PRAYER THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF A MURDERER
THE SECOND PART
FR. ANDRZEJ OSST
In ‘Niedziela’ no 1/2017 we published a report by Monika Rogozińska on a spectacle ‘Prayer through the intercession of a murderer’. Actors and creators of the Art Direction were prisoners of the detention centre in Kraków-Podgórze. They based the play on a diary of Jacques Fesch who had converted himself before being guillotined for a murder, which had an influence on attitudes of others. His beatification process is taking place. Prisoners of the detention centre in Kraków-Podgórze pray with their chaplain Fr. Andrzej from the Trinitarians to the God’s servant Jacques Fesch for a miracle of awakening 10-year-old Wojtek from coma lasting over a year. They dedicated the play just to him. The boy’s parents took him to the detention centre to the Holy Mass. The letter which we publish here, was sent to us by the prison chaplain.
Today’s Sunday Eucharist in our prison chapel was full of emotions. Singing carols with the accompaniment of an accordion, a lot of prisoners attending the Holy Communion in the intention of Wojtek, whom they could see and kiss him. The boy’s parents and grandparents, as well as the convicts had tears of emotions, when seeing that their prayer in the intention of the boy was a great support for the family. I asked them to imagine themselves in their situation. And everything was clear….without any comments. The Homily was not given that day. Something else was expressed. I saw the looks of men fixed at the boy, his family and at the image of Jacques Fesch which hangs on the pulpit till today (it has not been a cult yet, but a courageous encouragement to pray through the intercession of this candidate for beatification). I prepared the image of Fesch also for prisoners, and photos of Wojtek were brought by his parents. Prisoners who want to get more engaged in prayer could take them. Each person randomly chose a fragment of a prison diary of the converted prisoner – a kind of a set.
We are supporting this family with our prayer – this is the most important. We do not know whether Jesus will allow for the miracle. Maybe in God’s plans Fesch has a different reservation, we do not know it; we must trust God’s will – I encourage everybody to it and in this way I explain the sense of our prayer engagement to which everybody can join.
From today Wojtek has also got a lot of friends in prison, who are as dear as family. We support one another and we are looking at the future hopefully. Time spent in prison is often building a relation with God anew. Jacques Fesch wrote that God lets others meet Him even in prison. I often remind prisoners that the prayer which is said behind the bars, is always heard by God. Maybe they will write about it themselves one day…
We think that our prayer venture has depth and includes particular message. It concerns life taken away by Fesch and life of which Fesch was deprived, and today we are begging Heaven to give life to Wojtek. A lot of people cannot simply understand it.
God bless you
AA
„Niedziela” 06/2017