St. Brother Albert – a witness of the Gospel for the poor

Abstract

The Italians have the little poor man of Assisi, the French - St. Vincent de Paul, the Germans and the Hungarians – St. Elisabeth of Thuringia and the Poles have St. Brother Albert Chmielowski – a patron of the poor, the homeless, those forgotten and abandoned. St. Brother Albert is not only a shining example of man concerned about the extremely poor in our homeland; he also brought a new spirit to the service to the poor, inspiring individuals and institutions involved in the work of helping those in need. The Polish Episcopal Conference and the Sejm of the Republic of Poland announced 2017 as the jubilee year of St. Brother Albert Chmielowski. In a pastoral letter announcing the jubilee, the Polish bishops emphasized that "immediately after the Jubilee of Mercy we have the opportunity to look closer at St. Brother Albert, who shows us clearly how to put Christian mercy in practice". The purpose of this article is to present the main characteristics of the charism of St. Brother Albert, as well as encourage readers to engage in the works of Christian charity, and especially to care for the homeless. The paper also sheds some light on the actual state of homelessness in Poland.