The annual Ubi Caritas Awards have been presented to individuals and organisations who provide selfless assistance to people in need. The awards are jointly presented by Caritas Poland, the Diaconia of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland, and ELEOS, the Orthodox Metropolitan Centre of Mercy. This year’s Ubi Caritas Awards ceremony took place at the Orthodox Parish of Hagia Sophia, the Church of Holy Wisdom.

“We often say that we live in troubled times. But let us ask ourselves: what is the nature of this illness? Its symptoms are easy to recognise: constant haste, a lack of time for our loved ones, and a lack of patience with those who are more vulnerable. There is also the loneliness that has become so widespread today, and fear — for our loved ones, for our homeland, and for the future. But there is hope, because there is a remedy. And that remedy is… love. It is a privilege to be here among people who practise the healing power of mercy every day,” said Father Janusz Majda, Director of Caritas Poland, addressing those gathered at the ceremony.

A dentist who treats bedridden patients in their own homes. A priest who built a school for children fleeing war. A marketing industry expert who volunteers his professional skills to promote Caritas fundraising campaigns. These are just some of this year’s Ubi Caritas laureates. Although they work in different fields, they share the same spirit of generosity, giving freely of their time, energy, talents and professional expertise.

Caritas Poland Awards

The St Faustina statuettes were presented in three categories: Donor, Testimony and Cooperation.

Donor — Main Award

The main award went to Maciej Pawłowski, who provided substantial funding for a campaign encouraging taxpayers to donate 1.5% of their income tax to Caritas of the Archdiocese of Białystok.

Testimony — Main Award

The award was presented to Dr Bartosz Bienias, a dentist who provides free dental care in the homes of patients unable to travel to a dental surgery. He also visits hospices and long-term care facilities with mobile dental equipment. Dr Bienias volunteers at the Caritas Medical Care Centre in Warsaw.

Testimony — Commendations

Three commendations were presented in this category.

Andrzej Rogalski was recognised for his dedication to running a Caritas warehouse in the Diocese of Sosnowiec.

Katarzyna Rula was honoured for providing safe accommodation and care for nearly 100 children following the escalation of the war in Ukraine.

Angelika and Michał Steciak, foster parents to children with disabilities, were recognised for their commitment, which helped pave the way for the establishment of the region’s first inpatient and home-based hospice for children.

Cooperation — Main Award

The main award in this category went to Anioły Antwerpii (Angels of Antwerp), a Polish diaspora community dedicated to works of mercy. The organisation brings together more than 160 volunteers and operates without permanent funding. Despite these limitations, it has managed to send hundreds of tonnes of medical equipment and supplies for children’s residential care homes to Poland.

Cooperation — Commendations

Krystyna Pietruszka, from the Diocese of Sosnowiec, was recognised for her work on food assistance projects supporting people living in poverty and facing hunger.

Jacek Romanowski was honoured for using his extensive experience in the advertising industry to support Caritas of the Archdiocese of Białystok. On his own initiative, he established partnerships with businesses, enabling a large-scale campaign promoting the allocation of 1.5% of income tax to Caritas through digital advertising screens and banners.

Father Tomasz Szostek, associated with Caritas of the Diocese of Sandomierz, was also commended. He is dedicated to serving people with disabilities and those at risk of social exclusion. He demonstrated exceptional courage by personally leading more than 100 humanitarian aid convoys into areas affected by the war in Ukraine.

Special Award

The Director of Caritas Poland presented a special award to Father Marek Batera, Director of Caritas of the Archdiocese of Częstochowa.

In 2022, he opened the doors to children from Ukrainian orphanages, giving them a new home at the Święta Puszcza Spirituality Centre of the Archdiocese of Częstochowa in Olsztyn, near Częstochowa.

Awards of the Diaconia of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession

The Polish Diaconia presented ten equal main awards under the title Merciful Samaritan.

The recipients were the Diocese of Uppsala of the Church of Sweden and Bishop Karin Johannesson; the Samariterhemmet Diaconal Foundation and its director, the Rev. Mattias Nordström; Deacon Ronald Henriksson, former principal of the

Samariterhemmet Diaconal Institute; Deacon Astrid Bergfors, former manager of the Samariterhemmet hospital’s patient hotel; Deacon Conny Hjelm and Deacon Svend-Aage Hjelm of the Danish Diaconia; Frauenarbeit Gustav Adolf Werk; Krystyna Laskowska of Kraków; Ruta Błaszczyk of Pszczyna; and Bishop Ryszard Bogusz, President of the Polish Diaconia.

Awards of the Orthodox Metropolitan Centre of Mercy ELEOS

ELEOS presented its Hands of Mercy awards.

A special award went to Agnieszka Puciłowska and Milena Kulesza.

The main award in the Cooperation with ELEOS category was presented to Khrypko Yevhen and the company Inter Invest BUD. Commendations went to Maker Group Sp. z o.o. and Kamila Łukaszewicz.

The main award in the Testimony of Mercy category went to the Biedronka Foundation. Apolinaria and Aleksander Dreval, as well as Roman Aleksiejczuk, received commendations.

Music Celebrates the Spirit of Mercy

The ceremony was accompanied by a performance from the St Roman the Melodist Choir of the Hagia Sophia Orthodox Parish, conducted by Bogdan Kuźmiuk. The choir performed works in Church Slavonic, adding a solemn musical dimension to the celebration.

By Family News Service / Piotr Kowalczuk