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Poland is indeed a bright spot. I was in Poland for the first time in early October with a small tour group.

Our first day in Warsaw we stopped at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church for a Mass. Outside the church is the grave of a very brave, heroic young priest named Fr. Jerzy Popieluszko. This man was the chaplain of the Solidarity union in Warsaw for the steel mill workers. Fr. Jerzy bravely stood up for the workers rights, and against the totalitarian Communist regime. For his efforts, the secret police brutally murdered him. It is claimed that about 1 million Poles attended his funeral. Attached to the church is small museum on the history of the struggle to overthrow the Communist martial law in Poland. St. Stanislaus Church was the epicenter of the resistance, and contributed mightily to the overthrow of the communists in all of Eastern Europe.

Remember the name Jerzy Popieluszko, a brave and holy man, whose imitation of Christ in his homilies to his people united the population to resist tyranny without anger, without malice, and with forgiveness in their hearts. At his funeral about 1 million people attended, and there was no riots, bomb throwing, physical harm to the police, or arson. Fr Jerzy has been recognized by the Catholic Church as a candidate for canonization as a saint. He is now called Blessed Fr. Jerzy.

A miracle in France is now nearing completion in its investigation as to authenticity. If it is approved as a genuine miracle, Fr. Jerzy will be proclaimed as a saint. The miracle is this. Fr. Bernard Brien was called to the bedside of a dying man; a man who had incurable leukemia. He had received treatments to stop the leukemia or to put him in remission, all without any success. His health was failing rapidly and the family was planning his funeral. When the priest entered the room the patient was comatose. Fr. Bernard prayed by the bedside of the patient, administered the sacrament of the sick/dying, and the realized the date was September 14th. it was the birthday of Fr. Jerzy, a man whom Fr. Bernard Brien greatly admired, and who wished to see Fr. Jerzy named as a saint. So according to Fr. Brien, he talked to Fr. Jerzy in prayer saying, “Listen Fr. Jerzy, today is your birthday. What better day could there be for a miracle? We need a miracle to save this man’s life.” After finishing his prayers, Fr. Bernard left the room.

The next morning Fr. Bernard Brien received a phone call from the patient’s wife. Expecting to hear that the man had died, he was startled to hear the wife tell him that “very shortly after Fr. Bernard had left the room, her husband woke up and began asking questions. The doctors are amazed that the patient seems to be cured of his leukemia.”

According the Fr. Bernard Brien, he did not come forth with his testimony for about 6 months after the supposed incident/miracle. When the medical and religious authorities announced that they could not explain the sudden cure and health of the patient Fr. Brien went to the investigators and explained his story. Well, that opened up another investigation into the truthfullness of Fr. Bernard’s claim.

The Polish people love Ronald Reagan for his moral support during their suffering under Communism. In 1987 during RR’s administration, VP George HW Bush visited Poland and paid a visit to the grave of Blessed Fr. Jerzy Polieluszko.

It is amazing that the news media told us little about this remarkable man, whose true bravery, patriotism, and love of Jesus Christ transformed the face of Poland and the entire communist block of nations.

Look up his name. You will be inspired.