Participants of this year's pilgrimage were welcomed by Fr. Adam Stankiewicz, MIC, vice-custodian of the Licheń sanctuary, thanking for their testimony. The liturgy at 12.00 was presided over by the HDK chaplain, Fr. canon Mirosław Frankowski, pastor of the parish of St. Barbara in Turku.
As a reasonable and honest person, a Christian has a duty to try to reduce suffering and recover in real terms, both towards himself and towards others. It is you, dear blood donors, who, through your donation of blood, participate in this recovery of many suffering people. The Sorrowful Queen of Poland helps us significantly in understanding and accepting the cross. He introduces us to this mystery with maternal love. Also in our daily life
On Saturday, September 11, the 18th Polish National Pilgrimage of Honorary Blood Donors took place at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń. The participants were greeted by Fr. Adam Stankiewicz, MIC, vice-custodian of the Licheń sanctuary, thanking for their testimony. The liturgy at 12.00 was presided over by the HDK chaplain, Fr. canon Mirosław Frankowski, pastor of the parish of St. Barbara in Turku.
In the homily of Fr. Frankowski mentioned the connections of Card. Wyszyński from the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń, where, as a seminarian of the Włocławek seminary, young Stefan stayed to improve his health, teaching catechesis and writing down the testimonies of the graces experienced through the intercession of the Mother of God. It is the Primate of the Millennium, whose beatification will take place on Sunday, September 12 in Warsaw, who in 1967 coronated the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Licheń, the Sorrowful Queen of Poland. Father Frankowski emphasized that Honorary Blood Donors make pilgrimages to this place, staring at the miraculous image of Our Lady of Licheń, the Sorrowful Queen of Poland, to entrust their service to the good of others. He called this service “quiet and humble, how necessary and often not respected, without fanfare and without flashes. Without whom the lives of the suffering brothers would be in danger, and often even impossible to save. It is your donation of blood, this most precious medicine, which brings relief to aching hearts, to families that suffer suffering. Your dedication to another person shows the meaning of suffering in God's plan of redemption, said the parish priest from Turkow. “Mary was the first to be able and willing to participate in God's mystery. She was united to Christ's sacrifice with her motherly spirit, accepting with love, so that it would suffer the devastation of the victim born of her. Mary, enriched by this experience, stands by the man's side, takes him by the hand and invites him to come with her to Calvary and stand before her crucified Son. Experiencing the death of her Son, Mary understood that the glory of her divine motherhood reached its peak at this very moment, because it allowed her to participate directly in the work of redemption. She also understood that the human suffering accepted by her crucified Son now gained inestimable value. "
The canon emphasized that gathering in the sanctuary, we realize that Mary is still present in the history of the Church. Licheń called "a special sign of this action of Mary throughout the history of the world."
“The Christian as a reasonable and honest person has the duty to do his best to reduce suffering and recover in real terms, both towards himself and towards others. It is you, dear blood donors, who, through your donation of blood, participate in this recovery of many suffering people. The Sorrowful Queen of Poland helps us significantly in understanding and accepting the cross. He introduces us to this mystery with maternal love. Also in our everyday life "- said Fr. Frankowski.
Text and photos: Sanctuary Press Office
