General Visitation of Mary the Queen Province in Poland
“Do whatever He tells you.” (Jn 2:5)
In the gentle light of early autumn, from 24 September to 30 October 2025, the General Visitation of Mary the Queen Province unfolded across Poland, a pilgrimage of encounter, reflection, and renewal. Guided by the theme of the XXI General Chapter: Do whatever He tells you this visitation became a living expression of Mary’s faith, echoing her quiet readiness to cooperate with God’s plan.
The Superior General, Sr. Josephina D’Souza, together with Sr. Małgorzata Wyrodek, Vicar General, and accompanied by Sr. Marie Claire Mukeshimana, General Councillor, and Sr. Beata Matuszewska, General Secretary, visited the Polish communities with hearts open to listen, encourage, and share the life of their sisters. They were warmly welcomed by Sr. Iwona Nadziejko, Provincial Superior, her Council, and the community of the Provincial House. The visitation coincided with the Jubilee Year of Hope, filling all our encounters with a deeper spiritual meaning.
Throughout the weeks of the visitation, the communities welcomed their Visitators with joy and simplicity. Sr. Josephina D’Souza, Superior General, visited the communities of Poznań, Gniezno, Chojnice, Bobolice, Koszalin, Lidzbark Warmiński, Pisz, Białystok, Rudnik nad Sanem, and Zakopane. At the same time, Sr. Małgorzata Wyrodek, Vicar General, visited the communities stretching from the Baltic coast Gdańsk-Sobieszewo, Gdańsk-Malczewskiego, Gdańsk-Nowickiego, through Warszawa, Ołtarzew, Ursus (Wojciechowskiego and Sosnkowskiego), Warszawa-Miodowa, Warszawa-Wolbromska, Częstochowa, and finally to Kraków.
Every visit became a moment of grace, marked by prayer, dialogue, and sisterly sharing. Each encounter became a small Cenacle, a sacred space where faith was rekindled, love deepened, and the bonds of sisterhood strengthened.
The Polish Province reveals a beautiful diversity that reflects the rhythm of consecrated life itself. Many of our elderly Sisters, residing in Gniezno, Gdańsk, and smaller communities, continue to offer the silent apostolate of intercession. Despite their frailty, their serene witness radiates faith and joy. They are the province’s living memory, a treasury of prayer and fidelity.
Other Sisters remain actively engaged in apostolic service: in schools, parishes, care centres, and pastoral initiatives. Their tireless dedication ensures that the spirit of St. Vincent Pallotti, to revive faith and rekindle charity continues to bear fruit in the daily life of the Church. The younger Sisters, though fewer in number, carry the same charism forward with courage and enthusiasm. Their presence brings freshness, creativity, and hope; the promise of a future already taking root.
During the visitation, Sr. Josephina and Sr. Małgorzata met personally with each Sister, listening to them with attentiveness and compassion. They also visited apostolic works and shared moments of communion with bishops, priests, Pallottine Fathers, and members of the Union of the Catholic Apostolate (UAC). These encounters renewed the sense of shared mission within the larger Pallottine Family, reminding all that collaboration is at the heart of our Founder’s vision: the Church as one body, animated by universal apostolic zeal.
The Sisters of the Polish Province expressed profound gratitude for the presence of the General Superior and her Vicar. They recognized in their visit not only the guidance of leadership, but the tenderness of a sisterly heart, a reflection of the Church’s own maternal face. As many sisters shared, this time was experienced as “a visitation of grace,” a reaffirmation that God still works powerfully in the simplicity of community life. At the same time, it was a time to express our concerns about our present day and our future in the Congregation.
In the final days of October, Sr. Adelheid Scheloske, General Councillor and General Treasurer, and Sr. Alda Isa Paes, General Councillor, joined the Sisters in Poland.
On 28th October, the entire General Administration together with Sr. Iwona made a pilgrimage to the Marian Shrine of Jasna Góra in Czestochowa, entrusting the Province, the Congregation, and all collaborators to Our Lady, Queen of Apostles. Before Her Icon, hearts were united in prayerful thanksgiving and renewed commitment to the mission of Christ.
The visitation concluded in an atmosphere of serenity and gratitude. Our Pallottine charism continues to blossom wherever love becomes service and faith becomes life. As one of our Sisters said, “It was as if Mary herself had passed among us, quietly renewing our hope.”
We give thanks to Divine Providence for this time of blessing and to Our Lady, Queen of Apostles, for her unfailing protection. With filial affection, we express deep gratitude to Sr. Josephina D’Souza, Superior General, and Sr. Małgorzata for their wisdom and maternal care, and to Sr. Iwona Nadziejko, Provincial Superior, and her Council, for their generous collaboration.
May God, Infinite Love, continue to sustain Mary the Queen Province with grace, unity, and the gift of new vocations so that, inspired by St. Vincent Pallotti, we may persevere in our mission to make Christ known and loved by all.
Text: Sr. Beata Matuszewska, SAC and Sr. Marie Claire Mukeshimana, SAC
Photos: Sisters of the Polish Province