COME, HOLY SPRIRT, FILL THE HEARTS OF YOUR FAITHFUL
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit”
(J 20: 21-22).
As we celebrate the Solemnity of Descent of the Holy Spirit today, we reflect how the Church – the community and family of the disciples of the Risen Christ – was filled with the Holy Spirit and in fact was born on that day in the Upper Room. The Church was not only born on that Pentecost Sunday; she was sent with a mission to carry the Gospel of Jesus and the fire of the Holy Spirit to the ends of the earth, to people of all nations, cultures, races and languages.
I am thankful and blessed to not only be part of this Church, but to be a member of a missionary religious congregation, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. In the past I was sent to work in different communities in Poland (St. Eugene de Mazenod parish in Kedzierzyn-Kozle), Thailand (missions in Bangkok, Lomsak and Chiang Mai) and Ukraine (parishes in Gnivan, Kyiv, Chernihiv and Poltava). I could never expect I’d be living and ministering in the United States of America, in the beautiful, wild and very Catholic state of Minnesota. And yet the Church has sent me here and I’ve been in St. Paul-Minneapolis for almost five years now, including my ministry at the parish of Holy Cross for the last four years.
Recently I received my “Letter of Obedience”, that is an assignment for a new ministry from my Oblate Provincial Superior of the US Province, Rev. Raymond Cook, O.M.I. He assigned me to minister as pastor of St. Casimir and St. Patrick parishes in Saint Paul. It means, I will no longer serve as Parochial Vicar at Holy Cross. Fr. Mirosław Szynal will take over next month, serving you at Holy Cross, especially taking care of needs of the Polish community here.
As I am wrapping up my ministry at Holy Cross, I have many reflections and memories. Some I want to keep to myself, but some I’d love to share. I want to express my gratitude to God for all those years in this parish and for these great people of Holy Cross, St. Hedwig and St. Clement. I have learned so much here. A huge thank you to Fr. Howe, Fr. Justus and Fr. Mirosław, as well as all parish staff that changed frequently over the years, but they have worked with unwavering dedication for our parish. I’m immensely grateful to all who attend Masses, especially weekday Masses, and are present in front of the Blessed Sacrament during Adoration hours; to residents of River Village for all the Masses we had together in their chapel; to all the dedicated people who organize concerts, SeptemberFest and other great events in the parish; to all friends who sent Christmas and Easter cards, wishes and gifts.
A very special words of thanks go to the Polish Community of Holy Cross. When I came here, I was so nicely surprised to see this very vibrant, faithful and dedicated community of Polish people who continue to live their heritage of faith, culture and language here in our parish. I was very blessed to serve them, celebrate Masses in Polish, hear confessions, visit their homes and teach religion in the Polish Saturday School. I hope the tradition of Polish spirituality and traditions will live on at Holy Cross, the parish built by immigrants from Poland back in 1886.
I will continue to pray for you, as I do for those I served in the past. May the Holy Spirit fill your hearts and your lives with his gifts, so you may feel his presence and help other people see God’s presence and blessing in their lives. So, yes, my wish is that you be missionaries, missionaries and disciples of Jesus in this world. And please, continue to pray for me.
Fr. Cyprian Czop, O.M.I., Parochial Vicar