In Poland, the country is still full of the enthusiasm of so many young people who seek friendship with God; and we have many opportunities to live, together with the other branches of the Claretian Family, the Charism that our Patron Saint, Antonio María Claret, left us.
Both the Missionaries of Saint Anthony Ma. Claret and the Claretian Missionaries concentrate our work mainly in parishes and schools where we find young people who participate voluntarily in the initiatives proposed by our Claretian Family. The main activities that we carry out together are two meetings of young Claretians a year. The first, near the feast of San Antonio María Claret and, the second, which lasts a few more days, at the beginning of summer. Both meetings take place in the retreat house of our Claretian brothers in Krzydlina Ma?a. They organize these events and with a grand opening they invite us to collaborate. It is beautiful that we all strive to bring the guys we live with in our parishes. From time to time it is the buses full of young people who sincerely reveal to us that they are waiting for these meetings all year long. Some of them are of legal age and have been participating in these initiatives from the beginning.
Another possibility of collaboration in the pastoral field occurs at the end of each year when our Claretian brothers organize the three days of the retreat, this time for the older youth, for the adults, and even for entire families! It is a very special event where for a couple of days, under the same roof, we live in Krzydlina Ma?a – consecrated and lay people we live together with a group of approximately 15 children. The itinerary ends with spending the New Year’s party together (which includes J dances).
Outside of these events, now registered in our annual calendar, we try to collaborate in the small pastoral events that arise during our mission. Whenever we, the Missionaries of S. Antonio Ma. Claret, organize something for our young people, we invite the Claretian brothers who always help us with great availability: they guide the missionary meetings in the schools where we teach, sharing their experience, they participate in the meetings of the parents of the children we attend, they help in the preparatory retreats for Confirmation and simply, with their fraternity, they are always ready to celebrate Mass in our homes when we need it.
We collaborate with our charism not only in the pastoral field but also through friendships and interpersonal relationships that make our mission not only a work that we do together but above all a testimony of the beauty of consecrated life lived in true fraternity ; and it is precisely this that, very often, the reason that attracts young people who seek their place in the Church.
Ewelina Pietrzyk, MC.
