Together on the Journey: A Weekly Word from Archbishop Hebda
St. Jacek, a thirteenth century Dominican friar from Poland whose feast is celebrated today, is the heavenly patron for weightlifters (he managed to carry a heavy statue of Our Lady out of a burning Church) and those in danger of drowning (he walked across a raging river). Perhaps better known in the United States by his Latinized named—St. Hyacinth—he is also the patron saint of pierogi, those savory or sweet filled dumplings that are so common throughout Central and Eastern Europe. There’s an annual competition on St. Jacek’s Day in Krakow for the best pierogi, with the winner getting a statue of this great saint.
I’m a little surprised that my parents didn’t name me after him: Pierogi were not only Lenten staples for my family and the center of our Christmas eve meal—but also my personal favorite. Pierogi continue to be one of the “love languages” in my family.
For that reason, you won’t be surprised that I always make it a point to stop and pray in the chapel where St. Jacek is entombed whenever I’m in Krakow. I have consistently been impressed by how many college students and young couples I have found there praying for his intercession—whether before exams or just before a night out on the town. Sadly, however, science hasn’t found a way to pipe into that chapel the requisite aroma of butter and onions.
Google tells me that the Polish equivalent of “holy cow” remains “Swiety Jacek z pierogami”—St. Jacek and his pierogi! Perhaps we could even hear that phrase uttered in the vicinity of Holy Cross in Northeast Minneapolis, where a Mass is celebrated in Polish each Sunday.
If you had been at Holy Cross yesterday, you would have had the opportunity to participate in our Archdiocesan World Mission Rosary, sponsored by the Center for Mission. Under the direction of Deacon Mickey Friesen, the Center for Mission is tasked locally with promoting and coordinating mission outreach throughout our archdiocese and helping make sure that we remain connected with the missionary efforts of our global church.
To mark the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday, the Center for Mission launched a rotating recitation of the World Mission Rosary, highlighting a different continent each month. It began last month at our Native American parish, Gitchitwaa Kateri in Minneapolis (where prayers were offered for missions and missionaries connected with the Americas), while yesterday’s recitation at Holy Cross focused its attention on missionaries connected with Europe. The next World Mission Rosary, focusing this time on Oceania, will be at St. Richard in Richfield on September 20 following the 1 p.m. Mass.
You might recall that the World Mission Rosary was introduced by soon-to-be-beatified Archbishop Fulton Sheen (a product of our St. Paul Seminary!) as a way to remind Catholics to pray for those working in the mission field and for all who support those efforts. Each decade of the World Misson Rosary is dedicated to a different mission area represented by brightly colored beads: Red for the Americas, white for Europe, blue for Oceania, green for Africa, and yellow for Asia. Since its introduction in 1951, World Mission Rosaries have been made and prayed across the globe.
This summer, Catholics across the nation (and across the archdiocese) have been busily making World Mission Rosaries to be distributed at the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Archbishop Sheen was not only an exceptionally gifted evangelizer but also a great advocate for the Church’s missions. He served as national director of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith in New York City from 1950 to 1966.
If you are able to generously join in the effort to make rosaries to be distributed at his beatification, you can find details on our website and deliver rosaries to the Archdiocesan offices by September 1.
Because of Archbishop Sheen’s connection to our seminary, and as a member of the Board of the Pontifical Mission Societies, I’m particularly looking forward to attending the upcoming beatification festivities in St. Louis and Peoria—of course with a World Mission Rosary made in our archdiocese in my pocket!
As we approach the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday (October 18), please join me in praying that our archdiocesan celebration might bear fruit this year for all of the missionaries from our archdiocese and for all who support the missions so generously.
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