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February 18, 2022BY CHRISTINA GALEONE
CFP CORRESPONDENT
Father Joseph Roesch, vicar general of the Marians of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Rome, began his 17th Annual Divine Mercy Medicine, Bioethics and Spirituality Conference online presentation by talking about a Franciscan martyr.
He was recording his talk on Aug. 14, the 80th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Maximilian Kolbe, the Franciscan friar who selflessly convinced the Nazis to kill him instead of another prisoner who had a wife and children. Father Roesche noted that the saint, for whom his family has a special affection, used to begin every meeting praying the Hail Mary. He then did the same.
Because the saint is a perfect example of someone whose heart overflowed with God’s love, it was a fitting way to begin. The talk, “Making Room for God in Patient Care: Lessons from the 350-year History of the Congregation of Marians,” was part of the first day of the virtual conference sponsored by Healthcare Professionals for Divine Mercy. It was held online Feb. 11 to Feb. 13.
By contemplating examples of how members of the Marian Congregation have done so in similarly turbulent times, healthcare professionals could make room for God in their hearts, which will enhance their ability to help their patients.
Father Roesche shared one of the ways that the Congregation of Marians was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The order wasn’t able to celebrate its 350th jubilee in the way the members had hoped. But the prayer of self-offering that the congregation’s founder, St. Stanislaus Papczynski, made upon founding the congregation, helped the members to celebrate in a way that was just as poignant and powerful.
“So, last December, in commemoration of our beginning, instead of renewing our vows through the usual formula that we use today, all of the Marians around the world, instead, on that occasion, repeated the words of our founder … of his self-offering, because we want to make the same offer of ourselves to God; we want to make ourselves available for what the Lord is calling us to do,” Father Roesche said.
He added, “By opening ourselves to God in this way, we make room for God to work in our lives and in our hearts. It becomes not just our human efforts, but Jesus comes to work in and through us.”
He also spoke about how the pandemic has affected healthcare workers. Be-cause his niece, Mary, is a nurse and her husband, Dillon, is a doctor, he’s aware of how smaller hospitals have had to deal with the stress of staffing shortages, and larger hospitals have had to face massive numbers of COVID-19 patients as well as many violent people struggling with drug addiction. He prayed that Jesus and Mary would always be with healthcare workers in their endeavors.
He suggested that healthcare workers find inspiration in the Marians.
“Each of you, I would suggest, make a morning offering each day. That’s a wonderful practice,” he said.
He added, “You won’t get exhausted by just relying on your own strength. But you’ll be inviting Jesus to come to work in and through you. You’ll be making room for him.”
Father Roesche illustrated several stunning examples of how saints, martyrs and others from the Congregation of Marians filled their hearts with God’s love. He revealed how they endured different forms of suffering to minister to their flocks. The heroic efforts that he mentioned were accomplished through people including St. Stanislaus Papczynski, Blessed Anthony Leszczewicz and Blessed George Kaszyra.
He also recounted the martyrdom of Servant of God Janis Mendriks, a Latvian member of the Congregation of Marians, who was killed while in prison in Siberia, where he ministered to other prisoners.
“Now, at one point, there was a prisoner strike to regain some of their freedoms after the death of Stalin in 1953,” Father Roesche said. “The armed forces were called in to restore order. So, (Father Janis Mendriks) wanted to be in the frontline of prisoners where they were dying. And he was shot dead while reciting the formula of absolution for someone.”
He suggested that healthcare workers seek the intercession of the Marian martyrs.
“Let’s turn to them to ask them to pray for us that we too can make room for God in our hearts; that we can invite Jesus to strengthen us in our work and in our ministry and help us so we can collaborate with one another,” he said. “They’ll teach us many things.”
Father Roesch was one of the speakers who taught more than 250 conference attendees many things. “They really did such an outstanding job,” said Marie Romagnano, Healthcare Professionals for Divine Mercy founder who organized the conference. She noted that she was really excited to see awareness raised about the threat of medical assistance in dying – which was previously called physician-assisted suicide – by Father Kazimierz Chwalek. And she praised the vital talk that Bishop McManus gave titled “Eucharistic Consistency of Catholic Health Workers and Catholic Legislators in Light of Samanitanus Bonus,” She was happy that many attendees were engaged and asked thoughtful questions.
“This has really proved to be a wonderful, wonderful event,” she added.
– The Divine Mercy Medicine, Bioethics and Spirituality Conference will be re-broadcast May 13-15. More information about registering for it can be found at www.thedivinemercy.org/healthcare/.
