Published: December 6, 2009
If you wanted to describe the late Father Walter J. Ciszek, S.J. to someone who did not know about him and his extraordinary life, there are four words that should be used: Kindness. Joy. Faith. Prayer.
Of course, those words are just the tip of the iceberg on who Ciszek was. Tuesday marks the 25th anniversary of his death, and a quarter of a century after his passing, Ciszek's life and his words still resonate with people around the world as he continues to point to the need to abandon oneself to the will of God - no matter what the circumstances.
The cause for the canonization of Father Ciszek is ongoing. All files and documents have been sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican and await their review.
The date of his death, Dec. 8, 1984, at the age of 80 has some significance to those who see him as model of living the Christian life. In the Catholic Church, Dec. 8 is celebrated as the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a Marian feast day, and Ciszek had a profound devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, identified in the Eastern Christian tradition as the "Theotokos" ("God-bearer"). His death on such a major Marian holy day is looked at by some as a sign from heaven.
A native of Shenandoah, Walter Joseph Ciszek was born Nov. 4, 1904, to Polish immigrants Martin and Caroline Ciszek, who came to the United States in the 1890s. He was baptized in St. Casimir Roman Catholic Church in Shenandoah. While growing up, he has been described as a "tough," and was known to get into trouble. At one point, his father took him to the borough police station to let them deal with him. It was after this that he shocked everyone by expressing his desire to become a priest.
Click here to read the entire article at Hazleton's Republican Herald's website.