There are several brethren who do excellent work as hospital chaplains in the Polish Province. I would like to take a moment here and tell you about one of them who performs his hospital ministry at the Chapel of the Madonna of Perpetual Succor at the Pediatric Institute of Cracow. His is a genuine and authentic specialized ministry, one which embraces the sick children and their parents as well as the medical staff.
A bit of history - Thanks to the existence of a special fund called "Project Hope", the Polish-American Pediatric Institute Collegium Medicum of the Jagellonica University at Cracow was built in December 1965. In this Institute the pastoral care of the sick children and their parents was carried out in whatever way was feasible. In spite of the expressed intention on the part of members of the "Project Hope" fund, however, the communist regime, which was doing everything to prevent the introduction of religious functions into hospitals, made it impossible for them to have a hospital chapel of their own. The chaplains' access to the sick was severely hindered: a chaplain was allowed to go to the Institute only if he had been expressly called by a sick person, and this could only be a toddler or a young child.
Starting from 1980, at the time of "Solidarnos", a new local parish took on the commitment of providing what could be considered as an almost normal pastoral care. At this time the hospital chapel began to function. The entire hospital ministry now included the Holy Mass, celebrated every Sunday and every Wednesday as well as the first Friday of every month. It was not possible to teach catechism full time, but only because the parish priests were very busy in their own parishes.
On August 26, 1995 a decree by Cardinal Francesco Marcharski, Archbishop of Cracow, made an essential change in the organization of the ministry in the Pediatric Institute: the ministry was entrusted to the Dehonian Congregation for an indefinite period.
Fr. Lucjan Szczepaniak (priest and doctor) was nominated to this ministry. The ministerial office at the chapel of the Institute became an autonomous pastoral center containing the registers of the baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations and Sacrament of the sick, as well as the appropriate official rubber stamps.
The Chaplain, Fr. Lucjan Szczepaniak, was made responsible for the ministry to the children (600), to the hospital staff (1,700 people), and to those who visit the sick children (often a thousand people a day!).
The Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the hospital chapel every day from 10:00am to 6:00pm. After the exposition the chaplain visits the sick children (mostly children suffering from leukemia). From 12:00pm to 1:00pm he receives the sick children's parents in his office; many of them take advantage of this occasion to ask him to hear their confession. From 1:00pm to 2:00pm the chaplain distributes Holy Communion in the various departments of the Institute. After that he comes back to the chapel and receives the penitents who wish to make their confession.
The Holy Mass is celebrated every day at 2:30pm; on Sunday there are three Holy Masses: at 11:30am, at 1:15pm and at 2:30pm. On Sunday from 150 to 200 persons attend every Holy Mass; on weekdays there are from 10 to 50 people.
After a year of ministry (1996) the amount of work performed by Fr. Lucjan Szczepaniak is truly impressive. The Sacrament for the sick was administered 1,200 times, Holy Communion was distributed 70,000 times, 100 babies were baptized, 12 children made their First Communion and 17 others were Confirmed according to the solemn rites.
The chaplain is also responsible for the catechesis of the sick children. He directs the work of two catechists who have been well prepared in catechizing as a result of their theological studies in Catholic academies.
During the year at least two courses of spiritual exercises are organized: during Advent and during Lent.
For some months now Fr. Szczepaniak has been helped by one of the brethren from his own community (Kraków IV) who obtained permission from the state authorities to work at the Institute for several hours during the week.
It should be emphasized that every year since 1991 the seminarians of the major seminary in the Province have been organizing three weeks of summer holidays for about thirty sick children. These holidays are spent in buildings belonging to the seminary; buildings which are known as the "Colonies of the Happy Islands". The children who attend are always those who are capable of spending their holidays outside of the Pediatric Institute.
In addition, during the summer holidays, the SCJ seminarians take turns working every two weeks at the Institute. During this time they perform all the services necessary regarding the sick children.