JPIC WORK IN POLAND

Since the down-fall of the Communism, we have seen rapid changes in our society, both: positive and negative. The positive one has been visible in the many cars on the roads, the nice and good family houses that were popping out and good stores. Let me only mention some negative ones which are noticed e.g.; in a growing number of unemployed people (one example in Nysa region: the huge industrial factory was sold to the foreign companies and 25.000,00 workers were sacked; the place is turning into ruin because for some years no new project was taken up). This in turn increased number of people living in poverty and widened a gap between the rich and the poor. The middle class is getting smaller, the richer and poorer classes are getting bigger. The long lines of the poor were cuing in front of our convents, especially in Raciborz – our provincial house. This is also a reason for which we, as an SSpS Province in Poland became more sensitive to the cry of the poor and we moved into the regular social work, besides our regular catechetical work and nursing.
In 2005 during our Provincial Chapter we looked at the reality surrounding us, we re-evaluated our apostolates and we put again into the focus our priorities.

1. Working with the Poor and Needy
In the recent years we had many poor families coming to our provincial house’s door. Since 1991 they have been served with soup. In 2001 they were around 300 families that received the most needed food. In 2005 during our Provincial Chapter it was decided that we could not simply feed these people without offering to them other services. A new sister was assigned who went to visit the families in order to see the proper picture and reality of those in need. We helped some of the people to get a paid job, a proper places to live and slowly little by little the help have been offered on different levels. Since the beginning of 2005 we started a Prophylactic Program for the Families called AVE MARIS STELLA which fosters sober life and around 70 families take part in the program. We turned for sponsorship of this project to the Local Government of Racibórz. Staff members who carry out the program are well prepared professionally (these includes: a social worker, psychologist, lawyer and one of our sisters who dedicates her service to women). According to both: the participants and the teaching-staff, the program has good impact on the participants. It includes a different levels care, namely:
.
• Awareness raising and hospitalized cure
 Care for the Mothers with children whose husbands are alcohol addicted
 Helping those unemployed to find a job
 Giving a day program during a summer holiday for the children of these dysfunctional families
Since the children of dysfunctional families during the summer holiday programs are mixed with some children of the good families, we see the growth in their social interaction. In these programs the University students of the Social Work faculty were helping out with a great dedication.

2. „Children’s Home” is one of the SSpS activities developed in this time of rapid changes in Poland. „Children’s Home”, opened on January 9, 1995 has been caring for children from dysfunctional families, who practically were spending their time after coming from school, on the street. The main focus of our program is placed on education, formation into self-education, self-reliance, self-discipline and spiritual growth. There are also recreational occupations and art-therapy that help the children to relax and to develop their own hobbies, skills and abilities.
Every year some special prophylactic programs are offered on alcohol, drug-addicts and others. Our goal is to help the children “to stand on their own feet” so that with God’s help they can be prepared for life better than their parents were. In our “Home for Children” we create an atmosphere of acceptance, loving care and security so that the children feel loved. Besides, one hot meal a day is served. At Christmas time we organize Christmas Eve dinner (an important polish custom), celebrating together. It was a special experience to see the growth and reconciliation in the families. For the first years the children did not want to celebrate Christmas Eve organized in the Home for Children with their Parents. They were afraind of the Parents behavior. It was a sign for the Sisters to have a program for the Parents that leads towards reconciliation. Recently the Parents and the Children celebrate Christmas Eve together.
During the winter and summer vacations many excursions are organized to visit beautiful spots and cities in our country. Unforgettable memories of joy that bind them into one family are shared and treasured for a long time.
Since 2005 there was an efford and openness from our side to collaborate with the local government in Racibórz. Evaluating and observing our activities, the local government accepted our project and put our “Home for Children” on the list of priorities and consequently, sponsored renovation of the house (roof, windows, dining room, bath-rooms, hot water and heating system, etc). As the time goes on we have been receiving some finances from the Local Fund of Racibórz. By taking part in competitions and winning different prices our “Home for Children” received enough money to purchase material for the arte-therapy, manual work and food for children. Recently we also received some computers that are a great help for us.
Besides, the children take part in various ecological competitions. Sisters of our community in Racibórz help them a lot but there are many lay helpers who carry out this important project.
Teaming up with lay volunteers we have been working on to make the received from the government house into a real „H o m e for Children”. It is a great joy to see how the so called by many “street rascals” have been slowly growing into a community of young people who care for life and are able to express their gratitude for the hand given to them at one stage of their lives. Let me share here, that some of them by now are gr. 12 graduates who carry out with their studies.


3. Migrant’s Centre – meeting people of different cultures and religions
Migrants became a challenge for our society in the last decade. Before the SVD Migrants Centre was opened we invited Fr. Anthon Koszorz, SVD to our Provincial Chapter to present to us his vision and desire regarding the Migrants Centre. The Migrant’s Centre in Warsaw was opened by the SVD’s in September 2005, to create a gathering Centre for different groups mainly from Chechnya, Vietnam, some African countries and China) of the national minority existing in Poland, mainly in Warsaw and its surroundings. In the first three years four of our junior sisters and two of the finally professed sisters took up a voluntary work in the Centre in order to serve the people of these groups. In the beginning our sisters worked mainly with the children, young people and women of Chechnya. It has been a good experience to work with the people of different culture, mentality, language and religion. They gave them Polish language lessons and some arte therapy sessions.
The SVD Fathers work with the Asians (mainly Vietnamese and Chinese people) and African people, teaming up with different institutions. In the last two years one of our Sisters worked as a full time staff member working hand in hand with SVDs. From September of the current year there is no SSpS Sister in the socio-pastoral service of the Migrant’s Center. There is only one SSpS treasurer who offers her part time helping out with the accounting there. However, our present PLT .also sees the Centre as one of our priorities and searches for a Sister who could offer her service in this acute need of our society.
Besides, of what was said above, our sisters are involved in the following socio-pastoral services:
• Pastoral service in the Correction House for the Boys in Racibórz in a close collaboration with the Parish Priest and staff members.
• Socio-pastoral care in the Home for the Single Mothers with Children.
• Pastoral service in the House for the Homeless People in Racibórz in collaboration with responsible Priest and staff members of the house.
As the years pass by we see in the sisters of our province a visible growth in understanding the problem and in supporting the Sisters involved. It is not any more a “single” sister’s responsibility by there is a support of the community behind.

Seeing the needs of our society in Poland and feeling inspired by all that has been shared in this meeting in the nearest future I wish to create a JPIC commission in our province supporting the sisters who make a lot of efforts to make their service ever more fruitful.

By Sr. Miriam, Maria Długosz, SSpS