Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
On February 22, 1980, priests, seminarians and staff at the North American College in Rome celebrated the birthday of President George Washington. There was a special guest invited to celebrate the feast with us – the new pope, John Paul II.
Needless to say, a great deal of excitement was generated. In what will typify for future generations the graciousness of the person and office, the pope met each one of us individually.
Now, what do you say to the pope? Nice to meet you? Relying on my training as an altar boy in a Polish parish in Chicago, I greeted him in Polish with the phrase, “Praise be the name of Jesus Christ,” to which the pope responded, “Now and forever, Amen.”
In Polish, he asked me if I spoke Polish. I said, in Italian, “No, but I speak Italian.” He responded in Italian, “Why doesn’t a ‘Listecki’ speak Polish?” I answered, “Because I am the product of many generations in the United States.” Then, in English and with a heavy accent, he pulled me close to him and said, “Listecki, when are you going to visit Poland?” I told the pope that I hoped to visit that summer. “Good,” he said. “You know I have a few friends there.” “Yes,” I said. “About 36,000,000, and all of them claim to be your cousin.” He laughed.
In the summer of 1980, I made my way to Poland, fulfilling my pledge to the pope, discovering my Polish “roots” and the origins of my family heritage. I was able to stay with a great priest, Marian Dus, who taught at the seminary and was the local dean. He secured a Polish language teacher for me so that every day I would learn a few phrases to add to my understanding. My teacher was a beautiful young Polish woman, Jadwiga, which of course made the daily classes very enjoyable.
During my stay in Poland, there were two specific moments when I was emotionally moved. The first was during my visit to Auschwitz, the notorious concentration camp established by the Nazis during World War II. Many of the concentration camps throughout Europe had been dismantled, but the Poles kept this camp intact as a visible witness of human depravity and the genocide committed there. The SS (Schutzstaffel) were meticulous record keepers, and when I entered the children's section of the camp, I saw a picture of a young girl’s front and side profile. I saw the horror in her eyes, and my heart anguished for her, knowing that she may never have emerged from the camp alive. I was then escorted to a cell which had fresh flowers covering the floor. I asked whose cell this was, and the guide answered that is was Maximillian Kolbe’s. I was amazed that even before he was declared a saint, the holiness of this man was recognized.
May 5 is Holocaust Remembrance Day. We must never forget the cruelty and depravity that can be inflicted on our brothers and sisters. If we do, we risk repeating history.
The second moment that emotionally moved me was my pilgrimage to Jasna Góra, the shrine of our Lady of Czestochowa, the “Black Madonna.”
In the minds of the Poles, the Blessed Mother is the Queen of Poland. This shrine to the Blessed Mother finds Poles crawling on their knees in veneration to the icon. I realized that my DNA contained this faithfulness to Our Lady, knowing that being good to Mother tremendously pleases her Son.
This is May, the month of Mary. Many of our parishes and schools will crown her as our Queen and pledge our devotion to her. Let us pray our Hail Mary’s, entrusting our family, friends and our archdiocese to her care. May our “Yes” to God be as definitive as hers in our response to His will.
This July 22, I will make my way to Poland for World Youth Day. Hopefully, I will revisit some of my former acquaintances, explore sites, give thanks to God for the life of St. John Paul II, and help our young people realize their responsibility to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Note: This blog originally appeared as the May 3, 2016 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.