Sisters who care for souls

Sisters who care for souls

Mar 6, 2021 | NEWS

For me and many people, the sisters from the Train Station Mission do a lot, so much that it is impossible to write about everything, so I want to tell you about some important things for me, because if it were not for the sisters from the Mission, my life would be completely different and certainly different girl also. Nobody has done as much for me as the sisters and I know that if it weren't for them, my life and the lives of many of us who live at the center would be terrible. Before I got to the Train Station Mission, my life was very hard for me. My parents died when I was 13 in 2002. For a week, after my parents died, I and my sisters were completely alone. Once a day our brother would come and bring food. Unfortunately, he lost his job and moved to our family home with his wife and daughter. My brother was taking alcohol and started beating us. I was treated for epilepsy. My sister tried to kill herself by taking my epilepsy medication. Since then, I have stopped taking them. Then my godfather took us to his place for a week. He did not want me because I was sick, so I ended up with my aunt in Jedlina Zdrój, where my cousin and her daughter also lived. I spent a few years there, but my cousin didn't want me to live with them because she was jealous of her mother. I moved to my sister in Wrocław. There were terrible moments. One day, when my sister's husband was holding an axe over me, I dared to change something in my life and asked a colleague from work to help me find a room for rent. At that time, I only had PLN 800, so I asked her to find me a room for PLN 600. One day my friend came to me and said that they rent only to students for this price. I wanted to give up, but my friend said that "there is only one more way out", I asked "what?" she replied: "to live with the sisters in the center". I agreed. A friend told me that I had to call there myself. So I called and talked to Sister Goretti then, and that same day, after work, I went to talk in person, and the next day I was supposed to come with my things. Before work, I started taking my things out of my apartment. My sister noticed it and she took all my things, including my purse. I was beaten again by her. My friend called the police and they helped me recover my documents. I went with my friend to the sisters. I was horrified. I remember standing against the wall and I didn't want to talk to anyone. The sisters helped me out of the room because I was afraid to leave alone. Since then, my life has changed 180 °. I was surprised that there is a life where you are not beaten every day. The fact that I joined the sisters was something wonderful for me. The sisters were the first people I trusted. Thanks to them, I started smiling. They showed me that the world is not only bad, that there is also good in the world and there are good people. Before, I thought there were no such people. I regained my faith in man again. A colleague from my work managed to recover my correspondence. It turned out that we have debts and that I could go to jail if I don't pay them back. My sisters from another house helped me to pay off this debt. They refused something for Christmas and donated money for my debt. At the center, we try to live like a family. Sisters are like mothers to us and we (girls) like siblings. Sometimes there are disputes between us, but if one needs help, we help each other. The sisters give us birthdays and  gifts, and we give them to them. The sisters teach that I am "something" valuable and loved by God. I did not know it before. All I knew was the feeling of fear and the pain of beating. Many girls from the center do not know that it is worth "something", think very badly of themselves. The sisters help us change this thinking. At home, each of the girls has a duty, we learn to clean thoroughly and keep order around us. The sisters taught me that a good housekeeper can be recognized by clean windows. The sisters teach us to share with others who are more in need of help, especially Sr Edyta, who helps the homeless on the street. The sisters help us deal with matters in offices, e.g. with checking out, in arranging an apartment. They understand us and convince girls who have children to breastfeed their children for their health. They help in taking care of children. Sister Edyta helps me dress nicely because I have a problem with it. We receive clothes and other things, and the sisters joke and say that we come with one bag and we have to leave by buses. This already speaks of the help we get from the sisters. Sisters save human life. One of my colleagues told me about a girl who is studying and is pregnant. Her father wanted her to do abortion. She did not want to, but did not have money for things for the child. Then I told the sisters about this girl. The sisters immediately collected things for the child. The baby was born even though it might have been killed. Many children were born thanks to the sisters. The sisters care for human souls. When my sister was seriously ill with cirrhosis of the liver, the sisters helped me to come to her by the priest who confessed her, gave the anointing of the sick and communion. Thanks to Sister Goretti, my sister went to Purgatory, not Hell. Sister Goretti saved her soul. The sisters supported me when my sister died and were at the funeral. It was the same as my uncle passed away. It is the sisters (sister Goretti, Edyta and Helena) who change our lives for the better, they teach us many very useful things. We can always count on sisters in any situation. If it weren't for the house the sisters run, my life would be terrible. One of the girls from the " Train Station Mission".
The beauty of living together

