News & Views Assumption Province

Transcription

1 News & Views Assumption Province God is bigger than the Church. Church is bigger than us. Page 6 Message from the Provincial On May 1, 2016 we arrived at Marseille: Fr. Chris Pulchny and myself. Four other members of our provincial administration will come the following day. At the airport Fr. Krzysztof Zielenda awaited for us and after loading our luggage to his car we began the journey to Aix-en-Provence. For us it is a very symbolic journey because it is a trip to the birthplace of our congregation. When we reached the city of Aix (population of about 150,000) we learned from Fr. Krzysztof that today there is an annual event similar to marathons organized in Canadian cities and it will be a bit difficult to get to our house in Aix. Very soon we would experience what we just heard because so many streets were blocked and access was restricted. It took us about an hour trying to find a way to get to the De Mazenod Centre. At one point we decided to leave the car behind and walk. We took our belongings and continued our journey. This experience taught me that in order to go back to our roots and experience the rebirth we have to dedicate time, energy but sometimes we have to even leave certain things behind or find new tools to continue our journey. In this process of renewal conscious decision is essential and perseverance to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. With the entire provincial administration we will have a chance to be at the heart of our congregations for 10 days. We will pray for our province and entire congregation and we ask also for your prayers so this time of grace may bring much fruit. Fr. Marian Gil OMI Provincial Page 2 Page 5 Page 7 Contents CROCUS meeting US Province Convocation Youth Congress in Aix Page 12 JPIC Initiatives in AP Page 14 Lenten Missionaries Page 15 Vocations Retreat Page 16 Mission Co-op Missionary Page 18 John Paull II Day Page 20 Divine Mercy Sunday in Wilno Page 22 Holy Door at Divine Mercy Chapel Page th Anniversary of Baptism of Poland Page 25 Youth Meeting with Card. Grocholewski and Contest Page 27 Easter Greetings Page 28 New Stairs at the Cottage Page 29 Oblates in Prince George Diocese "Your destiny is to be apostles, and so tend within your hearts the sacred fire that the Holy Spirit lights there..." - St. Eugene de Mazenod -

2 CROCUS meeting The 23 rd general assembly of the US-Canada Region (CROCUS) took place from March 7 to 13, 2016 in Tecate, Mexico and San Diego, USA. First, the members of the US-Canada Region met at a retreat house in Tecate, Mexico where the following topics were discussed. Upcoming General Chapter in Rome In preparation for the next General Chapter, CROCUS members invited Fr. Frank Morrisey to discuss the role of districts in our Oblate structure and also the role of superiors on how they can animate local communities. He also presented canonical requirements regarding the acceptance of candidates to priesthood and religious life, as well as how to deal with situations when Oblates from outside the region conduct their ministries within the territories of Oblate units in the US-Canada Region. Directions concerting the four areas of our collaboration in the Region: 1) Meeting of young Oblates/Discerning with young Oblates the future of our missionary presence in the region, 2) Vocation and youth ministry, 3) Formation of superiors, 4) Regular meetings of four provincial administrations in our region. Reports from various committees: o Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation: Fr. Antonio Ponce was invited to give a presentation on Justice and Peace efforts that take place not only in the North American region but also in our congregation, in view of his recent meeting in Rome. o Formation: minutes from Fr. Saul, Rector of our seminary in San Antonio were presented to CROCUS members o Brothers Committee: 2

3 o Vocation, Youth and Formation o General Finance Committee: Fr. Superior General Louis Lougen invited our region to present potential candidates for the General Finance Committee After crossing the US-Mexico border, our journey to Tijuana was marked by a very powerful experience at a fence which was built between these two nations. Every day people gather there to pray and remember those who sacrificed their lives trying to cross the border.. During the province day we had a chance to visit various missions in Tijuana. Five Oblates serve 15 missions in a territory of 250,000 people. It was a very moving experience to see the poverty of these people, as well as incredible dedication and hard work of many Oblates and lay people who organize numerous programs in order to respond to the needs of this community. 3

4 In the evening we celebrated Mass at La Morita Mission and met with young affiliates potential candidates to the priesthood and religious life as well as listened to different presentations prepared by dance groups. On Friday, March 11, CROCUS members moved from Tijuana, Mexico to San Diego, USA where they met with provincial treasurers and general treasurer to discuss financial matters concerning our region. The meeting took place on the grounds of the Catholic University of San Diego. The next CROCUS meeting will take place in Toronto and Assumption Province will host it in November of

