Sister Czeslawa Lorek: “What can I do for the Pope? How can I help him? I know, I’ll go on mission!”.

Saturday, 20 March 2004

Sister Czeslawa Lorek was born in 1938 at Binczyce Gorne, in Poland, to a deeply Christian family. The parish priest, Father Stanislaw Pieprznikm were her first spiritual director who helped her discern her vocation and start her life as a religious. While still a young girl one day when she was praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament she heard an interior voice say: “Daughter give me your heart ”. After that experience, everything happened very quickly.
Czeslawa joined the congregation of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) in 1960 and during the first part of her formation she was trained to work with children and a catechist and a kindergarten teacher. In 1978 she attended an audience of the newly elected Pope John Paul II. In her hear she heard a voice: “ What can I do for the Pope? How can I help him? I know, I’ll go on mission!!”.
In December 1978 she asked her Superiors’ permission to go to work in Zaire, offering this reason: “The Pope’s words filled me with deep trust in Divine Providence. I put myself in the hands of God who has called me and now I want to offer my life and go to the country he has indicated. My only desire is to fulfil his will. Here I am Lord, send me! I am poor I have no talents but I want to renounce everything to bear witness to God who is Love. I have experienced the love of Jesus and this love is my inspiration in daily life. I want to praise and thank the Lord for doing great things in me. I want to do his will to carry on the Mission of the Church ”.
In 1984, after a long period of preparation at last she set out for Zaire determined to life for the Kingdom of God, to be a channel of God’s love and peace. At that time the situation in Zaire was shocking and challenging. Sister Czeslawa worked with children with prisoners and with women.
After the war she moved to Kinshasa. In 1995 she was operated on to remove a tumour. When she recovered she returned to the mission. In 2001 she spent her last home leave in Poland. On May 11, 2003 she was attacked while working in a church in Kinshasa. She died a holy death ten days later on May 21. Her Sisters will always remember Sister Czeslawa as a person who radiated the love of God, serene and peaceful and totally dedicated to Africa. (Agenzia Fides 20/3/2004 - Righe 30; Parole 435)


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