How Walter Ciszek Gained Spiritual Liberation in Lubyanka Prison John Levko 11 COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 4 Current Comment
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VOCATIONS THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY JAN. 7-14, 2013 $3.50 OF MANY THINGS PUBLISHED BY JESUITS OF THE UNITED STATES iszek Hall is a converted six- had just been released from the story tenement, a plain pre-war Soviet Union after almost 23 years of prison, hard labor and forcible PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER building barely distinguishable John P. Schlegel, S.J. C detention. His relatives had a card from most of its neighbors in the from the Pennsylvania-born priest Belmont section of the Bronx. The EDITOR IN CHIEF in 1940. Then nothing. World Matt Malone , S.J. building is now home to 25 or so Jesuit War II raged on and passed. No scholastics who study at nearby word from him. It was assumed he EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Fordham University. The place is was dead, and his name was MANAGING EDITOR named for Walter Ciszek, S.J., who inscribed in the official list of the Robert C. Collins, S.J. Society’s departed members. Then, lived in the house following his return DIGITAL EDITOR from Russia, where he had served as a in 1955, came a letter. He had fin - Maurice Timothy Reidy ished a 15-year prison term, had missionary; in fact, Father Ciszek died LITERARY EDITOR worked as a miner in Norilsk, Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. in what is now the dining room. within the Arctic Circle. Books Every day on their way to breakfast, and an overcoat reached him and POETRY EDITOR the Jesuit scholastics pass by a framed were acknowledged. More letters. James S. Torrens, S.J. copy of Father Ciszek’s vow formula, a Appeals multiplied for his release. ASSOCIATE EDITORS declaration, handwritten in Latin, of his On Monday, October 7, in Kevin Clarke Jesuit commitment to poverty, chastity Abakan, where he was working as Kerry Weber and obedience. Every Jesuit makes his a garage mechanic while carrying Luke Hansen, S.J. on his priestly work as best he vows in the same words, which are CONTRIBUTING EDITOR could, he was told to go to Moscow James Martin, S.J. addressed to God the Father: “By your and thence to the United States. boundless goodness and mercy,” each So we were on our way, on ART DIRECTOR Stephanie Ratcliffe man says in conclusion, “and through Columbus Day, 1963, to greet him the blood of Jesus Christ, I humbly ask when he touched down at 6:55 ASSISTANT EDITOR Francis W. Turnbull, S.J. that you judge this total commitment of a.m. on this strange voyage of myself acceptable; and, as you have rediscovery of America. We stood on the airway apron BUSINESS DEPARTMENT freely given me the desire to make this as BOAC Flight 551 from London CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER offering, so also may you give me the blocked to discharge its human Lisa Pope abundant grace to fulfill it.” cargo. Down the steps he came We couldn’t imagine a better center - with slim, young Marvin W. 106 West 56th Street piece for our 2013 vocations issue than Makinen, an American student New York, NY 10019-3803 the amazing story of Father Ciszek’s who had been held for two years Ph: 212-581-4640; Fax: 212-399-3596 “total commitment.” John Levko, S.J., as a prisoner in the Soviet Union. In his green raincoat, grey suit, E-mail: [email protected]; gives us a sense of how Father Ciszek [email protected] and big-brimmed Russian felt hat, found “the abundant grace” to make his Fr. Ciszek looked like the movie Web site: www.americamagazine.org. Customer Service: 1-800-627-9533 unlikely pilgrimage. It is quite a tale, version of a stocky little Soviet one in which America also played a member of an agricultural mission. © 2012 America Press, Inc. role: On Oct. 26, 1963, Thurston N. As though by reflex, he and Davis, S.J., my predecessor as editor in Makinen at once fell into step with chief (1955-68), recounted in this col - ten New York policemen who formed a cordon around them. Off umn, reprinted below, how the editors they marched. A reporter yelled of America became a part of Father “Hi, Father!” Ex-prisoner Ciszek Ciszek’s story. looked up and smiled his first MATT MALONE, S.J. smile. Later we drove him to AMERICA for Mass and breakfast. Early in the morning, on October We tried to shake an unknown 12, we headed through light pre- man in a cab who tailed us. But he dawn traffic for a rendezvous at followed us to our door and then Cover: Walter Ciszek, S.J., on Oct. Idlewild [now John F. Kennedy drove away. Thus began a day in 12, 1963, the morning he returned International Airport] with an old AMERICA ’s history that we shall from the Soviet