Born in Pennsylvania in 1904, Walter Ciszek wanted to be missionary in Russia, though he never imagined the path God had designed for him.
As a newly ordained Jesuit priest his missionary dream seemed to be unfolding nicely. Serving in Poland when World War II erupted, Ciszek was taken prisioner by the Russian Army, convicted of being a Vatican spy and spent 23 brutal years in Soviet confinement.
His spiritual autobiography has been an excellent re-read during our longest Lent on record.
The key to his suffering endurance? Seeking God’s will in everything.
