May 24, 2025 | NEWS
With Sister Dulcissima to the depths of the heart
In Kokoszyce, at the Retreat Center of the Archdiocese of Katowice, an extraordinary retreat dedicated to the Mother of God took place. Its theme, “With Mary to the depths of the heart,” led participants into a world of prayer, reflection, and entrustment, so close to the spirituality of Sister Dulcissima Hoffmann.
Each day of the retreat was a true spiritual feast, from communal rosary prayers and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament to reflections on the Word of God in a Marian spirit. In their conferences and homilies, Fr. Przemysław Krakowczyk, SAC, and Sr. Małgorzata showed how Mary accompanies us in our daily lives, leading us to Jesus and helping us to discern God’s will.
The central moment of the day was the Eucharist, celebrated with deep concentration and joy. In the silence of the retreat house, participants were able to entrust their intentions, requests, and thanks to Mary through the intercession of Sister Dulcissima.
There was also time for personal reflection and rest surrounded by nature, which was conducive to calm and encounter with God. Many participants emphasized that these retreats were a time not only of prayer but also of inner strengthening, finding peace, and renewing their relationship with Mary.
The retreat in Kokoszyce reminded us that Mary is a Mother who constantly leads us to Christ, and the figure of Sister Dulcissima is an inspiration to many on how to entrust their lives to God with simplicity and humility.
Sister Małgorzata Cur, SMI
May 24, 2025 | NEWS
Last weekend in Racibórz was a true celebration of spirit and culture. From May 16 to 18, the heart of the city beat to the rhythm of prayer, reflection, art, and music. All this was thanks to the fourth edition of Dulcissimia Days, which attracted residents and visitors eager to experience something unique.
On Friday evening, participants gathered at the Church of St. Matthew and St. Matthew the Apostles to enter into the atmosphere of spiritual encounter in silence and prayer. The atmospheric vigil allowed them to break away from everyday life and immerse themselves in the depths of prayer and reflection.
On Saturday, everyone moved to the Piast Castle in Racibórz, where the symposium “S. M. Dulcissima in Art and Oratory” delighted with a wealth of topics and the personalities of the speakers. Inspiring lectures, passionate discussions about spirituality, literature, the singing soul of Sister Dulcissima, as well as meetings with exceptional guests meant that there was something for everyone. A solemn Holy Mass presided over by Bishop Jan Kopiec and meditation on the icon “St. Thérèse of Lisieux and her spiritual friend Sister Dulcissima” added depth and beauty to the event.
The evening debate “Does the modern world need saints?” touched hearts and minds, provoking reflection on the place of holiness in today’s world. And later? Marcin Styczeń’s atmospheric concert “Święci” (Saints) resounded with music that transported listeners into a world of poetry and spiritual delight.
Sunday was a time of joy and family celebration. Holy Mass presided over by Bishop Andrzej Czaja, a family picnic in the monastery garden in Brzezie, and the May Concert of Sacred Music created an atmosphere full of warmth and community. The Brzezie Choir, guest choirs from the Czech Republic, the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the State Music School in Gliwice, and invited artists provided musical emotions that will remain in the memories of the participants for a long time.
The Dulcissimia Days showed how important it is to pause, celebrate together, and share beauty. It was a time full of emotion, spiritual depth, and encounters that will remain in the hearts of all those present for a long time.
The Dulcissimia Days have once again proven that the figure of Sister M. Dulcissima Hoffmann can inspire both spiritual reflection and creative encounters with art.
The organizers—the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate, Polish Province, Racibórz County, and Piast Castle—are already inviting everyone to the fifth edition of the event.
Sister Małgorzata Cur, SMI
May 15, 2025 | NEWS
On Good Shepherd Sunday, May 11, 2025, in the University Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Wrocław, once again, we, the Sisters of Mary Immaculate, together with the faithful, prayed for the gift of beatification of the Servant of God, Fr. Jan Schneider, the Wrocław apostle of mercy and founder of our Congregation. During the Mass, in his moving homily, Fr. Arkadiusz, the parish priest, presented our Servant of God as a prophet for our times, a priest with a pure heart, completely devoted to God. He who, in the second half of the 19th century in Wrocław, saved young girls standing on the brink of evil, he who devoted his life to serving poor girls by running a shelter for them, is still a sign of hope for the world today. Today, when so many spiritual dangers lurk for young people, Fr. Schneider points to Mary as the way to Jesus and a pure heart as the source of true love and happiness. After Mass, together with the faithful, we prayed before the image of Our Lady Help of Wrocław. We entrusted ourselves, our families, and especially young people to the care of Mary with the words of entrustment of our servant of God, Fr. Jan Schneider.
