It happened on October 8, 1966. On that day, Archbishop Wojtyła, who was already the Archbishop of Kraków called in Fr. Dziwisz. “Please come over to me. To help me…” He chose him as he always heard good opinions about him. And so, from that moment their life paths crossed for good. Fr. Stanisław took up the residence by Franciszkańska Street and the new extraordinary, unimaginable adventure started for him. Already when I met him, at first as a teacher at the seminary, he seemed to me to be a saint. I have convinced myself of this even more, by living and working at his side; watching him when he was praying and especially when he celebrated the Eucharist. It was not only the most important, central moment of each day, the most holy. It was the deepest need of his soul. He was preparing to celebrate a Mass focused and in silence. In these moments, he did not want to talk with anyone, unless it was absolutely necessary. His heart and mind were already in another world, at the conversation with God. After each Mass, he spent fifteen minutes in thanksgiving. And so, living beside him, I was deepening the meaning of the priesthood; the priest as a man of the word of God, the Sacraments, the “Mystery of Faith”. Hence, priesthood not as belonging to some sort of class, caste, but as a choice of life inspired by Gospel’s radicalism; priesthood as a presence among people of God, as a transparent and reliable witness to Christ and His Gospel. Without fear of going against the tide, speaking words different from those which impose culture and fashion. In other words – as the Archbishop was always saying – as a priest remains constantly in contact with the holiness of God, he must become a Saint.
At the permission of Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz – “At the side of the Saint”
St. Stanislaus BM Publisher, Kraków 2013
