On March 14, 2026, a Mass was celebrated at the St. Anthony of Padua Shrine Parish in Łódź Łagiewniki, Poland, for the 90th birthday of Friar Maciej KRZYMOWSKI. The Guardian of the local friary, Friar Marek SYKUŁA, opened the liturgy, with the following words: “Gratitude means recognizing the good we share in and that has been given to us.”
This unique event brought together the local religious community, representatives of the Province of the Immaculate Mother of God in Poland (Warsaw), and the faithful, who gave thanks for Friar Maciej’s many years of service.
Friar Maciej KRZYMOWSKI presided over the Mass, which was concelebrated by the Minister Provincial, Friar Piotr ŻURKIEWICZ and the local guardian Friar Marek SYKUŁA, who in his introduction emphasized Friar Maciej’s quiet and fraternal presence within the community and his dedicated service in the confessional. In his homily, the Minister Provincial, referring to the Gospel passage about the Pharisee and the tax collector, pointed out that the attitude carried in one’s heart is the key to authentic prayer. He stressed that the tax collector—unlike the Pharisee, who was focused on himself—stood before God in the truth of his own weakness, recognizing his total dependence on Him. The Minister Provincial then related those words to Friar Maciej. He thanked him for the gift of his life marked by deep respect and love for the Order and for the Church. He expressed his gratitude for Friar Maciej’s service in Provincial leadership roles, for his willingness to serve, and for his compassionate willingness to help anyone in need. At the end of the liturgy, Friar Maciej KRZYMOWSKI shared a moving account of his own life, which began in 1936, in Krzymoszyce, Poland. He recalled his experiences during World War II, the roar of German bombers, and the difficult postwar years, when, as a young boy, he felt the call to serve God. His path to the priesthood led him through the minor seminary in Niepokalanów. When this school was closed during the communist era, the Order—wishing to preserve vocations and allow young men to continue their formation—vested fifteen-year-old boys in the religious habit. The following years brought an intense period of studies in Łódź Łagiewniki, teacher training studies at the Catholic University of Lublin, and long years of formation work in Cracow and Łódź Łagiewniki. His missionary and formation service also extended to Vienna and Germany, where at first he felt apprehension at being in countries tied to the painful history of the war.
Friar Maciej expressed particular thanks to the members of the “Living Rosary,” noting that their fervent prayer helped him regain his health during difficult times. In response, representatives of the Living Rosary circles expressed their hope “that his future path be strewn with rose petals.”
The celebration concluded with a fraternal gathering and refreshments, offering an opportunity for more memories and for celebrating the birthday together.
The local religious community and the faithful wish their dear Friar Maciej an abundance of divine graces and pray that the Immaculata may protect his health and peace of heart in the years that lie ahead.
Friar Maciej PIECZYNIA
