A visit to Fr Tadeusz Styczen SDS in Lublin

Ali with Fr Tadeusz Styczen SDS at Lublin 

Tues 25 Sept 2007:  The previous day we had travelled the 200 miles from Czestochowa to Lublin for one reason - to visit a dear friend of ours: Fr Tadeusz Styczen, S.D.S.  There are some people whose presence in our lives seems to be truly Providential, not just a happy accident.

I first met Fr Tadeusz at a conference for European legislators at the Vatican in October 1998.  Ali and I had  been concerned about how a passage (n. 73) from Pope John Paul II's 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae (On the Gospel of life) was being interpreted.  It seemed to many people that it was endorsing so-called "imperfect legislation" to prohibit some abortions while allowing others, if that was all that could be achieved at a particular moment in time.  Ali believed that it would be wrong to support such "imperfect legislation"  and I thought that the passage did not necessarily teach what others claimed it did.

The conference discussed many topics, though "imperfect legislation" was not among them.  I was therefore surprised to hear a Polish priest, who was unknown to me, raise this very question in a discussion period at the end of the first session.   He was expressing the same sorts of concerns that Ali and I had, and as very few people shared our view I was very interested to meet and talk with him.  We spoke several times during the conference and during the following days while I stayed in Rome.

I did not realise for some time just how distinguished my new Polish friend was.  He was the Chair of Ethics at the John Paul II Insitute at the Catholic University of Lublin.  The previous occupant of the Chair had been Karol Wojtyla - who remained in that position until he was elected Pope John Paul II in 1978.  The future Pope had supervised the theses for  Fr Tadeusz Styczen's Masters and doctoral degrees.  According to one papal biographer:  "To the extent that Wojtyla had a protege, Father Styczen was the only one."  (Tad Szulc,  Pope John Paul II - The Biography (1995) p. 209).  Fr Tadeusz was a very close friend of Pope John Paul II, vacationing with him, having daily access to him when he was in Rome, and was with him when he died.

Fr Tadeusz Stczyen SDS

Ali was not with me in Rome when I met Fr Tadeusz, and he was very interested in hearing about her. He had a particular sympathy with the suffering this issue had caused Ali as it was an issue of particular concern for him too.  They were not to meet until 2005, on his first and only visit to England, and it was a great joy for both of us to visit him in Lublin.  He was at that time retired and not in good health, and we suspected we might not see him again.  Fr Tadeusz died on 14 October 2010.

The Catholic University of Lublin (KUL)

Ali at Lublin castle

Ali at Lublin Castle

It was a great encouragement to Ali and me to know that Fr Tadeusz shared our concerns about the interpretation of Evangelium vitae, n. 73.  We contributed to volumes he edited on the question that were published by the Catholic University of Lublin in Polish and German.  Above and beyond this however, was a conviction that he was an exceptionally good and holy priest.  Ali thought he was saintly, which is perhaps not surprising given that he was the protege of a saintly pope.

25 Sept 2007:  Last visit with Fr Tadeusz Styczen SDS.

Our Lady of Częstochowa

The Icon of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa

24 Sept 2007:  Today we visited Jasna Gora monastery in Czestochowa, one of Poland's greatest shrines which is especially famed for housing the icon of the Black Madonna (or: Our Lady) of Czestochowa.  The icon has been housed at the Jasna Gora monastery since the 14th century, and there are legends that it was discovered in 326 in Jerusalem by St Helena, and even that its origins go back to St Luke.  At any rate, it is greatly venerated in Poland and many great miracles have been associated with it.

Pilgrims venerating the icon

While we were there there were Masses taking place or great numbers of people praying in front of the icon and it was not respectful to take photos, so the two photos shown above are taken from the internet. 

The monastery is an impressive size, as indicated by some of the photos taken outside.

24 Sept 2007:  The entrance to the monastery church

There is a large space for open air pilgrimage Masses

Auschwitz

The approach to the Auschwitz I concentration camp

Sunday 23 Sept  2007:  After the relaxed and  carefree previous days, today was a sombre reminder of the evil of which human beings are capable.

