Walter Ciszek
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Walter Ciszek | |
|---|---|
| Born | Walter Joseph Ciszek November 4, 1904 Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 8, 1984 (aged 80) Bronx, New York, U.S. |
Walter Joseph Ciszek,
Fifteen of these years were spent in
Since 1990, Ciszek's life has been under consideration by the Catholic Church for beatification. As of 2023[update] his title is Servant of God.
Early life and studies
Ciszek was born on November 4, 1904, in the mining town of
In 1934, Ciszek was sent to
His fellow Russicum seminarians included
In 1937, Ciszek was ordained a priest in the Byzantine Rite in Rome and took the name Vladimir.[6]
In 1938, Ciszek was sent to the Jesuit mission in Albertyn in eastern
Captivity in the Soviet Union
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Ciszek was arrested in 1941 under false accusations of
Ciszek was to remain in Lubyanka for four more years. In 1946, he was sent by train to
Throughout his lengthy imprisonment, Ciszek continued to pray, to offer both the
By April 22, 1955, Ciszek's sentence was complete, and he was released with the restriction to live only in the city of Norilsk. At this time, he was able to write to his sisters in the US.
After setting up a
Release and later life
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After nearly 23 years of imprisonment, Ciszek was released with American student Marvin Makinen on October 12, 1963. In exchange, the Soviets received
In 1965, Ciszek began working and lecturing at the John XXIII Center at Fordham University (now the Center for Eastern Christian Studies at the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania), counseling and offering spiritual direction to those who visited him.
On December 8, 1984, Ciszek died after many years of declining health and was buried at the Jesuit Cemetery in Wernersville, Pennsylvania.
Legacy
Nine recordings of interviews conducted with Ciszek (c. 1964) are archived at Georgetown University.
According to Constantin Simon, S.J., With God in Russia, Ciszek's memoir of his decades in the USSR, went through multiple editions in various languages, including French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish, and Slovak. Although it remains popular among Catholics in North America, the memoir has not gained the same popularity in Europe, where Ciszek has been eclipsed by fellow Russicum graduate and Gulag survivor Pietro Leoni.[7]
In 1985, a
The Walter Ciszek Prayer Circle continues to publicize and act to further his cause for beatification.[7]
Quotes
- "The power of prayer reaches beyond all efforts of man seeking to find meaning in life. This power is available to all; it can transform man's weaknesses, limitations, and his sufferings."[10]
- "Across that threshold I had been afraid to cross, things suddenly seemed so very simple. There was but a single vision, God, who was all in all; there was, but one will that directed all things, God's will. I had only to see it, to discern it in every circumstance in which I found myself, and let myself be ruled by it. God is in all things, sustains all things, directs all things. To discern this in every situation and circumstance, to see His will in all things, was to accept each circumstance and situation and let oneself be borne along in perfect confidence and trust. Nothing could separate me from Him because He was in all things. No danger could threaten me, no fear could shake me, except the fear of losing sight of Him. The future, hidden as it was, was hidden in His will and therefore acceptable to me no matter what it might bring. The past, with all its failures, was not forgotten; it remained to remind me of the weakness of human nature and the folly of putting any faith in self. But it no longer depressed me. I looked no longer to self to guide me, relied on it no longer in any way, so it could not again fail me. By renouncing, finally and completely, all control of my life and future destiny, I was relieved as a consequence of all responsibility. I was freed thereby from anxiety and worry, from every tension, and could float serenely upon the tide of God's sustaining providence in perfect peace of soul."[1]
- "His will for us was in the twenty-four hours of each day: the people, the places, the circumstances He set before us in that time. Those were the things God knew were important to Him and to us at that moment, and those were the things upon which He wanted us to act."[1]
Books
- With God in Russia, (with Daniel L. Flaherty, S.J.), a memoir (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964).
- He Leadeth Me, (with Daniel L. Flaherty, S.J.), a memoir (New York: Doubleday, 1973).
- With God in America (published posthumously), a memoir with primary sources (Chicago: Loyola Press, 2016).
References
- ^ ISBN 0-89870-546-0.
- ^ a b c "About Father Ciszek". The Father Walter Ciszek Prayer League. Archived from the original on 2022-08-09.
- S2CID 211646777.
- ^ David Alvarez and Robert A. Graham, S.J. (1997), Nothing Sacred: Nazi Espionage Against the Vatican, Frank Cass, London. Pages 114-139.
- ^ David Alvarez (2002), Spies in the Vatican: Espionage and Intrigue from Napoleon to the Holocaust, University Press of Kansas. Pages 222-236, 316-318.
- Roman Catholic Churchbut differ in rites, customs and canon law from the western, or Latin Rite Catholic Church. The majority of Catholics in Russia have always been members of the Latin Rite church, however.
- ^ a b Constantin Simon S.J. (2009), Pro Russia: The Russicum and Catholic Work for Russia, Orientalium. Page 481.
- ^ "Ciszek Collection // Raynor Memorial Libraries // Marquette University".
- ^ "Marquette to host Microsoft chief technology officer for Ciszek lecture // News Center // Marquette University".
- ^ "Walter Ciszek, SJ Tribute by Images of Heaven". Archived from the original on 2002-02-10. Retrieved 2005-11-07.
External links
- Details of Ciszek materials Archived 2012-02-04 at the Wayback Machine at Georgetown University library
- Time Magazine 1963 story on the release of Walter Ciszek
- Summary of the Writings of Walter Ciszek