For the 38th time, the Working People's Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Licheń took place under the slogan "The Power of the Family and the Nation in Christ and Mary". Holy Mass in the Licheń basilica was presided over by Fr. Wiesław Mering, pastor of the Diocese of Włocławek.
At the feet of Our Lady of Lichen, the Sorrowful Queen in the heart of Poland, Fr. Janusz Kumala, MIC, custodian of the Lichen sanctuary. - Today we want to entrust our families and homeland to Christ and Mary. Servant of God, card. In his coronation sermon, Stefan Wyszyński, when he solemnly crowned the image of Our Lady of Licheń in 1967, called the Mother of Licheń "the Lady of the Konin land" and asked her to "be a special Patroness of Polish youth." We want to pray with working people and for working people, especially in our diocese, and also - at the beginning of the school year - for children and youth, entrusting them to the Patroness, Our Lady of Licheń - said Fr. Janusz Kumala.
The bishop celebrated the midday Mass in the presence of the relics of Bl. Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko, for the motherland and atonement for all insults, blasphemy and sacrilege against God and the Queen of Poland, while the custodian priest for pilgrims, especially children and young people starting the school year. In addition to the custodian of the Licheń sanctuary, Mass. concelebrated by Fr. Monsignor Zbigniew Cabański, Fr. Józef Wysocki and Fr. can. Łukasz Grabiasz.
During the homily, Fr. Bishop Mering recalled his personal experiences in August 1980, when he was serving in Gdynia. - There was a word that did not exist in People's Poland, the word "strike" - emphasized the bishop and quoted the history, the realities of that time, and the authorities of the Solidarity movement, not all of whom remained faithful to the ideals, some of them turned out to be ideologists and frauds. As he emphasized, those were difficult times, but the heart grew at the sight of the white and red flags, as well as the paintings of Our Lady and Pope John Paul II, which were used to decorate the cities. - The most important for us was information, hence the contacts with workers, newsletters from the shipyards and the "Solidarity" weekly. (…) I think sometimes from the perspective of 40 years, we did not know about many issues. Maybe we wanted to succumb too easily to the illusion that everything was changing for the better? (...) The scuffles lasted the whole year - recalled the hierarch from Włocławek. At that time, the Church played a special role. - It was a time when God blessed with the presence of, among others st. John Paul II, who unequivocally sided with "Solidarity". He raised topics that we did not dare to raise. More and more people heard about the young priest Jerzy Popiełuszko, a great spirit - Fr. Bishop Mering also recalled many committed pastors, witnesses of Jesus and gestures of kindness coming from abroad. - One amazing element of that "Solidarity" is concern for intellectual and cultural issues. Today, solidarity books are something like relics of those times. (...) The greatness of "Solidarity" becomes more and more clear with the passage of time. The need for a union that brings together people, Poles, which makes them face the three greatest values: God, honor and homeland. This need is so relevant today. (...) You will not achieve liberation and freedom if you reject God's order of salvation - concluded the bishop, encouraging the witnesses of those events to share their history and experience with young people.
The "Soli Deo" choir under the direction of Katarzyna Jaworska and flagship posts participated in the Eucharist. After the liturgy, the gathered people sang at the monument of Bl. Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko, the Polish Anthem, they said the Litany to Bl. Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko, a prayer to St. John Paul II, patron of the Catholic Action in Poland, and laid flowers at the monument. - This year is the time of great Poles, people of "Solidarity", heroes of the Battle of Warsaw, holy priests: the Primate of the Millennium and St. John Paul II, Bl. Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko, who admonished that only the family with God can be the strength of the nation, and the homeland is our mother. We must protect our families, values, culture and the faith of our ancestors, said Mariola Rakiewicz, president of the diocesan Catholic Action.
The ceremony was organized by: Catholic Action of the Włocławek Diocese, Catholic Action Branch at the parish of St. Wojciech, NSZZ "Solidarność" Konin Mine, Confraternity of Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko at the parish of St. Wojciech.
