THE MINISTRY OF POLISH SCJs
AT THE PEDIATRIC INSTITUTE OF CRACOW
 
Father Adam Wloch, SCJ

Several SCJs do excellent work as hospital chaplains in the Polish Province. The following story is about one of them who performs his hospital ministry at the Chapel of the Madonna of Perpetual Succor at the Pediatric Institute of Cracow. His is a genuine and authentic specialized ministry, one which embraces the sick children and their parents as well as the medical staff.

First, a bit of history. Thanks to the existence of a special fund called "Project Hope," the Polish-American Pediatric Institute at the Medical College of the Jagellonica University in Cracow was built in December of 1965. The pastoral care of the sick children and their parents was carried out in whatever way was feasible. In spite of the expressed intention on the part of members of the "Project Hope" fund, the communist regime, did everything to prevent the introduction of religious functions into hospitals and made it impossible for them to have a hospital chapel of their own. A chaplain's access to the sick was severely hindered: a chaplain was allowed to go to the Institute only if he had been expressly called by a sick person, and this could only be a toddler or a young child.

Starting in 1980, at the time of "Solidarity," a local parish took on the commitment of providing what could be considered as almost normal pastoral care. At this time the hospital chapel began to function. Hospital ministry now included the Holy Mass, celebrated every Sunday and every Wednesday as well as the first Friday of every month. It was not possible to teach catechism full time, but only because the parish priests were very busy in their own parishes.

On August 26, 1995,00 a decree by Cardinal Francesco Marcharski, Archbishop of Cracow, made an essential change in the organization of the ministry in the Pediatric Institute: the ministry was entrusted to the SCJs for an indefinite period.

Fr. Lucjan Szczepaniak, SCJ, a priest and doctor, was assigned to this ministry. The ministerial office at the chapel of the Institute became an autonomous pastoral center containing the registers of the baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations and Sacrament of the Sick. Fr. Lucjan, as Chaplain, was responsible for the ministry to the children (600), to the hospital staff (1,700 people), and to those who visit the sick children (often a thousand people a day!).

The Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the hospital chapel every day from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. After Exposition, the chaplain visits the sick children (mostly suffering from leukemia). From 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, he receives the sick children's parents in his office; many of them take advantage of this occasion to ask him to hear their confession. From 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, he distributes Holy Communion in the various departments of the Institute. After that he comes back to the chapel and is available for those who wish to make their confession.

Mass is celebrated every day at 2:30 pm. On Sunday there are three Masses: at 11:30 am, 1:15 pm and 2:30pm. On Sundays 150 to 200 persons attend every Mass; on weekdays 10 to 50 people attend Mass.

The amount of work performed by Fr. Lucjan is truly impressive. In one year, the Sacrament of the Sick was administered 1,200 times; Communion was distributed 70,000 times; 100 babies were baptized; 12 children made their First Communion; and 17 children were Confirmed. He is also responsible for the catechesis of the sick children. He directs the work of two catechists who have been well prepared in catechizing as a result of their theological studies in Catholic academies. During the year at least two courses of spiritual exercises are organized: during Advent and during Lent.

For some months now Fr. Lucjan has been helped by another SCJ who obtained permission from the state authorities to work at the Institute for several hours during the week.

Every year since 1991 the seminarians of the major seminary in the Province have organized three weeks of summer holidays for about thirty sick children. These holidays are spent in buildings belonging to the seminary; buildings which are known as the "Colonies of the Happy Islands." Furthermore, during the summer holidays, SCJ seminarians take turns working every two weeks at the Institute.

In the year 2000, Father Lucjan Szczepaniak, SCJ, wrote a letter to the Superior General concerning Perpetual Adoration in the Chapel of the Pediatric Clinic of Cracow. This letter provides further insight into his work.

Very Reverend Father General,

Encouraged by our Provincial Superior, Father Zbigniew Bogacz, SCJ, I send you my heartfelt greetings along with this letter to inform you of the joyful news that as of March 23, 2000, in the Chapel of the Madonna of Perpetual Succor, in the Medical College of the Pediatric Clinic of the Jagellonica University of Cracow, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed 24 hours a day. Permission for this was given by the Archdiocese of Cracow. The Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament for the entire day had already been happening since August 26, 1996, with the permission of the Archbishop.

