“Be rich before God”: 25th anniversary of “talent” ministry

“Talent” Ministry: A meeting of people who do not want to leave their faith at the door of their offices… People who, wanting to be disciples of Christ and imitate Him, ask themselves not only about what being a Christian means to them in their personal lives, but want more: for faith to influence the philosophy of their company and the way they run it… In such a climate, the John Paul II Center “Do not be afraid” in Białe Morze and the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy celebrated the silver jubilee of the activity of the TALENT Pastoral Care of Entrepreneurs and Employers on December 7-8, 2024, under the slogan “Be rich before God”, which was part of the inauguration of the celebration in the years 2024-2028 of the jubilee of the 100th anniversary of the death of Father Leon Dehon (falling on July 12, 2025).

The first day of the meeting held at the John Paul II Center “Do not be afraid!” began with a solemn Holy Mass led by the Superior General of the Congregation of the Priest of the Sacred Heart, Fr. Carlos Luis Suárez Codorniú SCJ. Fr. Grzegorz Piątek SCJ, moderator of pastoral care, in his greeting at the beginning of the Eucharist expressed gratitude for the 25 years of this work and mentioned that “probably only the Venerable Servant of God Leon Jan Dehon knows why this pastoral care was born among the Sacred Heart Congregation and not, for example, among the Franciscans or Dominicans” and wished everyone present another 25 years of pastoral care in abundance. The homily was delivered by the provincial, Fr. Sławomir Knopik SCJ, who, looking at the Advent season that began a week earlier, stated: “People are so busy today that even calendars and the dates written in them cannot keep up with them. This happens not only in professional life, but also in family, personal and spiritual life. Jesus comes, but often no one is at home. People are at school, at work, at the gym, and the only common denominator in the family is the lack of time. We need to stop to realize that true happiness is not in “more” or “stronger” in any area, but that all who trust in the Lord are happy”. He also mentioned that every celebration of jubilees has a triple meaning: gratitude for the past time and memories related to the meantime; evaluating the past time in the context of not only joy, but also hardships, which can unite in reparation to the Heart of Jesus and be an opportunity to reflect on the inheritance received and in looking to the future in the context of the present times. In the jubilee text, the provincial described the rooting of pastoral care in the thought of Father Leon Dehon. He also mentioned the beginning of the 100th anniversary of the death of the Founding Father and the promoter of the social teaching of the Church, which is beginning within the Congregation, and he expressed his joy at the approaching 150th anniversary of the founding of the community of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. After the inaugural Mass and a joint dinner, speeches were given, before which Fr. Piątek SCJ welcomed the audience and described the beginnings of “Talent”. The first speaker, giving a lecture entitled “Laity in the Church – the lesson of Fr. Leon Dehon”, was Father General Fr. Carlos Luis Suárez Codorniú SCJ. At the beginning of his lecture, he thanked from the bottom of his heart the organizers of the Talent ministry and the Polish Superior General for their presence, because this event was not just a celebration of 25 years of pastoral projects, but was an example of the enduring charism and vitality of the Founder’s thought. Father Leon had a special relationship with the laity. After creation, God wanted man and woman to be co-protagonists in the work of Creation. Why does God like to cooperate? Because he himself is cooperation with the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Work of the Holy Trinity. What God teaches us is service and respect for others. In his life and works, Father Leon wrote a lot about the Holy Trinity, and he wanted to share the gift he received from God with his neighbors. Today, the spiritual children of Leon Dehon, the Sacred Heart, live by this idea. “Each of us has a different talent, but we should all use our abilities to serve our neighbors,” said the General, who then attempted to answer the question of how we can get to know another person without destroying them. He also emphasized that Father Dehon always took into account that lay people have a huge role to play in society and included them in the life of the Church. The second speaker, Fr. Dr. Stefan Tertünte, SCJ, shared his reflections entitled “Father Leon Dehon – a pioneer of pastoral care for entrepreneurs”. Father Tertünte SCJ first presented the life, work and personality of the founder of the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Father Leon Dehon, and then, using selected examples, showed how his relations with entrepreneurs were and what was expected of Catholic entrepreneurs at that time. Looking at the historical context, he mentioned that the era of Father Leon Dehon was a time of many transformations. Social legislation was at an absolute starting point and Father Dehon, as a chaplain in Saint-Quentin, experienced he experienced some of these consequences first-hand. Specifically, he lived the experience of young workers who came from the countryside to the city as strangers – without family, without social relationships or accommodation.

Discussing the biography of the Founder, the speaker emphasized that Father Leon’s relationships with entrepreneurs can be divided into two phases: the first one fell between 1871 and 1890. This period shows in the fate of Leon Dehon his pragmatism of entrepreneurship, because undoubtedly his greatest advantage was the ability to establish contacts and cooperate with lay people – as the key to success. As an example, Dehon’s meeting with Léon Harmel, a Christian entrepreneur who worked on the project of a “Christian factory” in a cotton mill in Val-des-Bois near Reims and who became one of the most important representatives of social Catholicism in France, was presented. For Father Leon, this was a very important meeting, because both men were connected by the depth of the spirituality of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The second mentioned phase began after 1891. At that time, Father Leo’s view was formed, that above all factors differentiating society, the equality of God’s creatures should be recognized, which defines entrepreneurs and employees as brothers. In this context, responsibility for “moral life” includes, on the one hand, the possibility of religious practices, such as participation in religious services and retreats, but also the fight against the “moral corruption” of the time, i.e. alcoholism in the workplace. The responsibility also includes the “early interests of the employee”, i.e. means and structures that would allow employees to take steps towards independence on a material level, including the creation of savings banks, aid funds, etc.

At the end of his speech, the speaker emphasized that although he is not an expert in the field of business ethics, looking at the recent publications of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, he sees in them principles that are a continuation of what was close to Father Dehon 100 years earlier: the direction of entrepreneurial activities and the creation of values ​​of the common good or the concept of human dignity, which illuminates relations within the company and provides criteria for assessing the processes of working conditions.

After a coffee break, there was a time for testimonies from entrepreneurs. In turn, the evening passed at a banquet, which was a time of memories, joy and fun.

Sunday’s celebration, December 8, 2024, began with a Holy Mass in the Basilica of Divine Mercy led by the Metropolitan of Wrocław, HE Archbishop Józef Kupny. After the Eucharist and lunch at the “Agape” restaurant in the Pastoral Home, the afternoon meeting began in the John Paul II Hall at the Basilica of Divine Mercy with a performance by the Fausystem band. After the Eucharist, the following people delivered their speeches: Father General Fr. Carlos Luis Suárez Codorniú SCJ, Provincial Fr. Sławomir Knopik SCJ, the originator of the TALENT meetings Marek Świeży, the moderator of the TALENT pastoral ministry Fr. Grzegorz Piątek SCJ and Roman Trzaskalik, president of the Association of Christian Entrepreneurs and Managers “Nostra res”. The last of the Sunday speeches was a lecture by Fr. Prof. UJK Rafał Dudała entitled “What does the Spirit say to the Church in Poland today? About hope in crisis, also for entrepreneurs”. The entire two-day meeting ended with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which was preceded by a presentation of the pastoral program for 2025 and a summary delivered by the pastoral moderator, Fr. Grzegorz Piątek SCJ.

Source: https://sercanie.pl/strony/cwiercwiecze-duszpasterstwa–talent-