Background and May of 1941
Frank, Sr & Anna Cecrle first residence was on Sage Creek (in the area around Denton and Danvers, Montana). Many people with a Bohemian background settled in the area.
During the early 1990’s, a picture of Frank V & Anna Cecrle, Sr with their children picture with a priest with facial characteristics of Father Josef Jarzebowski existed. The picture was discarded as Anna Mary Cecrle Flanagan could not identify the priest. The picture below is of Frank V & Anna Cecrle, Sr and children only.
In the other picture, Frank V Cecrle, Jr was standing by Joseph K Cecrle with the priest sitting in the front row between Anna and Frank V Cecrle, Sr.
Back Row: Joseph Karel Cecrle, Anna Barbara Cecrle Kynett; Irene Emily Cecrle Kolar, Ernest Ferdinand (Shorty) Cecrle Front Row: Frank Vaclav Cecrle, Jr., Anna Slepicka Cecrle, Frank Vaclav Cecrle, Sr.
Monsignor Joseph Glucek (sometimes spelled “Gluszek”) wrote to Karol Wojtyla in 1958 when Wojtyla became a bishop.
1966
Archbishop Karol Wojtyla (now Saint John Paul II) visited Father Joseph Gluszek unannounced in 1966. Father Gluszek had served as parish priest for Saint Mathias in Moore, Montana; Sacred Heart Church in Hobson, Montana and Saint Wenceslaus (Duke of Bohemia) in Danvers, Montana. Both priests were together May 21, 1966, traveling to east of Moccasin, Montana to the Frank V. Cecrle, Jr then Frank V Cecrle, Sr residences.
Lear Leo Flanagan, Sr met with an individual regarding a business transaction at Adam’s diner in Hobson, Montana. The son of the businessman requested repeatedly to go fishing. Father Gluszek and Archbishop Wojtyla arrived, at the same time Lear Flanagan arrived at Adam’s diner in Hobson, Montana. Lear made arrangements with Father Gluszek to arrive at Cecrle’s with food for a meal by going to Hobson Cash Store. Lear then contacted Frank V Cecrle, Jr by telephone making arrangements for the son to go fishing at one of Frank V Cecrle, Jr ponds and forewarn the Cecrle’s Father Gluszek was on his way with another priest of some importance. Lear gave Father Gluszek money to purchase food at Hobson’s grocery store with the message he would settle up with the store owner later if need be.
A common happening for the Cecrle family was for Father Gluszek to say mass at Anna & Frank V Cecrle’s, Sr residence (east of Moccasin, Montana) as Anna had broken her hip years earlier and was either in a wheelchair or bed at all times. As there were two priests instead of one, more family was contacted to attend the mass with a meal following the mass.
Family members included Tucek/Brady (Mary Tucek Cecrle married Frank V Cecrle, Jr.) and Cecrle relatives. While waiting for the family to arrive (between 60 and 80 people) the “men” went fishing as people and food were assembled. The fishing ponds were located on Frank V Cecrle’s Jr land. The “men” (any male even if in diapers) went fishing as there were not enough fishing poles for all children to go fishing with the “men”.
While fishing, the women were not only cooking but wrapping wedding/birthday/first communion/confirmation presents. As this visit was unannounced by Father Gluszek and company, house cleaning, storing items and cooking were in a frenzy at both Cecrle residences. The presents were placed on a chest freezer at the entry of Frank & Anna Cecrle’s and then supervised by the ladies in the kitchen at Frank & Anna Cecrle’s. When asked who were the presents for, the answer was “Not you.” (Additional note, the presents remained on top of the chest freezer for months after May 21, 1966.) After the “men” came back from fishing, Archbishop Karol Wojtyla and Father Joseph Gluszek indicated a little person from the family and the businessman’s son would helpful in spreading the message. The little people agreed had no idea what was being referenced at the time. Blessings were given by both Archbishop Wojtyla and Father Gluszek to the union.
On June 14, 1966 while a Little Girl and Little Boy were visiting prior to a ground breaking ceremony on Fox Farm Road in Great Falls, Montana, a priest in a cassock, and wearing round glasses appeared walking toward the Missouri River who no one recognized (Father Joseph Jazerbowski). He stood at the peak of the “V” where the little people seated one on each side with trees in the background. The priest asked, His dialect was comparable to Father Joseph Gluszek (polish or some Slavic language). After giving the two little people a blessing, the priest continued walking towards the Missouri River disappearing the same way he had appeared.