In this way, I have fulfilled the request you made during your visit to Poland in 1999, that in at least one house or place where the SCJs , perpetual adoration should be established.

From the moment I entered the Novitiate my dream was to discover Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and in the hearts of needy people: the sick, the abandoned and the poor. The Good Lord has helped me to fulfill my dreams, because for the last 7 years I have been taking care of sick members of our religious community, many of whom died in my arms. It was they, with their humility and courage, poverty and death, who taught me what the true love of God is and how the result of it is manifested in religious life. When I asked myself if I might not be making a mistake serving the sick of the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart and whether this work was one of the many roads of reparation indicated by the Father Founder, it was the sick who gave me the strength and the courage to make new efforts.

Father General, I have succeeded in fulfilling the wish of the Father Founder concerning the house of adoration. The hospital chapel, which has been offered to our Congregation for as long as the clinic exists, is something more than a house, because it is also open to the people. For 24 hours a day people come to the chapel: children with serious illnesses; parents who are desperate because of their dying children; doctors, nurses, students, nuns, priests - they all come to the Chapel. The moments when Jesus is left alone in the chapel are very brief - almost as if Jesus is taking a little pause for rest.

Jesus, together with his Mother in the icon of the Madonna of Perpetual Succor, brings salvation and comfort to the needy in those most difficult moments of life and death. Requests addressed to Jesus through His Mother are written down in notebooks that have been left there for that purpose. Some requests are shattering.

Worship of the Eucharist in the clinic is alive and not forced. Communion is distributed 80,000 times a year. The sacrament for the sick is administered to approximately 1,000 people. I have administered liturgical baptism to approximately 130 children. And after the 2:30 Mass, there is always the traditional adoration during which all present say the act of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The bishops of Cracow recognize that this "sanctuary of suffering" has a particular role. Every year they visit the chapel and the sick children. For 21 years Cardinal Franciszek Macharski has made a Christmas visit to the clinic sometime during the season.

Our Provincial Superiors, Fr. Józef Gawel, SCJ, and Fr. Zbigniew Bogacz, SCJ, have also visited the clinic. For 10 years the students of our Seminary in Stadniki have volunteered their time and during their summer vacation they work at the clinic as simple servants. For the last two years the Seminarians of the Diocesan Seminary of Cracow and of Sosnowiec have also joined them (the latter perform their training as deacons, which lasts for six months, in the clinic).

Father General, alongside the development of Eucharistic Worship there is also the work of formation for the health care employees. This has been going on for 3 years in the Catholic Action Clinic - in this task our Father Gregory Piatek, SCJ, also gives me a hand. Spiritual Exercises take place during Lent (6 days) and Advent (3 days) - approximately 1000 people participate. So far the spiritual exercises have been directed by our SCJ Fathers (Fr. Wieslaw Pietrzak, Fr. Stanislaw Stanczyk, Fr. Walerian Swoboda, Fr. Kazimierz Kowalczyk).

Catholic Action collaborates closely with the SCJ publishing house in preparing books for the sick: In Spite of Hope; The Tears of God; Waiting; Despised. A large book of prayers is being prepared. Many Catholic magazines are distributed in the clinic, including those published by our Province, including Arise, and The Time of the Heart. Every month we distribute approximately 1,700 magazines.

A great deal of credit for the development of the worship of the Sacred Heart in the clinic is due to Fr. Adam Wloch, S.C.J., and the way he has emphasized the value and the need to commit oneself to the expansion of our spirituality. And credit is also due to Fr. Andrzej Sawulski, SCJ, for his articles published in the weekly magazine "The Sunday Guest."

There is also an organization in the clinic dedicated to working with children suffering from leukemia for their psychological rehabilitation. There are 140 members in this group.

I would like to end this letter by presenting the clinic itself. Its full name is The Polish-American Pediatric Institute in the Medical College of Jagellonica University. It was built in 1965, thanks to the aid of the Poles of America. The President of the United States has visited it twice. There are 1,700 people who work in the clinic as health care employees, approximately 600 patients (25% of whom are children suffering from cancer and leukemia). The outpatient department is capable of coping with approximately 1,500 patients a day. In August 1991 the clinic was visited by the Holy Father, John Paul II, who in the 1960s, during his pastoral visit to this area, had laid out the preliminary concepts of this clinic.