5 US Province Convocation In the year of the 200 th anniversary of our congregation the US Province organized their own convocation in order to discuss, pray, and discern the following topic: Rooted in Christ Crucified - Growing in Witness to His Kingdom. The meeting took place at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Bellville, Illinois from April 18 to 22, Approximately 170 members of this unit attended the gathering. Fr. Frank Santucci from the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio delivered the opening address, once again challenging Oblates to rediscover our Oblate charism and identity. The following day, Fr. Mark Dean in the absence of the keynote presenter who informed the organizers that he is terminally ill read his written presentation. Richard Benner PhD was supposed to speak on the following topic: Understanding our missionary role in the midst of today s secular reality. Even though the keynote speaker was not present, the topic itself was very interesting and everyone could widen his own horizons listening to the presentation. We could learn that secularity is a product, or a child, of today s society. We shouldn t be afraid of the world around us because everything that exists was created by God but we have to use modern technologies wisely in order to keep balance in our lives. For those who are interested in reading the full text, it can be found on the internet by searching Faith and Secularity, Richard Benner. 5

6 During this discernment process we had a chance to listen to another inspiriting presentation given by Fr. Daniel Renaud who spoke about hope for the future. It s worth quoting a few slogans which the presenter mentioned during his very inspirational and emotional speech. God is bigger than the Church. Church is bigger than us. Hope is a desire for the future. Hope is infused by God and relies on God. It is not a blind optimism. Hope is a virtue that leads, like a mother who leads her own children by the hands and these hands are charity and faith. During these days, a very important moment of this provincial discernment was a Skype conversation with Father Superior General Louis Lougen and Fr. Warren Brown, General Councillor for US-Canada Region. This convocation was not only an opportunity to listen to very interesting talks and testimonies, but also fraternal and personal conversations which help us to grow and learn that the Oblate world is very rich in many different gifts and talents and the US Province is still full of energy, enthusiasm, and hope for the future. 6

7 Youth Congress in Aix-en-Provence by Fr. Marcin Serwin OMI In the days of March 6 th to March 13 th, 2016 the Second International Oblate Congress on the Mission with the Youth was held in Aix-en-Provence, France. I was very happy to have been sent in order to represent our Unit and to be one of the members from our Region. The main objective of this Congress was to initiate a concrete process to develop an Oblate missionary vision and a strategy for the following years concerning the mission with the youth in our congregation. In addition, it gave the participants the opportunity to share their experiences, identify key needs of young people of our time, and evaluate our own mission with the youth in light of the Chapter 2004 and the celebration of the first Congress (2008), as well as to discern the means to be used to meet the missionary challenges today. 7

8 For the 2016 Youth Congress, it has been decided that participation from the different regions and units must be limited due to the housing constraints of the Founder s House in Aix-en-Provence; therefore, 5 Oblate youth ministers from each region were invited. They were joined in Aix by the Central Administration, the Aix community, and a facilitator from Rome. The experience of our Founder Saint Eugene was central to our reflection and, in the light of the 200 th anniversary of the foundation, was an inspiration to each member as well as directed the spirit of the Congress. The words of Saint Eugene in the Rule of 1818, "leading young people will be considered as an essential task in our institute, made clear to us that this ministry with the youth belongs to the charism of our Congregation. The Chapter of 2004 stated again that it is an authentic Oblate ministry by adding it to Rule 7b. We were also moved to see that without the inspiration of the youth congregation founded by the founder in Aix, our own charism would be very far off what it is today. In a way, as the members of the community in Aix who study the life of the founder noted, we, as Oblates, grew out of youth ministry, therefore without the youth present in our missions we do not exist. This is true both for the vocational aspect as well as our identity in itself. 8

9 The days of the Congress were very full. The day began with common prayer at 8 a.m. in the chapel of the vows after which we went straight to the Fr. Tempier room in order to move forward in the long work set out by the Instrumentum Laboris prepared for the Congress. Our work centered on answering questions, looking for answers, analyzing both the current struggles as well as good experiences to see how we can learn from them. We were divided in language groups that switched regularly, then regional groups and lastly groups of interest which prepared the final proposals which were voted on in the last two days and accepted by the Central Administration. 9

