Z dziejów duszpasterstwa akademickiego w Poznaniu (1919-1939)

Abstract

As result of efforts made by the authorities and the Poznan community, in 1919 the University of Poznan, and then other types of higher schools were established there. The students coming to Poznan had to be given pastoral care. Responsibility (because of the place it was in) lay with the Poznan archbishop, who at the same time was the Gniezno Archbishop and the Primate of Poland. At that time the office was held by Cardinal Edmund Dalbor. He considered care of academic youth as especially important. This is why in the years 1919-1939 the archbishop’s office had all the files connected with the Academic Pastoral Center in Poznan. In the Primate’s Office the School Department, that worked until 31. January 1932, took special care of the Academic Center. In the place of the Department Cardinal August Hlond established a special department that was called Retreat Office. The tasks of the Office were defined in five paragraphs: 1. propagating the idea and the movement of closed retreat; 2. assistance in finding retreat houses and priests who can run them; 3. striving after establishing archdiocesan retreat houses; 4. collecting statistics about closed retreats in both dioceses; 5. maintaining the communication with retreat movement in Poland and abroad. The documents concerning the Academic Pastoral Center in Poznań, gathered by the Archbishop’s Office, were included into Part II of the Office of the Primate of Poland. They are kept in one file that is called “Academic Pastoral Center” After establishing the University of Poznan, Primate Dalbor commended the Center to Rev. Józef Prądzyński’s care; Rev. Prądzyński was the canon with the Maria Magdalena Collegiate Church in Poznan; he took office as the academic pastor on 26 December 1919. Unfortunately, the Center did not have its own chapel or church, and hence the services were held in many different places; initially in the Skórzewskis’ chapel. They were silent Holy Masses with a ten-minute homily. Then services for students were held at the Franciscan church, on Sundays and holidays at 12 o’clock a.m. Rev. Józef Prądzyński kept making appeals, asking for appointing a special church for student services, so that they would not interfere with the Holy Masses for the “owners” of the church. The next temporary church given to the Center was the Lord Jesus’ Most Holy Blood Church in Żydowska Street. The service for students consisted of the Holy Mass and a homily. The homilies were preached by the academic pastor, by two professors of the Theological Seminary and by the Chancellor of the Archiépiscopal Curia. In 1922 the Rector of the University suggested that the Primate should make efforts to build an academic church. The matter gained momentum in 1926, when a new student hostel was built in Wały Leszczyńskiego. In 1928 the academic chapel was set up there. It was to be the beginning of the future academic church. The university promised to cover all the costs connected with maintaining it. Unfortunately, also this chapel proved to be too small for the increasing number of students. This is why building a new academic church was still given much thought. The students themselves suggested building a votive church to thank God for regaining Polish independence. This could happen after building the monument of Lord Jesus’ Most Holy Heart; then a university-votive church would be erected. The number of student organizations and Catholic associations was constantly increasing. A new church would certainly solve the problem of academic pastorate work that would be centered in one place. On 16. September the Cardinal Primate appointed Prelate Doctor Teodor Taczak, the parish priest in the St Martin parish in Poznan, to the position of the new academic pastor (Rev. Józef Prądzyński resigned from the office on 16. September 1934, after many mishaps caused by the Rector of the University). To help the pastorate develop properly, the Primate appointed Rev. Walerian Krzymiński a special assistant to the new pastor. Under the care of the Academic Pastorate Center there were two higher schools working in Poznań (University of Poznań and Higher Trade School). New associations of Catholic youth were established; however, activity of political parties as such was not to be noticed. In 1938 the Primate confided the Center to the Dominican Friars who were coming back to Poznań. They committed themselves to build a university church next to their monastery. The church was to have the invocation of the Virgin Mary of the Rosary. Unfortunately, the outbreak of World War II upset these plans, and it was only after 1945 that they were reverted to. The Poznań academic pastorate played an immense role in forming the new generation of Poles who were entering social life of the reborn Poland. It offered religious service; one could attend the Holy Mass and annual retreats as well as pilgrimages, meetings, lectures, and many others that it organized. Owing to this the young people felt strong support and did not feel lonely in those difficult times.