On Saturday, October 7, 2023, the Province of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in Poland (Gdańsk) celebrated its Provincial feast day.
This year, the celebration began at the St. John the Evangelist Friary in Kwidzyn, in Poland’s Pomesania Province, where the feast day coincided with the 30th anniversary of Conventual Franciscan presence at the local Holy Trinity Parish Church. From there, the friars visited the famous 14th century Kwidzyn Castle, part of the Pomesanian Cathedral Chapter. In the lecture hall there, they were officially greeted by the Guardian of Kwidzyn, Friar Tomasz RYŁKO. This was followed by a lecture by Friar Robert WOŁYNIEC on the history of the Conventual Franciscan presence in Kwidzyn from 1945 to 2005.
The highlight of the feast day was noon Mass celebrated at the adjacent St. John the Evangelist Cathedral. The friars did not choose to celebrate Mass there at random; the cathedral was the first place the Conventual Franciscans began to provide pastoral service in the city. The Minister Provincial of the Province of Gdańsk, Friar Wojciech KULIG, presided over the Mass. He thanked the good Lord for the gift of the presence of the Province of Gdansk in Kwidzyn, and for the approval of the Later Rule of St. Francis eight hundred years ago.
After a fraternal lunch, the friars celebrated Evening Prayer in the Holy Trinity Church with the Vicar Provincial, Friar Andrzej LENGENFELD, presiding. The Provincial feast day concluded with closing remarks and thanks from the Minister Provincial.
Friar Piotr KUREK, Provincial Secretary
