Starting this September, the Saint Joseph Polish Catholic Apostolate of the Diocese of Camden is sponsoring “With God in Camden” – a four-part speaker and workshop series focusing on the book “He Leadeth Me” by Servant of God Jesuit Father J. Walter Ciszek.
Father Ciszek (1904-1984) was a Polish-American priest who survived almost 30 years as a political prisoner in Siberian labor camps and Soviet prisons during World War II. Nonetheless, he found ways to function as a priest in secret, celebrating Mass and sharing the Sacraments with the imprisoned.
“He was not looking to keep score, but wanted to save others from anguish in their life,” said Sue Ann Leighty, Father Ciszek’s grand-niece and one of the series’ guest speakers.
The sessions will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 15, Oct. 20, Nov. 10 and Dec. 15 in-person at Cathedral Hall in Camden (Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception) and via Zoom. Each session will consist of a short presentation followed by small group discussions. Presentations will be in English; the discussion groups will be in English, Spanish and Polish.
In addition to Leighty, executive director for Habitat for Humanity of Salem County, speakers will include Bishop Jeffrey J. Walsh of the Diocese of Gaylord, Mich.; Mother Marija of the Holy Annunciation Monastery in Sugarloaf, Pa.; and John M. DeJak, executive director, USCCB Secretariat of Catholic Education and co-editor of Father Ciszek’s book “With God in America.”
A Polish-American Jesuit priest originally from Shenandoah, Pa., Father Walter Ciszek returned to the United States in 1963. He worked at the John XXIII Center at Fordham University (now the Center for Eastern Christian Studies at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania), until his death. His cause for sainthood began in March 2012.
Leighty said her “Uncle Walter” was an integral part of her Catholic upbringing. The priest baptized both her brothers and took part in her First Communion, Confirmation and pre-Cana instruction as well as presiding over her marriage 44 years ago.
“He was an amazing influence, and you grew up thinking you were the most important person on earth,” she said. “His message is timeless: The trials and tribulations of life were not a waste of time … the prayer of the masses made a change.”
Michael Matulewicz, a parishioner at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden, said Father Ciszek’s strong faith enabled the priest to serve God and his people despite imprisonment.
“It is a story about how to overcome suffering, pray without ceasing and find peace in unimaginable horror,” he said. “It is a tremendous story. You come away from it seeing that no matter how horrible things are, you can overcome them with faith.”
Matulewicz, host of the “Pierogi to Prayer” podcast – which features discussions and interviews focusing on Polish history, customs, traditions and spirituality – admitted a secondary goal for the workshop series: It is a gateway to people finding the Diocese’s Saint Joseph Polish Catholic Apostolate.
For more information or to register for “With God in Camden,” go to withgodincamden.info. The cost is $15 plus the purchase of the book. Limited copies of “He Leadeth Me” are available to registrants in English, Polish and Spanish on weekdays at the Cathedral’s rectory, 642 Market St., Camden, or Sundays after the 10 a.m. Mass at Saint Joseph Polish Church, 1010 Liberty St., Camden.
Registration deadline is Sept. 8.
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