2001
August 2001 Monsignor Joseph Gluszek visited and referenced the 1966 events in Great Falls, Montana. Monsignor Gluszek reiterated the happenings surrounding when at that time Pope John Paul II first visited him. The comment was made about how Father Gluszek was two people ahead of Karol Wojtyla when people were being rounded up for the Auschwitz concentration camp. Monsignor Gluszek did not remember Karol Wojtyla but the events described aligned with Father Gluszek’s experience. Monsignor Gluszek also made the comment after he left Poland, he went to England.
While in England, Father Gluszek received a letter. The people of England noticed how Father Gluszek would pull it out of the envelope then shout something in his native language being quite agitated then folded it up. Father Josef Jarzebowski was contacted to assist with whatever was written in the letter. The habit was Father Gluszek would read the letter then shake one of his fists in the air shouting at the top of his lungs in Polish “How can this be? How can this be? How can this be?”
When Father Gluszek looked up, Joseph Gluszek saw a priest hearing what he said. By the look on the priest’s face, Father Joseph Gluszek knew the priest understood what he had been yelling in his native Polish language. The priest motioned for Father Gluszek to come to him. Father Gluszek handed over the letter.
Father Gluszek had not anticipated a priest in England to know what he was saying. The priest visited with Father Gluszek in his native Polish language then indicated for Father Gluszek not to say anything until he was given permission.
Father Joseph Gluszek had been in England less than a month. After reading the letter, Father Josef Jarzebowski first comment was it was amazing if not miraculous for a letter from Poland to have even found Father Gluszek.
The letter’s contents were to notify Father Gluszek how Adolf Hess – the one in charge of the concentration camps – had been given absolution by a priest in Poland. Father Gluszek had been asked to hear Adolf Hess’ confession but had said “no”. Father Gluszek was expecting Father Josef Jarzebowski to console him by saying Gluszek’s actions were correct. Instead, Father Jarzebowski indicated the right thing had been done and to remain quiet. Father Gluszek was appalled but listened.
Father Josef Jarzebowski explained the Divine Mercy Diary message and trip from Poland across Asia and the Pacific then to the eastern seacoast of the United States after crossing the Pacific. Father Josef Jarzebowski had promised one family in particular, a priest. If Father Jarzebowski was not able to return to them, another priest in would be sent in his place. Father Joseph Gluszek agreed to be the priest to travel to the United States to Saint Wencelsaus in Danvers, Montana with the last name of Cecrle. There Gluszek would be greeted, treated as family with the cooking being basically the same as to their area of Poland. Even though they were Bohemians, Father Gluszek agreed to the task.
Father Gluszek’s first assignment was in Red Lodge, Montana as a pastor. He was known to be gone for a few days at a time traveling north but no one in the parish knew where he traveled or could figure out why. This is the same time frame he showed up at the Cecrle homestead.
Pope John XXIII first action as pope was to further investigate the Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska’s Divine Mercy message. As the conundrum was rampant regarding the Divine Mercy message, a ban was enacted for stopping the spread of the message and devotion in 1959.
The Bohemian language and food/cooking were extremely close to the Polish language Father Jarzebowski knew. Monsignor Gluszek felt like he was with the family as did Father Josef Jarzebowski at the Cecrles. Frank V Cecrle Sr was faithful to saying what the family referred to as his “three o’clock short rosary” and reading from the “Imitation of the Sacred Heart” until he died in 1974. Father Gluszek went through the closets frequently to make certain traces of the Divine Mercy message could not be located and verify it was not taught to anyone born after 1959 nor was it practiced in a group setting. Reciting the “rosary” as a group before mass either at Sacred Heart Church in Hobson, Montana, or before mass at the Cecrle residence was part of life. The bigger crowd on May 21, 1966, did not allow for all to partake in saying the rosary at the Cecrle residence but was said regardless with Anna Cecrle. 80 people in attendance created more commotion than usual. When anyone arrives with the rosary being recited, the anticipation is for the late comers to join and then recite the prayers as they had been there from the beginning.
If you have any information, willing to add documentation concerning Archbishop Karol Wojtyla’s 1966 visit to the Cecrle/Tucek/Brady families mass or mass at Danvers, Montana or have a picture with Father Joseph Jarzebowski taken in May of 1941, please email: rejuvenatemercy@gmail.com