The Centenary of St. Raphael Kalinowski

November 19 is the memorial of St. Raphael Kalinowski, and the centenary of his death.  He was a Discalced Carmelite friar in Poland, canonized in 1991 by Pope John Paul II.

In commemoration of his centenary, the Information Service of the Discalced Carmelite Curia has posted a letter from the Superior General, Luis Aróstegui Gamboa, OCD, about the saint.  Father Gamboa concludes:

"I nourish the hope that, in our world of rapid and deep change, and of dissension and drama, the awareness and prayerful meditation of the message of St Raphael Kalinowski would represent for us a stimulus for accepting and verifying, with truth and joy, our call to the tradition of Carmel. His courage in searching, his perseverance, his ability to relate with comprehension and compassion, his attentiveness to surrounding needs, the natural union of contemplation and action are some of the characteristics of what he hands down to us."

ICS Publications offers a short book about the saint, titled St. Raphael Kalinowski: An Introduction to His Life and Spirituality.  The Vatican's website has a short biography of the saint from his canonization.  A full-size picture of that shown here in thumbnail form can be seen by clicking on "Photo" on the Vatican's biography page.