The Homeland of Mr. Wolodyjowski
The Homeland of Mr. Wolodyjowski
Kamieniec Podolski is a beautiful city built in the canyon
of the Smatrycz river along with its never conquered
fortress. The city was and still is the spiritual and
cultural capital of Podole. During the time before the first
division of Poland there were 26 churches and monasteries,
which have made the place a strong center of Polish and
Christian culture. In that area, a known swordsman of the
Polish Republic, Mr. Michal Jerzy Wolodyjowski, gave his
life away for faith and homeland. Today his monument,
standing in front of the cathedral of Kamieniec, teaches and
calls that a beautiful "life is a series of sacrifices".
After a period of Polish splendor during hard times of war,
Kamieniec was forever taken away from Poland, which resulted
in gradual degradation of Christianity and of the Polish
culture. The work of culture destruction was completed by
the communist system, which caused the most damage during
the 30's of the 20th century. Thousands of people died for
their faith and for being Polish. Churches and monasteries
were no longer able to exist. The land of Kamieniec was then
‘watered’ by the blood of martyrs.
Despite years of propaganda by the communist system, the
government was not able to completely destroy the spirit of
faith. In 1978, after many efforts, prayers and visits to
Moscow, it was again possible to establish a new Catholic
parish. Authorities gave away the smallest possible church –
a cemetery chapel. At that little chapel gathered crowds of
faithful.
In the 80's, however, further oppressions of the faithful
began again. Attending church was prohibited for children
and teenagers, and if anybody disobeyed that restriction,
the consequences would affect the whole family. The year of
1991 is the time of perestroika – the beginning of free
Ukraine. During that year people of Kamieniec succeeded in
regaining the Cathedral. Then, a second parish was
established in 1996 on the ruins of a Dominican monastery.
The Pauline fathers organized a third parish.
The Fathers from the Society of Christ currently take care
of the first parish, established in 1978. They expanded and
rebuilt the church. Dreadful consequences of the atheistic
program (a 90% divorce rate, and second in Europe when it
comes to abortion) mobilize them to ministry and social work.
The parish improves with time and is still gathering lost
souls. The number of children and teenagers getting to know
the Gospel is constantly growing.
In our parish we have an environmental day room,
kindergarten, many ministry groups and initiatives/activities,
which are often blocked from expanding, since there are not
enough resources. Currently, we have three classrooms (two
of them very small) where, besides catechism classes, there
are Polish classes.
There is also a Polish library, an office "Pro Life", and an
day room for about 40 children. Of course, classrooms also
serve other ministry groups, charismatic groups, “Domowy
Kościół”, Legion of Mary, Lay Franciscans, Families of
Nazareth, altar boys, Eucharistic movement of the young, and
Caritas. Our classrooms also serve as a venue for Polish
Association meetings. Despite good organization, the
classrooms are not able to fit and serve all of the afore
mentioned groups.
We would like to expand these classrooms, in order to build
a Polish House, a meeting room with fireplace, and small
museum. We dream of a Mr. Wolodyjowski room where we could
share Polish culture and teach the growing number of adults
wanting to learn Polish. Our kindergarten class, where we
teach Polish language, lacks the most basic requirements.
Currently we cannot accept any more children because of lack
of space. We would like to create a separate place with
bedrooms so that we could also serve our guests, who come to
help in our ministry and cultural initiatives. We also dream
of an Catholic school, or perhaps later a normal parish high
school, where not only Polish teenagers would be able to
attend. This way we, the Society of Christ Fathers, would be
able to spread Polish culture which we always try to carry
close to our hearts.
With hope we turn to you, counting on your generous
understanding and responsible love for others. Help us
evangelize those for whom we feel responsible, for those who
we want to love and help.
For all of our benefactors, who support us with prayers,
sacrifice of suffering and also aid us financially, we say a
Holy Mass of thanksgiving with request for needed graces,
every week.
May God and Mary, Queen of Poland, always protect you.
God Bless all of you!
Fr. Jerzy Molewski TChr
pastor
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