Deportation to Siberia as a Period of Spiritual Growth and Vocation Discernment for Saint Raphael of Saint Joseph – Joseph Kalinowski

Abstract

Joseph Kalinowski was born to a Polish family in the city of Vilnius. His parents taught him the religious and the patriotic values. The time of education away from home, the social life and the service in the Imperial Russian Army led him to a crisis of faith and abandonment of the sacramental life. After a ten-year period he received the Sacrament of Penance and returned to the life of prayer. His participation in the January Uprising and the deportation to Siberia gave him the opportunity to deepen his relationship with God. Finally, Kalinowski became a friar and a priest in the Discalced Carmelite Order. Even though he was focused on his spiritual life, he never neglected his Theological formation. His inborn sensitivity to the needs of others made Joseph look after the people in need, especially the children and the teenagers. He was teaching them the most important values, the knowledge and the faith.