St. Teresa of Lisieux
"And the heart rejoices, and the heart rejoices," said Sister Dulcissima whenever she felt joy. I am convinced that the handmaid of God is happy with us today about the event that took place in Brzezie on October 3, 2021. Well, on Sunday, October 3, in our parish church dedicated to the holy Apostles Matthew and Matthias in Brzezie, at 10.30 we thanked for the gift of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, asking God for the intentions of the most lost souls. Helena Hoffmann's spiritual friendship with the Carmelite Saint began in her early childhood and continued throughout her life. It was little Teresa who prompted Helena to pray and offer herself. Sr. Dulcissima's first biographer, Redemptorist, Fr. Józef Schweter, notes: "In accordance with the wishes of the Saint of Lisieux, Helena should have offered herself for the Church, for priests and for the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate." Therefore, it was Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus who watched that Helen's vocation would grow and develop for the greater glory of God and for the benefit of people. Saint Teresa of Lisieux appeared in Helena's dream and then also led Sr. Dulcissima, stimulating her to love God and her neighbor. Meetings with Teresa always took place in an atmosphere of deep joy. By offering her sufferings for the Church and priests, for sinners and the souls in Purgatory, and for her own religious family, and by practicing humility and spiritual poverty throughout her life, Sr. M. Dulcissima became a faithful follower of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus. And whoever met Saint Teresa and our sister Dulcissima will certainly admit that these two nuns shared the same passion for saving souls for the Savior. Their biographies are remarkably similar. I will briefly mention that both sisters walked the path of God's childhood, still offering Heavenly Father grateful spiritual flowers. Thus, bringing the relics of St. Teresa of Lisieux to the monastery in Brzezie is not only an installation of a reliquary in the monastic chapel. It is an INVITATION of the Carmelite Saint to live (register) permanently in a place that she has always watched over with God's consent. And if we invite you to the guest's house ... we had to be well prepared to welcome such an important person. Thus, the nine-day novena introduced us to the time of permanent formation, which became a closer preparation for receiving the relics of St. Teresa in our monastery. Fr. prelate Teodor Suchoń, retired custodian of the sanctuary of St. Teresa in Chwałowice, ardent devotee of the Carmelite nun. We were glad that our sisters from nearby Racibórz, Branice or Wrocław were also with us. On that day, also courtesy of Fr. Teodor also hosted the relics of the Holy Spouses Zelie and Ludwik Martin, and in this way the Holy Parents accompanied Saint Teresa in such an important event for us. At the end of the Holy Mass, Fr. Theodore blessed the roses, which are a sign of the favors asked for through St. Teresa. The saint from Lisieux, before her death, said: “I want to do good on earth while I am in heaven. After I die, I will rain down roses. " Beautiful, consecrated roses held by children, teenagers, adults, and the Sisters of Mary Immaculate, shaped the procession of roses leading to the convent of the awaited Little Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. and the heart rejoices and the heart rejoices Sr. M. Margaret Cur
Center in Jaszkotle
Non-public Special School and Educational Center of John Paul II at ZOL for Children in Jaszkotle, is an institution run by the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate since 2004. The center conducts educational and care-giving activities for children with intellectual and motor disabilities and chronic diseases. Some of them use wheelchairs. Our pupils are the charges of the Children's Care and Treatment Institution to the ZOL. most often go to the ZOL due to the lack of parents or pathologies in the family and their disability. NSOSW runs a boarding school for school children and a primary school. Children learn in the scope adapted to their abilities, they also learn everyday life skills such as: independent toilet, getting dressed, making beds, preparing sandwiches and cooking. Each child has its own measure. First of all, we try to create a home for children that they do not have, so that they feel wanted and loved. Our employees are experienced educators and teachers involved in work and education. All employees are a family for children who spend their lives here until they come of age. After the age of 18, each of them is forced to move to other centers for adults, usually Nursing Homes. However, it happens, although not often recently, that children are adopted or go to foster families. It is important to us that children are happy despite their disabilities. We organize excursions, walks, cinema, winter holidays, camps, holiday trips. (Very limited or suspended altogether during the pandemic). In the Center, we have a chapel with the Most Holy Sacrament, where the Eucharist is celebrated with the participation of children and employees every Sunday and on holidays. On the occasion of the world, we are preparing a nativity play and the Lord's Passion. We try to celebrate holidays, especially Christmas, by sitting down to the Christmas Eve supper with the children, breaking the wafer and singing Christmas carols. Our friends help us in our work. They support us materially, financially, and even more through a personal relationship with children. I am full of admiration for the commitment of employees and people who are friends with the Center. It is not only a job but a mission that we try to fulfill with all our heart. They are not only children, but also almost 50 employees. We are all family. S.M. Natalia Kozieł To learn more about the children and the specificity of the facility, please visit our Facebook: Non-public Special School and Educational Center in Jaszkotle.
