Dec 27, 2020 | NEWS
On Wednesday, November 11, 2020, Pope Francis blessed the statue of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in the Vatican, which from December 1, 2020 to November 22, 2021, will be on pilgrimage in Italy. In Paris it received by St. Catherine Labouré.
In 1830, Mary said to Catherine Laboure: “Get a medal like this! All people who wear it around their necks will receive great favors. Graces will be abundant for those who wear it with confidence. “
While the preparations for the first medals were being struck, in March 1932 a terrible cholera epidemic broke out in Paris, which began to spread to neighboring areas. The death toll grew rapidly.
On June 30, 1932, the Sisters of Charity began distributing medals to people affected by the epidemic. In a very short time the disease disappeared. Later, miraculous events began that made the Miraculous Medal known all over the world in a few years.
In our troubled times affected by the pandemic, the peregrination of the statue of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is very important. Mary’s assurance that in difficult times and in a world affected by various cataclysms, everyone who trusts in her and will wear her Miraculous Medal with faith will receive special favors is still valid. Pope Francis saw such a need at the present time, who blessed the statue of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and her pilgrimage began from Roman parishes.
This message of entrustment and mercy that accompanies the peregrination also included the parish of St. Francis of Assisi in Rome, with whom our community of the Generalate works. On the 4th Sunday of Advent 2020, together with parishioners, we prayed in front of the statue of the Mother of God.
We participated in the Holy Mass. and in the prayers offered to God through the intercession of Mary, we thanked for all the gifts so far, asking for the necessary favors for people affected by the coronavirus disease and for an end to the pandemic.
S.M. Weronika Wojciechowska
Dec 23, 2020 | NEWS
I help all people who live in the streets. I go to stations, to the bridges, I visit vacant buildings, railway ramps and sidings, old warehouses, staircases – says Sr. Edyta Kasjan from the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate and the Society of “Mission Dworcowa & quotes; In addition to working as a street worker, Sr. Edyta runs along with her colleagues, sister Goretti and sister Helena a resort that offers shelter to the single women. – People I meet are carrying the baggage of traumatic experiences of violence, lack of love and safety, rejection, human trafficking. Everyone who lives in the street feels sorry for their lost homes. Nobody says to himself: “from today I will be homeless and I will be happy” – underlines. Sister Edyta works in Wrocław. – Our Congregation was founded in the nineteenth century, when young women came to this city in search of work and often lost their way. Then the city authorities asked the Church if any priests could help it. The best candidate turned out to be Fr. John Schneider, who previously worked with women in the cigar factory. It was he who created the association, and from it arose congregation – she tells. How is dying on the street? Not everyone can be persuaded to use the help of a shelter, heating room or other facility. Sometimes all that can be done is to accompany a person where he is – on the street, in vacant houses. People without a fixed address go differently. – Loneliness for them is then the worst – the sister explains. Even if they die in the hospital, it is rare to find any of their relatives, and not often the family decides to meet. It is worth “fighting” not to them had to be alone then. Sad to die in dark recesses. Sometime before the outbreak of the epidemic, she met Mr. Kazimierz in Oborniki Śląskie. Once he was homeless, once he lived somewhere. It had various “ups and downs” which unfortunately it also took a toll on his health. Lousy food, unhealthy lifestyle, sleeping on cardboard boxes spread over bare concrete often mean fast for the homeless loss of health. Kazimierz had tuberculosis. When he saw the sister, he burst into tears and says: “Edyta, I’m dying”. “Are you afraid?” She asked. “Yes, because I don’t know what awaits me there & quote ;. The sister told him about God’s infinite love.- “If you knew how He loves you, you would go mad with happiness. But know that He respects our will. If we do not want to accept his love, he does not impose himself “on us”. – I explained to him. – “When you go to that side, say:” Jesus, I trust in you «& quote; – recalls my sister. – He replied, “Only this?”. “Yes, but not removable. These words are meant to be all your faith, all love, all your heart … “.
