Vatican News / Artur Hanula
Greeting the Poles, the Pope recalled that Blessed Elżbieta Róża Czacka “bravely accepted her disability and became the ‘blind mother of the blind’, creating numerous works.” He encouraged them to give a witness with their lives that would open the eyes of many to the salvation offered to us by the Lord God.
Sister Elżbieta Róża Czacka is the founder of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters Servants of the Cross. Its charism is the service to blind people. The beatification process of Sister Czacka began in December 1987. On October 27, 2020, Pope Francis recognized a miracle through her intercession. She was beatified together with Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński on September 12, 2021, in Warsaw. The year 2026 has been established as the Year of Blessed Mother Elżbieta Róża Czacka.
We publish the full text of the papal greetings addressed to the Poles:
I warmly greet the Poles. You are celebrating the Year of Blessed Elżbieta Róża Czacka, who bravely accepted her disability and became the “blind mother of the blind,” creating numerous works. May the religious congregation she founded, which makes reparation to God for the spiritual blindness of the world, strengthen our witness so that many people may see God’s salvation. Praised be Jesus Christ!
Numerous pilgrims from Poland
Today’s general audience in St. Peter’s Square was attended by many Poles, including members of the “Misericordia” Choir from Świdnica (Diocese of Świdnica), pilgrims from the parish of St. Anthony of Padua in Wrocław-Karłowice, the faithful from the parish of the Holy Spirit in Siedlces, from the parish of St. Michael the Archangel in Żeleźnikowa Wielka, from the parish of St. Nicholas and Our Lady of the Snows in Kotliska – the faithful from Niwnice, from the parish of St. Martin in Podwilek, pilgrims from the Polish Catholic Mission in Paderborn, from the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Gdynia, from the parish of Divine Mercy in Ożarów Mazowiecki, from the parish of Christ the King in Kraków, and individual pilgrims from the country and abroad.