The beauty of living together

Feb 26, 2021 | FORUM, NEWS

August 23 is the day that changed my perception of living as one. This is the day when I left for a new home without knowing exactly this place or the sisters who were there. But in my heart, I had a lot of peace. I remember when I was supposed to leave right after breakfast, but God's plans were different and we left at 3:00 PM at the Hour of Mercy, which was very significant to me. Strzybnica is a small town where I came across the mantle of Mary and the Heart of Jesus. When I entered the house to which I was directed by the Provincial Sister, I felt a great warmth, the love of the sisters who had been waiting for me since the morning. I felt safe and welcomed with love, joy, openness and such cordiality, and yet they didn't know me and I didn't know them. The atmosphere in this house was unique because you could feel God's Love in the first place. The image of parish life that I saw contributed to the unity in our home community - it was a "living church" in which we formed a great family of God. when welcoming me to Holy Mass, he told me to feel at home ... and it was like that during my two years there. The community in which, by the Divine Will, I was given to be, was only a community of three and one generation, but the sisters who accompanied me were deeply prayerful people, from whom I could learn the life of prayer myself. They really loved and allowed themselves to be loved by Jesus and myself. Each of us looked for good in the other and for the other. I remember how long we sat at meals and it didn't bother us because we wanted to spend time together. We shared the day lived and Jesus' experience in our lives. We enjoyed ourselves in freedom, because Jesus and Mary were among us, they united us. I knew that I could always count on them, even when it was hard and I had a difficult day - my sisters supported me with prayer ... and it was beautiful. Despite the fact that each of us has a different story, different experiences, we were connected by LOVE. I thank God and the Sisters (Sr. Róża and Sr. Albina) for the time spent in Strzybnica, which showed me that creating unity is possible, as long as we are open to one another and accept ourselves as we are in the spirit of God's love . S.M. Sabina Adamowska
Charism in practice

