- svd-generalate
- / Fr. Anselmo R. Ribeiro / Superior General
- / Fr. General's Visit / SVD@150
Father General Anselmo Ribeiro Visits Poland
Andrzej Danilewicz SVD
A Renewed Museum with a Global Mission
The Pieniężno museum is one of the province’s most important tools for mission animation and is believed to house the largest collection of its kind in Poland. With around 14,000 objects—9,000 of them fully cataloged—the collection includes gifts from Polish missionaries, artifacts transferred from the closed SVD Mission Museum in Sankt Wendel, Germany, and items obtained via the SVD museum in Sankt Augustin, near Bonn.
According to its director, Fr. Wiesław Dudar SVD, the artifacts originate from 82 countries and reflect the lives, aspirations, and creativity of the people who made them.
The renovated museum now organizes its displays thematically rather than geographically. It features two main permanent exhibitions. “Being a Missionary” explains what mission is, why it is carried out, how missionaries are formed, and offers insights into St. Arnold Janssen, the founder of the SVD and two other missionary congregations. The second, larger exhibition—“The Same: Humanity in a World of Cultural Diversity”—explores universal human experiences such as survival, coexistence, faith, creativity, and the protection of cultural heritage. A smaller section highlights Christian art from mission territories.
While the museum includes interactive features, its heart remains the carefully lit exhibits—more than a thousand currently on display.
A Place of Encounter
Before the ribbon-cutting, Fr. Ribeiro, joined by Provincial Superior Fr. Sylwester Grabowski SVD and Bishop Jerzy Mazur SVD of Ełk, reflected on the deeper role of the museum. He emphasized that the artifacts are more than curiosities. They tell the stories of peoples and cultures different from Poland’s own, serving as a place of encounter where diversity meets unity. “This museum is not just for seeing something unusual and taking photos,” he said. “It invites us to discover the people behind the exhibits—people created by the same God, in whom He also works.”
A Gathering of Missionaries
The reopening coincided with the annual gathering of SVD missionaries and SSpS sisters on home leave, which this year brought together nearly 90 participants for four days of information-sharing, formation, and fellowship. The Father General used the occasion to present the global state of the congregation and the challenges it faces.
During the closing Mass, reflecting on the Gospel of the Good Samaritan, Fr. Ribeiro reminded participants that Christian love is not selective or conditional: “A neighbor is not chosen; a neighbor is found along the way.” He described the parable as a portrait of Christ Himself—the one who draws near to human poverty, heals wounds with mercy, and redeems humanity with His blood. Missionaries, he stressed, are called to reflect Christ’s compassion: “We do not go on mission for prestige or out of obligation, but out of compassion and obedience to the Gospel. Jesus’ words—‘Go and do likewise’—are not just advice but a missionary mandate.”
Visits Across the Province
During his 10-day stay, the Father General also visited several SVD communities in Poland. In Górna Grupa, in Pomerania, he spent time at the care facility for aging confreres and relatives of missionaries in need. In nearby Laskowice, he met with the local community and lay collaborators and blessed new facilities in the media center. At the novitiate house in Chludowo, near Poznań, he spoke with the only current SVD novice in Europe and his formator. He also spent time at the SVD retreat and holiday house in Krynica Morska.
Fr. Ribeiro was accompanied throughout his visit by Fr. Eryk Koppa SVD, General Councilor and former Provincial Superior.
