The last blog post penned by Fr Captain of the “Harbour” has got a post-script with the greetings sent for you, Dear Readers

already from the journey to Mexico

Fr. Jay, who soon will be renamed “Padre Jota” (“jota” – in Spanish means the letter “j”. That’s how I’m called – by the first letter of my first name, as almost nobody is able to pronounce Jarosław – not to mention “Szymczak”)

Yesterday in our parish the Homily for children was prepared by a Deacon and two seminarians – all from a missionary congregation. They asked the kids for help in getting a missionary-to-be ready for his trip to South America. So they picked different objects from the bag, asking if they will be useful for the young priest to reach people’s hearts. When the Deacon asked the seminarian, wearing already the poncho, straw hat and a stole, which country in South America he would like to visit, he confessed that he had always dreamt of going to Mexico. That was followed by some degree of confusion as to where Mexico was placed on the map, but they found their way out by saying that it’s somewhere between both Americas.

That’s why the blog editors decided to insert a map into this post, hoping it includes all that our Missionary, Fr Jay, may need on his way.*

*The bottom right corner is occupied by St Therese of Lisieux, the Patron Saint of missionaries. The map does not show our prayers, but it is as obvious as the Mexican sun that each of us may add up our (so necessary) support.

PS. On the day of the Pilgrimage of Families to St Joseph Shrine in Kalisz, Poland – we are also joining in prayers for healing Fr Darek (Fr Jay’s brother in priesthood from the Institute of the Holy Family) from cancer disease.

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Unfortunately, not all the couples were able to stay till the very end of the retreat, but those who managed, gathered in Christ the King Chapel to participate in the Holy Mass and renew their marriage vows. And that was an unusual experience.

Afterwards, there was the time for the Participants to share the things they discovered during the Program, their greatest joys and what they remembered most.

I remembered most that the couples liked very much my praying aloud for each of them, just before the Mass, “in tongues”, as they put it, and to be specific, in just one language, namely Polish. But for them it sounded absolutely mysterious and unearthly. 🙂 It turns out that even Polish language can be a foreign language. So it’s not so bad with the Poles, as we are able to use at least one foreign language. 😉

And seriously, I’m the happiest man in the world, because I was able to see the miracles of God’s grace. God never ceases to care for married couples – whom He called to life granting His own grace.

Praise be to Him forever.

With most sincere prayer for all of You

Fr. Jay

The day that is just coming to an end was very long for all of us. For the retreat participants it was also the day of travel. Only few of them arrived yesterday, most of them had to get up very early to make it on time.

Our Team is busy running the Program, but we also take every opportunity to spend  together each moment in between to go through all the subsequent activities, share our experience and impressions, and divide tasks. 

At the closing of the day we took part in a quiet and long adoration of the Holy Sacrament in the Christ the King Chapel, which we had just for us. The Sacrament of Penance and Reconcilliation was available for those who needed it, too.

We can feel the support of your prayers coming from so many different places in the world. We all know that the time of the retreat can be very difficult but at the same time – blessed and beneficial.

From Belleville,

Fr Jay

Audrey&Brad, Patrick&Daniele, and one Father from Poland

PS. Some of the Readers commented that the story described in the previous post – of a husband doing the laundry for his wife – was a nice thing but no big deal indeed. Theoretically yes, but if you take into account that Daniele and Patrick are parents to 12 children, 8 of whom are still at home, and the youngest one is a few months old, then…

In Belleville, Illinois, in the Mississippi River valley, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) have built a sanctuary of Our Lady of the Snow, in memory of their service in the Arctic. Today it is a place where various groups hold their retreats. And this is where the organizers of the upcoming I+YOU=WE couple reatreat (from the neighbouring Diocese of Springfield) managed to find place for us.

Today I met two married couples who had taken part in I+YOU=WE (during its 2nd edition in Omaha: Brad & Audrey Bolt, and Deacon Patrick & Daniele O’Toole). They invited Fr Brian Alford to join our Program 1. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to stay with us for long, but he’ll be here whenever that does not interfere with his duties in the parish.

We spent the evening on looking through all the workshop outlines, checked the schedule, rooms, meals and all other items which must be ready for Saturday and Sunday ahead.

I’m surprised again that the couples remember so much from their own participation in the Program, and how much they were able to change in their lives for good.

Patrick, for example, after the retreat asked his wife how he could really help her, so that she could see his real concern for her. She didn’t say anything, leaving him freedom of choice. He chose the laundry. For the last 15 months, Daniele has never gone dwonstairs to the basement to do the laundry. They’re both happy about it. So am I.

The second edition of Program 1 in Springfield Diocese is on. We offer it to Our Lady of the Snow and the Holy Family.

From Belleville

Fr. Jay

Today I had one-of-a-kind opportunity to spend the whole afternoon with one of the couples who had taken part in the first edition of the I+YOU=WE Program in Omaha, Nebraska. It’s Katie and Rick Brennan from St. Louis, MO. I met Rick during EP1 in Omaha several years ago, and Katie – first only via e-mail. Later we met again in person during the couple retreat for NaProTechnology doctors.

