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59 World Leprosy Day
On January 29, 2012, on the last Sunday of the month, we will be celebrating
On January 29, 2012, on the last Sunday of the month, we will be celebrating
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The Foundation of Helena Pyz – the Dawn of Life
was registered in the National Court Register
was registered in the National Court Register
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Collection of Christmas packages
Santa Claus packages for children...
Santa Claus packages for children...
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INVITATION
My child in Jeevodaya
For many years we have been organising “Adoption by Heart”
For many years we have been organising “Adoption by Heart”
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| ABOUT A FRIEND |
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It is not easy to write about a Friend.
Not because everything is so personal,
intimate,
difficult to describe,
convey that his leaving is so painful.
First of all,
the presence of a friend in the other human being is versatile.
It embraces many aspects of life.
It is not placed in time and is difficult to grasp,
to name – this presence lasts even after parting on earth.
I have an inner conviction that the relation of father Stanisław to me was one of friendship. I could always rely on him. As soon as I succeeded to get through to him (he was living an active life and was often not at home, and mobile phones haven’t yet been existing at that time), I could hear – come, I am here, I wait for you or some other friendly invitation. He always found a moment for me, according to the Primate Wyszyński teachings: „time is love”. I don’t remember neither the date nor the circumstances of my first meeting with father Stanisław Kuraciński; it was at a time when he was working in Otwock. Since he began organizing the Secretariat of Mission in Ząbki, this bond had become closer and more frequent. He himself was also visiting our home with ministry when there was such a need. In the eighties, I was working in a local clinic in Ząbki. I was also having additional work in the nearby psychiatry hospital. For some time I was performing the function of the company doctor in the Pallotine printing house in Wilcza Street as the number of workers was increasing. I think that friendship often grows in this way precisely, in ordinary events of everyday life, in occasional meetings linked with work, unnoticeably – trust arises, bonds tie up. Repeatedly, father Stanisław helped me personally or my community in difficult situations. He had a lot of ideas in order to make up different deficiencies. He was giving advices, encouraging, opening his heart and generous hands. 20 years ago I heard about the Centre of Rehabilitation for Lepers in India – it became a source of inspiration for me. Whenever I come back to this event in thought or word, I know that father Staś was the tool, executor, that it was God’s call. However, up to now, going after this Call and my perseveration in Jeevodaya are inextricably linked with the friendship I had with father Stanisław. In an atmosphere of joy linked with the celebration of a name day, a dozen of people were listening to the father’s story. He had just come from a visitation of Polish Pallotine missions scattered all over the world. I heard that several thousands of people suffering from leprosy will soon remain without medical help after the expected death of the founder of Jeevodaya, father Adam Wiśniewski SAC, who suffering from cancer. Among all the colourful stories of that day, only this one sentence remained in my ears. In the morning of the next day, I went to Wilcza Street to tell father Stanisław that I am ready to go and work in Jeevodaya. It is probably from this very moment that he took the responsibility of supporting this Centre through my person, starting with introducing me to father Adam by letter until his very death. I was notified about this painful fact on my way to Poland, where I was going for holidays. Only two days earlier I learnt that he had a cerebral stroke. His health condition was supposed to be better and he was even thinking about undertaking rehabilitation. Just before setting out on my journey to Poland, I had received a parcel with books and a short letter from father Staś. As usually, I was planning to go almost immediately not to Ząbki this time, but to the hospital of Wołomin. Nevertheless, at the airport of Warsaw I learnt that I wouldn’t meet him on earth. I could only bid him farewell and attend his funeral in the chapel in Ołtarzewo. The mission in India was not subject to the Polish Province. The visitation of the authorities of this latter in 1986 was a brotherly visit. Father Adam, the founder of the centre for people suffering from leprosy, the only doctor and caretaker of ill people, did not succeed to send me an invitation before his death. Only a year after his departure from this world, I could prepare myself to my trip. Father Stanisław knew about the difficult realities of life in that place from his own observation and the correspondence he was getting, as well as my limited possibilities. He hadn’t encouraged me insistently, but he was happy that I consciously undertook this challenge and task. He sent me on my first journey to my place of destination in a very ceremonious and at the same time very warmly way at a mass in the house of my community. Next, repeatedly, on the occasion of my holidays in Poland, he was celebrating the Holy Eucharist greeting me on the subsequent stages or saying goodbye before the next. I was a bit surprised while introducing me he was underlining, even exaggerating my role in Jeevodaya. I know that it was important to him – no one knew as well the Centre as he did. I was writing to him quite frequently, especially in difficult moments, when I was living through hard times. I was receiving short answers from him, but these were clear, reasonable advices, expressing the understanding of the situation and telling me warm words of encouragement. It was an important correspondence. I had no idea how to manage an institution like the Centre. I had to look for sponsors. Most of the previous ones stopped helping after the death of father Wiśniewski – they hadn’t been getting any information about the Centre for half a year. I myself had no money for a plane ticket, when I came back in order to get a visa for a permanent residence. Money was lacking for everything: for drugs, salary for the workers, but most of all for everyday rice. I had no vehicle for moving easily. Besides doing shopping and some errands to run in offices, I had to serve patients in outbound clinics, where the needy were patiently waiting. I had been alone for the first eight years - the most difficult ones; it is precisely the help of father Stanisław which was almost the only support. At the beginning I had just two doubts: how will I manage with the language barrier and whether my handicap wouldn’t be an obstacle. I heard: „all people understand the language of love” and that father Adam, at the end of his life, was living in a wheelchair. I was up to my ears with problems when the co-founder of the Centre, sr. Barbara Birczyńska, shifted responsibility for it onto me several months after my arrival. The problems were rising dramatically. Today I can say that this faithful, friendly ‘presence’ of father Stanisław helped me to persevere. He used to support me in every initiative. He was the first to take part in the adoption of heart of my children when he learnt about such form of assistance. I am grateful to him for being the exponent of God’s Providence to me. I can write with full conviction that thanks to his friendly presence Jeevodaya has survived. Today, Pallotines still help the Centre and Jeevodaya is well prospering. However, those first lean years, the lonely wrestling for the preservation of the work which is a home for lepers, often „the dawn of a new life” for them and their children – were a real battle, won in a large measure thanks to father Stanisław’s aid. Giving thanks to God for the wonderful life of his servant, Stanisław, I ask for an everlasting award for the big things which happened through his agency in my life. Helena Pyz, March 2006 |
Projekt & cms: www.zaler.pl
Instytut Prymasa Wyszyńskiego
Sekretariat Misyjny Jeevodaya
ul. Młodnicka 34, 04-239 Warszawa
PLN 16 1020 1097 0000 7102 0004 8736
EUR 74 1020 1097 0000 7302 0124 1082
Sekretariat Misyjny Jeevodaya
ul. Młodnicka 34, 04-239 Warszawa
PLN 16 1020 1097 0000 7102 0004 8736
EUR 74 1020 1097 0000 7302 0124 1082