Charism in practice

Feb 22, 2021 | NEWS

This year, it will be thirty years since I entered our Motherhouse in Wrocław for the first time. One could say that "thirty years have passed as one day ..." It was then that I heard for the first time about our Father John, the charismatic Founder of the Congregation. I wrote about the fact that I "fell in love" with him at first sight. Now I want to share what it resulted for many years ... Discovering the charism of the Founder, Congregation, community was for me like looking for an answer to the question about my own identity. During the first holiday meeting, I heard my friends' admiration for the very current message we have as a Congregation .... The way of transforming the 19th century reality into modern language and the needs that I saw around led me to the conclusion that this "contemporary and timeless ”For me, the charismatic message is CARE FOR THE DIGNITY OF A WOMAN. The form in which it will be possible and to whom it is addressed is a secondary matter. For me, this is a message that is ALWAYS AND ANYWHERE UP-TO-DATE and possible. And if so, there is no excuse that it is impossible, that you cannot take action ... The Founder wrote to us that "we are to be handmaids of servants and serve those whom the world despises." And if the world despises, it is the DIGNITY of those who are weak, dependent, not self-sufficient, that is under threat and underestimated. That is why concern for DIGNITY and appreciation of the person next to me became the center of my attention, care, prayer and work. "I cannot thank you, Lord, because my words are small Please accept my silence and teach me to thank you with my life. " It's a chorus of a famous song that I made many years ago into my personal prayer ... and I try to implement it in everyday life. I am really sincerely grateful to God for allowing me to experience the possibilities of work and care for the Dignity of a woman for many years. Because that's what I have been doing for many years at Bardo. "I was looking for a man" ready with me to give his heart to those whom the world despises, who are helpless, lonely, hurt, despised or only helpless and humble ... I believe that help "before it is too late" can save life, hope, joy ... and when one man is saved, the whole world is saved! To create one safe and friendly place for those in need, you don't need much, but at the same time you need so much - WHOLE HEART! The search for enthusiasts ready to come out against poverty with an attempt to break the chain of helplessness, ready to face the maze of confusing regulations and changing rules, beyond which the most important is MAN and his DIGNITY resulted in the establishment of the Association to help women in crisis, which in honor of the Founder was called: " Marian Union ". We are here to help in a crisis (difficult situation) and to care for the dignity of every human being, to help "before it is too late". A crisis means a time of breakthrough, a turning point, a decisive turn, and a period of collapse. Whenever a person experiences a crisis, they feel lonely, different, defective or maladjusted. And that's why he should seek help from other people to reverse the downward spiral ... and that before it's too late! And one must always hope, because hope is the basis of human existence, "which cannot fail, because it is poured into hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Rom 5: 5). In order to help people in difficult and breakthrough situations, restore their self-confidence and their own dignity, the Association undertakes specific actions:
  • Runs the "Hope" Crisis Intervention Center, which over time expanded its activities to include Crisis Intervention Points in the area.
  • Runs a 24-hour Hostel for people experiencing violence in four counties
  • Runs the "ASLAN" Psychological Help Room for Children and Families.
At our doorstep you can receive support, legal, psychological, and above all human and spiritual help. Our clients come with a baggage of worries and go into their everyday life with hope. Those who lack security and close, kind people also find a home with us for several months. Yes, it is a house and not only a safe shelter, as the Founder asked, that our houses “become a second family home for the women staying with us”. Sometimes someone stays with us for a short time and comes back still lost to his uncertain reality. But there are also some women who make important decisions about changes in their lives and really come out to others ... We are happy with every person who left us with "new hope" and motivation to make positive changes in their lives. This action will not be reflected in the numbers, because even if it was only a few people per year, it would be WORTH the trouble, because "He who saves one man's life saves the whole world" (Thomas Keneally, from the book Schindler's List) and we are after to "help before it's too late." In addition to the "Nadzieja" Crisis Intervention Center that has been run so far, our Association has started a new form of assistance since May 2019, which is the "ASLAN" Psychological Help Room for Children and Families. Taking up new challenges, we have developed the range of proposed forms of help with a more specialized branch - helping children with sensory integration problems. It is a big problem at the present time, which is a serious crisis in everyday life for children and their families. By helping the child - we help the family in crisis. So "ASLAN" is another form of implementing the principle "we are here to help before it's too late". Society despises people with disabilities - no matter what kind - difference or dependency is often a reason for rejection or contempt. Again, I have my opportunity to CARE FOR DIGNITY and to be charismatic in the spirit of our Founder. Our association is a tiny entity. We have only twenty members and a small territorial and informational reach (we try to expand the information to the best of our ability). We employ 5 people under a contract of employment and two more on request. Based on our limited human, budget and housing resources, we have been running the "Hope" Crisis Intervention Center for years, which has already become a permanent part of the "aid map" of the surrounding area. For less than two years, we have additionally had the Study Room and the SI Room, which are slowly constituting our activities, contributing to the overall development of the work as a whole. We respond to various needs of people who come to us, and we adapt many of the new forms of help to the needs, precisely in order to "help before it is too late". I am proud to be able to directly help those in need and those "whom the world despises", I enjoy my work. Sometimes it is not easy, but I keep opening up to new challenges, taking advantage of even small possibilities and enjoying helping the "individual". - ABOUT YOURSELF. Hence, about my work for the DIGNITY of the people entrusted to me, I say that it is creative (unique every time) and personal (individual). And one more, "youngest" way of caring for DIGNITY - this year there will be a three-day retreat in Częstochowa in the Valley of Mercy, during which we will focus on the dignity and identity of women. Their title and "calling slogan": "To be a woman, to be a woman ..." We have already taken up this topic in Bardo during the workshops, and now I can invite everyone for three days in May (07-09.05.2021 contact with the Valley of Mercy in Częstochowa). Rediscovering the identity, dignity, endowment and vocation of a woman in imitation of Mary, the Most Beautiful Woman, is a great joy and passion for me. I invite you to do it with me, in the spirit of the charism of the Servant of God, Father John Schneider!   Sr. M. Dorota Frendenberg
Perpetual Profession in Tanzania

Perpetual Profession in Tanzania

Feb 19, 2021 | NEWS

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, or the Feast of Our Lady of the Candlemas, Sisters in Tanzania gathered in Nanjota to accompany Sr. Dorotea making her Perpetual Profession on that day. Perpetual profession, i.e. eternal vows of chastity, obedience and poverty, our sister placed in the hands of our Regional Superior, Sr. Agnes. The liturgy was presided over by Fr.Bishop Filbert Felician Mhasi. He prayed during the Holy Mass for the help of the Holy Spirit in strengthening the Sister in fidelity to her vows. In his homily, Bishop Filbert emphasized that perpetual vows are a humble and sincere dedication to God forever, they are the entrustment of their entire future to Him and the desire to live faithfully in the spirit of the evangelical counsels and the religious constitution. Sr. Dorotea discovered the secret of her vocation in her hometown of Chikukwe. She came to our house many times for the meetings of the Children of Mary group. Now she has given her life to God in our religious family forever. May Mary support her with her grace in fulfilling her vocation. S.M. Monika Kowarsz
In the gaze of Mary …