10 Apart from the proposals, a message was written to the Oblates and Oblate Youth re-emphasizing the importance of our mission with the youth. Underlining what we ask the youth and redefining our commitment and promise to them as Oblates. The letter was published on and will be sent out to all the members. Some of these proposals, which directly impact our own Province include the following: Proposal 1: Common Vision on Mission with Youth/Oblate Youth/Affirmation Without Vision the people will perish (Proverbs) Rational First Stage - Identity & Charism Second Stage Common Vision (Needs to be articulate) Third Stage Local mission and Strategy Proposal Develop a draft of the vision statement for Oblate Ministry with Young People based on de Mazenod s challenge, we must lead people to act like human beings, first of all, and then like Christians, and, finally, we must help them to become saints, by the end of this Congress. Establish a working committee to prepare the following proposals to the General Chapter: 1. Finalise the Oblate Vision for Ministry with Young people** 2. Develop a proposal for the establishment of an International Commission for Oblate Ministry with Young People. It is envisaged that the commission would be made up of representatives of each region with hope of developing a General Norms for Oblate Ministry with Youth, training opportunities for Oblates and lay people working with youth and preparing other material. Proposal 2: Coordination/Structures and Common Actions In order to assure a greater unity in our ministry with the Youth in the entire Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate we propose: At the level of the General Administration: We propose an Official permanent commission be formed for the ministry with the youth comprised of participants of the Congress. The commission should be led by a director, one term of office, who would have a direct voice to the General Administration about the ministry to the youth in the Congregation. The responsibility of the commission would be to coordinate the ministry with the youth in the entire congregation through contacting the regional committee and the direct youth coordinators of the given units. This commission would have the responsibility to propose the main line of ministry and or formation with the youth. At the Regional Level: That each region have a stable committee, which meets on a minimally annual basis to coordinate the work with the youth, sharing of materials and implementing common ideas on the regional level. Following the example of existing such committees it would be comprised of the Oblate coordinators, lay or consecrated associates and youth from each unit in the region. 10

11 At the Local Level: That each Oblate unit have a stable and well-formed youth coordinator with respective local committee in order to coordinate and animate the concrete projects, initiatives and ideas among other youth ministers and leaders in the local level. With often communication within the unit this coordinator would work as the heart and contact person for the animation of the work with the youth. Proposal 3: Mission with Youth/Vocational Dimension (Human, Christian, Saints) Introduction The ministry with the youth and vocational ministry should be priorities for every unit. The two have to work together. If spiritual direction is done well, it will help youth discern their own calls in life. Propositions A. The mission with the youth has, as a final goal, the accompanying of the youth in their vocational choices. Our formational «itinerary» must then include a vocational discernment aspect. 1 Keeping in line with the spirit of each person during the forming within the Oblate charism (community life, mission, prayer, etc.), youth needs to be assisted in re-reading their life in a way that would lead them to discern their vocations. B. Accompanying the families. The family is a favorable place which helps us in our vocational discernment. C. Look for new ways in order to permit our youth to share our life as Oblates and our mission. For example: a fraternity which permits the youth to live out brotherhood, community life, prayer and apostolate. - Shared living of Oblates and lay youth D. Propose the sharing and open communication of experiences, tools etc. around the world. E. That there be a person (Oblate or lay) dedicated full time to vocation work in each unit. This person should provide direction for groups and individual youth in their vocational discernment. It would help that all the youth under our care have individual spiritual guidance or the possibility of it. This would assure the preparation of materials, regular meetings and on-going formation. This person should assemble a team around the vocational journey that includes lay members. 2 To find the full report of the Congress and all of the accepted proposals please visit the Congregations main web site. I would like to thank the province for the opportunity given to me to go to this Congress, it taught me a great deal both about the vision of Youth ministry in our Congregation and the it s importance in our province. I am happy that it was also noted as a priority for us on our Provincial Congress in January. 1 Vocation: seen broadly as Marriage, Consecrated life, etc. 2 A female presence for the discernment to married life and religious consecrated life. 11

12 JPIC Initiatives in Assumption Province (Spring 2016) by Fr. Peter Nowak OMI and Fr. Rudy Nowakowski OMI The following report is based on information shared with our JPIC committee from some of the places in which Oblates of Assumption Province minister. In the spirit of St. Eugene, we are actively supporting the poor and needy. It was also reflected at our recent Congress, that most of our membership are open the possibilities of actively supporting JPIC initiatives. Some of this support is in the form of supporting the local Food Banks. Once a month the parish and Oblate community are involved in Fund Raising Meals. Others have reported joining a program called Harvest Kitchen in providing hot meal for the needy. Striving for the Integrity of Creation, at least one parish organized a common garden maintained by the parish community. This idea was enthusiastically received and volunteers come forward to help out. They also have received a fair response from the youth. At least one of our men takes a very hands-on approach and have created a garden to provide fresh veggies for his kitchen, and flower garden for the needs of the parish. Those working with young people and those interested in Ecology are trying to impart knowledge about the food chain and trying to serve more vegetables/grains, less meat. Later this can be applied while working Community Supported Garden. Fr. Rudy reminded me about the ongoing 6 part study series on Encyclical, Laudato Si, with Novitate Community and interested local people. Topmost of the mind of many living in Canada these days are the issues concerning THE RIGHT TO EUTHANASIA. Copy of Statement from Cardinal Thomas Collins concerning Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide from March 1, 2016 was disseminated to all parishes in the Archdiocese of Toronto on March 6 th, the 4 th Sunday of Lent. Some of our parishes made copies of it available to all parishioners. Parish bulletins also included instructions where pertinent information can be found on the parish web sites and world wide web. Under the heading Tell Legislators How You Feel, our faithful and all who are concerned about this legislation are encouraged to visit CanadiansforConscience.ca and join the Coalition for Health CARE and Conscience. The coalition is made up of numerous partners, including more than 5,000 Canadian doctors, and has been formed to educate and engage those who share our concerns. The faithful were encouraged to use this website to write directly to your Member of Parliament, respectfully expressing their concerns. 12

