The Apostleship of Sobriety in Zakopane, located at the place called Górka (the hill), celebrated the golden jubilee (50 years of service) on June 20. A thanksgiving Mass with a procession was presided over by Bishop Tadeusz Bronakowski, representative of the Polish Bishops for the ministries of sobriety.  Concelebrated, among others, the Provincial Fr. Jaroslaw Paszynski SJ with his closest collaborators, as well as Father Miroslaw Zak from the Sobriety Chaplaincy of the Archdiocese of Krakow, Father Wladyslaw Zazel, the chaplain of the Polish Highlanders Association, and Jesuits who worked at Górka in previous years. Together with representatives of local authorities, they thanked God for the appreciated fruit of this ministry in Podhale.

Addiction prevention and help

Górka is one of the bright spots on the map of addiction prevention and help. More than 5,000 people a year choose a life without alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or drugs there. Although initial data is incomplete, it is known that in the last quarter of a century there were over 97 thousand vows at Górka. The Jesuit center is well-known in Podhale for that. Increasingly, it is also visited by tourists from all over Poland, and even by compatriots from abroad.

The form of the Apostleship of Sobriety at Górka is simple: a conversation, if necessary a confession, an entry in the Book and a vow made to God before the picture of Our Lady, Mother of Perpetual Help. This vow is respected even by the toughest highlanders and not so religious people: someone about whom it is known that have taken the vow is never encouraged to drink alcohol or to use other drugs here.

A word of honour

The Apostleship of Sobriety at Górka began with a word of honour given by a highlander to his wife in 1971 in the presence of Father Wojciech Krupa SJ. He promised not to drink vodka for a month. When he did so, he came back to make the same vow to God: if he had kept his word to his wife, he would keep his word to God all the more. Others followed in his footsteps. At first, a few or a dozen people a year. In 1978 there were already 189, a year later - 311. In the 1990s there were already thousands of such vows. In the last year of the pandemic, which was not at all record-breaking, there were 5235. 

Priests from Gorka observe that abstinence is vowed mainly by men between 17 and 50 years old. Sometimes they vow together with their wives. It happened sometimes that husbands came only after their wives had moved out and threatened divorce. Others came when a bailiff confiscated a property for gambling debts, or when an employer outright demanded it of an employee, threatening dismissal. Sometimes police officers were able to forgive minor offenses when the offender vowed to stay sober, and the courts reduced sentences by including a picture in the case file. 

An apostolate of nine hours a day

Priests at Górka are on duty nine hours a day (except on Christmas and Easter). They note that the spectrum of pledged abstinence is increasingly broad: alcohol and tobacco are joined by drugs, gambling, violence, Internet abuse, and even abstinence from lying and overeating. In addition to taking the vows, the Jesuits pray at every mass at the Church at Górka for those who take them  Furthermore, on the first Sunday of the month, at 10 a.m. masses are celebrated there for the intention of those taking the vows and their families. These are followed by open meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. They are open to anyone who is interested, including those who just want to learn more about the topic. 

- If it weren't for the vows," confesses Iwona, "my husband and I would be divorced. She knows a man who was not helped by thirteen addiction therapies but after taking the vows in Górka he has not drunk for four years. Krzysztof vowed several times. He kept it, but when the time limit passed he returned to his addiction. 17 years ago he made a lifelong vow. Today he says: "the obsession with drinking has been taken away from me". He collects pictures from his vows like life insurance policies. He always has his current one with him. Testimonies of Iwona and Krzysztof are included in an occasional publication 'Górka Nieustająca Pomocy' (The Hill of Perpetual Help) prepared by the Chaplaincy. 

The Jesuits began working at Gorka in Zakopane in 1899. They run the pastoral ministry in the church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the Retreat House and the Apostleship of Sobriety. They also serve as hospital chaplains.