In Pace Christi

Miroslaw Kalinowsky was born at Maszow, diocese of Katowice, in Poland. We have very few documents from the first years of his life in our archives. He grew up, it is sure, in a simple family that knew the demanding discipline of hard work under unfavourable economic conditions. There was a climate of very strong Catholic faith. Mirek's mother is remembered by all those who have met her as a woman of great faith, a deep spirit of prayer and of sacrifice. Mirek himself must have been imbued with the same spirit from an early age if we consider that he embarked on the "venture" of joining the Comboni Missionaries with a generous and open heart, without fear of the unknown. The Combonis had not been long in Poland, had no formation structures, and had nobody who knew the local situation well. He read their publications, made contact with the vocation promoters, and after a period of discernment of his vocation with them, went on to begin his study of Philosophy as a boarder in the seminary of the Divine Word Missionaries in Poland.

Postulant in Italy

Two years later he went to Pesaro, to study Italian and to continue his seminary studies through some course in Theology. In 1990 he completed the Postulancy at Firenze, then stayed on there for a further year. This first period in Italy was marked by Mirek's determination to take up the challenge of integrating with a community where he was the only foreigner, and of adapting to the social, cultural and religious climate that was so different.

The formators at the time describe him as a willing young men, sensitive, deeply religious, sometimes rather withdrawn. He had a sad look about him, and at times was rigid in his ideas. As time passed, Mirek grew in flexibility, becoming increasingly open to the values of community life and to a spirituality that was nourished by interest in the universal mission, love of the poor and the desire to dialogue with everybody. In this light it is significant that he opted to study after completing his Theology, asking to specialize in Moral Theology with a social slant, so as to live, as he wrote, "our missionary charism with greater commitment and authenticity among those most in need and the most neglected". However, since the superiors suggested he specialize in Missionology, he accepted that. For his first missionary appointment he opted for Mozambique. Here, too, he motivated his option as a preference for "places of first evangelization and situations of extreme poverty".

Novice

To get back to his formation: after his year of Postulancy at Firenze, Mirek was admitted to the Novitiate at Venegono. He made his First Profession on 6 May 1993. The Novice Masters, in putting him forward for the Vows, stressed his honest effort to overcome the effects both of his timidity and of a certain wilfulness that made him too demanding of himself and of others. He himself, when someone remarked on his force of character during the final stages of his illness, answered: "I am not strong... I'm hard!"

In his own evaluation of himself and his experiences written towards the end of the Novitiate, Mirek shows a considerable awareness of both his strong and his weak points. He describes himself as a person capable of true and deep relationships, but also with a tendency towards isolation and to giving in too easily; attentive and sensitive towards others and towards events, but sometimes susceptible and too rigid in his opinions.

The Good Shepherd and Peace

During his novitiate, Mirek felt an increasing attraction towards the Good Shepherd. From his contemplation of this aspect of the Mystery of Christ he grew, like Comboni, in his desire to offer himself, to give himself to the poor, to sacrifice himself. He wrote: "... for me, prayer is something very, very important. I couldn't live without it. From my daily encounter with God I receive constant peace and serenity... prayer brings me interior peace only when I put myself in an attitude of readiness... that is expressed in reconciliation with my brothers, in serving them, in being a bearer of peace..." How often Mirek talked of peace! A peace, indeed, that could be seen in his gaze, in his courteous attitude, as though he felt urged to translate the meaning of his name into practice in his life: "Miroslaw - the one who loves peace".

Scholasticate in Rome

Towards the end of the Novitiate, Mirek was assigned to the Scholasticate in Rome. This was also a time of growth: the formators note his growth in maturity, demonstrated by a sense of identity as a Comboni Missionary that was increasingly clear. In community he is a quiet but effective presence: friendly, able to stimulate and encourage others. He always found a way of involving others in prayer, especially the Rosary, and in service. One of his companions reflects: "He would volunteer with enthusiasm to collect the best suggestions and the most interesting ideas, and to make the necessary contacts in preparing celebrations. We called him our Minister of Foreign Affairs. He gradually formed a little group of those who wanted to say the Rosary together in the evening. The group would gather in his room, and after praying would chat informally about our chief interests and anxieties. Even when I had a lot to do, it was almost impossible to turn down his invitation, because he had a calm, reassuring voice, and would say  He always had confectionery in his room, and when anyone went in, he would offer a piece of chocolate or a biscuit. He would often have a lighted candle, even when he was studying, as though to underline the presence of the Lord at all times. He could do things in a great rush, and he could remain still for hours, in silence before the tabernacle."

In his apostolate, too, Mirek was full of enthusiasm and generosity. He prepared carefully, always tried to involve as many people as possible. The main outlets for his activity were missionary apostolate in the parish of the Uganda Martyrs and catechesis in St. Vigilio.

Pledge for life

The premature death of his father in 1994 (of cancer) did not disturb his serenity and spontaneity, but did help him to reflect more deeply on the mystery of the Cross. On 7 December 1996, in the formula of his Perpetual Profession, he expressed his readiness to become, in the spirit of the true Comboni charism, "a sacrificial offering for the Mission". He thanks the Lord for all that is past, and says Yes to all that is to come, and continues: "I love you, Lord, with the love that you give me and ask me to accept. I love you, Lord, crucified, dead and risen again, especially in the poor and the suffering. I love you Lord, my strength, my rock, my fortress, my God... may my fragility be a sign to the world that you love the weak and the poor; may the cross you give me today become the strength of my apostolate and the source of my faithfulness to your plans."

Pledge accepted

Scarcely two weeks after his Perpetual Vows, on 22 December, Mirek was ordained Deacon in St. Vigilio. The weakness and discomfort he already felt were the first signs of his illness. He complained of occasional strong spasms of pain in his back, without feeling or causing great alarm. He left for Verona hoping to have a check-up and be back in Rome by the end of the Christmas holidays. But after tests, the verdict was dramatic: malignant lymphoma, with viral hepatitis that would cause a lot of problems with the chemotherapy.

After the operation, Mirek went back to the CAA in the Mother house, to begin months of alternate periods of intense therapy and of rest to recuperate his strength. But he was wasting away, slowly and inexorably. Mirek faced his illness with the will and determination of one who is not ready to die, but wishes to be cured at all costs, yet at the same time with the submission of one who is ready to accept whatever the Father wants.

He wanted to be kept informed of what was going on in "his" world, and plied his relatives and other visitors with questions about themselves, family events, happenings in the Scholasticate... He asked them all to pray for him, and never stopped praying himself.

Mirek died on 15 December 1997. At the end of the formula for his Perpetual Vows a year earlier, he had begged for the intercession of of Mary and Blessed Comboni, "that the Lord may grant me the grace to live my vows with humility, in silence and joyfully". And so it was. Mirek returned to the Father in silence, because it was night, and in humility - even his mother was absent, because she was in hospital with heart trouble, and his brother's work had forced him to return to Poland a few days earlier.

One of the last books that Mirek asked for concludes with these words: "How beautiful is a pure and single heart in the eyes of God! There is only one song, that of eternity. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit".    

The Scholasticate

Da Mccj Bulletin n. 199, aprile 1998, pp. 100-102