13 Parishioner of many parishes continue praying in the Spiritual Adoption of unborn children; Respect for Life Group; Life Chains, Campaign for Life, sharing some finances for babies, widows and orphans and emergency reliefs. All of us encourage our parishioners and others we come in contact with, to take part in March for Life in May and Life Chain in October. Some hold a bi-annual (One in the Advent and one in the Lent) 12 hour fasting and prayer and adoration in the church with people assigned specific one hour of adoration and silent prayer in the intention of the Unborn. The unborn also hold a prominent place in the annual cemetery services. Some parishes are promoting ABSTINENCE DURING TIME OF LENT. They encourage individual and community prayer for abstinence from addictions from alcohol, smoking or drugs, as well as for families suffering from these or other difficulties. They also promote acts of abstinence from alcohol (or other substances) in these intentions. One may remain anonymous or sign up for a Lenten commitment in the book of abstinence. The challenge is to Give something up in the intention of another person! All intentions are prayed for in front of the Most Sacred Sacrament at various devotions. Recognizing the importance of youth, some of our men are working to develop and support local youth groups and promote school projects. Some Oblates reflected that their faith community organized several fundraisers in support of the people in areas of conflict and cataclysms (sending support to Ukraine, Madagascar, and other parts of the world). Others take part in St. Vincent de Paul collection for the poor; Share Lent collection for Development & Peace Education and collection. Support for the marginalized also takes form of a prayer. In one parish the faith community prayed special Stations of the Cross speaking about economic and justice problems in the Third World. At some places of our ministry regular practice of recycling and composting is being encouraged and practised. This includes the practice of conserving energy: putting lights out, drying clothes on outside clothe-lines, care in using water, using house water for drinking and less bottled water (even if this issue seems like fighting an uphill battle for so many of us almost without thinking reach out for bottled water). Yet, I was delighted with the support I received from Fr. Chris OMI at Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre during our Congress in January. He listened to my proposal to facilitate providing drinking water with a touch of lemon from an attractive container, poured into reusable plastic cups, instead of using water in plastic water bottles. More often we promote a change of light bulbs and other fixtures (toilets, showers) to make these more efficient and eco-friendly. A few of us are also striving to assure that our employees receive a Living Wage for the work that they do among us, so as to assure adequate compensation for their labour. 13

14 Lenten Missionaries Fr. Bernard Briks OMI and Fr. Jozef Nieslony OMI preached the Lenten retreat in all the Polish parishes in Canada where Oblates minister. Before their return to Poland they had the opportunity to visit Toronto s main attractions. 14

15 On April 22 nd to the 24 th, our Province hosted the annual vocations retreat for the Eastern region of our Province. This year we hosted the retreat at the Queen of Apostles Renewal Center, which made sure we had everything we need in order to show the true Oblate spirit to the young man who came. Vocations Retreat 2016 by Fr. Marcin Serwin OMI This year 11 young men came for the retreat, which is two more than last year to compare, but what is more important this year there was truly a sense of community among the retreatants and Oblates. We arrived on Friday evening to Queen of Apostles, where, after the welcoming and settling into our rooms we gathered for our first talk about how to enter into the discernment process and listen to God s words. Throughout the next days we continued exploring the topic of God s will and the vocations. The young men had a chance to ask questions, to pray and to speak to the Oblates personally about their hopes, plans and worries. The prayer life really helped us all center ourselves on discernment, but also gave the young men a chance to experience the Oblate Charism. We prayed the full breviary every day, without the Holy hour, as well as the Oblate Prayers and the Oracion before the blessed Sacrament, which was explained to the young men. They really enjoyed those moments. In the evening we had a movie and then heard the vocation stories of the Oblates who assisted with the retreat. This was a great chance for the young people to see that there is no one way the Lord calls, but that there are as many vocations stories, as there are Oblates in the world and that every gift can be used for the service of Gods people both in the religious priesthood as in brotherhood. Now that the seeds were sown into these men s hearts we ask that the entire Province prays for them, that the Lord may open their hearts and give them courage to listen to His voice. Many times Oblates asked to give the names of young men we can pray for, therefore I present them to you for the use of your prayer in their intention. This year s retreatants, and those discerning God s call to the Oblates are: Daniel, Jakub, Jonasz, Jan, Kaper, Conrad, Adam, Antoni, Adrian, Jakub R., Krzysztof, and Matthew. These young men come from St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, St. Casimir s, St. Eugene de Mazenod, St. Stan s, but there are a few from non-oblate parishes as well as two discerning from Holy Angels. Three of these men have asked to begin a stable Shadowing Program with our vocational directors team in order to discern in a more hands-on way how the Oblate life looks like. In a special way I would like to thank the Oblates who helped out through their presence and conferences said during the retreat in order to enrich the experience of the young people: Frs. Wojciech Kurzydlo OMI, Tomasz Koscinski OMI, Paul John Patrick OMI and Peter Nowak OMI. Also an immense thanks needs to go out to our communities for making sure we had the needed time to run this retreat on a weekend and to the community of Queen of Apostles for making the young men really feel at home in every way. Lastly to our Provincial Administration for being very supportive to all of our vocational initiatives and making it the provinces priority to support these projects. 15

