings for them on Saturdays and Sundays, which were an opportunity for working girls to integrate with their peers and were a safe and valuable meeting environment. The young vicar Schneider cared for their fair entertainment and for deepening their religious and moral knowledge. A large number of female servants also worked on estates in fifteen rural centers belonging to the Wiązów parish. Dependent on their employers, they were often exposed to demoralization.
Fr. Johannes Schneider wanted to sensitize them to the matters of sacramental life, nurturing the life of prayer. With the help of his parish priest, with whom he got on well, he also influenced their parents and educators. In this field, he found help from the teacher and conductor of the parish choir – Depene. He took care of the level of church singing in the parish and encouraged young people to zealously participate in the services.
As a young curate, Fr. Schneider spent all his time working and helping those in need who were close to him.
Vicar in the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Piasek Island
After two years of work in Wiązów, On September 9, 1851, Fr. John Schneider was sent to work in the parish of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Piasek in Wrocław as a vicar. He took the place of Fr. Dr. Franz Lorinser, whom Bishop Bishop Dr. M. von Diepenbrock appointed priest in Alumnat. In 1851, the parish of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wrocław had about 1,500 faithful.
The appointment of Fr. John Schneider to the position of vicar in the parish of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Piasek in place of Fr. Dr. F. Lorinser, who was one of the most outstanding priests of the Wrocław diocese of his time, testifies to the fact that the bishop of Wrocław, Prince Cardinal Dr. Melchior von Diepenbrock, learned about his intellectual, spiritual and organizational skills. At that time, very talented priests, headed by Fr. doc. Dr. Józef Wick (1820-1903).
Fr. John Schneider first worked at the side of Fr. Franz Hoffmann, who was formally the parish priest in the years 1848-1852, and from November 12, 1852, Fr. Józef Wick. The appointment of Fr. Wicka for the post of parish priest in the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Piasek was the last nomination of Prince Cardinal Dr. Melchior von Dipenbrock. Fr. doc. Dr. J. Wick took over the parish on January 4, 1853. At that time, the parish priest of the parish of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Piasek administered the parish of St. Michael the Archangel.
Father Johannes Schneider, as a vicar, established a very cordial cooperation with Fr. Robert Spiske, founder of the Sisters of St. Jadwiga (1859), who worked in this parish from June 20, 1848, also as a vicar (from September 2, 1851 to January 18, 1852, he was the administrator of the parish of St. Michael in Wrocław), and from January 18, 1852 . was the curator of this parish.
The first parish priest, Fr. John Schneider, Fr. Franz Hoffmann was a conflict and tragic figure. He did not work long in the parish of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Piasek. On March 16, 1852, he was suspended, and five months later dismissed by Cardinal Melchior von Dipenbrock, with whom he had unpleasant disputes.
Fr. Schneider not only did not have the slightest disagreement with his brothers in the priesthood, but was also able to establish very fruitful cooperation with the newly appointed parish priest, Fr Józef Wick and Fr. Robert Spiske. He made a good team in pastoral work with them. At the same time, thanks to this cooperation, he could learn about the ways of solving problems related to the spiritual and material poverty of the society at that time.
Fr. doc. dr hab. Józef Wick was not only an outstanding priest and learned preacher, but also a talented social activist and organizer. He belonged in Germany – next to August Reichensperger and Fr. Wilhelm Emmanuel von Ketteler – to the promoters of the Vincentian movement. He took part in 1848 – alongside Silesian priests,John Baltzer, Henryk Förster and Franciszek Wittke – in the first congress of German Catholics in Mainz. After returning from Mainz, on 11 November 1848, he organized a congress of Silesian Catholics in Wrocław. In the years 1848-1849, Fr. doc. Dr. Józef Wick created about 120 Catholic organizations with the headquarters in Wrocław. On his initiative, among others, the Union of the Catholic East, the Catholic Craft Union, the Boarding House for Children, and the Catholic Library in Wrocław were established. In Germany, the Vincentian movement had an impact on the establishment of women’s organizations that looked after sick women, abandoned children, and girls at risk of prostitution. St. Vincent de Paul fought against tabloid literature, organized savings banks, libraries, and promoted good religious literature among the poor. They were the nucleus of the Catholic Action in Silesia.
On the principles of the Society of the Conference of St. Vincent de Paul, the Union of Catholic Married Women and Virgin Mary under the invocation of St. Jadwiga included about 3,000 female members. It was dominated by teachers and educated people. Thanks to the good formation of this Association, provided by Fr. Robert Spiske, these women have mastered the plight of the poor people in the city; because they took care of sick people, prisoners, and neglected children. From this Society emerged in 1859 the female congregation of the Sisters of St. Hedwig of the Blessed and Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, based on the rule of St. Augustine for the Third Order.
In 1863, the parish priest Fr. Wick founded the periodical “Breslauer Hausblätter” transformed into the daily “Schlesische Volkszeitung”. Therefore, in this newspaper there is an extensive posthumous article about Fr. Schneider!
