April 28, 2012, 9:19 pm
Chapel and well at the Motherhouse in Wielowieś, which served the Sisters for many years with water.
This is the continuation of the story of the life of the Mother Maria Kolumba, foundress of the Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. In our previous installment, Mother Kolumba sent her sisters out to collect donations for the completion of the chapel.
Approval was given by the governor of the area for the convent, and when he asked the farmers and villagers what influence the sisters had on them, they replied, “We and our wives are only stepfathers and stepmothers, and these are Reverend Sisters who are genuine mothers to our children as they teach them to discover and love our Lord!”
On the feast of St. Joseph, with Father Leszczyński present, Mother Kolumba received the Book of Constitutions of the Order. She began working with Father Harmata, a priest from Bieliny, regarding a future branch of Dominican sisters. She described him as having, “a truly apostolic zealousness devoted to the Lord’s glory, and the salvation of souls under his responsibility.”
At the wish of this reverend priest, two to three sisters would travel to Bieliny for several months each year to prepare the children for the sacraments. There they would nurse the sick, and build friendships with the people of the town. When this was carried out, Father Harmata kept up a correspondence with Mother Kolumba during this time. Continue reading ‘Master General Incorporates Mother Kolumba’s Community into Dominican Order’ »
April 21, 2012, 7:17 pm
Fra Angelico’s depiction of 18 Dominican saints
This is the continuation of the story of the life of the Mother Maria Kolumba, foundress of the Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. In our previous installment, the Sisters finished the cloister, thanks to the generous aid from the villagers, but declined to move in until the chapel for the Blessed Sacrament was completed.
The chapel continued to be built, but again, funds were short, and there was fear the bricklayers would quit if they were not paid on time. Mother Kolumba prayed fervently for a solution about the concern of the Sisters.
One day, a messenger on a horse arrived at the convent with an envelope. The messenger left quickly after delivering the envelope, and the sister found that “there was no single word in the letter, only a banknote of 1000 Guldens.” The Sisters never found out the identity of their mysterious benefactor.
The Most Reverend Father Vincent Jandel’s Arrival
The following year, October 1867, the reverend mother was overjoyed by the visit of the Reverend Father Vincent Jandel, general of the Dominican Order. Both the Sisters of the congregation and the visiting villagers warmly welcomed Father Jandel to Wielowieś, and sang to him a poem in French! Continue reading ‘Dominican Master General Praises the Growing Congregation’ »
April 17, 2012, 10:20 pm
The Bishop emphasized the impact of St. Dominic and his Order on society.
As the year of the one hundred and fiftieth Jubilee of our Congregation approaches its end on August 8, 2012, local communities celebrate this time of grace with joy and thanksgiving. On March 26, when the Church commemorated the Annunciation of the Lord, our community in Justice, IL gathered to thank God for the Jubilee. Most Rev. Andrew Wypych, an auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, celebrated the solemn Mass together with Fr. Raymond Jasinski, the chaplain of Rosary Hill Home. In his homily, the Bishop referred to St. Dominic and the rich traditions of the Dominican Order. He emphasized the impact St. Dominic and his Order on society.
The Saint was “sent to people, so that people would know that God is with them.” Modern Dominican communities, including the Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, are called to continue the same mission. The witness of life, together with the example of contemplation, is what the Church and the world need from religious communities today. Concluding his homily, Bishop Wypych thanked the Sisters for their ministry and witness of God’s love in the Church in Chicago.
The first Sisters of our Congregation came to the U.S. over eighty years ago, and for over seventy-five years they have served the elderly in Justice, IL. The Sisters also teach in St. Fabian Polish School in Burbank, IL and in the parish of St. Walter, in Blue Island, IL. The retreat house run by the Sisters opens its doors to many groups that come for one-day, weekend, or week-long retreats and formation meetings. Continue reading ‘Most Rev. Andrew Wypych Celebrates 150th Anniversary Mass with the Sisters’ »