16 Mission Co-op Missionary Fr. Marek Ochlak OMI was born on March 14, 1966 in Nowe Miasto Lubawskie where he attended an elementary school. Afterwards, he entered the minor seminary in Markowice, then the novitiate in Koden, and finally began to study philosophy and theology at the major seminary in Obra. This is where his vocation to be a priest and a missionary grew. After his ordination, having already received an obedience to work in Madagascar, Fr. Marek worked as an associate pastor in Kedzierzyn Kozle. In 1994 he travelled to Paris to study French, and the following year, on August 8, arrived on the Great Red Island of Madagascar, which was the fulfillment of his missionary dreams. Fr. Marek Ochlak OMI His work there began with the study of the Malagasy language. Then came his first mission Marolambo located in a beautiful mountainous area, where Fr. Ochlak worked in the bush among the Betsimisaraka tribe. Next was a 5-year ministry among the fishermen in the Apostolate of the Sea, and then ministry at Notre Dame de Lourdes parish where Fr. Marek was pastor. Following this pastoral experience Fr. Ochlak was nominated for the position of a superior of the delegation in Madagascar, a position he held for 6 years, until At the end of it Fr. Marek returned to Poland for his sabbatical year. This much-needed time was necessary to rejuvenate after 20 years working in Madagascar. Nowadays Fr. Marek is getting ready to return to the Great Red Island. He will take over a new mission located in the southwestern part of the island in the city of Befasy in the diocese of Morondava. Everything will need to be created from the beginning. There is only one small church building which functions as a Catholic school, Fr. Marek s house, the church and a meeting room. But Fr. Marek is full of optimism and ready for his new mission. A chance encounter with local children 16

17 Mission Animation Program Schedule 12 June St. Maximilian Kolbe, Mississauga 19 June St. Eugene de Mazenod, Brampton 26 June St. Stanislaus Kostka, Toronto 3 July St. Hyacinth, Ottawa 10 July St. Mary s, Wilno 17 July Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Catharines 24 July Sts. Peter and Paul, Welland 31 July St. Casimir s and Summer Replacement Corpus Christi in an Ambinanidrano mission Fr. Ochalk samples a local culinary treat A group of scholastics from Africa, after professing perpetual vows in Tamatave 17

18 John Paul II Day On April 2, 2016 at 12:00 noon when the clock rang from the old City Hall tower the celebrations began. The Vatican flag was raised and a series of powerful personal stories were presented by the following speakers: Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, Toronto-Warsaw Business Club; Liberal MP from Etobicoke; Wladyslaw Lizon, former MP and initiator of the Bill, that April 2 will be observed in Canada as a day dedicated to John Paul II; and Ted Opitz, former MP who shared his personal stories about John Paul II from the World Youth Day in Toronto in Fr. Marian Gil OMI, Provincial of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Assumption Province was also invited to deliver a message and prayer. He said: We are here today to give thanks to God for the life of St. John Paul II, but especially to accept the heritage and the example of his courageous faith. We loved John Paul II because he was always obedient to the Gospel of Jesus, the Gospel of Truth. As his body became weaker, his witness became stronger. His faith was authentic and free from fear or compromise. St. John Paul courageously defended human life, all human life, at a time when the 'culture of the disposable,' was paving its road through many nations. 18

