Parafialny zespół charytatywny

Abstract

Parish is a structure of the Church which is the closest to the average man. It is in its life that the Church finds its most visible and direct expression, as well as its ultimate location (ChL 26). Therefore one can repeat, following K. Rahner, that it is through the parish that man realizes what in fact the Church is. The dynamism of the charitable activity testifies to a certain degree about the vitality of the parish in general. For Jesus’ disciples can be recognized if they have love for one another (J 13:35). Apparently, the decisive role in putting the charitable tasks into practice in this basic structure of the Church, as the parish is, has the parochial charitable group. The present paper tells us more about the aims, tasks, organizational structures, forms, ways and means of the action of the parochial charitable group. The main source for this study is Instrukcja Komisji Charytatywnej Episkopatu Polski o pracy charytatywnej w parafiach (The Instruction of the Charitable Commission of the Polish Episcopate on the Charitable Work in Parishes), confirmed and proclaimed at the Conference of the Polish Episcopate on 30 November, 1986. Despite the fact that many years have passed, the above instruction is still up-to-date, and its indications may be treated as a binding agenda of the Polish Episcopate, an agenda that is supposed to revive parochial fellowships and dynamize the charitable ministry. The paper meets the postulates of John Paul II, who within the framework of preparations for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 calls on to revive brotherly love and be more brave and decisive on the way to help those who are poor and rejected by this world (TMA 31:51).