Sister Barbara
May 3, 2025 | NEWS
On Tuesday, April 22, 2025, during the Easter octave, we were able to inaugurate our first house in Indonesia. It was a great joy for us to see how many guests had accepted our invitation: priests, religious, representatives of public institutions, even a representative of the provincial government of the island of Flores, as well as friends, helpers, and residents of the town and surrounding area. We had already received a great deal of help and support in the preparations for this day. Our great friend and helper, Fr. Tadeusz (a Steyler missionary), had organized many things: over a hundred chairs were provided and tents were set up to protect the guests from the sun. On the day itself, many helpers arrived to take care of the provision and preparation of drinks and food, as well as serving the guests. We ourselves, the sisters, the postulants, and the candidates, had already been busy the day before with the decorations and festive arrangements.
It was a joyful celebration, which began with a festive prayer service. A representative of the bishop (who unfortunately could not attend that day), Dean Aster, had prepared it and at the end he blessed our house and the individual rooms. Afterwards, our postulants and the candidate delighted us all with a dance in the traditional clothing of the country, which was rewarded with much applause and inspired our guests and also us sisters to dance ourselves. Then everyone was invited to the buffet, and the celebration gradually came to an end with good food, lively conversation, and getting to know one another. May God’s blessing accompany the work of our sisters on Flores, so that they may be a blessing to the people there.
Apr 30, 2025 | NEWS
On April 16, 2025, we had the great joy of welcoming the first three young women from Indonesia into our community as postulants.
In preparation, the Superior General, who was visiting Flores at the time, held a three-day retreat for them.
During Holy Mass on the afternoon of April 16, Filomena, Ursula, and Veronika were accepted as postulants. Holy Mass was celebrated by Fr. Jan (a local Steyler missionary, SVD), who accompanies our candidates and postulants as spiritual director and confessor. Concelebrants were Fr. Tadeusz and Fr. Bosco (both SVD). After the homily, the candidates knelt before the altar and asked Our Lady, our patroness, for help, protection, and guidance to her Son, our Lord, to whom they now wish to belong completely in our congregation.
As a sign of acceptance, the Superior General presented each of them with a small Miraculous Medal.
After Holy Mass, everyone congratulated the new postulants, and the day ended with a joyful dinner together.
Let us accompany our postulants and the new beginning of our congregation in Indonesia with our prayers, so that the work of our founder may grow there and become a blessing for the people.
Apr 18, 2025 | NEWS
After beginning our mission on the island of Flores in Indonesia in 2024, we are delighted to have been able to build our first mission house there. Initially, the sisters and three young women who want to join our congregation lived in a small house with the Steyler Missionaries (SVD). Father Tadeusz, a Polish missionary who has lived on the island of Flores for over 60 years and has built many facilities, schools, hospitals, and other institutions there, made this house available to us. He also helped us with the purchase of a plot of land and the construction of our mission station. This enabled the Superior General, Sr. Sybilla, and the Vicar, Sr. Petra, to stay in the newly built house and live with the small community during their visit to Flores from April 1 to 23, 2025.
The house is not large, but the sisters and candidates (there are now four) have their own small living quarters. There is a small chapel, a kitchen, a refectory, and one guest room. The grounds, on the other hand, are quite large, and further buildings are planned in the hope that the small community will grow and young women will want to join us. The sisters grow vegetables on the grounds, which is very helpful for their daily needs.
The sisters are already active in the parish. They help distribute Holy Communion, which is necessary during Sunday services, as the large church is often filled to capacity. Over 90 percent of the population of Flores is Catholic, and the people there take their faith very seriously. After Sunday Mass, the sisters also bring Holy Communion to the sick and elderly, and it is touching to see how much the people look forward to this visit. This has already helped us establish good contacts with the local people. The local residents and the parish are very happy that our congregation has started its mission here, and they are proud of it. They are open and helpful towards the sisters, so we look to the future with hope, trusting deeply that God’s blessing will accompany our small community and enable it to be a blessing for the people of Flores.