19 Official Prayer to St. John Paul II Oh, St. John Paul II, from the window of heaven, grant us your blessing! Bless the human family that you loved and served and guided, courageously leading it along the paths of the world in order to bring Jesus to everyone and everyone to Jesus. Bless the young, who were your great passion. Help them dream again, help them look up high again to find the light that illuminates the paths of life here on earth. May you bless families, bless each family! You warned us of Satan's assault against this precious and indispensable divine spark that God lit on earth. St. John Paul, with your prayer, may you protect the family and every life that blossoms from the family. Pray for the whole world, which is still marked by tensions, wars, terrorism and injustice. You confronted war by invoking dialogue and planting the seeds of love: pray for us so that we may be tireless sowers of peace. Oh St. John Paul, from heaven's window, where we see you next to Mary, send God's blessing down upon us all. Amen. 19

20 Divine Mercy Sunday in Wilno by Fr. Jan Wadolowski OMI This year marks the 60 th anniversary of the establishment of the Conference of Polish Priests for Eastern Canada. On this occasion, its president Fr. Janusz Blazejak OMI invited Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, a lawyer and expert on Canon Law in Vatican. Each year on a Thursday after Easter the Conference of Polish Priests for Eastern Canada meets with the invited guest at Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre in Mississauga. On this occasion, and thanks to the collaboration of diocesan and religious priests, a pilgrimage is organized to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Wilno. One can say it has become a tradition. All were eagerly awaiting the celebrations of Divine Mercy. On Saturday, April 2 snow began to fall and a storm approached. The snow was thick and quickly covered the grounds. At about 10 a.m. the sun came out, the snow fall subsided, although the wind was strong and cold. At 10:30 a.m. pilgrims began to arrive in buses and private cars. Priests also began to arrive to Wilno. The church was ready to welcome its pilgrims. The Cardinal and priests began to gather in the sacristy. Fr. Janusz Blazejak, as the organizer coordinated the celebration. At 11 a.m. Fr. Józef Niesłony OMI led the rosary in the church while some priests helped with the sacrament of reconciliation. The church filled up with pilgrims from Ontario and Quebec, as well as locals from Wilno and Round Lake. The wind carried the beautiful rosary prayer through the valleys of Madawaska and Killaloe. Fr. Janusz looked after the logistics and the spiritual side of the event. Meanwhile, in the parish hall, parishioners were busy cooking lunch for the pilgrims, making sure no one goes hungry. It was drawing close to 11:30 when the priests and His Eminence proceeded from the sacristy, through the church, toward the altar. In all, 21 diocesan and religious priests were present ; there were also religious sisters. The choir from St. Hyacinth Church, under the direction of Mr. Adam Sztajerowski, sang a song about God s mercy. Soon everyone was singing and it was evident that God s glory filled the church. 20

21 Fr. Janusz Blazejak welcomed all, beginning with Zenon Cardinal Grocholewski, all concelebrating priests, nuns, pilgrims and parishioners. It was felt that those who were present came as true pilgrims who wanted to pray. Their faces were focused, their lips whispering prayers, while tears are running down their cheeks. Tears of joy and tears of pain. Looking at their faces one could see they were focused. Cardinal Grocholewski delivered the homily about Eucharist and Divine Mercy. Jesus, rich in mercy, waits for us each day. I had a feeling that people are so thirsty for God s presence, that they absorb the presence of God s mercy with prayers on their lips and tears in their eyes. After Mass, all who were hungry went to the parish hall for a hearty meal. Then they went outside for a moment of relaxation and to chat with one another. Priests ate in the rectory. After lunch Fr. Wojciech Kurzydlo, Cardinal Grocholewski, and Fr. Jozef Nieslony departed for St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Toronto. The weather got better and the sun which shone through the clouds brought joy to people s hearts. At 3 p.m. Fr. Bernard Briks OMI led the congregation in the singing of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Afterwards pilgrims and Fr. Blazejak and Fr. Briks began to make their way home. The celebration was beautiful and many grateful people kept saying how good it is to be here. Once all guests left it suddenly got very quiet in the church and in the rectory. I extend my most sincere thanks to the Conference of Polish Priests in Eastern Canada, its President Fr. Janusz Blazejak OMI for organizing the pilgrimage to Wilno, pilgrims for coming, and parishioners of St. Mary s for getting the church ready, for preparing lunch, and for their presence during Mass and common prayers. I wish to invite everyone for Divine Mercy celebrations in April of Parishioners in Wilno are very glad for this pilgrimage. 21