It was difficult for Kazimierz to understand, so in the end my sister said: “How can you not afford such a prayer, just tell Jesus that you are from Edyta “. “And what, He knows you?”
“Sure he knows … You know, I have a room in there reserved for such unbelievers” – she explained to him with a smile, explaining that she was praying for her friends every day.
They will not be left without help when they cross over to the other side. “It is not known who of us there will be the first. Like me, I’ll be waiting for you; like you, wait for me too … & quote ;. He trusts that they will meet …
(Banasiewicz Blog)
Dec 20, 2020 | NEWS
During her visit to Tanzania, the Superior General Sr. M. Alma asked me if I would like to go to Germany. I was very happy about it and asked myself: “Me, to Germany, how is that supposed to work?
A trip to Germany. A trip to Europe by plane was a big challenge. Sr. Bakhita and I took off on December 12th and arrived in Berlin on December 13th. It had snowed, what a surprise for us. We didn’t have warm jackets and were very cold. Sr. M. Carla picked us up from the airport and finally we were in the house and in the warmth. The second challenge was the language. It was very difficult for me and I spoke with my hands and feet (sign language), but the sisters understood me.
The language school started in January. It was a disaster. I didn’t understand a word and then we also got homework. Ojee! I came home like before. It was a difficult time for me and I thought I couldn’t learn this language.
Patience! Patience! All strength lies in rest. After four months a lot was better. Here I learned that I need time to understand any foreign language. It took me a lot of time, but I am very grateful that it went so well. My motivation was – Never give up. Never give up. Even when I was a novice, my dream was to become a nurse. I was allowed to do my training in Cochem. Mother Patience was always there.
I’ve been in Germany for eight years now. I work in our nursing home and for that I am very grateful and very happy. It is hard work, but it is joyful and satisfacting. I like working with old people. Some are happy to see an African woman as a religious sister at her age. I am very happy when I can give hope again to people who have already given up. I notice this in their statements, such as: You belong to my family, you are like my mother, you are like my sister etc. “. Then I think of the good shepherd who had 100 sheep and was looking for the lost one.
I live in Kreuzberg in a small community with 5 sisters. We try to make the best of it together; and we enjoy every day as a gift from God. Wherever there are people, it is normal that there are also disagreements. That already shows that we are not angels.
I love my congregation. I love our founder and I love my fellow sisters.
Sr. M. Josephina Kilawe
Dec 17, 2020 | NEWS
“And everything to the dog’s kennel without love”
Fr. John Twardowski
Klenica is a small village in the west of Poland. Life flows ordinary here . A few small shops, the rectory, a church, a forgotten palace of The Polish Nobel Prize winner, a fire station, a tiny primary school, two bus stops … and house for orphan. Helpless people live here. Kids from all walks of life, with many burdens and difficult stories, in his short biographies one could say – a facility like an institution, if not for the fact that its founders and leaders of the center are the Sisters of Mary Immaculate. Sister Veronika managed the house for several years – a person with a big heart and great courage. She and her sisters had to face what was the most difficult. With take-off in difficult circumstances. Today the house is restructured. It changed the leading body and became a local government institution which the leading authority is the County Office. As Heraclitus of Ephesus used to say, “everything flows and nothing remains the same “, however, despite many changes, the sisters continue. Why? Reply is simple – they love people. Working with sisters is extraordinary for us, educators experience and discover what is important to them.
A few weeks ago, and this short text is being written in early December 2020, Our house started to receive gifts. At the beginning, thanks to one of online social networking sites, then through various television. We came up with an action on the occasion of St. Nicholas – we asked Internet users to donate gifts for our kids … and to our surprise, things started to happen good and incomprehensible to us. Couriers, postmen, parcel lockers and couriers became for a few weeks our inseparable companions. We have received so much good that it is difficult for us to deal with its measure. Every donor made a gift from the heart, sister Zelia did not stop chatting and constantly answering questions: what for Zuzia? What kind of hat for Kuba?
