The house of Mary  is a place, a space, a reality where women can strengthen themselves in faith, build bonds with one another, share their experience and support. In July this year, I participated in a summer retreat for women organized by our congregation in Nysa. The subject of considerations prepared for this time by Dr. Iwona Zielonka, who is wholeheartedly committed to the new evangelization, was “Exit from Egypt”. These days were very important to me because I discovered how much there is a need for meetings that allow another person, a woman, to strengthen her faith and share ones experience of living God. I immediately knew that  a place where women could meet for a conversation or prayer could be established in Racibórz. It was God’s impulse. God’s light! For years we have been cooperating with the Franciscans from the parish of St. Paschal in Racibórz, and here I saw the opportunity to expand our cooperation and open the House of Mary, where meetings of the female hearts  will be held, leading to discovering and understanding oneself in a relationship with God. Prayer, singing, conversations, renewal, closeness… Time spent together. Time to glorify God in oneself and other people. On the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, October 7, Father Eligiusz blessed our haven. Since then, our meetings have been held once a week. It is amazing that we all feel how much we need this place. We also started a formation in the project “Holiness in the ordinary”. Once a month, we connect with other women via the Internet and take part in the days of recollection prepared by Dr. Iwona Zielonka, director for new evangelization in the diocese of Płock. The theme for this year is Blessings and Living Blessings. It is the path of God’s women who want to join their strength and experience as daughters, sisters, wives, mothers and grandmothers to form themselves in the spirit of the Gospel. After all, taking care of girls and women is the cry of our founder Fr. John Schneider, who has placed every woman and her affairs on our hearts. The House of Mary is also open to the younger parishioners. Every Saturday we meet to instill love for God in children and young people.

S.M Joanna Marcińska