22 Holy Door at the Divine Mercy Chapel by Simone Zamarlik Traditionally, a Holy Jubilee Year is a special year of forgiveness of sins and closeness with God. Unexpectedly announced by Pope Francis, the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy began last year on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. One of the traditions of a Jubilee Year, such as this Year of Mercy, is the ceremonial opening of a Holy Door in each of the four great basilicas in Rome. Pope Francis allowed additional Holy Doors to be opened: one in every diocese around the world, as well as others at shrines of particular importance in order for all the faithful around to world to be able to encounter the mercy of God. Another tradition of a Jubilee Year is the granting of indulgences. This is especially meaningful during the Year of Mercy, as indulgences are illustrative of God s mercy and love. A result of God s goodness, mercy is the withholding of just condemnation, replaced with compassion, tenderness, and forgiveness. All members of the faithful who visit a Holy Door while being in a state of grace and participating in the Holy Eucharist, as well as fulfilling the needed requirements, will be granted a plenary indulgence. Saint Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Mississauga has the privilege of hosting one of the nine Holy Doors in the Archdiocese of Toronto. Located at the entrance of the Divine Mercy Chapel, this Holy Door is frequented by parishioners and visitors alike. Since the official opening of the Holy Door at the Divine Mercy Chapel this past December, the parish has seen a significant growth in the number of pilgrims arriving from all around the archdiocese and beyond. Each weekend, in addition to hundreds of parishioners, several buses of pilgrims from various parishes arrive to pass through the Holy Doors. Due to the tremendous amount of faithful that come to pass through the Holy Door and to pray in the Divine Mercy Chapel, there is often a lineup of individuals of all ages waiting outside in order to pass through. As Pope Francis wrote, mercy is the bridge that connects God and humanity, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness. One s passing through a Holy Door represents entry into God s mercy. This overwhelming increase in the number of faithful making the pilgrimage to the Holy Door at the Divine Mercy Chapel is indicative of the great need for this mercy in the lives of many. For this reason, the entire parish is very proud to have received the grace of the Holy Door in the parish. The parish has also seen an increase in the demand for the sacrament of reconciliation, which is another extraordinary sign of the working of God s mercy in the hearts of the faithful. The Year of Mercy will conclude later this year on the solemnity of Christ the King. 22

23 The 1050 th Anniversary of the Baptism of Poland by Simone Zamarlik, submitted by Fr. Janusz Blazejak OMI On the Solemnity of Divine Mercy, Sunday, April 2, 2016, St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Mississauga celebrated the 1050 th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland. The parish had the honour of hosting Zenon Cardinal Grocholewski from the Vatican, retired prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, who led the Mass of Gratitude in celebration of these events. With thousands of parishioners and visitors in attendance, the celebration commenced with a procession, in which all the parish groups were represented holding their official banners. The High Mass included a solemn renewal of baptismal vows, for which each state of the Polonia was represented: the leaders and politicians, the parish council, families, youth, children, and a special representation for the youth preparing to go to the World Youth Days in Cracow. 23

24 According to many historians, the Baptism of Poland took place on April 14, 966, when, on Holy Saturday, then ruler of Poland, Mieszko I, along with much of his court were baptized, effectively baptizing the entire Polish state and nation. By the thirteenth century, Catholicism was the dominant religion in Poland, and thanks to this, remains so to this day. In his homily, His Eminence spoke about the meaning of faith. He underlined the importance of formation in the lives of the Polish nation and the entire world. He spoke about the need of gratitude for the gift of faith, not only on such occasions, but in our everyday lives, since, as he said, it is a gift that we often take for granted. The Cardinal also challenged the entire Polonia to become true witnesses of their faith in Canada as only this way can the faith come alive and continue to be strong with the next generation. He repeated while meeting with the youth the same evening for the World Youth Day catechism. The parishioners of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish are incredibly grateful for the visit of Cardinal Grocholewski. The work of the pastor, the priests, the parish council, and all the parish groups who participated, is greatly appreciated by all. These events inspired the strengthening of the faith and patriotism of the entire community. 24

25 Youth Meeting with Cardinal Grocholewski & Youth Contest by Fr. Marcin Serwin OMI On Sunday April 3 rd, 2016 St. Maximillian Kolbe Parish was privileged to welcome His Eminence Zenon Cardinal Grocholewski for a meeting with the young people going to the World Youth Days in Wroclaw and Cracow. Over 200 young participants gathered for this event. His Eminence shared his experience from the Curia of the Holy See for 43 years and additionally of his 7 years of work in the city of Rome before that. The youth going to World Youth Day were able to witness the work his Eminence had done for the Church in the past 52 years of his priestly ministry. He was able to enlighten the youth by sharing the stories he experienced while at the service of the Apostolic Tribunal and the Congregation for Catholic Education. He told of his numerous visits around the world to fund Catholic schools and make sure they hold the ethical standard they are called to practice. He challenged the youth to look at their own experiences of education in a Catholic system and realize how blessed they are to have catholic education available to them. The Cardinal also shared his personal experiences with the four popes he served telling the youth especially about his time with St. John Paul II. One story that touched everyone was when His Eminence shared the amazing openness John Paul II had to dialogue with everyone and to treat everyone as equal regardless whether they agreed with him or not, an example of humbleness that often lacks in the world. After the meeting with the youth, the pastor, Fr. Janusz Blazejak OMI, along with the Parish Council presented the winners of the World Youth Days contest. The contest was sponsored by Turner & Porter Funeral Directors with 5 prizes of $1,000 each being given to the winners of the contest. Each participant registered to go to the WYD in Cracow was invited to write an article about how mercy touched their heart on a personal level. There were 37 entries, which were all well done, but the Parish Council chose the five winners as: Justyna Armatowicz, Weronika Stach, Ewelina Chojecka, Hubert Kopec, Thomas Machnicki. Fr. Blazejak and Mr. Nixon with contest winners 25

