Catholic Social Teaching in Action

The Priestly Life is full of variety. Having returned from the dreaming spires of Oxford yesterday morning and spent the afternoon dealing with queries at the Diocesan Archives, I had dinner with a small Polish community that has recently moved to my parish, called Barka UK.

.

My hosts were Thomasz Sadowski, the co-founder, and his daughter Ewa. Barka was set up in Poland at the time of the fall of Communism to look after those on the margins of society, particularly the homeless and alcoholics. They were invited to live in communities - more families than cold institutions - so that they could rebuild their lives and even set up small businesses, helped by 'leaders' who had been in the same situation themselves.

Barka UK was set up to deal with the most recent phase of Polish immigration following EU expansion in May 2004. Hundreds of thousands have come over to the UK over the past few years, encouraged by the Government, but many find themselves unemployed, homeless, exploited, defrauded of their passports and money, and without income support. Even in homeless day centres, tensions are raised because it is perceived that the Poles are 'taking over.'

Barka UK currently works mostly in Hammersmith and Fulham and helps homeless migrants in desperate situations return to Poland and live in Barka communities (such as the four farms they run in Wladyslawowo, Marszewo, Posadowek and Chudobczyce). Between July and October 2007 over 40 migrants were repatriated in this way.

It was indeed inspiring to hear of the work of Barka (based firmly on Christian values and the Church's social teaching) and sad to hear of the plight of so many migrants from A8 countries. I encourage you to visit the websites of Barka UK and their sister organisation, European Migrant's Integration Network.

Patrona Britanniae

Here's title of Our Lady I haven't come across before. We all know about the Blessed Virgin as 'Patrona Bavariae' (Patroness of Bavaria - an ancient title) but not 'Patrona Britanniae' (Patroness of Britain). I found it in a mosaic in one of the new crypt chapels at the Divine Mercy shrine, Łagiewniki (a name which I'm still learning to pronounce) in the outskirts of Krakow. I think we should begin to use this title - perhaps someone should build a shrine to Our Lady, Patroness of Britain (but perhaps in a different style to the one below)?

I was surprised at how impressed I was at visiting Łagiewniki. As you can see from the above pictures, it comprises of a very modern basilica (which, in its own way, is remarkable and very spacious) as well as the old convent chapel, where St Faustina is buried. I've said before that the Divine Mercy devotion has never been a prominent feature in my spiritual life, but I purchased a few books about it when I was at the shrine and now understand the message of St Faustina a bit better. If you're in the Krakow area, I thoroughly recommend a visit.

An Unusual Image of the English Martyrs

Continuing the series of paintings in the choir of Corpus Christi, Krakow, dating from 1624-32, here is what purports to be a most unusual depiction of the English Martyrs. According to the English guide book, the painting shows 'a group of Canons' saints murdered in England in 1572'. The Latin inscription below the picture also clearly links the group of martyrs to England: Milliadena Necat Sancti Gregis Anglia Christo/Non Alit Illa Lupus Induit Ipsa Lupum.

I don't know where 1572 came from - there seems to be no date on the painting or on the inscription. Perhaps the author of the guide book confused the English Martyrs with the group of priests and religious (including two Norbertine Canons) who suffered at Gorkum in the Netherlands in 1572. There were no English Martyrs in 1572.

As far as I know, no Canons Regular suffered for the Faith in England and Wales. Perhaps the seventeenth century canons of Krakow imagined the new breed of seminary priests in distant England to be canons regular and thus depicted them in canons' habits?

British Saints in Krakow

It's amazing what you stumble across on your travels. My favourite church in Krakow was Corpus Christi (above), attached to a house of Canons Regular of the Lateran in the Jewish district. I was first struck by the baroque decoration, including a magnificent pulpit shaped as a ship:

As I walked around the church, guide book in hand, I discovered a huge painting of the martyrdom of St Thomas of Canterbury:


Hmmm, I thought, this is an unusual subject for a Polish church - especially given the painting's size and prominence. Looking more closely, St Thomas' followers are dressed as canons, and I remembered a painting I saw last year at Klosterneuburg in Austria (also a house of canons regular), depicting the saint of Canterbury as a canon:

The choir of Corpus Christi contains some charming seventeenth century paintings and statues of other saints who are claimed by the Canons Regular. Some are rather spurious, including a series of early Popes - such as St Eleutherius (2nd century), who may have sent missionaries to Britain, as requested by King St Lucius:

Then there was St Patrick, shown wearing a huge hat as he drove the snakes from Ireland:

It is unclear whether or not St Patrick was a monk of some sort, but it is likely that he lived in some sort of community of priests at Armagh. Likewise, in Klosterneuburg, he is included in the gallery of sainted canons.

Another Irishman included in the Krakow choirstalls is St Laurence O'Toole, the twelfth century Archbishop of Dublin, who introduced Austin Canons of Arrouaise into the diocese and wore the habit himself. Here he is shown calming a storm:

Less well-known, perhaps, is St John of Bridlington, a fourteenth century Austin canon who was one of the last Englishmen to be canonised (1401) before the Reformation (the last, in 1456, was St Osmund). Here is St John raising the dead to life:

There was one last group of English saints in the choirstalls, but as this is particularly unusual and exciting (at least for hagiologists or antiquarians!) it merits a separate post...

Where I Said Mass This Morning...

This is the magnificent shrine of St Hyacinth (in Polish, Jacek) in Krakow's Dominican church. Nota bene: the kindly friar in the sacristy is very welcoming to visiting priests and speaks some English.

St Hyacinth was one of the first Dominicans and opened a priory at Krakow as early as 1228 (remember, the Order was only approved in 1216). He is best remembered for his widespread missionary labours. According to one tradition, he reached as far as China and Tibet, though we can be surer about his travels around Scandinavia and towards Russia and the Balkans. Some identify another great Dominican missionary, the Blessed Ceslaus, as his brother.

Paintings of St Hyacinth often depict the saint holding a monstrance and a statue of the Blessed Virgin. This is because of an incident during his stay at Kiev. After Mass one day he was told that the Tartars had attacked the town. The friar instantly took the Blessed Sacrament from the church and as he was leaving heard a voice: 'Hyacinth, you have taken my Son but are you leaving me?' So, he also took the venerated statue of Our Lady from the church and took the two treasures to a safe place.

I had no idea that this saint was buried in Krakow until I walked into the church. However, I'd always wanted to celebrate Mass in his honour because on his traditional feast day (17 August) four years ago I was involved in a minor car accident during a holiday in Provence that could have been more serious. I always felt that somebody was looking after the car load of three priests and I'm sure St Hyacinth played his part that day.

Caption, please?!

Just back from a few days in beautiful Krakow, the city of St Stanislaus, St Hedwig, St Hyacinth, St Faustina and, yes, John Paul II. I was somewhat surprised to find the above portrait proudly displayed in the Archdiocesan Museum. I suppose Polish hand gestures differ from Anglo-Saxon ones. However, I don't advise the postulator of the cause to use this image! Any ideas for an appropriate (and reasonably respectful) caption?