Blessed Father Kłopotowski: devotee of the Eucharist, rosary pastor, patriot and faithful servant of the Church, protector of the poor, apostle of the printed word.
Devotee of the Eucharist
Blessed Father Kłopotowski served God not only as a priest but also as a journalist and protector of the poor. He was attentive to the God’s voice which he recognised above all in prayer and in various life situations. His whole life was centred around the Eucharist which was for him a source of strength and wisdom. He often quoted his mother’s words: “To look at the Blessed Sacrament is to imagine most accurately seeing God”. He was certain that in front of the Blessed Sacrament a person could learn the true prayer of presence. He constantly experienced that God was bestowing graces on him and at the same time he was very humble. He trusted God himself and taught others to trust. When he knelt and prayed before the Blessed Sacrament “he cared nothing about what was going on around him”.
Rosary pastor
He encouraged people to live their work as a prayer in the midst of their busy lives. Whenever he had time he would take the rosary in his hand and pray. He offered a rosary to every sister who came to the congregation. He had loved this prayer since childhood. He used to say that when the rosary is prayed well, it stimulates love of neighbour, prompts contrition for sins and thus leads to holiness. For him this prayer was the most important element of Marian devotion. He often dealt with this subject in his texts, especially in the monthly magazine “Kółko Różańcowe”(Rosary Circle).
Patriot and faithful servant of the Church
Father Ignacy Kłopotowski taught how to love the Church and the Homeland. Under the Russian partition he smuggled in articles about Poland and its heroes. He was often punished for his activities. When Poland regained its independence, he called for the Christian upbringing of children and young people. In one of his writings he wrote: “Every child cuddled, every human existence preserved from death, every penny thrown into a useful work – it is a great merit towards the Fatherland”.
Protector of the poor
He lived above all for others. He was sensitive to the needs of the poor, the abandoned and the sick. He was seeking resources for poor children to provide them with a roof over their heads, medical treatment and constant care. He took out loans, held fund-raisers and appealed for donations. He also took special care of women, emphasising their role and the greatness of their mission. At every woman he was looking in the spirit of the Gospel through the prism of Mary. Knowing that a woman’s love is more affectionate, delicate and willing to make selfless sacrifices, he placed wives and mothers at the forefront of the family in terms of creating spiritual bonds within it. He emphasised that the mother is the “priestess of the hearth of the home”. She is the one who triggers mutual love among family members, directs their hearts towards God, transmits faith and teaches prayer. The mother is the first person to inculcate in her children the principles of Christian life.
Apostle of the printed word
Fr, Kłopotowski knew that the priest’s vocation was to lead people to salvation and to this end he used the most modern media. He was inspired by the exhortations of Pope Leo XIII and Pius X to counter the bad press with the power of the good press. He believed that the printed word was an extension of the pulpit and a means of spreading the Kingdom of God on earth. He often used to say that the Catholic press works like a missionary. He entrusted the mission of the apostolate of the printed word to the Congregation of the Loretto Sisters who still publish magazines inspired by him: “Anioł Stróż” (The Guardian Angel) and “Różaniec” (The Rosary).
