Saint Raphael Kalinowski

Priest

November 19: An Optional Memorial from the Common of Pastors or of Men Saints (Religious).

Raphael Kalinowski was born to Polish parents in the city of Vilnius in 1835. Following military service, he was condemned in 1864 to ten years of forced labour in Siberia. In 1877 he became a Carmelite and was ordained priest in 1882. He contributed greatly to the restoration of the Discalced Carmelites in Poland. His life was distinguished by zeal for Church unity and by his unflagging devotion to his ministry as confessor and spiritual director. He died in Wadowice in 1907.

Prayer

Lord God,

you made your priest Saint Raphael

strong in adversity and filled him with a

great love in promoting Church unity.

Through his prayers,

make us strong in faith and in love for one another,

that we too may generously work together

for the unity of all believers in Christ.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Scripture Readings

Philippians 3:8-14; Gospel - John 15:9-17.

Texts taken from the “Carmelite Proper of the Liturgy of the Hours,”

Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome: 1993.

Image courtesy of the Carmelnet webmaster, USA.