Saint of the Month: Blessed Malgorzata Szewczyk* & Matthew 25 Workcampers
Lucja Szewczyk was born to Polish parents in what was then Ukraine. She became a Third Order Franciscan. In 1870, she undertook a long and difficult pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where she remained for three years. Moved at finding herself in the very land where Jesus had lived and suffered, she made a vow to dedicate herself to God’s service, and so, while still there, she began caring for other sick and elderly pilgrims. Eventually she returned to Poland, settling in Warsaw, where she worked in an orphanage. With the encouragement of her confessor, to whom she confided her desire to pursue religious life, she took private religious vows. Immediately she welcomed two old women to share her apartment. Before long, with other helpers, she rented another apartment, and then a house with a garden where they could provide hospitality to the sick and elderly. So as not to attract attention, they wore secular clothes. But eventually, in 1881, they founded a new order, the Seraphic Sisters, with Lucja—now Mother Malgorzata—as superior. She was beatified in 2013.
Like Blessed Malgorzata, our youth and adults serve many people during our Matthew 25 Workcamp that finished up last week. They visit many local places to be the hands and feet of Jesus. They often visit parishioners at their homes and do yard work, clean, paint, and spend time with them. “We were blessed that these good Christians were willing to give of their time and energy to help us,” said Ingrid Filipiak of the workcamp crew who cleaned up her and husband Don’s huge backyard on a hot and humid day last week. “We were very grateful for their help and prayed that God would shower them with special blessings.”
Workcampers also visit many facilities who help those in need such as farms, meal programs, food pantries, clothing centers, senior living centers and many other organizations. “It has made me a lot stronger in my faith, especially in the part of my faith that is connected to community,” said Emma W. about serving last week. “I feel that this is an opportunity to connect faith and community, one that doesn’t or can’t happen in most places, especially for those who go to public school and aren’t around many Catholic teens.”
Just like blessed Malgorzata, these youth and adults have touched thousands of lives because of their love for God and His people. One adult saw God in the development and joy of the workcamp teams: “Watching the relationships of the kids grow throughout the day. And even when pulling weeds, they can be singing through it all.” We are blessed to have Matthew 25 Workcamp to put faith into action by serving those in need. Our Workcampers are truly saints of Good Shepherd!
*Blessed Malgorzata Szewczyk excerpts courtesy of the June 5 “Blessed Among Us” feature on giveusthisday.org.
