The jubilee year commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of the Venerable Servant of God, Friar Wenanty KATARZYNIEC, OFM Conv., has concluded.
A two-day commemoration event was held March 30-31, 2022, in Kalwaria Pacławska, near Przemyśl, Poland. The event was attended by the Minister General, Friar Carlos TROVARELLI, the Major Superiors of the Foederatio Europae Mediae et Orientalis (FEMO), a number of friars being formed for religious and priestly life, together with their formators, other friars from Poland and devotees of the Venerable.
“We are not celebrating the death of Friar Wenanty, but, as we believe, his birth into heaven. We are here to thank the Lord God for his wonderful life, his faith, his hope and his charity. We admire this man, his teachings and above all his witness.” Thus spoke Friar Marian GOŁĄB, Minister Provincial of the Province of St. Anthony and Bl. James of Strepar in Poland (Cracow) and President of the FEMO Federation. He added: “Let us pray to God for a miracle, for an extraordinary sign that will be for us, for the Church, for the Supreme Pontiff, proof that the time has finally come to raise him to the altars.”
Friar Wenanty was an exceptional and lively figure who lived during the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. He has been celebrated by theater and film actors from Warsaw, who staged a one-act play and an epilogue entitled “Transformatio,” under the direction of Michał CHOROSIŃSKI.
Friar Zdzisław KIJAS, the Postulator General, gave a lecture about Friar Wenanty and a friend of his who was five years younger, namely, St. Maximilian M. KOLBE. The theme of the lecture was “Saints Discover Saints”. “Maximilian discovered the holiness of his brother,” said Friar Zdzisław. “He made his holiness known to others, to his confreres and to the whole Order….Maximilian encouraged Wenanty and Wenanty encouraged Maximilian. They supported each other in staying on the path to perfection. They did not envy each other, rather, one wanted to help the other grow and become even more radiant.”
The Minister General, met with the post-novices, novices, and postulants together with their major superiors and formators. He encouraged them to follow the example of Friar Wenanty in discovering and carrying out the will of God in whatever setting they find themselves. He urged them to transform themselves in keeping with the Gospel, to convert others and create new relationships, to become a missionary community, to live transparently, to conform themselves to Christ, to bring hope to each other and the world, to die to themselves and live for others, so that those they serve, or will serve, may one day say of them: “They loved us.”
In his homily, the Minister General pointed to the Servant of God as a model to follow, as a man who firmly believed in what he practiced, and wanted to lead his life toward perfection.
With the war in Ukraine only two kilometers away, the friars prayed for peace in that tormented country. Moreover, Friar Wenanty KATARZYNIEC was born in Ukraine, in Obydowo, close to Lviv. In addition, the miraculous image of the Madonna in Kalwaria Pacławska, Poland, originated from Kam’janec-Podil’s’kyj, Ukraine.
“We are meeting at a special time,” said Friar Marian. “Not far from here, on the other side of the border, a cruel war is being waged, a war causing destruction and the death of innocent people. It is causing despair and pain for many people. That is why we pray for peace from this holy hilltop; we pray for hope and for an end to the war. Back in 1914, when Russian troops were threatening to invade Ukraine, Friar Wenanty’s, composure and prayers restored peace of mind to people who had been overcome by fear. May he also now be our intercessor before God.”
In a symbolic gesture, the friars released four white doves so that, as in the biblical story of the flood, they might announce a new life in peace.
Friar Carlos also went to the border and visited the Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima. The chapel had been severely damaged during the 1940s when it was attacked by Soviet soldiers. It was only rebuilt four years ago.
Friar Wenanty was a true follower of St. Francis of Assisi. He distinguished himself as a good confessor and preacher. He attracted the faithful with his piety, modesty and zeal. In his day, he served as novice master and later taught philosophy and Greek in Lviv. At the same time, he served the seriously ill and assisted nuns. He lived for only thirty-two years (1889-1921) and died with fame of holiness. His friend, St. Maximilian M. KOLBE, said of him: “He didn’t try to do extraordinary things, he did ordinary things in an extraordinary way.”
Friar Jan M. SZEWEK