We visited the two main Nazi concentration camps at  Auschwitz (in Polish: Oświęcim).  It is estimated that 1.3 million people were incarcerated in the camps at Auschwitz, of which 1.1 million were put to death or died. About 90 percent were Jews:  one-sixth of the total number of Jews killed in the Nazi holocaust lost their lives at Auschwitz.  

The entrance of Auschwitz I with the misleading sign Arbeit Macht Frei (Work Sets You Free)

The first camp, known as Auschwitz I, was a former army barracks close to the centre of the town, which the Nazis converted into a camp, holding prisoners from 1940. 

23 Sept 2007:  Ali at the Auschwitz I camp

The paths were  bumpy and it was painful and difficult for Ali to get around, though of course she made no complaint. She wanted to be aware of what had taken place there, including Block 11 which was known as the "death block,"  where many prisoners were tortured and killed, sometimes by starvation.

At the end of July 1941 ten men were chosen to be starved to death in punishment for the escape of a prisoner.  One of the men chosen,  Franciszek Gajowniczek,  was distraught for his wife and family.  Hearing this, the Franciscan priest, Fr Maximilian Kolbe, volunteered to take his place, and had his offer accepted. He encouraged those condemned to death with him, leading them in prayer.  Without food and water he alone was alive after two weeks, and so the Nazis ended his life on 14 August with a lethal injection.   Franciszek Gajowniczek survived his incarceration and lived until 1995, dying at the age of 93.  He was present at the canonisation of St Maximilian Kolbe in 1982.

The entrance to Block 11 (the death block)

Block 11 - the death block .  The execution wall (see below) is in the yard through the entrance on the left

The Execution Wall between Blocks 10 and 11

Looking into Cell 18 in Block 11, where St Maximilian Kolbe and his companions were starved to death

Inside Cell 18 in Block 11.

Between Blocks 10 and 11 was the Execution Wall, where thousands of prisoners were shot. Being at these places of death, seeing the block with shoes and trunks piled up, and also seeing the crematorium, was a sobering experience.

The crematorium at Auschwitz I

Because of the increasing number of prisoners at Auschwitz I, a new camp, known as the Auschwitz II - Birkenau camp,  was built from October 1941, a couple of miles away on the outskirts of the town.  It was designed to house up to 50,000 prisoners, who would also be a forced work-force, but its numbers grew to about 200,000 at a time.  It became not only a work camp but an extermination camp too.

Approaching the entrance of the Auschwitz II - Birkenau camp 

The entrance of the camp

Looking into the camp from the entrance tower

The entrance tower from within the camp

The vastness of the camp - view to the right of the entrance tower

Barracks would each contain 700 or more prisoners

Inside the barracks that housed the prisoners

The retreating Nazis blew up the gas chambers

The ruins of the gas chambers

The ground still holds the ashes of some of the 1.1 million people killed at Auschwitz

Krakow

Krakow 22 Sept 2007.  At Wawel Royal Castle and Cathedral

On 22 Sept 2007 we visited parts of the historical centre of Krakow, starting with Wawel Castle and the Cathedral next to it.  As Archbishop of Krakow from 1964-1968 this was Karol Wojtyla's Cathedral, and it therefore had a particular connection to him.

Wawel Castle and Cathedral

Ali especially liked the castle courtyard

Karol Wojtyla was ordained priest on 1st November 1946.  As the next day was All Souls Day, when priests are allowed to say three Masses,  he had the unusual privilege of being able to say three "first Masses" which were said at a remarkably simple altar in the Cathedral crypt of St Leonard.

The altar where Karol Wojytla celebrated his first Masses in the Crypt of St Leonard.

In the centre of the city we passed the Archbishop's residence at 3 Franciszkanska Street.  During his returns to Krakow as Pope, John Paul II stayed here, and multitudes of young people would gather outside each night singing and calling to him.  He would join them at the window above the main entrance, and when we were there in 2007 there was (and still is, I think, to this day) a life size picture of John Paul II at the window, as though he were continuing to impart his blessing on those who pass by.

The residence of the Archbishop of Krakow at 3 Franciszkanska Street

Karol Wojtyla had lived here not only while he was Archbishop of Krakow, but also for part of his seminarian studies during the Second World War.  It was here in the  private chapel of the Cardinal-Archbishop that he was ordained a priest.

