Jubilee of the Ursulines of Kraków, Poland

19/01/2026

On November 25, 2025, the Ursuline community in Kraków celebrated its 150th anniversary.

Fear not (…) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you (…)
When you walk through fire, you will not be burned (…)
For I am the Lord, your God (Is 43:1-3a).

Did our predecessors, the Ursulines of Poznań, whisper these words softly in prayer when they boarded the train from Poznań to Kraków 150 years ago? We can only guess. What is certain, however, is that they set off into the unknown with great faith and complete trust, relying on the One who had made this promise to them.

On Saturday, November 25, 2025, the Ursuline community in Kraków marked the 150th anniversary of the sisters’ arrival in the city.

The celebration began with a solemn Mass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, presided over by Bishop Damian Muskus OFM and accompanied by priests who serve us daily and are our friends. Also present were Fr. Paweł Holc CM, visitor of the missionary priests, and his confreres, Fr. Bronisław Fidelus and Fr. Robert Więcek SJ, who welcomed everyone on behalf of Father Provincial Jarosław Paszyński SJ. The liturgy was enriched by the Schola Cantorum of St. Mary’s Basilica and also by a wonderful group of liturgical servers directed by Tomasz Konturek, a former student of our school—as well as by the presence of the school banner from Ursuline Primary School No. 159 in Kraków.

The Provincial Prioress, Sr. Iwona Skorupa, the prioress of the Kraków house, Sr. Maria Jaworska, together with the community of sisters, Ursulines from many houses in Poland and Ukraine, and a large group of our current and former employees, teachers, parents, school and kindergarten children, students, graduates, and religious sisters from many congregations were also present. The Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus in Kraków, with their superior Sr. Ewa Protaś and the prioress of the Warsaw Center, Sr. Anna Renkiewicz, joined in the jubilee thanksgiving. Many others participated thanks to the online broadcast.

During his homily, Bishop Damian Muskus OFM reflected on the second part of the Gospel according to St. Luke, presenting the image of a caring gardener who patiently tends to a fig tree. He compared this daily effort to ensure that the tree bears fruit to the educational mission entrusted to the Ursulines for centuries—a mission inseparable from the witness of God’s love.

“Where did these sisters draw their strength, courage, and bravery?” asked the celebrant. “The invaders, the Nazis, the Stalinists did not succeed in breaking them. Nor will the new challenges of this era of spiritual indifference and distancing from the Church succeed in doing so.” Where did they find this strength and determination? The bishop answered by quoting St. Angela Merici: “Jesus Christ will never leave this Company as long as the world exists. For if He founded it in the beginning, who can uproot it?” It is Jesus Christ—His presence among us—who is the guarantor of our life and mission until the end of time. Bishop Damian’s words resonated deeply with us throughout the day.

After the Eucharist, we gathered in the Ignatianum University assembly hall. The performance by kindergarten children and students of our school, entitled “Animated by the Spirit of Saint Angela – Come and See,” was met with loud applause. Smiles lit up our faces as we watched the little ones, dressed in beautiful folk costumes, dance brilliantly to the songs. With tears in our eyes, we listened to the school choir, which showcased its full range—from patriotic to religious pieces.

The next item on the agenda was a lecture on the history of the Kraków house and the Ursuline community on Starowiślna Street, given by Sr. Iwona Naglik.

She took us on an incredible historical journey, during which we spiritually accompanied those who, 150 years ago, had the courage to leave their convent in Poznań and set out in search of opportunities to live the Ursuline charism. We heard the story of those who, both during times of persecution and during wars, worked tirelessly to educate future generations in a spirit of patriotism and love of God—those who, during World War II, distributed hundreds of meals daily, welcomed refugees into their homes, cared for wounded soldiers, and provided clandestine education. Ursulines full of faith, who risked and gave, drop by drop, their lives—like Blessed Klemensa Staszewska, who until her last breath in the extermination camp repeated with love: “God is so good to me.”

The superior of the Kraków community, Sr. Maria Jaworska, then expressed her deep gratitude to all those present for their large turnout and for their help in preparing the jubilee celebration. At the end, Sr. Iwona Skorupa thanked all the sisters as representatives of the generations that have lived here.

“The evangelizing and educational mission of the Ursuline sisters will continue, because the world needs women who have the courage to accompany young people and teach them everlasting values,” assured Bishop Damian Muskus OFM on behalf of the Church during the Mass. And in honour of new vocations, the parents of our students presented the sisters with a basket containing fifty roses—for the 37 Ursulines of the Kraków community and for those whom the Lord will send in the future.

Excerpts from an article by: Sr Maria Magdalena Masłoń OSU
(The entire text will be available in the next Interursuline Bullettin)