Cuba is size M or better L? I bought a doll for Lenka, would a stroller also come in handy? St. Nicholas was full of childish smiles. There was endless joy, but it wasn’t everything , good has fallen from everywhere. Mrs. Ania offered to buy new mattresses, one of the personal trainers from Zielona Góra brought a few bags of healthy food, two restaurants made the kids happy in the form of delicious dishes from their own menu, a representative of a large cleaning company in Ireland wrote a project to his company, and donated money for sports activities for kids, a large company production company – sent poufs and seats, Ela from the hairdressing salon dedicated the entire Saturday to our kids by treating us like “top-shelf” customers. One of our foster child – Cyntia became pregnant and she immediately experienced the care – we told the doctor of gynecology from Poznań and offered free, private care for the future mother and her baby to be born. Anyway, she visited us with her husband – they brought a wonderful gift and immediately Mr. Paweł – an orthopedic doctor offered to examine everyone and helped the charges if there was a need. Such things happen with us all day despite the pandemic, after all. Why? The answer is very simple – love we share in real life.
***
The sisters pray daily for the well-being of our friends. For consent and understanding in our team. For a smile. For smart solutions. The whole team we show that we can do beautiful and valuable things, even in spite of differences. We teachers, we do everything to help our pupils in a few or a dozen years, they said – it was not a wasted and terrible time. How it will be – the future will show..
ps. I wrote the text on the night shift thinking well of all the sisters ever in this place stood in my way.
PAUL
Dec 13, 2020 | NEWS
On Gaudete Sunday, in the community of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate in Branice, we celebrated the diamond jubilee of the religious profession of our Sisters – Sr. M. Angela Okrój and Sr. M. Magdalena Piętek. Father Henryk Kałuża SVD celebrated the Eucharist in our chapel. Thanking God for the gift of life and vocation of our Jubilarian Sisters, we asked for the necessary favors for the next years of religious life. The preacher pointed out that after many years of various ministries in the Congregation, they now perform the difficult but also beautiful ministry of suffering, which has always been of exceptional importance in the Church.
The second part of the celebration was Sunday lunch in the refectory, which was joined by Fr. Alojzy Nowak and Fr. Jarosław Dąbrowski – local parish priests. Meanwhile, during the afternoon coffee, the Jubilarians, together with guests and community members, watched videos with greetings sent from the Sisters from the Generalate, from the Motherhouse, Brenna, Częstochowa, Gorzów Wielkopolski and Wieliczka. This gift was an eloquent sign of sisterly unity. Among the guests present that day were also representatives of the community from Piszkowice – Sr. M. Justyna Wojcieszak and Sr. M. Gabriela Drab.
Sr. Michaela Musiał
Dec 7, 2020 | NEWS
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Ps.133: 1
Dear Sisters, I would like to share with you the joy and taste of unity and love among us. Where there is love it does not choose anything, the heart is ready to give and commit to do good to anyone regardless of our ideologies and differences.
Yon. 17: 21-23.; just as we are one, so be you, be united; these words give us an invitation to reflect on the deep and beautiful words that our founder gave us. “If you want to thanks, be in Unity.” the unity requested by our founder has made us one family, one nation and one citizenship of Christ within our Immaculate Congregation; by following in the footsteps of our founder in maintaining unity and love among ourselves. Dear friends, I would like to share with you how unity and love work together. For example, we can see among the Sisters from Tanzania, Poland and Germany how we can live in unity of the Spirit with one heart according to the Spirit of our founder, and what especially touches me is to see that we are able to communicate and listen to each other regardless of our differences. So we can live in the unity of unity from all over the world by starting with the unity found in my own heart and later spreading it to my neighbours. If I do not have a heart of unity, then it will also be difficult to share with others. So as we see this year is our main motto to reflect on the unity and love of the Spirit of our founder. Our communication of sign language and images between us has helped us to unite in unity and thus has led to the success of our work as well as progress within our Organization. God bless our organizational unity so that we can live the will of our founder according to Him.
Sr. Agnes- Tanzania!
