On May 26, Thursday, the Community in Warsaw celebrated its 31st Foundation day remembering the institution of the presence of the Rogationist in Poland on May 26, 1991. A solemn mass of thanksgiving was offered by the Superior and together with some friends, a little agape followed.

 

Another celebration was organized on May 29, Sunday, so that there will be a possibility to invite a number of guests. It was an unprecedented event that attracted many guests from Polish and Filipino communities. It started with the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord's mass at 10,00am. Then the organized encounter of Filipino Workers under the Overseas Workers Welfare Association commenced at 11,00am. Food for everyone was prepared by both Filipinos and Ukranian refugees staying in the Community. There were other guests from the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw and exhibits and bazaar were also present during the celebration. A short program ensued and Fr. Herbie addressed the crowd:

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s with great pride that I welcome you all to this celebration. I would like to welcome our distinguished guests:

  1. Representative from the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw Consul General Mardomel Melicor
  2. From our Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Czech Republic)
  3. Our Filipino Community in Warsaw
  4. Some of our fellow Filipinos working all around Poland
  5. Our Polish parishoners
  6. Ukranian sisters dispersed because of war

As I always mentioned, this celebration was supposed to be last year in time for our 30th year of presence here in Poland but because of the Pandemic, we were not able to organize properly.

I would like to thank God for granting us the opportunity to experience the hospitality of Polish people and for the three decades of service. Remembering the first year 1991 when our priests, Frs. Mateo Fogliata and Władysław Milak arrived in Poland and started to plan for the future of the Congregation in this country. They bought this lot and started to build from the old structure a new house so that a new religious community will be established. After sometime, they bought a new lot then started to build a new building.

Our community, over the years, has worked with the children in the vicinity and some of them I even met and they already have their own families. We have worked also with the poor and the homeless in providing them with lunch and food to go. We have opened our doors to students who wanted a place a to stay during their university years. Not only to students but also to travellers looking accommodations. Our confreres working here over the years organized pilgrimages, summer camps, vocation camps, liturgical celebrations and were always opening doors for those who seek to discover their calling. The Community is still responsible in collaboration with Missioni Onlus Rog, Italy, to gather donations and pledges in support of “Adoption at a Distance” where a number of Polish benefactors sending their regular donations to help in the education of the marginalized children in Asia and Africa. If some of you would want to adopt and support these children, please approach me. The Community is likewise encouraging people to join the Association of Prayer for vocation where those who would want to be members will pledge daily prayers for vocation.

Thanks to our Founder, Saint Hannibal Mary di Francia whose dedication to pray for the increase of vocations and his ardent love for the children and the poor has empowered our priests to propagate this charitable acts for the last thirty years. Thanks to St. Anthony de Padua, our great celestial benefactor, who always provided us with all the resources to continue our apostolate up to the present day. Thanks to our Blessed Mother whose love, care and protection has shielded our community from danger. Thanks to all the priests who laboured in this community: Fr. Mateo Fogliata, Fr. Władysław Milak, Fr. Antonio Chirulli, Fr. Marcin Bajda, Fr. Giovanni Sanavio, Fr. Dawid Janicki. Thanks to Sr. Edyta Bartozińska for accompanying with great dedication this community for the last 30 years. For over thirty years now, the Rogationists in Poland has produced vocations: Fr. Darek Moskal, Fr. Kazimierz

Ostrozański. In 2006, we have established a new Formation House in Cracow and spread the prayer for vocation further south.

Dear Friends, our presence in Poland is not always crowned in glory because like all religious institutes we also had our share of crisis. There was an attempt to close and to sell this property that is why the previous activities were halted. We have to lay-off our house dependents and close the accommodation for the students. But our Father General would want to give this place another chance. This is why I was sent here together with two imported Filipino Confreres because of the scarcity of personnels. Together with you, we would like to come up with other possibilities of service and of a renewed presence here in Warsaw. Thus the theme for this celebration we have choosen: “Revitalizing the culture of vocation in the spirit of Rogate”. We want to focus our attention to reviving vocational activities. We want to invite young men and women of any race and color to be aware of God’s continuous call to His service. We want to organize activities for young men and women so that the spirit that animated St. Hannibal will become their slogan: Rogate - to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send numerous and holy workers for the Church.

Since the community is composed of Filipino Rogationists, we would also extend our services to our Filipino Migrants knowing that they too as pilgrims in another country are bringing their Catholic faith with them, thus we want that they will also benefit our pastoral care.

I invite everyone to make this place also as your own, in short, you are all welcome here. We are all family. We want you to feel that and welcome us also as your family. We will always remain instruments of God’s manifold blessings.

I welcome you all once again to our 31st Foundation Day!

Please feel free to move around, meet new friends, share what you have, enjoy the meal, visit our exhibits, avail of various merchandise for sale and share with us the joy of another year of blessing for our Congregation in Poland.

Everyone enjoyed up to dinner time because the english mass was celebrated at 17,00. Thankging God for all the blessings, the Community will look forward for another year of bountiful and fruitful service.