Bydgoszcz, Sunday, April 26, 2020
† May the Lord be with You!
Father General,
Reverend Tomaž Mavrič, C.M.
Saturday, March 14, this year, has marked a unique moment in the life and history of the Vincentian calling of each one of us and of the community in the Basilica Minor of Saint Vincent de Paul in Bydgoszcz, which you visited in 2018. From that day on, restrictions related to the epidemic, the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) began to apply in our country, Poland. On that day, each of us, individually and as a community, heard an invitation and at the same time a call from our Lord: “Give them food!” (Mt 14:16)
Suddenly the world around us was radically marked by fear, lack of hope and isolation in all dimensions of human existence. Therefore, at the first glance, as St. Paul teaches: “Do not let yourself be embraced by evil. On the contrary, overcome evil over good! “(Rom 12:21) we have united in the daily prayer of the Breviary and we have entrusted ourselves to our Mother, praying the Rosary together. Heaven did not make us wait long. The daily meetings of the community were an opportunity for us to discern in the Holy Spirit how could we help the “sheepfold” entrusted to us.
First and foremost, we wanted to make it possible for the faithful to encounter God, as they needed it even more because of the situation regarding government and administrative restrictions on how people function during a pandemic.
Never did we close the doors of the Basilica and faithfully we have celebrated the Blessed Eucharist. We even increased the frequency of Sunday services when the number of people who could attend them was drastically restricted. Throughout the day it is possible to receive the Sacrament of Mercy – the priest is always available. As never before, our parish garden has become very practical. It has been transformed for a while into the “Promenade of Mercy” where the Sacrament of Reconciliation could be offered. When most parishioners could not attend Eucharist on Sunday, we used to wander around our parish territory with the Blessed Sacrament so that parishioners could know the Lord did not abandon them, rather he strengthened them with his blessing.
Taking care of the poorest, homeless and hungry has become a big challenge for us. We had to ask our employees to stay at home. Then, we, the Confreres, took their positions according to the talents and capabilities the Lord gave us. Marked by the Vincentian charism, the “community of twelve” was surprisingly strong in cooking, kitchen cleaning and distributing food. We were not alone in this battlefield ministry. Countless people of good will started to support our activities. In effect, about 300 people come to us from the street for a hot meal. We deliver meals to twenty or so elderly people to their homes.
God’s last idea is a Vincentian Aid Package, which opens up a field for Christian fraternity among our parishioners.(I attach a copy of the information about it so you can see it)
We are aware the road that awaits us is open to new initiatives of God’s charity and the Vincentian imagery because, as the Lord says, “Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” (Mt 6:34)
Father General, we humbly ask you to pray for us and for our works, and therefore we do not forget you, Father Tomaž and the entire Congregation, praying with the words of the prayer composed by Fr. Jean Pierre Renouard, C.M.
How timely in today’s situation are the words of St. Vincent: “God will grant you the grace, Monsieur, of softening our hearts toward the wretched creatures and of realizing that in helping them we are doing an act of justice and not of mercy!” (to Firmin Get, superior, in Marseilles, CCD VII:115)
Ensuring our prayer on behalf of our community
Your brother in Saint Vincent,
Fr. Sławomir Bar, C.M.
Superior
Vincentian Anti-Crisis Shield
Dear parishioners, friends and supporters of the Basilica of Saint Vincent de Paul!
In order to respond to a situation that has affected every one of us, after having consulted our priests and our brother, I am calling the Vincentian Anti-Crisis Shield to exist.
For ourselves and for all those whom the Lord is going to put into our path, we are witnesses of Jesus Christ, so the most important law we are following always is the Commandment to Love God and the neighbor as ourselves. We support all good initiatives and people of good will who are inspired by this commandment of Love.
Therefore, we are launching fraternal support, especially for small family-run businesses, local businesses, shops, service providers and all people who have lost their jobs. We support you by:
- Launching a message board at the back of the church for those who give jobs and look for work;
- Opening of parish internet services for announcements;
- Creating special spaces for ads and business cards of companies and people who can provide assistance;
- Providing a parish bulletin where job or mutual assistance announcements can also be posted;
- Ads of local shops, service providers, physiotherapists and caregivers for the sick and elderly;
- We also launch a personal and individual growth counseling service (Coaching) named after “St. Joseph” (under development, information at: +48 (52) 322 53 52)
Also offered are:
- spiritual assistance
(daily attendance of our parish priests, confession before each Mass);
- legal aid
(Friday at 6:00 p.m. in the parish office; please call +48 (52) 322 53 52 and arrange an appointment);
- food aid
(meals are served Mondays through Fridays from 4 p.m., Saturdays from 1 p.m.)
Saint John Paul is also a special patron saint of our activities, so we invite you to a prayer service through his intercession every Friday at 5:30 PM. The intentions can be submitted in the basilica.
The terms Brothers and Sisters, which may have become a bit of a slogan, today take on a different meaning, very important and significant. Christ gathers us together in the Church to genuinely build and create a community of Christians, which will be described as the beginning of Christianity: “Look how they love each other.” That is why I invite you, my dear brothers and sisters, to this journey of following Christ who builds the Church – the Community of Communities.
Fr. Sławomir Bar CM
Pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Bydgoszcz
contact:
phone: +48 (52) 322 53 52
email: haslobazylikapomaga@gmail.com
