Visitation Monastery Warsaw
Yesterday a major event took place in the Warsaw Visitation Monastery Chapel- the funeral of a well known Polish Priest/Actor!
With emotion and tears they remembered the late Fr. Kazimierz Orzechowski, his spiritual children – participants of the funeral Mass, which took place on Thursday, at noon in the Warsaw church of the Visitation Sisters . They thanked for his help in returning to God after many years of absence from the Church, for saved priesthoods, for friendship, spiritual guidance, for showing the beauty of the word and language. The liturgy was presided by Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz. After the Eucharist, the body of the deceased priest, actor and known priest of the artistic community in Poland was laid in the cemetery in Skolimów.
The homily during Holy Mass was delivered by Father Wiesław Dawidowski, Provincial of Augustians in Poland. He remembered friendship with the deceased, his acting path and the moment of his calling, an internal transformation that took place on June 21, 1959 in this place, in the church of the Visitation Sisters, during the sermon of Fr. Bronisław Bozowski – “priest of hooligans”.
“You taught us to love what is fragile, weak, rejected by the world and sometimes even by clergy,” said Father Dawidowski, pointing out that Fr. Orzechowski, through his sensitivity and experience, helped many brothers in the priesthood. He also spoke about his work with prisoners, love for the Holy Land, Jews and Judaism, organizing pilgrimages, as well as playing in the series “Złotopolscy” and the chaplain’s many years of work at the House of Veterans of Polish Scenes in Skolimów.
He emphasized that God could change the axis of the pattern of life in such a way as to bring out the best in us. – Wait for us in the Father’s House – he said to his deceased friend.
After the Eucharist, the letter of the Bishop was read. Józef Zawitkowski, who thanked his teacher You taught us to love the word,” the bishop wrote. He also reminded them how many people, often lost, used the sacramental service of Fr. Orzechowski – after years away from God, and sometimes at the end of his life.
– On one Good Friday, after many years of absence from the Church, I joined the sacrament of reconciliation – said Ewa Ziętek, actress, representative of the Association of Polish Stage Artists, emphasizing how much support the deceased priest had on this path
Personal testimonies of friendship and gratitude were also expressed by other friends and “spiritual children” of the deceased, including s. Miriam Grażyna Grałek from the Congregation of the Sisters Salariers of the Holy Face, longtime director of the House of Veterans of Polish Stage Artists in Skolimów, Radosław Piwowarski, film director, screenwriter and actor, and actress Joanna Kurowska.
For these testimonies, presence and common prayer, the Cardinal thanked all. He also emphasized the importance of the Warsaw church of the Visitation Sisters – a place where so many people found their way to God.
After the Eucharist, the body of the deceased was laid at the parish cemetery in Skolimów, after which a consolation took place in a nearby restaurant.
Kazimierz Orzechowski was born on March 3, 1929 in Gdańsk. He entered the seminary with the consent of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. For the first two years he studied at the seminary in Gniezno, and then at the Higher Metropolitan Seminary in Warsaw. He was ordained a priest by Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński in 1968. He was a recognized pastor of the artistic community in Poland. From 1988, he was associated with the House of Veterans of Polish Scenes in Skolimów, where he was a chaplain, and since 2005 – a resident.
The first calling of Fr. Orzechowski was acting – he graduated from the State Theater School in Łódź, which he graduated in 1952. As an actor he made his debut in 1948 at the Wybrzeże Theater. The first film by Kazimierz Orzechowski – when he was not a priest yet – was “Meetings” according to Iwaszkiewicz. He played in popular series – such as “House”, “In the maze”, “Złotopolscy”, in Andrzej Wajda’s film “Man of Iron” and based on the novel by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz “Maid of the Wolf”. The author of the novel wrote a special role for Fr. Orzechowski, commissioned by Andrzej Wajda. When Iwaszkiewicz was dying, Fr. Orzechowski went to see him to confess.
The last film in which Fr. Orzechowski, was “Not yet evening” by Jacek Bławut. In this film about the residents of the House of Veterans of Polish Scenes in Skolimów, he played himself.
Ks. Orzechowski was a spiritual support for many seekers, lost, experiencing crises. He was involved in work with prisoners.
The late priest was also an excellent organizer and guide of pilgrimages.
He passed away on Sunday, August 4 in Skolimów near Warsaw. He was 90 years old