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Mother Foundress
Sanctuary of Blessed Boleslawa in Bialystok
ul. Stoleczna 5
15-879 Bialystok
telephone/fax (0 85) 742 59 83
e-mail: ekumeniamsf@bialystok.opoka.org.pl
e-mail: duszyk@bialystok.opoka.org.pl
The house came into the possession of the congregation when Alexandra Puchlowska joined the congregation. At that time, the whole possession consisted of two small houses made out of wood. Following the permission of bishop Romuald Jalbrzykowski, the house became a convent in 1936. In November 1937, the Chapel of the Most Holy Heart of Jesus was established and blessed. Mother Boleslawa lived in that house and directed the work of the sisters in Bialystok. In 1946-1948, that house served also as the congregations novitiate.
From the year 1959, the convent was constantly threatened to be demolished by the citys administration. Supposedly, the city had different plans for that particular land. As a result, sisters pleaded with the citys mayor and his counsel as well as higher Urban Institution in Warsaw. Sisters also wrote many letters to the Archbishop of Bialystok asking for the permission to build a new house in a place where Mother Founderess, Boleslawa Lament, spent the last years of her life. The idea of building a new house came to realization in the years of 1982-1991.
On August 25, 1987, the new house together with the chapel was blessed by the Bishop of Bialystok, Edward Kisiel. He also blessed the Stations of the Cross and celebrated the first mass in a new chapel. In 1990, the chapel was reconstructed, so it could become a sanctuary. On May 11, 1991, Bishop Edward Kisiel blessed the altar in the new Sanctuary. During the fourth Pilgrimage to his homeland, the Holy Father John Paul II, beatified Mother Boleslawa Lament. This special celebration took place on June 5, 1991.
The next day after beatification, on June 6, 1991, the Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz from Moscow, Bishop Aleksander Kaszkiewicz from Grodno, and 20 priests working in Russia and Bielarussia celebrated the mass in the Blessed Boleslawa Sanctuary. After mass, the group of pilgrims together with the relics of Blessed Boleslawa started to walk toward Grodno.
When the pilgrims came to Grodno, the group of nine sisters visited the catholic parishes spread out in Bielarussia. They visited Lida, Minsk, Buclaw, Glebokie, Parafianowo, Udzial, Polock, Witebsk, Orsza, Mohylew, Bobrujsk, Homel, Mozyr, Pinsk, Lahiszyn, Slonim, Nowa Mysz, Baranowicze, Nowogrodek, Holszany, Boruny, Oszmiana, and Wilno with Ejszyszki in Lithuania. The sisters traveled with relics for two weeks.
In 1991, the house became the Sanctuary of the Blessed Boleslawa Lament. It is visited by many pilgrims and tourists from the East: Bialorus, Estonia, Litwa, Lotwa, Ukraina, and Krym. Those pilgrims are people of various religions such as catholics, orthodox, protestants, lutherans, and muslims. The house is open toward the new tasks according to the needs of the church and the congregation itself. It has become a center for many religious groups from Bialystok. They organize the retreats, meetings, and days of recollection.
On November 14, 1991 the relics of Blessed Boleslawa were transferred from the Bialystok cathedral to the Sanctuary on Stoleczna 5. The procession with relics was led by the Archbishop of Pinsk, Kazimierz Swiatek. Many priests, religious, and laity from Bialystok and neighboring cities participated in that celebration.
The prayer for graces:
O God, for the greater Glory of your Name, you willed that Blessed Boleslawa dedicated her work for the unity of Christians. Through her intercession, we pray that those consecrated by one baptism would become one in faith and brotherly love under the leadership of the One Shepherd. Grant me the grace ................that I ask of You with great trust. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We would like to hear about the graces received through the intercession of Blessed Boleslawa. Please, write to:
Siostry Misjonarki Świętej Rodziny
ul. Słowackiego 11
05-806 Komorów k. Warszawy
or call:
(0 22) 798 1767
or e-mail:
msfsekr@poczta.onet.pl
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