Recent Missionary Commitment of Tarnow Diocese within the Context of 225 Anniversary of its Existence

Abstract

In the above presentation the Diocese of Tarnow has shown its commitment to the missionary work at the time of celebrating its 225 jubilee. It covers the last 38 years because during that time the bishops of Tarnow have regularly sent forth the missionaries to different countries. This commitment by reading the spirit and intentions of Vatican II, had been started by archbishop George Ablewicz and then continued by successive bishops of Tarnow: namely by bishop Joseph Życiński and the bishop Victor Skworc. So far they have sent forth 118 priests to three different continents. This act harmonizes with the fourth Synod of the Diocese of Tarnow which took place in 1986. Its main motto was “Ad imaginem Ecclesiae universalis”. This life of the particular Church which in Tarnow is following the example of the universal Church is mainly expressed by sending forth the missionaries and then in cooperation with them. Their work is a huge contribution to the evangelization of the few countries in Africa, South America and more recently Kazakhstan in Asia. Upon this commitment has been placed a seal of the martyrdom of one of the sons of the Diocese of Tarnow – namely the priest John Czuba, the fideidonist, who was killed in the Republic of Congo in 1998. The missionary cooperation of the Diocese is both spiritual and material. It is done thanks to the Diocesan Missionary Work. It is expressed in constant prayer for the missionaries undertaken especially by the rosary groups, but also by maintaining the missionaries, purchase of the means of transport for them or making investments, among which are: hospitals, schools, kindergartens or home for the street children. They are used by children and adults and the priest of Church of Tarnow tend them. At present in the Diocesan Missionary Work there are 46 missionaries from Tarnow region. They work in different parts of the world: 14 of them stay in Africa, 27 work in South America and 5 in Kazakhstan. This represents approximately 15 per cent of all fideidonists in Poland. To this number we may add the secular missionaries who work in the following countries: Cameroon – there is one missionary, the Central African Republic – there are two missionaries and two other volunteers in this very country.