Poland is a country that remains a beacon for Catholicism, but at the same time faces important challenges that make the Church's role even more important. The most obvious of these is the war between Russia and Ukraine that is raging along its border and the threat of
a possible invasion of its territory. In the meantime, and in the midst of an escalation of rearmament, the Catholic Church in Poland has two major fronts, of which Krzysztof Patejuk, a priest, speaks to the CARF Foundation..
The role of the priest is fundamental in these times of crisis. On the one hand, he highlights the welcome they have been able to give to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees. "The challenge for the Church is the pastoral and social care of these people, and so far the ecclesial institutions have been up to the task," he says. And on the other hand, he highlights the challenge of a traditionally Catholic country that is currently experiencing a fairly rapid process of secularization, especially among young people."
Precisely, he himself represents this youth who have grown up in a Catholic environmentPatejuk is well aware of the spiritual needs of his generation. In this sense, Father Patejuk confesses that the transmission of the faith took place in his home in a very natural way.
"Since I was a child I attended Sunday Eucharist with my parents and my brother, we prayed together at home and participated in liturgical celebrations proper to each time. My parents always supported me in my service as an altar boy and on summer retreats. But, above all, they created an atmosphere of love, support and freedom that allowed me to find my own path of faith," says this priest from Poland.
Since he was a child he always wanted to be a journalist, because he was passionate about literature and the media. He even began a career in journalism, but God had other plans for him and, after a year at the university and a profound process of discernment, he realized that his true path was in the seminary.
Krzysztof describes his call to become a priest in words that reveal with great clarity the deep inner struggle he experienced: "God spoke to me in a very strong way. After passing the summer exams at the university, I felt in my heart, like a burning fire, a burning fire.a call to enter the seminary and become a priest.
I resisted for a long time, because I was fulfilling my dreams and I had a girlfriend. But finally God spoke to me through a passage from the prophet Jeremiah, which perfectly described my inner struggle during that summer: "You seduced me, Lord, and I let myself be seduced; you forced me and you conquered me...."There was in my heart like a burning fire, enclosed in my bones; I tried hard to contain it, but I could not. I surrendered to his will and entered the seminary, a decision I do not regret".
Krzysztof Patejuk to study Canon Law at the University of University of NavarraHe confesses that he has had a "wonderful experience at an intellectual level" during his time in Pamplona.
In Pamplona he says that not only was he taught law, but his professors made him love it, which today is an immense help in his work as a judge in the ecclesiastical court of the Polish archdiocese of Warmia.
"It was a time of great spiritual and pastoral richness, because of my contact with companions from all over the world and my service in the parish of St. Michael the Archangel. That time allowed me to deepen my faith and love for the Church," he adds with conviction.
Today the formation received is fundamental for his diocese of origin. And he emphasizes not only the academic dimension but also the human dimension. In this way, Father Patejuk explains that "The love for the law that my professors transmitted to me makes it easier for me to deal with difficult marriage annulment cases with humanity and justice. I also learned that this task is not merely administrative, but profoundly pastoral".
Krzysztof emphasizes that the Spanish he learned in Pamplona now allows him to accompany international students in his work as a university chaplain. His love for Spanish culture, he adds enthusiastically, "drives me to return every year to discover new places in this beautiful country.
It has been ten years since the ordination of this priest from Poland, and from his own experience
The most important thing to face the challenges of the priesthood is fidelity to the celebration of the Eucharist, personal prayer and living close to the people, accompanying them on their journey.
Moreover, he adds humbly, it helps him a lot to remember that "I am not above people, but I am, like them, a disciple of the Lord, their brother, and I too can count on them in my own journey of faith".
Finally, the priest from Poland, Krzysztof Patejuk, has a special remembrance and words of deep gratitude for the benefactors of the CARF Foundation: "I would like to thank the benefactors of the CARF Foundation for their support.Thanks to your support, I was able to spend an unforgettable time studying in Pamplona.The mission is a time of encounter with the Church and of spiritual growth, especially through the formation offered by the Opus Dei. I know that this experience has been key to my priesthood, and without you, I would not be the same priest I am today".