In the gaze of Mary …

Feb 18, 2021 | FORUM, NEWS

"I will instruct you and show you the way you will go, I will strengthen my gaze on You… ”Ps 32: 8   This gaze of Jesus is very important to me. I look at Him, Present in the Eucharist, and He looks at me… He looks into my heart. In fact, it penetrates my heart and soul, restores my life, heals what is weak and sinful. And it strengthens me on the path that she shows me step by step ... I know that he guides me… these are different ways, but I know that they are His ways for me. And that's enough for me. It is amazing that this gaze of Jesus engraved in my heart is like a seal that somehow marks me that I belong to Him, that I am in His Hands. Here, in the place where I am now, in the orphanage in Klenica, his gaze is especially with me through Mary. Because I minister among children who need a home… and a warm look at them, at their lives, stories, cares and joys. And to think that once I wanted to start my own family orphanage. God, however, founded it for me in some way ... I feel strongly that there is a space in my heart that I can call HOME and I know that it is related to accepting into the heart people whom the Lord places on my way of life and vocation. It is also a space for listening, caring for another human being, it is a place of sharing the heart, which becomes a home .. Or maybe otherwise… a home where I would like to welcome everyone is born in my heart. So I try to shape them and open them every day ... And now, at this time, my thoughts are constantly connected with the mystery of Mary's gaze on Jesus. When I look at Mary, I feel as if I am hidden in her gaze, sheltered in it and devoted to God. I pray that I will be able to look at other people, at the children among whom I am, through the eyes of Mary. And I am asking Mary to look for me, to love, to serve me ... to give me her eyes and a gentle look, full of care and love, from which life is born ... The awareness that God's eyesight is watching over me makes me safe and I trust that everything that is happening is in His Hands. The hurt and suffering children I work with just am, need a sense of security and experience that they are important and loved. There is no need for big words in this ministry ... When I start my duty, prepare breakfast for children, iron their clothes, help with study or cleaning ... When we go shopping together, play games or drink tea together ... when I gently stroke their heads, or hug them. I admonish them, always looking at my children and asking in my heart that Mary's love will envelop them all and touch their hearts also through me. Because Mary can do anything ... She delicately touches the most painful wounds and transforms them into pearls ... And she knows the right time to heal. I only tell her about children in a whisper and she fights for every child ... In this silent service to my children in the Orphanage, the Lord's Will is being fulfilled for me at this time ... Praise Him for everything He gives and how He guides! S.M. Teresa Fatyga
A nice meeting

A nice meeting

Feb 13, 2021 | NEWS

When new residents move into our senior citizen center here in Cochem, I visit them in the first few days to welcome them to our place. Many of them come from this Moselle region and have known us Sisters of Mary from earlier, when the Marian Hospital was still located on the Klosterberg. I recently visited Ms. H. to greet her. She was very happy and said: "It is not easy when you get old and have to leave" at home "because you can no longer cope with everyday life on your own and you don't want to be a burden on the children either ..... But, I loved moving here - I know St. Hedwig. When my friend was still alive, I visited her once a week in the St. Anna living area and then we always went to the house restaurant for coffee and of course we also treated ourselves to a glass of wine. Yes, and "we Cochemers" have good connections with the Sisters of Mary anyway, because all of our children were born here in what was then the hospital. Sister Odilia was "in the baby room" (today one would say on the maternity ward). She was always there. At that time, men were not allowed to be present at the birth. I am still thinking about when she came to me with my first daughter and said: “Here is your little angel, she is weak, we will baptize her in a moment and… Sister Odilia baptized her. Anna developed splendidly. After the birth of my other two daughters, Sister Odilia was with me immediately afterwards and that was so good! When the second daughter was born, I had a wonderful experience with my sister, because she asked me - what should the girl be called? My answer - Marion. .... Well, what kind of name is that, you can't walk your child around with this name all your life. Call her Margarete ... I thought "Margarete" well, but if the sister says that, it will be good for our child. I agreed - so my daughter's name is still Margarete to this day. Only my husband wondered about this name back then and asked me whether I had exchanged the child - she should be called Marion ... but it doesn't matter - the main thing - healthy. (Well, that's the way men are!) Years later it turned out that Sister Odilia had been baptized in the name of Margaret herself. So it was a good name choice for our child too. And something else: When a child was born on the Klosterberg, we were all happy and that's why the sister was always given something. She could ask for something from us. And… ..she wished for light blue or pink wool so that she could knit jackets and hats for the next babies… isn't that wonderful? There are so good memories that have come to my mind - since I've been here again. Yes and the nice thing is: Something “became” of all of my three daughters. I am proud. Sister Odilia has definitely prayed for all the many "Cochem children" and now she will also accompany us from heaven. " It was really a precious conversation with this lady for me. I am happy to say here in public: "There were really wonderful sisters who were role models for so many people and - although they have died, they are still present. " "Let's not forget these."   Sister M. Felicitas