Seminar: Resilient Rosary Crowns from a Concentration Camp

40 Nations Draw Strength & Meaning

The 80^th Anniversary of WWII: Resilient Polish Faith and Hope

It’s Warsaw 2019. Eighty years after her neighbors invaded to disseminate and terminate the Polish people. Leaders of forty nations gather in this capital on the Wisła river. The president of Germany, with the Prime minister says in Polish, “I ask you for forgiveness.” He continues, admitting that this was the hardest thing he ever did, in the most difficult of all locations. He begged the Polish nation for forgiveness for what his people, unleashed upon Polish citizens, families, military. It took three generations for Germany to admit this. Polish Catholics formally forgave Germany soon after WWII (1953).

The US Vice President quoted St John Paul’s 1979 prayer in the same spot the Polish Pope first proclaimed it, “Come Holy Spirit and renew the face of this land!” All gathered heard how this Polish Saint brought down atheistic aggressors without a single shot. After speaking, each international delegate tolled the Remembrance Bell of Warning, cast for the occasion. This bell will toll forever in the city of Wieluń, the first Polish city the Germans bombed at 4:40am, eighty years ago, that very day.      

[President of Germany tolls Remembrance bell above.]

Here in Buffalo, Dr Eileen Lyon, Professor of modern history at the State University of New York at Fredonia (see photo above with Gusen camp survivor Stanislaw Zalewski), will premiere the spiritual strength of Catholic Poles whose secret, Living Rosary of the Gusen Nazi Quarry-Camp in Austria, loudly protested anti-human Nazi treachery. They slaughtered Christians, not in gas chambers. Worked to death as beasts of burden, most of these prisoners were Catholic, the largest percentage was Polish. Gusen camp believers after witnessing brutal killings of priests, teenagers, and two US pilots, dedicated their lives to the Black Madonna Queen with slashed cheeks, three times, clamoring heaven’s gates.

Prisoners secretly fashioned three separate sets of Rosary cubes on the occasions they witnessed three separate murders. The first, or quarry-stone set, called the Joyful Mysteries, the Joyful Mystery cubes  carved from wood from the camp’s gallows and Glorious Mystery cubes were cut from a plexi glass window of a downed US fighter bomber.

All the Rosary cubes were filled with ashes of dead bodies of incinerated prisoners (pic above). Revered as reliquaries these cubes were distributed among trusted prisoners, who promised to pray the Rosary daily. Participants consecrated themselves to the Black Madonna Queen of Poland.

Fr Krysa, Rector of St Casimir Church and expert on Polish spirituality, will then discuss how the Crowned Queen of the Bright Mountain of Częstochowa inspired resilience and firm confidence. This, second portion of the Seminar, will delve into the significance and sacrifice of crowning icons of the Madonna.  One of the Rosary’s ancient names is “Corona,” still used in many languages, draws a connection of profound significance.

Additional meaning flows from the recent crowning of the Black Madonna at her national shrine in Doylestown, PA (Aug 25, 2019).  Pope Francis blessed the crowns for this occasion (pic above). These crowns (pictured here) are gifts of the Diocese of Crottone, Italy, which honors a fourth-century image of Madonna and Child of the same Byzantine origin as the image of Częstochowa, Poland.  For the 300^th anniversary of the first coronation of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the first-ever image outside of Italy honored with papal crowns, this Italian diocese fashioned copies the originals blessed by Pope Clement XI (1717). The 2019, US crowns form a second pair of Crottone 2017 gifts to Our Lady’s Shrine in Poland.

Fr Krysa will present hymns and a power-point on the practice, spirituality, soul-power, and family dimension of icon coronation. Each homestead will be encouraged to make this action-prayer their own by taking home a Corona (crown) Kit. Light lunch is included, as well as the opportunity to view the International Rosary/Prayer-Bead Exhibit.

[pic below of second, or Sorrowful Mystery wooden-gallows Rosary]

The Crowns of Resilient Hope Seminar, Saturday, Oct 5, 2019 from 9:30am-2pm, demonstrates how Catholics thrived spiritually when death was dealt out daily like poker cards. In tough, topsy-turvy, confusing times draw strength and direction, as are many nations, from these traumatized believers. Their example will illuminate your hope and balance your steps. 

Register by sending $15 per person, $18 for adult plus teen, to Resilient Crowns, St Casimir Church, 160 Cable St, Buffalo, NY 14206. Lite lunch.  Inquiries 716-824-9589.

Rev Dr Czeslaw M Krysa, SLD

Rector of St Casimir Church

and Director of the Buffalo Diocesan Worship Office

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The Crowns of Resilient Hope Seminar is the second and the educational component of three opportunities sponsored by St Casimir Church, Buffalo commemorating WNY --  WWII genocide victims, and their families who came to the Niagara Frontier. Golgotha Memorial dedication took place on Sept 28 (pic below). The third event is at 10am, Sunday, November 3 – WWII Survivors’ Memorial Mass and blessing of a new, traveling exhibit entitled, Buffalo Neighbors.

Draw hope and vitality of spirit, as are other nations, from these Catholics, who no matter what, never lost their faith and emerged victorious.

[St Casimir's Altar Servers linked in the Rosary.]