On September 17, 2025, the friars of the Province of St. Anthony and Bl. James of Strepar in Poland (Cracow) celebrated their annual Provincial feast day. The event took place at the St. Maximilian Center in Harmęże, Poland. The friars celebrated Mass together, listened to a lecture, honored this year’s celebrants, awarded Provincial prizes, and shared a meal in the friary garden.
Eight hundred years ago, St. Francis of Assisi composed the Canticle of the Creatures, also known as the Canticle of Brother Sun. On this occasion, the Rector of the Conventual Franciscan major seminary in Cracow, Friar Tomasz CZAJKA, gave a lecture on this famous and beloved text from medieval Christian literature.
Since ancient times, the Franciscan family has traditionally honored and conferred spiritual privileges upon benefactors and friends of the Order. This year, the Conventual Franciscans in Cracow awarded three Provincial prizes: statuettes of St. Francis. The recipients were: Magdalena KIEŁTYKA, in recognition of her long-standing commitment in assisting friars needing medical care; Mariusz ŚNIEŻEK, for his long-standing support of the Kalwaria Pacławska Shrine, his dedication in organizing the patronal feast, developing the infrastructure around the shrine, and obtaining funding for conservation work; and, finally, the Rafael Publishing House, in recognition of its many years of material and concrete collaboration in preparing and disseminating publications on the Blessed Missionary Martyrs, Friars Zbigniew STRZAŁKOWSKI and Michał TOMASZEK. All of the award winners were entered in the book of friends and benefactors of the Province.
The Minister Provincial, Friar Mariusz KOZIOŁ, gave a special blessing to the friars celebrating an anniversary of priestly or religious life. He congratulated them and presented them each with a commemorative gift: a tau cross engraved with the exorcism of St. Anthony: “Behold the Cross of the Lord! Begone, all evil powers! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered! Alleluia!”
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