On the 106th anniversary of the first Fatima apparitions, on 13th May 2023, in the parish church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Ordinary of the Diocese of Sosnowiec, His Eminence Bishop Grzegorz Kaszak, has ordained to the diaconate and to the priesthood seminarians of the Higher Missionary Seminary of The Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Stadniki (Poland).
They were ordained as priests: Adam Maj SCJ, Karol Szlezinger SCJ and Paweł Szlezinger SCJ. The seminarians who were ordained as deacons, are: Jacek Kowal SCJ, Aliaksandr Piatlitski SCJ, Szymon Szubarczyk SCJ, Krzysztof Witek SCJ, Mateusz Zawiłowicz SCJ.
During the ceremony, Bishop Grzegorz reminded candidates for a deacon ordination, that the first deacons of the Church were appointed to perform works of mercy. So, it would seem, that they should be people with organizational and managerial skills who will be able to competently manage the goods entrusted to them.
“Meanwhile the Apostles are asking whole community to find men. Moreover, they are to look at those who have the Spirit and wisdom. What said after centuries the Pope Benedict XVI: “priests are not supposed to be administrators, but they have to be men of prayer, have the gift of the Spirit”. In the near future, it turned out that the Apostles were right, that deacons not only performed works of mercy, but very quickly they must have stood, eye to eye, to the trial with those who reject Jesus Christ. This was the case with St. Stephen’s”.
At the same time, recalling the dialogue between Jesus and St. S. Faustina, Bishop Grzegorz reminded, that the presence of the Spirit of God is a permanent presence in those who are living in sanctifying grace. His inherence in a man can sometimes be imperceptible, but His presence shouldn’t be connected with feelings, which are easily changeable. Only a grave sin “throws out” the Holy Spirit from man’s soul. Otherwise, the Holy Spirit with his power accompanies those who were called to complete specific mission in the Church.
In reference to the sacrament of priestly ordination, Bishop Grzegorz recalled the image of Jesus Christ’s shepherd’s care, who, by going around the villages and the cities, was able to notice every man – no matter who was he, and what others talked about him. “He knows well, how much misery, poverty, and how many tangled paths there are in our earthly existence. What he did resulted of care, love and desire for good. Jesus said «The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field». In that way he clearly said: «The priest is needed». Just when there was poverty, misery, all kinds of misfortune, Lord Jesus showed remedy. «I will take care of them, with your help». Nowadays the priest is needed. We can’t be discouraged by the fact that there are not many priests, that the situation is difficult, that the world is hostile. [Priesthood] is not wisdom, that comes from man. And even though in various corners of the world, because of the difficult situation of the Church, voices are raised that it is pointless, we cannot say so, because Jesus just then commanded us to pray for vocations”.
For Those confreres who were called and chosen by the Church to the priesthood and diaconate, we congratulate with all our hearts and support them with our prayers.
