Here we are Society of Christ 786 West Sunset Avenu Lombard, IL 60148-1488
Ministry of the Society of Christ Fathers to Polish Migrants.
Short historical account of the Order.
The 20th
century coming to its end, has been a witness of the events which have
diametrically changed and are still changing the face of the world. One
of these events, that continues to take place, is the migration of
people. It arises as a characteristic of this age. Many reasons have
affected it. Two world wars, the presence of totalitarian rules,
political, social and economic crisis have played a great role in the
enormous migration of people. Migration has taken place within the
borders of Europe, but likewise, people emigrated from the old continent
to both North and South America, Australia and in part to Africa. In the
movement of large masses of people of Europe, Poles, have also had their
part. The deciding factor was and remains to be the geopolitical placing
of Poland. Many sons and daughters of the nation, were physically forced
to emigrate. They were taken by force to Siberia. The reason for it, was
the totalitarian communist system, and the Yaltan division of Europe
after the second world war.
During the thirties, on to the
arena of the life of the Church in Poland came Cardinal August Hlond. Due to the new political situation
in Poland, 1956 became a turning point with regard to the realization of
the Order's mission. The first priests began to travel to the
territories of their mission work: Brazil, Australia, Germany, France,
Canada, the United States. These were the first countries the members of
the Society, had been sent to. From that moment up to the present time,
we have acclaimed a larger portion of the pastoral care of the migrant
communities. The structure of the
presence in the Church. Our presence in the Universal
Church was recognized by Decretum Laudis, of the Holy See, which we
received on the 22nd of April 1950. In the shadow of the old - age
Cathedral, on Ostrow Tumski in Poland, the Motherhouse along with the
Seminary are
located. Presently, our Order consists (in 2003) of: 385 priests,
31 brothers, 60 candidates for the priesthood, 22
novices. In the seminary
as well as in the novitiate we have representatives of various
countries: Australia, Brazil, Bielorussia, Romania, Germany, Ukraine,
the United States. From this special place - Ostrow Tumski, so rich in
national and religious history and tradition, priests and brothers of
our Order go forth to different places on the globe to realize the
mission of our Society. Every Religious Community, in
order to mature and develop, must act according to a certain structure.
Such a structure does not differ much from the type that functions among
other religious orders. The obligation of caring for the life of the
Order as a whole, and the realization of its mission, lies upon the
Superior General and General Council. The Order is made up of provinces,
which the Provincials and Provincial Councils are responsible for.
Presently we have six provinces: Australian Province:
composed of Australia and New
Zealand;
A descendent of the region of Silesia. He himself experienced the life
of an emigrant while studying in Rome, and when he was the inspector of
the Salesian Province in Vienna, Austria. He came to know the conditions
of the emigrant way of life. When Cardinal Hlond was appointed
Archbishop of the Gniezno-Poznan Archdiocese, and received the title of
the Primate of Poland, from that moment on, among many other
assignments, he showed special care for Polish emigrants. He visited
Polish groups in Europe, South America. Standing before the critical
situation in which Polish pastoral care for emigrants found itself, he
took many different kinds of initiatives to ensure the presence of
Polish speaking priests among migrant communities. Finally, in 1932
after receiving approbation of Pope Pius XI, he established the
Religious Order of the Society of Christ to Polish Migrants. He
entrusted the responsibility of organizing the new Order to Fr. Ignacy
Posadzy, a priest of the Archdiocese of Gniezno-Poznan. The beginnings
were very difficult. Development of the Order was interrupted by the
second world war. After its end, Father Posadzy began once again to
reorganize what had been started. Until 1956 it was not possible for the
priests of our Order to leave the country and to go to our mission
field. Beyond the borders of Poland remained those priests, who were put
there, by the conditions caused by the war.
French Province:
Great Britain Province: composed of Iceland, England and South Africa.
German Province: composed of Germany, Holland and Italy;
South American Province: composed of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay;
North American Province: composed of Canada and United States.
Of course, a large number of priests are working in Poland in the North-Western region of Poland - in the Archdiocese of Szczecin and in the Archdiocese of Wroclaw.
There are other countries in which the priests of the Society of Christ, are under direct jurisdiction of the Superior General: Bielorussia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Hungary - Budapeszt
Poland
Since the end of the second world war, we have been offering our services also in Poland. First of all, in the western region of the country, as well as in the Archdiocese of Wroclaw. Presently, we have 145 priests and 36 brothers working in Poland. There are 250 priests, and 4 brothers, involved in the realization of our mission abroad. Our Order has its own publishing office called "Hlondianum". We also publish a biblical-liturgical monthly called "Msza Swieta", as well as other magazines such as "Milujcie sie" and english version "Love One Another". Along with the activity of the Society, joined with it, is the Foundation under the name of Cardinal August Hlond.
Last year the process of the beatification of our founder, Card. August Hlond, in the territory of Poland was completed. The process is being continued in Rome.
4. Conclusion.
Standing before so many needs of the Polish migrants, the Society of Christ realizes the fact, that the needs for pastoral care are greater that its own personnel resources. It can fulfill this special mission in the Church only along with diocesan priests and those of religious communities.
At the
turn of the Milleniums, the Society of Christ together with many other
priests has a task to present to Polish immigrants what is the most
important and essential in life. Although, they live the riches of many
different nations, their lands, the wealth of their culture, traditions
and customs. One, the most important thing has to be done, the value of
the Christian faith, Catholic faith, which flows forth from a 2000 year
tradition of the Church has to be proclaimed in the new conditions in
which the contemporary world lives.
Rev. Tadeusz Winnicki, SChr
Former-Superior General