WE WANT TO CONVERT
St. James is based on Christ and the epistle of St. James and follows the 12 Steps for Christians. Formation is important for its members, therefore they meet twice a year for retreats at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń. On the last days, March 31-April 3, 70 people came from all over Poland, incl. Szczecin, Radom and near Warsaw, and even from abroad.
The charism of the community is to look after the addicted. - We want to engage in a dialogue with the environment whose members discover that they are slaves of substances or behavioral behaviors such as gambling, sex addiction or compulsive eating. It often happens that we change cars, stop drinking, but a new addiction appears. These mechanisms lead to the fall of humanity and values, and can often end in death. We need tools that in a simple and concrete way help to get out of these situations - says Paweł Sumera, vice-president of the community council.
To the community of St. Jakub in Licheń was joined by 38 people from the Good Shepherd community, who came from Słupno between Warsaw and Radzymin. Tadeusz Rzepecki, the founder, supports addicts and their families, but also the elderly, the lonely and the homeless. It helps to build life anew, to lead out of helplessness. Sam has been sober for 18 years. - I found myself in twelve steps, I correct myself and give up myself, I serve other addicts whose entire families suffer. In unity, in community, we can attract others who notice our joy and spirituality, the soul suffers the most in the person who drank it.
With the Christ gene
St. Jakub is also accompanied by the spiritual father, Fr. Jacek Zakrzewski SAC, who supports her from the theological and spiritual side. Recent conversations have focused on the image of a God who is sometimes distorted, in Step Eight and the Eight Beatitudes. - The eighth step is related to harm, how to combine harm with blessings? Starting from the image of God, we turn into harm. If I have a good image of God, the harm will be developmental for me, that is, I enter the experience of blessing and happiness. However, after analyzing the wrongs, it is time for an attitude of redress, cutting off from what was destructive and living in the fullness of Christ's love - explains Father Pallottine.
St. James continues to discover the Word of God at the center of the community. It is important for members to return to the church, the sacraments, and to rebuild relationships in marriage and family. - The 12 Steps for Christians also allow us to return to the beauty that God has created in us. We are made in the image and likeness of God, and Christ has the face of God. So I believe that we are all Christs, we carry the gene of the risen Christ, who comes to save and enrich us - emphasizes Wojciech Zdrojewski from Szczecin. - In the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lichen, I am especially grateful for Mary, whom I love like a mother. I wish everyone to find in Mary a Mother who cares and covers them with the mantle of their motherhood - says Wojciech Zdrojewski, treasurer of the community.
St. Jakub together with Rafał Porzeziński, the creator of the program "Survivors" on TVP1, invites you to the 2nd nationwide meeting of the community of survivors on June 25-July 2 in Łukęcin by the sea "7 days of freedom - survivors for Ukraine". It is an event promoting a healthy, sober lifestyle with elements of addiction prevention. There will be plenty of specialists and artists at the meeting. The guests who will share their knowledge and talents will include Muniek Staszczyk and Lech Dyblik.
