Today I will have the longest flight in my life. Even though I shall have changes, I will spend 24 hours in the air : Mexico to Los Angeles (5h), then to Sydney (15h) and finally to Auckland in New Zealand (4h).

Although I feel tired after this intensive stay in Mexico, I am very happy. I have never been that far away and I have never flown for so long. Because of time zones I lose one day: I fly on Monday but will arrive only on Wednesday. Now I am 7h behind you, as from Wednesday I will be 10 h ahead of you.

See you on Wednesday, if God allows it. I am leaving some entries and pictures from Mexico so that you can have some fun until the next meeting on-line.

With my prayers,
“Padre Jota” – for the last moments

I’m surprised almost all the participants arrive on time. Both Sunday thematic parts – “Dialogue and Communication” and “Sealing the Gift of Intimacy” – quickly go by. In the meantime,we decide to move the meal till after the Mass, thanks to which I have time to pray over each couple individually. Unfortunately we are not able to do that for all.

I celebrated the Mass together with Padre Cristobal, that is Father Krzysztof, a Polish missionary, who has worked in Mexico for the last 20 years. We got to know each other at the meeting with Bishop Carlos Briseno Arch, who  wanted me to help Padre Cristobal get acquainted with the Programs. So he has been with us for the whole Saturday and Sunday. It was thanks to him that we managed to meet another Polish priest here, Fr Tomasz from the Aptostolic Nunciature.

After the Holy Mass with the renewal of marriage vows we returned to have a meal, during which we were visited by Bp Briseno. He took part in the final session of sharing testimonies and he was really encouraged on hearing the participants’ feedback.  He sees a great need for pastoral work with families.

It was so difficult to say goodbye… A couple of pictures more, and we all have to go to our destinations.

Thank you for your prayers,

Padre Jota

Renewal of Marriago Vows

Part of the couples taking part in the Program in Mexico City

 Mexico City Coach Couples:

Evetually, 14 couples turn up at the Program. They’ve been married for 7 to 30 years. They came here, because they were invited by Beatriz and Pepe. Only 4 people had met me before in Omaha, so definitely the presence of so many people here may be owed only to te trust they had for the organizers. They heard no direct testimony from others. I talk to some of them before the beginning of our retreat and I’m impressed with their knowledge of English and the openness to take part in something entirely new.

The standards of organization goes beyond all imagination. Even Wrocław [the Family Support Foundation’s divsion in South-West Poland – comment from the translator] will have to work hard before they catch up with Mexico. I will not describe all the details, as you can see much on the photos (you know, such small things as the waiters wearing professional uniforms, tables in the garden, candles, beautiful sun and warm weather, etc). I’m not sure if we don’t have to organize a delegation to hold an on-site visit and examine the quality of preparations – some serious group from Wrocław or some other Foundtion’s associates? 🙂

I’ve been learning that the pace of life is different here, and so is the noton of “punctuality”. But they say the more south you go, the more interesting it becomes…

The lectures are welcomed with more than enthusiasm. After all, this is Latinamerica. People are passionate about things. And those comments: “Padre, this is amazing that the Program was created in Poland, but it describes exactly our own reality.”

The day is coming to an end. When I’m writing this post, the Coach Couples are holding Workshop 4 and in a moment all participants will start the last part scheduled for today – Individual Couple Dialogue combined with a romantic dinner: with candles, good wine and wonderful music. That seems to be possible only in Mexico. So far. People are waiting in Brasil and Columbia, too. 🙂

With prayer,

Padre Jota

Individual Couple Dialogue

Romantic Dinner:

For several reasons we had to move the continuation of the pilot Program to early-afternoon hours. But we managed to meet. On Wednesday we went through the remaining four thematic parts of I+YOU=WE.They are relevant in Mexico, too. We discover that nothing has to be changed or adjusted; married couples experience similar problems all over the world. We can also admire how universal the teaching of the Church is in proclaiming God’s truth about marriage.

Both couples who take part in the pilot, Eli & Armando and Beatriz & Pepe have been married for similar time. The first couple are parents to four kids, the other one – to two. What they share is that they decided to put the values first in their lives. They also have in common that things haven’t always been easy for them and they’ve got a lot of life experience to build upon.

We needed one more meeting to discuss the workshop part – which will be run in Spanish, so we had to make sure everything was clear. And I had my moment of happiness, too, because the first Mexican couples liked the Program a lot. Even though they’re a bit afraid, they look forward to the weekend version of the Program they will be coaches at.

We take our time to make everytjing ready – to plan the meals, print out the materials, ensure there will be enough coffee for breaks, etc. Many people have their contribution in those preparations. There’s a lot to thank Heaven for.

Yo+Tu=Nosotros begins tomorow morning in Mexico, i.e. this afternoon Polish time. We commend ourselves to your prayers.

Always praying for you

Padre Jota

Since many couples are going to the weekend version of the Programme, there is no other option but to make a pilot version for the trainers. Unfortunately we have only time during the week, after work, late at night. At least the first meeting will be like that. We start just before 8 pm. Two subjects are foreseen: “Idealistic visions and reality” and “Respect and accepting the differences”. For the first time I will run the programme for two couples only and as a whole, together with the workshop part. It reminds me of the beginnings 6 years ago, when the first programme was created. We were only beginning to create the first team so we had to think about everything.