26 The following is part from one of the winning essays: I will never forget the moment when my life came to a drastic halt, when I had to make a life changing decision to either continue in the spiral which could only lead to selfdestruction or decide to live as a true Catholic which will result in everlasting life. This was the moment where my life journey has reached the point of an abundant amount of mercy. God saw me suffering and aching, hungry and poor in spirit, so broken that I could barely make it back to Him while [I] was still a long way off, [my] Father caught sight of [me], and was filled with compassion. He ran to His [daughter], embraced [me] and kissed [me] (Luke 15:20). This is our merciful Father, who couldn t wait any longer for my return. He ran out of His home to carry me inside. He threw me a feast in celebration without a single time spent in telling me where I went wrong, or judging me for my past actions. The prizes were handed out by Mr. William Nixon, General Manager of Turner & Porter Funeral Directors, who came for the full meeting to be with the youth and experience their enthusiasm. As he later said this was also a way Turner & Porter wanted to give back to the communities they serve and were more than happy to do it. After the five main prizes were given out the Pastor announced that the Parish Council decided to grant 14 special prizes of $500 to those who also wrote exceptional essays for the contest. The youth was very glad to receive these cheques from the Pastor and underlined that it will help them a great deal in their efforts of collecting the needed funds for this trip. Monica Pakulski with Fr. Blazejak and Mrs. Kasprzak Daniel Szafran with Fr. Janusz Blazejak After saying His goodbyes, both His Eminence and Mr. W. Nixon left, while the youth had their last information passed on to them and traditionally finished the meeting with the singing of the World Youth Day hymn and receiving the blessing. 26

27 Dear Brother Oblates, Easter Greetings I wish to thank you all for your heart and every gesture of good will as well as the Easter wishes I received. I send best wishes from Cochabamba in Bolivia, where I am continuing my sabbatical time. I arrived here two weeks ago from Jerusalem. Bolivia is very beautiful, however very poor and dangerous country. I will stay here till the end of May studying the Spanish language. People here are wonderful. The Palm Sunday and the Holy Week, as well as each weekend in the near future, I will spend on Oblate Missions; in Cochabamba there are four of them. My program is at the Maryknoll Institute, but I live with a Bolivian family. The family was chosen for me by the Institute, and the daily cost of my upkeep here is $ This is their opportunity to earn some money. Unfortunately they do not have students like this too often, so they are very happy to have one. I send you wholehearted greetings, and may the Risen Christ bestow His strength and love upon you. May this holy time of Easter be filled with peace and kindness from people, and may it rekindle the desire to serve God in those in need. May you have a blessed Easter. Fr. Adam Filas, OMI 27

28 New Stairs at the Cottage by Fr. Janusz Blazejak OMI Much gratitude to my confreres for their help in installing the new stairs on the lake-side of our cottage. The old stairs had to be replaced because they were no longer safe. They were rotten in a number of places. The new stairs have 16 steps and the length of the side plank is 17 feet. I especially want to thank Brother Tadeusz Orzechowski and Fathers Marcin Serwin, Wojciech Blach and Janusz Jajesniak for their immense help. God Bless. 28

29 Oblates of Prince George Diocese By Fr. Ken Forster OMI The Oblates of Prince George Diocese gathered to celebrate together on January 25 th. Fr. Gilbert Bertrand writes: "Fr. Vince put on a sumptuous cod dinner for us - ride home this evening was a little testy. Greg kept us on the road all 160 km. It was a great day." Note the 160 km was distance, not speed! May the Lord bless you to deepen Oblate Communion among yourselves and may you encourage one another to minister in a closeness with the people. Happy Feast Day! Pictured L to R: Fr. Charlie Donovan, Fr. Vince James, Bro. Greg Loska, Fr. Gilbert Bertrand and Fr. Andy Takach. Not pictured: Fr. Frank Salmon. 29