Rick, whom I nicknamed Rick the Rock from the very start, is an obstetrician-gynecologist and an exceptional man. He’s a father to two daughters and two sons, a wonderful husband and one of three doctors who are entirely at the service of life here in St Louis. He doesn’t prescribe contraceptives, is a NaPro doctor and… completely isolated in his environment. But happy. We always have a choice. With our Lord Jesus things may be more difficult, because the disciple is not above his Master, but with Him you have blessing and joy, and the peace of conscience which te world is not able to understand, but is surely envious of it.

In their home you feel as part of family. They’ve been my hosts during my stay in St Louis, but until today we had no time to be together due to my schedule, packed full. So we were left only with late night hours. Today, finally, we could meet at daylight.

We’re planning the I+YOU=WE retreat in St Louis, some time next year. And they will be the coach couple.

We could go on talking infinitely. So many stories to tell, so many experiences to share. Their friends joined us, too.

A wonderful family. Their son is a seminarian. Goodness multiplies itself and it attracts goodness.

For the last time from St. Louis,

Fr. Jay

– the place where the West begins. Here all the expeditions to the West began, here families got their supplies for the journey, here the adventure begins.

To commemorate this place and this part of history, this monument was built, presented on May 25, 1968.

I’ve been here before and I’ve written about it in the blog. Then I found out that it was possible to get to the very top. So this year I decided to seize the opportunity and go to the summit between the planned meetings.

The view is indeed breathtaking. It’s difficult to put all the photos I made but it is very impressive. And I think tghat only man can do things that are of no use use other then to commemorate a historical event.

Now, after the visit to Arch, I’m thinking about all the homes where I slept and sat to the table together. There are always so many details, trinkets etc. that are of no practical use but they serve only to underline the special character of the meeting. Those flowers, decorations, tablecloths, serviettes…

It’s so important to celebrate veryday life as it transposes us into a new dimension. St. Therese wrote about the infinite dimension of small (finite) things.

Let’s celebrate everyday life because it leads us to eternity.
Still from St. Louis

Fr Jay

Last year I wrote about one of the firms producing running shoes (my favourite one, by the way): “A good day is when we get to run. A great day is when we inspire someone else to run.”

For a week I’ve been training with Paul, the eldest son of Mrs and Mr Hilgers. We started the trainings in a calm pace, although at a fairly ambitious distance – 5 km. At the beginning we had the speed of 7.2 km/h. Today we’ve run over 6 km with the speed 9.2km/h (testing at the same time the new running shoes). Paul has had today also his first sprint uphill (more for the joy of running than for the needs of the training). And he calculated his strength in such a way that he had enough until the end.

It is such a joy to observe someone making his first steps on running routes. During the training we have time to explain the methods of building the condition, diversifying the training, specialist running and in general -to rejoice that we are active. Wise and experienced people say that only 2% of adults are able to run for 1 km. We are happy then that we are in the lead.

It’s difficult to think of a better preparation for the day than a run at dawn. In Omaha it is still almost winter time. There is no snow lying around but we still have it when it snows and days are cold. But for runners it’s even better.
From running routes in Omaha

Fr Jay

All day yesterday passed by with the focus on the power of those words. After the week of such a hard work – they brought so much comfort. No one and nothing will defeat God’s love. His love is with me every day. How good it is to imagine that He is holding my hand.

Because of the great sense of tiredness, the whole day was passing by as if in slow motion. Except for the waking up part, as I got up very early to meet the Faculty members at breakfast, which we had together before they left – each to their homes. Impressions from the most wonderful moments, apperaciation for the great effort of all involved…

And the most important joy – that He gave us strength and His grace, and that all that is happening for His glory. God of love and life. And He is showing His love to us all the time – He is holding your hand and won’t let anybody snatch you out of it. He won’t let us part from Him even through our weaknesses.

Tired but happy to be able to take part in something bigger than us,

And always close to you

Fr. Jay 

has completed the immersion course. That is always a very solemn day. After the evening Mass there is the closing ceremony and then – endless farewells. It is really difficult to part. Even though it happens repeatedly every year, each time it touches your heart. People who were strangers a couple of days ago, now find it so hard to say goodbye.

As one of the Participants noted on her blog, that is probably the only course in the area of medical science where the participants gather every day at the morning Mass. And they treat it very seriously. This is where all the proximity has its source.

Eucharist makes us closest to each other. Today Lord Jesus tells us again that He is holding our hands and will never let anyone separate us from Him. What a joy, what comfort.

With prayer from Omaha,

Fr. Jay

The traditional dinner out for the Faculty on the last day before the end of Education Program took place yesterday at DJ’s Dugout Sports Bar.

As soon as you go in, you feel the place was created with you in mind. Loud music, which virtually makes any conversation impossible, and all the walls covered with screens showing all possible sports. Too loud to talk, so you can just “sit around” over the fastfood meal and watch lazily all the screens, not having to bother to switch the channels. In one word: perfect masculine world.

I look at the tables nearby and it turns out that women have come here, too. They don’t mind the tv screens, or the noise, because they have more important thing to be concerned about – conversation. How different it is from the “men’s” tables, where you generally just look in front of you. And if any conversation happens, it is to comment what’s on the screen.

Two worlds. Different and interesting. To understand each of them, to put them together to form one entity – that’s a lifetime adventure. And it’s worth lifetime.

From Omaha, noisy today

Fr. Jay