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The beatification process of the Venerable Br. Anthony Kowalczyk, OMI

We, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate invite everyone to pray through the intersesion of Br. Anthony! The Venerable Br. Anthony Kowalczyk, OMI was a wise follower of our Lord. And God sent him to Western Canada not only to announce the closeness of the Kingdom of God, but to build this kingdom with ardent prayer and hard selfless work.

During the process for his beatification, we began our journey visiting differrent parishes with the artifacts of Br. Anthony (the second class relics in the future), inviting people to pray through his intercession. So far we visited Edmonton, AB and St. Catharines, ON.

Anthony was born in 1866 in Poland, only few years after the death of St. Eugene de Mazenod, the Funder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He was the sixth child out of twelve.

After the elementary school he completed the trade school as a blacksmith. When he was 20 years old he left Poland for Germany then for Holland where he entered the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and five years later was send to Alberta, western part of Canada where he arrived in 1896.

What distinguished him from among others was boundless love. And love is an invitation from God for interpersonal relations. Brother Anthony embodied the concept of love, gave to it a human shape in every person he met. He gives a good example of faithfulness and perseverance, and offers good advice, prayer and fasting for so many, and he is doing it quietly, not putting on a show. He had unchangeable and uninterrupted spiritual relationship with Mary; and that is why he was called “Brother Ave”.

“To call Brother Antoni” meant that the situation is difficult, that they couldn’t deal with it by a human competence only, they needed the intervention of Brother’s presence and his prayers.

Where the strength of man ceased, it was replaced by Br. Anthony’s prayer, Ave Maria – Hail Mary was the power. Even the superiors entrusted him with their troubles and plans. Brothers and Sisters. Don’t we have anything to ask for through the intercession of our good Br. Anthony? In these very difficult times don’t we need special care of someone who like many of us was an immigrant; who would understand our situation better?

On March 28, 2013 – the beginning of the Paschal Triduum – Pope Francis declared Oblate Bro. Anthony Kowalczyk as Venerable.

Brother Anthony was born in Dzierzanów, Poland on June 4, 1866 and died on July 10, 1947 in St. Albert, Canada. His first mission as an Oblate brother was in Lac-La-Biche, Alberta, Canada where an accident at a sawmill caused him to lose his right arm. Despite this disability, he never refused a task as a lay brother. Brother Anthony came to be known for his holiness. The last 36 years of his life were spent in continual prayer, which inspired him to live a life of strict obedience.

The process of his cause for canonization began in Edmonton in 1952 with 44 witnesses: 21 Oblates and 23 non-Oblates. On June 1, 1979 his cause was opened in Rome. After 34 years Pope Francis has signed the Decree.

The next phase of the canonization process for Bro. Anthony is known as beatification.

On receiving a grace through the intercession of Br. Antoni Kowalczyk, OMI, please notify us immediately, writing to: director@oblateworldmissions.org or calling: 416-464-1216. 

Useful links:
http://omiap.org/…/20…/11/A-KOWALCZYK_English_Nov-8-2012.pdf
https://oblaci.pl/br-antoni-kowalczyk-omi-1866-1947/
https://www.wcr.ab.ca/This-Week/Stories/entryid/3937

Gorąca zachęta do modlitwy za wstawiennictwem Br. Antoniego! Sługa Boży, Br. Antoni Kowalczyk, OMI urodził się 1866, czyli kilka lat po śmierci św. Eugeniusa de Mazenoda, a odszedł do Boga w 1947. Był szóstym z dwunastu dzieci w chłopskiej rodzinie Kowalczyków.

W tym czasie rozpoczęły się wizyty w parafiach z rzeczami, które Br. Antoni używał (w przyszłości relikwiami 2 klasy), aby zachęcić wiernych do modlitwy za jego wstawiennictwem. Do tej pory odwiedziliśmy Edmonton, AB oraz St. Catharines, ON.

Po ukończeniu w Polsce rzemiosła jako kowal, w wieku 20 lat udaje się do Niemiec, aby ciężko pracować w fabryce urządzeń grzewczych. Po 5 latach w Niemczech pod wpływem bogobojnej pani Prunnenbaum, w roku 1891 udaje się do Holandii, gdzie wstępuje do Zgromadzenia Misjonarzy Oblatów Maryi Niepokalanej. W maju 1896 zostaje posłany do Lac La Biche, Alberta w Kanadzie. Później pracuje w różnych miejscach zachodniej Kanady wykonując najbardziej proste i przyziemne posługi. Jego mottem było (w języku, którego nigdy dobrze nie poznał): „you say, me do”. Jego życie było zaprzeczeniem dzisiejszej pogoni za sukcesem i sławą. Br. Antoni miał wyjątkową i nieprzerwaną relacje z Matką Bożą w ciągle odmawianym różańcu; dlatego zyskał sobie miano “Br. Ave”.

Jego proces beatyfikacyjny trwa. Już za życia działo się wiele cudów, które Br. Antoni wypraszał dla wszystkich, którzy go o to prosili. Po jego śmierci, na przestrzeni lat mamy wiele cudów udokumentowanych, które zostały przesłane do Rzymu oraz ogromnie dużo świadectw, które w tym czasie porządkujemy.

Czy my ludzie 21 wieku nie mamy o co prosić Br. Antoniego? Czy w tych bardzo trudnych czasach nie potrzebujemy szczególnej opieki kogoś, kto też był emigrantem jak my, kto nas lepiej zrozumie? Powierzajmy więc Br. Antoniemu Kowalczykowi wszystkie trudne i po ludzku sądząc beznadziejne sprawy życia naszego i naszych bliskich, a nie doznamy zawstydzenia, on wyprosi potrzebne łaski, jeżeli będziemy prosić z wiarą niezłomną i nadzieją na cud!

O otrzymaniu łaski za wstawiennictwem Br. Antoniego Kowalczyka, OMI, prosimy nas niezwłocznie powiadomić, pisząc na: director@oblateworldmissions.org lud telefonicznie:
416-464-1216

Fr. Adam Filas

The missionary oblate of Mary Immaculate and the Roman Catholic priest. Originally comes from Poland, the beautiful area of Tatra mountains. In the past 30 years worked in Northern missions, English Parishes, Polish Parishes including organizing and building St. Eugene de Mazenod church in Brampton. Now works for Oblate Mission Procure - Assumption Province.

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