On the eve of Pentecost, 27 May 2023, in the courtyard of the Shrine of Our Lady of Tuchów, a ceremony of ordination to the priesthood of four Redemptorist deacons took place. The ordinations were conferred by Msgr. Andrzej Jeż, Bishop of the Diocese of Tarnów. The event was all the more important as it was celebrated for the last time in this place as the Redemptorist Major Seminary seat will be moved to Krakow as of the forthcoming academic year.
Welcoming the guests, the rector of our seminary – Fr. Maciej Sadowski CSsR – referred to the words of the Blessed Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and his last meeting with the seminarians of the Gniezno Seminary shortly before his death. In them, the Primate Wyszyński called on the seminarians to make a personal challenge to themselves, to make a decision to renounce themselves internally, following the example of Christ, who said: Whoever wishes to become great among you let him be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you let him be your slave.
The Bishop encouraged our four confreres to always have an anchor cast in the Heart of God, in the mystery of the Holy Trinity, but also to go deeper into a man’s heart by the gift of themselves to them and that this should be the cause of their joy. “The disciples of Jesus,” he said, “must be aware that they have the same mission as the Sending One. They must know His will, bear lasting fruit, bear witness and, above all, serve and follow the Master to the point of giving their lives. (…) We must all write down the sixth gospel in our lives. Our lives are to be this living gospel.”
Bishop Andrzej encouraged our four alumni not to be afraid of the new, perhaps difficult times because maybe they will show the depth of the priesthood even more beautifully. He also recalled the words of the Founder of the Redemptorists – St Alphonsus – “God is mad with love for man”, and they are to witness this.
Fr. Dariusz Paszyński CSsR, the Superior of the Warsaw Province of the Redemptorists, thanked Bishop Andrzej and said that the Lord is gracious, and with these ordinations, he strengthened our faith. Through the response of four of our confreres to the invitation of Jesus, one can see the presence of God.
Following Bishop Andrzej’s words, we wish our new priests not to be theoreticians of faith, but that their faith become life. We entrust them, their families and the whole Congregation to the protection of Our Lady.
The newly ordained Redemptorist Fathers are:
- Fr Robert Borzyszkowski CSsR from Bytów (Pelplin diocese);
- Fr Piotr Czechowicz CSsR of Proszowice (diocese of Kielce);
- Fr Dominik Król CSsR from our parish in Tuchów (Tarnów diocese);
- Fr Almar Suchan CSsR from Lubaszowa (Tarnów diocese).
Br. Łukasz Malinowski CSsR
(text and pictures courtesy of www.redemptor.pl)
