We are at “Kalatowki” Hermitage.
The hermitage of Kalatowki is located just above Zakopane, in Southern Mountain range of Poland.
Address:
ul. Droga Brata Alberta 1
34-500 Zakopane
Skr. poczt. 215
Poland
Phone:
+18 201 42 30
+662 523 369
Today the Kalatowki Hermitage is mainly a retreat house. However, it wasn’t always so. This hermitage also served as a formation and novitiate house as well as a place where the Sisters, tired out from working at shelters, could have a good rest, and restore their physical strength and peace of mind. It was also a sanatorium for Sisters suffering from tuberculosis or other illnesses.
[How did the Hermitage come about?]
Leading to the chapel, a small well stands along the way
on which Brother Albert had an old Franciscan prayer
engraved:
“Glory be to God, may everlasting glory be to Him, praise to Mary, honor to all the saints of the Lord, peace to the living, eternal rest to the departed, health to the sick, true repentance for sinners, perseverance in doing good for the just, peace for sailors at sea and a safe journey for travelers. May the Most Blessed Virgin Mary with her Son bless us always. Amen.”
“In the Mountain Temple”
(poem)
Absolute silence fell over
the mountain temple.
Silent is Christ hanging on the cross,
But He sees everything, hears everything.
His face is the majesty of suffering,
Mist over are His eyes
looking into the distance,
His chest raised,
breathing his last
And blood gushing all over the body.
Driven wild with thirst,
His arms outstretched hurt Him
He is hanging on His flesh wounds.
His blood is clotting – look He is dying.
The body is giving the last shiver
His breath coming in last gasps,
Christ, before you die, do tell me, please
That you forgive me all my sins.
Tell me, before I set off from here
That we have made peace
with each other
Let this meeting with You today Be deeply embedded in my soul.
-Sister Magdalena K
In 1902, the Albertine Brothers built a second hermitage near Crocwia,
and the former at Kalatówki was given to the Albertine Sisters.
[Albertine Brothers-Hermitage]
The austere character of the Kalatówki Hermitage refers to Franciscan simplicity. Above the altar in the Chapel of Exaltation of the Holy Cross, there is a historic crucifix, a work of an unknown artist, which was given to Brother Albert by the Pauline Friars in Krakow.
Below the Chapel, Brother Albert built a small house called a hut, which was to serve priests who came to celebrate Mass in the Chapel. There was also a small cell where Brother Albert lived after the Sisters had moved to the hermitage. At present, there is an exhibition room commemorating
Brother Albert.