Cardinal Gulbinowicz visited Vilnius and Mother of Mercy

It was an ordinary, gloomy autumn day. But that day wasn’t such for everyone. Just before midday people from Vilnius, Bujwidze and Niemenczyn started gathering in front of the picture of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn. There was a lot of young people and teachers among them. Many of them knew Cardinal in person as he has been here several times before, while the others were only told about the Cardinal, for he was not an ordinary priest.

Cardinal Henryk Roman Gulbinowicz was just about to come to Vilnius in order to celebrate his 90^thbirthday.

-He was born in 1923 in St. Jacob Hospital in Vilnius. His mother was called Waleria and father Antoni, from Sukiszki. Then he was baptized in a chapel in Pryciuny. After that, as a little child, he was brought by his mother to the chapel of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn and sacrificed to the Mother of God with the prayer for him to be a good man – said to “Kurier” Marian Naruniec, prefect of Bujwidze.

Mrs. Naruniec also said that the Cardinal has always been watching over his family town. He came for the consecration of the chapel after the repairs.

Zenobia Mikielewicz, a young teacher, has never met the Cardinal but she heard a lot of him from older people. She can remember when in 2010 he funded a sound system for a school, they’ve been  using it until today.

Perhaps that’s why on that day so many young people from Bujwidze and Niemenczyn  gathered, for the Cardinal has always remembered them too. For the 100^th anniversary of establishing the school he sent his greetings and blessing.

When the Cardinal came he was welcomed sincerely by priest prelate Jan Kasiukiewicz and the people’s ovation. There was among them Stanisław Cygnarowski, minister counsellor, general consul, and the chairman of the consular section of Polish Embassy in Vilnius, Waldemar Tomaszewski, member of the European Parliament, Edward Trusewicz, deputy minister of Ministry of Culture in Lithuania, Maria Rekść, mayor of Vilnius Region, and other distinguished guests.

But let us get back to the Cardninal’s life. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stay long in the Vilnius Region. He was slightly over 20 when he had to leave his homeland. Although he was admitted to the Vilnius seminary he had to move to Białystok and only then , in 1950, he received ordination.

– Praised be Jesus Christ! – the Cardinal began his ceremony and the Holy Mass celebrated together with bishop Ignacy Dec.

– He left his homeland, Vilnius, Our Lady of The Gate of Dawn, to whom he was sacrificed but he kept it in his heart, his family town Pryciuny, Vilnius and Mother of Mercy. That couldn’t have been forbidden even by the Soviet system – said the bishop about his friend.

– He’s been coming back to his homeland everyday in his thoughts and prayers. He still recollects very sentimentally Wanda Boniszewska, nun, who was teaching him how to be an altar boy when he was young and who is going to be proclaimed blessed. She came from the same region and her order has been existing for over a hundred years and still works at Vilnius Calvary. Maybe God will give us one more saint from Vilnius.

The Cardinal worked in Białystok, Olsztyn, and in 1975 he was appointed an archbishop of Wrocław. On 25^th May 1985 blessed John Paul II made him a cardinal presbyter.

During his life he’s done a lot for the church. He worked at numerous places and got many awards. In 1995 he was awarded with the Order of Polonia Restituta and in 2008 with the Order of the White Eagle. He also received a honoris causa degree from the Pontifical Teological Department of Wrocław and was the laureate of the Heart’s Award.

The Cardinal has built and renovated many churches and chapels during the difficult Soviet times. He never broke the basic rules but he knew how to talk to the greatest opponent and has the gift of gab.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to write about all his works and awards in such short article. The Cardinal doesn’t like to talk about it actually and to show off. Every time he talks about a family as a source of a dowry we live our lives with. He has never fought with humans but for humans. He always claimed that even the worst man deserves to be helped and to be given second chance.

-I was quite a young priest at that time. I was just going to the Mass at nuns when a woman came and asked if I knew that Stalin had died. She was working as a charwoman at a public office. I didn’t know anything and she sighed: “Who’s going to pray for him?”. I was speechless for a moment…and then I said: “I’m just going on the Mass and I will pray for him”- said Cardinal. And so he did. There weren’t many supporters of such behavior at that time but then, when we talked more about it, he had some profits out of it. Until today he is convinced it was God’s hand, for, in a way, that plain woman had taught him one important thing – nobody has the right to judge anyone because even the worst man has got something good in him. Instead of condemn people we should rather give them a helping hand. It is people’s actions that can be condemned, not people themselves. That was the lesson the Cardinal will always remember and he is grateful that woman for such a good lesson., though he had never met her again.

– After all, during my whole life, I’ve been trying not to forget about human – said the priest. Let us get back to the Gate of Dawn. Why in this particular place did he want to spend his anniversary? As he said, at this place he was sacrificed to Mother of Mercy and it was decided then in Heaven that he would become a priest. At that time and that place, it was God who ordained him priest already and wrote his whole future life. He wrote it with great passion not only for the priesthood, great service, but also great love for human beings, especially those who are poor, need help and support.

The Vilnius Region had two legendary priests. One of them being priest prelate Józef Obrembski in Mejszagole and priest cardinal Henryk Roman Gulbinowicz in Poland. And it’s not important that he has been living and working in Poland for a long time because he’ll always belong to the Vilnius Region. He’s always appreciated hard work of local priests as well as piety and tradition of simple people.

At the end of the Mass the Cardinal gave a special blessing from pope Francis with plenary indulgence. The decree has been signed on 20 September 2013 – a day before the Cardinal’s visit to Vilnius. Priest prelate Jan Kasiukiewicz has been awarded with a special Millenium Ring of Wrocław Diocese and a vestment with an image of Pope John Pole II. W. Tomaszewski, member of European Parliament, was also given a Millenium Ring.

Šarūnas Birutis, minister of culture in Lithuania founded a special award for the Cardinal – with an inscription “Carry the light and faith”, given by the deputy minister of culture in Lithuania, Edward Trusewicz.

There were lots of greetings, gifts, applause, and what’s most important, a sincere and warm atmosphere. Within one day our Guest found some time for a ride through Vilnius and was glad that the city is getting more and more beautiful. He also visited Cardinal Audrys Juozas Bačkisa. After the Mass he met and talked to the current archbishop, Gintaras Grušas.

So many sentimental and warm meetings during one day…

And at the House of Polish Culture yet another press conference awaited the Cardinal. The journalists were interested in some parts of Cardinal’s life about which Cardinal talked very willingly and with a sense of humour. Although it was the end of the day already, several young marriages with little children waited for the blessing from the Cardinal. Of course, he hugged, blessed everyone and told them some comforting words.

That was a day of great spiritual festivity for the Cardinal himself and also for the people gathered. Everybody wanted to touch the Guest, ask for a blessing, etc.

Even though the Cardinal was born on 17 October, he wanted to celebrate his anniversary in Vilnius, at the presence of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, whom he owes so much. And that touched people most and made the Cardinal seems even closer to them. Waldermar Tomaszewski seemed to be the most touched of all.

– I didn’t expected such great award. That’s why I feel so much honoured to be given it from the hand of such distinguish Guest and at such significant place, at the picture the Mother of Mercy – said Waldemar Tomaszewski.

There were many more touching moments, wishes, greetings, for probably everyone’s heart was touched. The only thing we can do now is to thank God and our Guest for all this and wish the Cardinal long years full of God’s grace  and good health!

Source: http://kurierwilenski.lt/2013/09/23/kardynal-gulbinowicz-odwiedzil-wilno-i-matke-milosierdzia/

Tłumaczenie by Elżbieta Szafarzw ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Elżbieta Szafarz within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.