Rev. Prof. Waldemar Cisło was born on the 8th of July 1967 in Rzeszów, in the family of Józef and Bronisława née Ciasnocha. In 1987 he took the maturity exam and entered the Theological Seminary in Lublin, at the same time he took up theological-philosophical studies at the Theology Faculty of the Catholic University in Lublin. He graduated in 1993 as the master of theology.
On the 29th of May 1993 he received episcopal ordination and was sent to work as a priest in Puławy, and then in Lublin. In 1996 he was sent to specialist studies at the Theology Institute by the Catholic University in Lublin. In June 1998 he obtained the bachelor’s degree in fundamental theology, and in February 2000 he obtained the PhD degree in theological science.
In 2000/2001 he won a scholarship of the Janineum foundation in Vienna, which allowed him to take part in lectures and scientific seminars to learn about research in fundamental theology by Vienna topologists.
Since April to August 2001 he had a scholarship of Kirche in Not in Oxford (Aid to the Church in Need) and attended an intensive English language course at OISE (Oxford Intensive Language School). As of September 2001 for half a year he worked on a project at the University of Ludwig Maximillian in Munich.
In 2002 he had a scholarship of Kirche in Not (Aid to the Church in Need) in Dublin. The aim of going there was to practise English language (Dublin City University). During his stay in Ireland he worked at the national office of the Kirche in Not foundation, which gave him an opportunity to get to know the specifics of Catholic church there.
Since 2002 he has been a lecturer at the Cardinal Wyszyński University in Warsaw, and since the 14th of December 2012 he has had the DSc degree in theological science.
In the academic year 2005/2006 he gave lectures at the Faculty of Philosophy, Trnava University in Slovakia.
Since 2006 he has been the director of the Polish Section of the foundation “Aid to the Church in Need” and initiator of its two regional offices in Cracow and Poznan. He was appointed to take care of this by the Archbishop Józef Życiński, the Lublin region metropolitan. Since the beginning of the Polish Section was established, it was responsible for many humanitarian actions aiming at providing help to Christians who needed it most in countries at war or being under religious persecution.
The first initiative taken by Rev.Prof. Waldemar Cisło was supporting Christians from the Holy Land “SOS for the Holy Land”. Its aim was to enhance sales of olive tree wood products made by Christians from Bethlem. Income from this action was and still is donated to support them. The products are available on sale via the website of the organization and in the Cracow Office “Dialogue Areas”.
In order to promote better the idea of helping Christians persecuted and oppressed around the world, the foundation opened offices in Cracow and Poznan under the initiative of Reverend.
Since the Syrian crisis, the Foundation has taken the following actions:
– „Milk for Aleppo”, to raise money to buy instant milk needed for children’s growth. The action turned out to be a real success providing nearly three thousand children to 10-year-olds with nutrition;
– Co-operation with the Government of Poland in the scope of medical help in Syria focusing on Syrian children treatment;
– Restoring equipment at St. Ludwick hospital in Aleppo after war damage;
– Collection of money for food packages for 1500 families in Damascus. The packages were distributed to families which had to leave Damascus because of war fights and stay in nearby villages without access to basic food products like milk for children, lentils, sugar, tea, oil and tins;
– Help to maintain the refugees camp in Erbil, Iran, the of which is about 800 thousand dollars;
– A medical project in three Syrian towns: Aleppo, Tartus and Marmarita, for total cost of 1 500 000 PLN. The aim is to support treatment of 500 Christian children affected by traumatic war experience.
Despite big humanitarian actions taken the Polis Section of the Aid to the Church in Need under the initiative of professor, the Foundation has also been providing material support to contemplative convents and priests around the world in the form of mass donations helping to survive.
Every year there is in Poland the Day of Solidarity with the Oppressed Church during which money is raised in the whole country and given to Christians who need it most in countries at war or under religious intolerance.
Rev. Prof. Waldemar Cisło touches important and current issues of modern times in his academic research, pastoral and social work. He is also the author of many popular publications: Immigrants at the Gate. Refugees crisis and martyrdom of the 21st Christians or The Aleppo Tragedy.