Union. From Jesuit friend. Fr. Walter Ciszek not forget. T.N.D. America ’s archives. CONTENTS www.americamagazine.org Vol. 208 No. 1, Whole No. 4996 JANuAry 7-14, 2013 ARTICLES 11 CULTURE SHIFT The new evangelization can encourage vocations in a changing church. Robert J. Carlson 16 SIGN OF GOD What Catholics can learn from deafness Marlana Portolano 19 CHAINED, BUT FREE How Walter Ciszek gained spiritual liberation in Lubyanka prison John Levko 11 COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 4 Current Comment 5 Editorial Conflict of Interest 6 Signs of the Times 9 Column The Essential Question Thomas Massaro 23 Faith in Focus Guantánamo Journal Luke Hansen “That Man Is Me” Charles Klamut 34 Letters 23 37 The Word Life-giving Waters; Signs of the Wedding Peter Feldmeier BOOKS & CULTURE 27 FILM “Les Misérables” BOOKS The Testament of Mary; Syria ON THE WEB ON THE WEB An interview with Gabriel Bol Deng , right, one of the “lost boys” of Sudan. Plus, a video profile of Walter Ciszek, S.J. , and a review of “Glengarry Glen Ross” on Broadway. All at americamagazine.org 27 CURRENT COMMENT from three Republican war veterans, President George Slaughter of Innocents H. W. Bush, Senator John McCain and Senator Bob Dole, The horror and outrage provoked by the massacre in who at 89 was wheeled in from Walter Reed Medical Newtown, Conn., offers the hope that the Sandy Hook Center by his wife, Elizabeth, to bolster the cause and later Elementary School victims could be among the final vic - wheeled out before the humiliating defeat. tims of America’s gun culture; but past experience, sadly, Leading the opposition was the former presidential can - suggests otherwise. The familiar rebuttals to common didate Rick Santorum, father of a disabled child, who sense responses to contain gun violence are already in play. phoned in to “The Glenn Beck Program” and called anoth - Some suggest the answer to a weaponized society is er senator’s reasoning “a big joke.” Opponents feared that a more weapons, as if the 283 million guns in circulation in U.N. committee could threaten American sovereignty and the United States were not already a major component of intrude on the parental rights of Americans to educate the problem. The focus, others argue, should not be on their own children. gun restrictions but on improving the nation’s mental The fight is not over. The bill will come before the health services. Fair enough. Surely more resources need to Senate again in early 2013. This is a moral issue because it be devoted to diagnosing at-risk young people and to treat - protects the most vulnerable; it is a bipartisan opportunity ment. But no mental health system, however well to do the right thing; and it is an ecumenical opportunity resourced, will be foolproof. In China, on the same day for the leadership of many faiths to call for justice with one that Adam Lanza launched his assault with a semiauto - voice. It deserves broad public support. matic weapon, another disturbed man rampaged against schoolchildren. Although 22 were wounded in that inci - Undervalued dent, no fatalities were reported. The school attacker there Work can be dignifying, but only when workers are treated did not have access to a firearm. with dignity. Unfortunately, more and more workers find If we cannot control violence in the world, we can try to themselves in jobs that neither pay well nor offer them limit the damage. We can require training and liability hope for advancement or a career. In addition to poor ben - insurance for gun owners, as well as trigger-lock mecha - efits, including the almost complete disappearance of pen - nisms that prevent a non-owner from firing a weapon. We sion accounts, workers must now contend with a for-profit can control the nature of the weapons and ammunition we sector that prefers to hire temporary workers in lieu of allow. We can simply reread that part of the Second permanent employees, who might demand higher wages Amendment that acknowledges the collective responsibili - and better benefits packages. ty to maintain a “well-regulated” militia and ask, after Underemployment is one of the saddest stories of this Columbine, after Virginia Tech, after Aurora and now Great Recession. In addition to the unemployed workers in after Newtown, how well regulated the nation’s self- the United States (almost 8 percent), there are many more appointed citizen militia appears. people who are underpaid and dissatisfied with the jobs We can also ask God and these children to forgive our they hold. Stores like Jamba Juice would prefer to hire a indifference and fatigue in what has become a grueling worker at 25 hours a week, even when she is available and civic fight over gun control. willing to do more, because a full-time worker is more expensive.