Luckily for us, English is a foreign language also for the listeners, so poor vocabulary and grammatical constructions make our task only easier. I think about Trainers with so much gratitude for their commitment, competences and availability. Now, when I run the workshops for the first time for many years, I appreciate once again the blessing of team work. It would be so difficult to run the programmes on my own.

We’ll be finishing late. Tomorrow – to be continued.

Padre Jota

That’s where the programme will run:

That’s where I live:

It is always such an amazing thing to be able to see God working in the intimacy of marriages. From the moment the team met Friday for dinner, until the moment we said good-bye to the Bolt’s and Fr. Jay, you could tell God was busy. He was busy making all the little details come together to make the facility be what we needed, when we needed it; to make the talks work upon the hearts of those who care enough about their marriages to take the time to make them better; to make the short nights be enough for us to face the long days ahead.

From one talk to the next, we could see the hearts of the couples be slowly moved from where they were to where He wanted them to be. With each exercise, you could see the knowledge gained to move forward and grow. With each opportunity for Confession, Adoration, Prayer, Mass, and especially Father praying over us in Polish; you could see the chains that were holding these marriages back slowly break away and let the love of our God in.

Here, two days later, I still feel immensely blessed to have been a part of the team this past weekend. I still feel blessed to have seen this retreat work wonders in my own, already good, marriage. I still feel blessed to have people like Father Jay, and Brad and Audrey Bolt as examples and reminders everyday of how to live out the vocation I have been called to. But, most of all, I feel blessed to have learned so many ways to be able to easily see the love of our Heavenly Father  through the love of the husband He has given me.

Daniele O’Toole

was the first Person I hurried to meet. What other place can compete with Her shrine?

Beatriz Gonzales, “our inside (wo)man in Mexico”, together with her husband Pepe have taken care of all the details to make our Program possible in Mexico. Since Pepe is at work, Beatriz picks me up from the airport and we go the Church on the top of the hill, built in the place where St Juan Diego met Our Lady.

The Mass that I celebrate on that day is in English and Spanish. I’m surprised to hear that people in the church give their answers in English. They turn out to be Mexicans, but living in Atlanta, USA. They wouldn’t have thought they’d have the opportunity to participate in the Mass celebrated in English.

I visit all the places on the hill, taking time to pray. I spend the longest while in the Basilica in front of the icon of Our Lady. It is my dream to be able to celebrate the Mass here one day. I remember that when I was here for the first time, celebrating the Mass even at the side altar was not possible without difficulty. My hosts of that time somehow made it possible for me.

We finish our meeting with Our Lady after 6 p.m. and go over to the parish house where I’ll stay and where the couple retreat will be held. Then we have supper at the hospitable house of Beatriz and Pepe (two minutes’s walk from the parish house) – and we’re joined by our friends – Pilar with her husband and daughter; we parted only two weeks ago in Omaha. Then it’s time for sleep.

The former carer of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Coming away from the weekend retreat with Fr. Jay and the other couples, I walk away feeling extremely blessed!  This past weekend of experiencing a third retreat with Fr. Jay has proved to be another God inspired event.  It is miraculous to see God working through Fr. Jay and him being so active to respond.

In completing a retreat and getting to work as part of the Team, I can feel the grace, joy, and passion Fr. Jay has through living out his calling of shepherding couples.  I am able to see that as I observe other couples at the retreat open up and expose those truths that were hindering their relationship. Through that, hurt is released and given to God, allowing love to take place.

I experienced this at my first retreat with my husband Brad, then again at the following two retreats I have been blessed to help out at.  It is always an honor to be in Fr. Jays presence, so I will continue to pray that the Holy Spirit continues to lead his journey.  It is also a powerful example to be on a team with such strong couples. Thanks be to God for allowing this retreat to take place once again in the beautiful Diocese of Springfield.  Thanks be to God for the willingness of couples to desire to live out the Sacrament of marriage. May we all continue to pray for this powerful ministry, and that through God’s grace, will change the face of marriages.

In Christ,

Audrey Bolt

After a short journey from the airport to Audrey and Brad’s home and after a short flight from St. Louis to Chicago, now over four hours’ flight to Mexico. This is already the second time that I’m going to this country (the first one was in 2009) where, just like in our country, Mary reigns, the patron of America.

Now the reason for the trip is meeting the married couples and our programme I+YOU=WE. For the first time in Latin America. It means that it may be different to what it was like in Germany, the UK, the US. I can only guess how different.

The date when this trip begins brings a lot of peace: April 28th. For us this date is very important as this when pour founder, Father Kazimierz Majdanski, was freed from Dachau (1945), when our Institute for Family Studies was founded (1975) and when the Founder died (2007). Yesterday a pilgrimage of gratitude to Kalisz was organised where Joseph, the head of the Holy Family, is the patron.

With some shyness, I’m trying to think about this trip as the continuation of the story that started in Dachau. Had it not been for Dachau, there would not have been my vocation and there wouldn’t have been the Programme that is the fruit of our calling. Even though there are a lot of questions and uncertainty, I feel in my heart peace and joy.

Dios los bendiga

Padre Jota

Paying a visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe

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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