The work of Fr. Johannes Schneider in the parish of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Piasek and contacts with the above-mentioned priests constituted an important pastoral formation. He prepared him for the tasks of the great Apostle of mercy and priest. In the parish of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he gained the opinion of an excellent preacher, confessor and organizer. In this situation, it seems natural that Fr. Schneider was chosen to find another new association.
Pastoral care in the parish of St. Matthias
Successor of Prince Cardinal Melchior von Diepenbrock (+1853), Prince Bishop Dr. Heinrich Förster, on April 3, 1854, appointed Fr. John Schneider as a guardian in the parish of St. Matthias.
In 1853, this parish had 3,975 Catholics, while the parish of the Blessed Virgin Mary had approximately 1,500 Catholics over the years 1851-1853.
After the death of the parish priest, Fr. Jonathan Hoffmann (+18 January 1857), Fr. John Schneider became the administrator of this parish. When Fr. Dr. Franz Lorinser withdrew in 1858 from his work as a priest in Alumnat, Prince Bishop H. Förster appointed him on July 5, 1858 – as an elder priest of Fr. Schneider parish priest of St. Matthias. Fr. J. Schneider became the guardian again, although in fact it was he, not Fr. Dr. F. Lorinser who was mainly concerned with the spiritual affairs of the parishioners. He accepted this external degradation in a spirit of obedience without any sign of any objection. Fr. Dr. F. Lorinser was a passionate scientist and devoted himself to research and literary work. Fr. F. Lorinser served as the parish priest until November 14, 1869. On this day, Prince Bishop Henrich Förster appointed Fr. Dr. F. Lorinser a member of the Cathedral Chapter and released him from the duties of the parish priest of St. Matthias. From 11 November 1869 until his death, the duties of the parish priest of St. Maciej was performed by Fr. Jonn Schneider.
Work in the parish
As a parish priest, he restored the parish church, renovated four altars, the pulpit, the tabernacle and the painting in the main altar. Most of the repairs were carried out by the Wrocław company of Karl Buhl, with whom Fr. John arranged the work and signed contracts.
Fr. John Schneider as the parish priest of St. Matthias administered the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Wrocław, which, as a result of the liquidation of the Jesuit Order in 1773 and the secularization of Silesian monasteries in 1810, passed – along with the college – to the administration of the municipal authorities. Until 1819 it was the university and gymnasium church, and then the parish church of St. Matthias. Fr. John Schneider embellished the interior of this temple and carried out numerous renovation and restoration works there as well. He started these works in 1872. Before these repairs, the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus was – due to the lack of repairs – in a pitiful condition.
In 1869, when he was appointed parish priest of St. Matthias counted 5,850 Catholics. There were two churches on its territory: St. Matthias and the parish church of the Holy Name of Jesus. In 1876, in the parish, apart from Fr. J. Schneider were five priests. Fr. John Schneider was a very hardworking and energetic priest.
His duties as a parish priest were not only focused on the restoration and renovation of the temple. He was a very active priest, initiating many prayer and formation groups, organizing the spiritual life of the parish and taking care of many different groups existing in the parish.
It seems that such an intense priestly and pastoral life completely filled the activities of Fr. Schneider, but this is only an impression, because at the same time he led and organized help for girls in the association and devoted a lot of attention to the new religious community that was emerging on his initiative.
Fulfilling so many tasks and responsibilities can only be possible when you put yourself and your time at the total disposal of God, when you serve Him and do not look for your own interests.
sr. Sybilla Kołtan
Jun 21, 2021 | NEWS
Saint John the Baptist is one of the few saints who is mentioned many times in the liturgy. In the church year we celebrate both his birth – June 24, and martyrdom – August 29. He is also, next to Mary, one of the leading figures during Advent …
The Evangelists recall the story of his long-awaited birth, accompanied by signs of power from on high (Lk 1: 5 – 25, 39 – 40; 57 – 80). We see John on the Jordan instructing, baptizing, and pointing to the Messiah (Lk 3: 1-18; Mt 3: 1-12; Mk 1: 1-8; Jn 1: 19-31). He himself confesses that he is not and describes himself as “the voice of one crying in the desert.” As the Savior’s predecessor and the last of the Old Testament prophets, fully devoted to the mission entrusted to him, he participates in the revelation of the Three Divine Persons at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan (Lk 3: 21-22; Mt 3: 13-17; Mk 1: 9-11; John 1, 32-34). He is the greatest of women born, as Jesus himself described him. This prophet is a very humble man. Although he came from a priestly family, he lives simple, radical and ascetic. As a Nazirite of God, he feeds and dresses modestly. He moves away to the desert. His lifestyle didn’t seem very appealing. Yet “all the land of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were drawn to him.” When disputes and conjectures arise around the person of John in connection with the commencement of Jesus’ public ministry, he calls himself a friend of the Bridegroom and announces his departure: “He must increase and I must decrease” (Jn 3: 29-30).