Fall in love with Rosary
The simple and repeated prayers of the rosary allows us to really Focus on what Jesus did and said. To some may seem un significant, tiresome and boring to hold and reciting a rosary, but Pope Leo XIII put it well when he said “The Rosary is the weapon of choice given to the church to defeat the ancient dragon, bring peace, heighten personal virtue and demonstrate a true devotion to Jesus and Mary” The Rosary is not an optional extra, it has the potential to transform our lives if we are willing. This does not mean we should pray only the Holy Rosary and leave the other prayers, NO! It is a very light but victorious weapon one can hold and it is very easy to make it a daily habit of praying and connecting with Mary any were in any time, if not in the church or in the praying place, can be said else were, for example in every new day, the reciting of the Rosary has been part of my living experience, I have found it a quick answering prayer to my needs and intentions I make and this is true that, I just give Her my problems and they are answered in different ways. years back when I joined the group of Legio Mary in my parish one of the leaders always told us that whenever we say hail Mary, Mother Mary plucks a rose and puts it in a beautiful basket and the more hail Marys said the more the roses becomes and Mary is Happy about this. When I love something and become addicted to it, is not possible to stop it, this is how I have become used to pray the Holy Rosary, whenever am traveling or walking it is not easy to find my hand empty, or it is worthy reciting a rosary than using the phone if not necessary, this is the best opportunity I get to talk to Mary because the devil uses these moments to destroy when people are sleeping or busy with other things and we know that even by holding it, Satan knows there is a battle ahead. It has happened many times when am travelling I notice many people getting annoyed when their evil powers corrides with the power of the ‘Rosary’ even when in my pocket and one day I was reciting my rosary in a bus and one man was seated next to me, at first I could not understand why the man was so disturbed and restless and telling the driver he wants to change his seat, and when he was asked why he said something is burning him, the rosary I was praying was competing with his evil intentions. The praying of rosary should be inserted in our program, find the time, may it be in the church, working place, while walking during the day or before sleeping or according to every one’s devotion to Mary. when we get into this intimacy love of the rosary no way we can find ourselves helpless or defeated because we are holding in our hands the ‘un- breakable’ weapon with all graces. Well, the month of October is a good time to re- evaluate the place the Rosary has in our lives and today is 7th October when we have the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, in other words ‘Our Lady of Victory’ which was instituted by Pope Pius V. God has promised to make us like Himself and our lady is the first in whom this promise has been fulfilled and so she is worthy of the highest of praise. Let us experience the power the Holy Rosary by reciting it daily and showing more love to Mary through it. Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary pray for us. sr. Teresia Mukumu
Solemn weddings in Carmel
Four years ago, our sister Bernadette made the decision to move from our Congregation to Carmelites to continue her path of dedication to God in an enclosure. The time of trial in Carmel in Częstochowa lasted for four years, during this period Sister Bernadette tried to discover in the new reality how God really wants to lead her through life. It was also the time needed for the new community to look at the candidate and her calling to live in the cloister, to decide to adopt forever to their enclosure. On September 4, 2021, the solemn vows of Sister Bernadette of Jesus took place, with which she confirmed her choice to live with Jesus as an enclosed Carmelite sister forever. Sister Bernadette lived, worked and prayed for many years as Sister of Mary Immaculate, and as she says our Congregation and our sisters will remain in her heart and prayers forever. We are glad that we have a (spiritually) Carmelite sister who supports us with prayers from outside the enclosure. We wish her that she will find her greatest happiness in Jesus and in the place where she is. We remain in prayer with her. Sisters of Mary Immaculate