We celebrated the Feast of St. Vincent Pallotti on January 22 with gratitude for the person and work of our Founder. Right from the morning, the liturgical texts directed our minds and hearts towards heaven, where our Holy Founder honors and glorifies God’s Infinite Love … “My God and my all,” St. Vincent used to say. That day we rejoiced in St. Vincent and in every word which he left us as a gift and a task. He desired the Pallottine Family to be filled with God and to bring Him to the world.
We had invited Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda SAC, a Pallottine who is archbishop of Białystok. He presided the solemn mass celebrated in our chapel. Also present in this celebration were Father Ryszard Winkiewicz, a prelate, Father Józef Kozłowski, a parish priest, and Father Piotr Augustynowicz, the chaplain of the Archbishop. In his homily, Archbishop Tadeusz emphasized the great desire which our Founder had for holiness. This desire was in his heart, but he also longed for this holiness for the world. Everything he did and said in his daily life was permeated with the living presence of God. Everyone could count on his help and support. His ministry included all those who longed for God, and those who were far from Him.
From the Table of the Word and the Eucharist, we went to the table of the community; we had dinner together and celebrated together in the community Cenacle. Here as well, the person of St. Vincent was the focal point of our conversations when we were sharing interesting stories of his life. He brought a lot of joy to our meeting that day, and he inspired us with his life and his spirituality – for the infinite glory of God, for the victory over sin and for the salvation of souls. At the end of our feast, the Archbishop blessed us to bring God to the world, like Pallotti.
Sr. Iwona Małachowska, SAC