Wondering whether it might be possible for us to see inside, I thought that the only way to find out was to try!  We walked into the courtyard where there was a display about the life of John Paul II.  Few people were there.  As we finished looking at the display a priest passed by who, thankfully, spoke English so I could ask whether it might be possible to visit the Cardinal-Archbishop's private chapel.  He was, in fact, the Cardinal's secretary and said he would find out.

The courtyard of the Archbishop's residence

At that time the Archbishop of Krakow was Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz.  Just three years after his ordination as a priest, he had been appointed private secretary to Archbishop Karol Wojtyla in 1966,  and, moving in due course to Rome, continued as private secretary for the next 39 years until the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005. Pope Benedict XVI subsequently appointed him Archbishop of Krakow and Cardinal.

The Cardinal's secretary mentioned that the Cardinal was due to be leaving the residence in about 10 minutes and directed us to an area where we could meet him as he left.  This was wholly unexpected. Cardinal Dziwisz stopped to speak with us for a few minutes and gave us his blessing. There was nobody else around except staff accompanying him.  It was as privileged a meeting as it was unexpected.  Ali was very taken with Cardinal Dziwisz, finding him very calm, peaceful and humble.

Ali greets Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz

Cardinal Dziwisz gives Ali a blessing.

As he left with the Cardinal, his secretary told us that he had arranged for us to visit the private chapel, which was another unexpected bonus - to see where Karol Wojtyla had been ordained priest and where, as Archbishop, he often locked himself away for hours to pray and write.  The porter took us to the chapel and left us, and we were able to stay there for nearly an hour.

22 Sept 2007: The private chapel of the Archbishop of Krakow
where Karol Wojtyla had been ordained priest

A photo of John Paul II returning to the private chapel as Pope

It was a gloriously sunny day in Krakow, and we enjoyed visits to many beautiful and historic places, as well as basking in the wonderful atmosphere of being in such a beautiful city.

Ali in front of St Mary's basilica

The main square with St Mary's basilica

Poland 2007

Wadowice,Poland  - 21 Sept 2007
(Parish church on the left and Karol Wojytla's childhood home on the right)

Twelve years ago, on 21 September 2007, Ali and I had our first day in Poland, having arrived at Katowice airport and made our way to Wadowice the previous evening.

Wadowice was the birthplace of Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II,  and was where he lived until he was 18.  So many of the places we visited in Poland had associations with Pope John Paul II that it had the feel of a pilgrimage and Wadowice was a fitting place to begin.

While Ali slept on I went out shortly after 6am.  We were staying just a few minutes from St Mary's parish Church and I was surprised to see not only that the Church was open (something I've never known to happen anywhere in England at that time of the morning!) but that there was a considerable number of people already inside, queuing for Confession and waiting for early morning Mass.

Thankfully there was a later Mass for Ali and I to attend when we departed from our B&B at about 10am.

The parish Church of St. Mary at Wadowice

The baptismal font of Karol Wojtyla in St Mary's Church

Returning as Pope to the parish Church and the font where he had been baptised.

Pope John Paul II had died two and a half years before our visit, and there were many remembrances of him at Wadowice and other places we visited.  It was touching to see, in the parish Church, the font where he had been baptised on 20 June 1920, and also touching to see the photo of  John Paul II praying at the font years later when he returned to his home parish as Pope.

Right next to the Church was the apartment in which Karol Wojtyla was born on 18 May 1920, and where he spent his childhood.   It is now a museum about his life.  It had seemed impossible for Ali to visit as it is on the first floor which is reached by a spiral staircase.  Thankfully we met a group of American seminarians from Chicago, who were a very impressive introduction for Ali and me to the Canons Regular of St John Cantius.   Very ably and with respect for Ali and good humour, they enabled Ali to enter and exit the apartment with no difficulty.  Ali was very grateful to them and pleased to be able to visit Pope John Paul II's childhood home.

With the Canons Regular of St John Cantius who assisted Ali

Inside John Paul II's birthplace and childhood home

Ali before a cassock and other items worn by John Paul II

I was told one couldn't visit Wadowice without trying "Pope cake."  It's more of a cream pie, also known as kremowka, but is given the papal name as it was a favourite of Pope John Paul II.   Ali couldn't be persuaded to try it but insisted I did, and she took a photo to prove it.

Photo taken by Ali.