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Servant of God Marian Zelazek, SVD
Kurian Kurian Thazhathuveetil, SVD
Servant of God {SG} Marian Zelazek, SVD is known to me from the time I was a seminarian, and more specially during my stay with him the last two years of his life, from 2004 -2006. I am also privileged to know him even after his death, as I am promoting his cause for sainthood as postulator. Not only I admire him, but also I am inspired and influenced by him. So I have experienced him as a unique Divine Word missionary who has Scripted the SVD Story in a heroic way, as a Faithful and Creative disciple in a wounded and divided world.
My Personal experiences of Marian
I consider it a privilege and blessing to be accompanied by Marian, to meet four of his brothers and three of his sisters and their families in Poland, Argentina and in Italy and his co-missionaries. And to have visited his birthplace, Concentration Camp site at Dachau, Rome and his mission lands in Odisha. They all contributed to him to become what he was and what he is becoming. His heart was fully with them all.
My perception of his missionary journey. Marian set foot in the land of Orissa on the 1st of April 1950, later the foundation day of Orissa State. It marked the starting of his long 56 years of mission in India. He dedicated his missionary life to the people of Orissa – 25 years mainly to the Adivasis (tribals) of North-western Odisha and 31 years mainly to Hindus and Buddhists, more specially to the ostracised and suffering people of Puri and the surroundings. All thru his life he remained a Faithful and Creative disciple of Christ in a divided and wounded world. He lived with his own woundedness and that of the people who were part of him. Marian’s life and death were a testimony to the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which motivated and energized his life and mission.
Outgoing and Befriending: I have found him as a person effortlessly outgoing and befriending. He reached out to the leprosy patients on the streets to the Chief Priest of Jagannath Mandir with an Open Mind and Heart. He crossed the narrow boundaries of caste, colour, socio-economic standing etc. and reached out to everyone, especially to those discriminated and are on the margins of the society. Marian’s experience of the Divine, was concretised in the traditional Catholic understanding of God and the approved expressions of faith.
Open Mind and Heart: Thanks to his open Mind and Heart, he realized that he had to find his bodily nourishment from the food produced by the hard work of his people. He also received spiritual nourishment from the simple faith and love of his people. He was moved by the faith of the young Christian communities and the way they lived the Gospel values. He also found inspiration from the faith and values of the people of other faiths and cultures. He acknowledged that he was not only at the giving end but also very much on the receiving end. He realised that he had to learn many things from the people and God’s creation.
Marian’s life and mission as Dialogue
Marian was a person of Dialogue – dialogue with Jesus Christ, Lord Jagannath, with people of other faiths and cultures, and with God’s creation. and Lord Jagannath. He gave priority to dialogue with the poor and the ostracised, like the lepers, whom he enabled to regain their human dignity. Thus Jesus words: “When you have done it to the least of your brothers and sisters, you have done it to me” became more and more real to him. He realized that the one who is in touch with the Human and the rest of Creation is truly in touch with the Divine.
Only those who recognise their brothers and sisters and love them as themselves are in touch with the Divine. The more he got into the mystery of this Truth, the more awestruck he was. He was filled with joy and hope to be one among the numerous pilgrims journeying together to their final destination. He was overjoyed at the thought of being a part of the Divine – a member of the human family and the heavenly family. ‘Oh how wonderful it would be in the company of all saints, creating the harmony of numerous strings and numerous stars’. He wrote to his well wishes and donors in his Christmas letter of 2005, referring to ‘Gitanjali’ of Rabindranath Tagore.
What is the current stage of Marian’s Beatification process?
He died at the age of 88 on 30th April 2006. His beatification process, at the Diocesan level was initiated on 25th of August 2018 and it is in progress. As he faced hardships and road blocks in his life from his childhood, his beatification process has been facing obstacles like the Corona lockdown and the death of the first Episcopal delegate. Most of his writings and other documents connected with him are in Polish, German and Italian and translating them into English has been very demanding and time taking.
What is done and to be done?
The various Commissions, the Diocesan Tribunal and all the officials required for the Diocesan Process are in place and functional. The Report of Theological Censures are ready and submitted to the Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar.
The Diocesan Tribunal has conducted the Interviews of most of the selected Witnesses. Besides, there are number of Testimonies of the people who have known SG Marian closely, many of them cured leprosy patients and poor people, who have been beneficiaries of SG Marian’s Compassionate, self-giving love of a ‘Bapa’ (Daddy). All the above documents are being arranged as per the guidelines of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints.
What is yet to be done?
Preparing the Historical Report making use of the historical documents and other information collected is a task to be competed.
Diocesan Process initiated by the Archbishop of Poznan, Poland at the request of the Archbishop of Cuttack- Bhubaneswar has been completed and the documents are submitted to Archbishop John Barwa, SVD. Besides much promotional efforts are done by the SVD Polish Province.
Continued Promotion of Marian’s Cause
We should pray for his beatification and pray through his intercession for the needs of the Church and our own needs. We need to present to the youth and younger generations the values for which SG Marian lived; present him as a genuine model of Dialogue.
We need to revitalise the promotional efforts of Marian’s Cause and keep his memory alive and active by using all modern means available. We could make use of the Documentaries, Videos, Biography, leaflets and other promotional materials available. Besides, we could make use of other modern media. More promotional materials to be prepared in Indian languages. I hope to publish soon a short Biography of SG Marian in Odiya so that High School and College students and those who have not been familiar with Marian could know him.