The figure of St. John the Baptist is very close to the consecrated life. Today, we are a sign to the world as long as we live the mission to which the Lord called us. Through vows and community life, we show that it is possible to be together despite differences in age, characters, interests and abilities. Looking at our ordinary life in chastity, poverty and obedience, undertaken out of love for the Bridegroom, people can find God’s closeness in everyday life and open themselves to His graces in the Church, despite many difficult experiences. The prophetic dimension of our lives helps to recognize the primacy of God in obedience to his commandments and the newness of the Gospel. By living in chastity, we show lay people the value of fidelity in the family, marriage and the dignity of every human person. Life in poverty, on the other hand, directs the human gaze to God, the source of all good. In this witness of life, we also strengthen one another in communities. John the Baptist, although he seems to be a loner, created a community with his students. However, he did not tie them to himself, but sent them back to Jesus. Some of John’s disciples later became Apostles.
Looking at the figure of St. John the Baptist is especially troubled by the subject of admonition. It is Herod’s admonition, Herodias’ envy and naivety mixed with the demoralization of young Salome that lead to the death of the prophet (Mt 14: 1-12; Mk 6: 17-29). When reprimanding others, one can sometimes pay a very high price, even if we do it for the common good, for the good of the reproached person. It was not only John who rebuked the ruler, many prophets did so. Usually, reprimanding was associated with an unfavorable reaction of the addressees. King David reacted exceptionally to the words of admonition from the prophet Nathan when, after sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah the Hittite of the Ammonites with the sword, he heard the explanation of the parable about the rich man taking the only lamb from the poor, repented and took the trouble to convert (2 Samuel 12: 1-16). Much depends on the heart. The warnings of the Book of Wisdom proved correct in both cases: “Do not scold the mocker lest he hate you, rebuke the wise one and he will love you” (Wis 9: 8). Jesus himself teaches us about fraternal rebuke, in the sequence of actions taken – first in private, then in front of the witnesses, and finally by the superiors (Mt 18: 15-20). How much is this order to be kept in mind when practicing admonition, which in itself is never pleasant. It requires courage and delicacy, humility and love, clarity of expression, specific approach to facts and respect for the person rebuked. From the catechism we know the works of mercy in the body and in the soul. Each of them is of great value in the eyes of God. To admonish sinners is the first of the soul’s works of mercy – perhaps the most difficult. Unfortunately, neglecting it may expose us to share in other people’s sins, which are also mentioned in the catechism, for example: keep silent when seeing other people’s sins; to permit the sins of others; being able not to prevent someone else’s sins. We also deal with the issue of rebuke in our religious documents.
Working with children and young people, I have repeatedly found out about the value of admonishing with love in the care of the pupils. I also notice a beautiful feature of young people that we often lose with age – openness to the kind remarks of the educator and the ability to change. Thanks to this, I understand more clearly the words of the Lord Jesus, in which it is precisely children who are placed for us by a model to follow in faith and trust in God (Mt 18: 3). Coming back to John the Baptist, the last word of Jesus comes to mind: “Among those born of women, no greater has arisen than John the Baptist. But the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he ”(Mt 11:11). There is hope for us in these words …
Sr. Michaela Musiał
Jun 16, 2021 | FORUM, NEWS
On March 26, 2021 Our daughter, Bianca, was born at the hospital in Gliwice. As a result of perinatal complications, the child was diagnosed with acute circulatory and respiratory failure, meconium aspiration syndrome, DIC syndrome, collapsed left lung, and severe birth asphyxia. She was resuscitated twice: right after giving birth and in the ambulance during the transport to the neonatal intensive care unit in Zabrze. The child’s health was very serious, the doctors did everything they could to help her, and they were unable to do anything else. They said, “We are doctors, not God. Please pray.
Bianeczka’s parents, grandparents, friends and other relatives prayed for her. We asked the Sisters from the Monastery in Brzezie for a prayer and she was put in prayer and incorporated into the Novena, to the Servant of God, Sister Dulcissima. The grandparents went to Brzezie to visit the grave of sr. Dulcissima to ask for her intercession to God for the grace of health and life for Bianca.
Daily prayers led Bianca to throw off her respirator after Easter, began to breathe on her own, and began working hard for her life. The child’s condition was still severe, but the doctors said it was a miracle that the child had survived such a serious condition and one should thank God. The condition improved day by day and after a month Bianca left the hospital and we were able to celebrate our baby.
We believe that it was Sister Dulcissima’s intercession and prayers that led Bianca to be with us. Today we rejoice for our daughter, who still has a long way to go to her full recovery, but we do not forget to continue praying through the intercession of Sister Dulcissima.
Please keep on praying. God bless you
Grateful parents of Bianca.
Racibórz, May 30, 2021
