SHE GIVES A TESTIMONY OF JOHN PAUL II
URSZULA BUGLEWICZ
The management of the Academic Society of the Catholic University of Lublin, granted the annual reward named Fr. Giles Radziszewski – the founder and the first rector of the Catholic University of Lublin – to sister prof. Zofia Józefa Zdybicka USJK, as a recognition of the whole academic achievements in the spirit of the Christian humanism
The ceremony of granting this prestigious reward took place on 28 March 2014 during a public meeting of the Academic Society of the Catholic University of Lublin. The meeting was enriched with the presence of the members of the Academic Society of the Catholic University of Lublin, bishops Tadeusz Pikus, Józef Wróbel and ArturMiziński, the general superior of the Sisters of Ursuline of Heart of Dying Jesus mother Franciszka Sagun and cooperators, relatives and friends of sister Zdybicka. As Fr. prof. Augustyn Eckmann, the chairman of the Academic Society of the Catholic University of Lublin emphasized, the laureate of the reward can be included to the most important representatives of the contemporary philosophy of existence. – Her scientific investigations are concentrated on philosophical issue of God, atheism, religion and relation of religion to other spheres of the culture. Her contribution in this issue is impressive – he said.
Sister prof. Zofia J. Zdybicka is the 38th laureate of the award which was granted to among the others, cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, Fr. Mieczysław Albert Krąpiec OP, Fr. Józef Krukowski and Anna Świderkówna.
She loved the truth
The person of the laureate and her achievements in the scientific sphere was presented by Fr. prof. Piotr Moskal.- Somebody who was lucky to meet with sister prof. Zofia Zdybicka knows that he met with a wise and good woman. Loving the truth and showing it, serving to the truth – here is what characterizes the laureate – he said. As he reminded, sister Zofia Józefa Zdybicka was born on 5 August 1928 in Kraśnik Lubelski. After passing her secondary school exams she joined the Sisters of Ursuline of Heart of Dying Jesus. In 1956 she started studies at the Faculty of Christian Philosophy at the Catholic University of Lublin and since then she had stayed at the university, doing her academic career till she gained the professor’s degree. Sister Zdybicka made her first steps in studying philosophy under the supervision of great people, among the others, bishop Karol Wojtyła and Fr. Mieczysław A.Krąpiec. These meetings left behind a permanent sign in her personal and academic life.
Undertaking many functions at the University, Sister Professor ran a wide didactic activity. – Her classes were courses and monographic lectures about God’s philosophy and religion philosophy. She has promoted about 100 graduates of Masters’ studies and 25 PhD graduates, among whom a few gained the degree of Professor’s Assistant and the professor’s degree. Her academic achievements are nearly 400 scientific texts – said Fr. prof. Moskal. As the laudatory emphasized, sister prof. Zofia Zdybicka is one of the main representatives of the Philosophical School in Lublin. She moves within the philosophy of being, that is, philosophy which is aimed at getting to know really existing reality, its understanding based on the final explanation. What is special and profound, are her investigations of the problem of relation between the world and God, transcendence and immanence of God towards the world, participation of contingent beings in the absolute being.
In laudation of Fr. prof. Moskal an unusual friendship was emphasized, which was between the laureate of the award and John Paul II. –The last years are the time of the testimony of sister Zdybicka about one of the greatest masters, about longtime director of the Ethics Department at the Faculty of Philosophy at the Catholic University of Lublin – about Karol Wojtyła, blessed and soon saint pope John Paul II. Sister professor did not only write an excellent book about the Pope, but she also runs the activity of reading. She gives a testimony about John Paul II - said priest professor.
A student of John Paul II
After granting the award by Fr. prof. Augustyn Eckmann – the chairman of the Academic Society of the Catholic University of Lublin and Fr. prof. Mirosław Sitarz – the general Secretary of the Academic Society of the Catholic University of Lublin, a speech was made by sister Zofia Zdybicka: - I want to thank cordially for the honourable distinction, which I accept with shyness but also with gratitude. I owe everything to the university and my professors among whom there was Fr. prof. Karol Wojtyła for over 20 years. The Church will make a mark of holiness on his heroic life soon. It is a special moment. So, having a possibility to speak, it is difficult not to remember at least a small part of his great thought, which was crystallized here.
According to the announcement, Sister Professor gave a lecture about ‘John Paul II about the need and role of philosophy in culture’. She mentioned fascination of John Paul II with the man, great care about the form of the human life and desire of helping the man in the fundamental sphere, in the sphere of the truth about the man. As she noted, his philosophy had concentrated on the most important question: Who am I, what is the sense and purpose of life? Calling John Paul II a consistent personalism follower both in the sphere of philosophy and theology, she mentioned a few of his valuable thoughts. – There is a glow of the truth about the man on the personal holy life of our professor and the great pope, as well as his participation in creating culture and civilization of the truth, good, life and love. Understanding his life and ministry is a factual calling for us and a light, encouragement and obliging testament, calling us to participate in creating and responsibility for the form of the contemporary science, philosophy, theology and culture – sister prof. Zdybicka emphasizes.
(AA)
"Niedziela" 15/2014