 Brother Zenon was born into a rural family, and at his baptism he received the name Wladyslaw. He was born in the village of Surowe, near Myszyniec, in the Province of Lomza. Church documents were destroyed in a fire, but it is likely that he was born in 1898. He grew up in a large family, so his father had to travel twice to America "for bread." His mother raised the children and gave them a religious education.
Wladyslaw spent his youth working on the family farm in his village. Although he was very talented, he did not have an opportunity to receive an education. He only learned how to read and write. From 1920 to 1922 he served in the military and then worked in a factory in Przasnysz; for a short time he was stationed in Plock and Warsaw.
He thought about entering the seminary. In 1925 he was accepted to the Conventual Franciscan Friars in Grodno, and received the religious name Zenon. There, he met Fr. Maximillian Kolbe, OFMConv, who at that time published the periodical "Rycerz Niepokalanej" ("The Knight of the Immaculata"). Fr. Kolbe was impressed by Br. Zenon's talents, diligence, creativity and his gift of developing ties with people. Br. Zenon was critical of himself, spoke openly that he desired to improve in order to become less hot-tempered and contentious.
In 1927 the responsibility of building a new chapel and the first barracks of the Niepokalanow Friary was given to Brother Zenon. In Niepokalanow he completed his Novitiate and took religious vows. At the beginning of 1930, along with Fr. Maximillian and three other Friars, he set out for Japan. There, he assisted in forming a new Catholic mission in Nagasaki.
The beginnings of this mission were very difficult. Although the Polish Friars did not know Japanese very well, shortly after arriving they started publishing "Seibo no Kishi," i.e. "Rycerz Niepokalanej" in Japanese. They also built the Japanese Niepokalanow and called it "Mugenzai no Sono", i.e. "The Garden of the Immaculata".
In 1936 Fr. Maximillian returned to Poland, but Br. Zenon stayed in Japan and led an active missionary life there. One of his various functions was lending or selling religious books. During World War II, when the Japanese government confined all the foreigners into interment camps, he helped the imprisoned and the starving.
After the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki in August of 1945, Br. Zenon began his charitable work among the survivors. After World War II he devoted himself to serving the poorest of society. He was involved in the founding of orphanages for Japanese children and centers for the homeless. The Japanese held great respect and trust for him, so they called him "Brother Zeno," from the Japanese word "zenno" which means almighty.
During the many visits to the Land of the Cherry Blossoms he sought food and clothes for his orphans. He took care of the homeless and war victims in the so called "ant cities." He founded similar settlements, called "boys' farms," around the country to give young men an opportunity to obtain an education and an occupation. There, young people could learn and work under the supervision of their educators. Brother Zeno used to say that he had no time for dying. In 1962 he founded a center for the mentally ill in Hiroshima. The Emperor of Japan presented him with the Medal of the Sacred Treasure in 1969 for his tireless work.
In 1971, after 40 years of missionary work, he visited Poland on his way to Rome for the beatification of his confrere and companion, Fr. Maximillian Kolbe. After coming back to Japan, Br. Zeno was not able to work as hard as he used to because of his age and deteriorating health.
The Government of the Republic of Poland honored him with the Golden Cross of the Order of Merit in 1976. In 1979, at the base of Mount Fuji, a huge monument was erected with the inscription, "Brother Zeno - Unlimited Love". He belongs to a very small number of people in the history of Japan for whom a monument was erected during their own lifetime.
The Holy Father John Paul II met with Brother Zeno during his pilgrimage to Japan in 1981. Br. Zenon Zebrowski died in a hospital in Tokyo, on April 24, 1982. His funeral took place at the Fuchu Catholic cemetery, in the suburbs of Tokyo.
In 1998, on the 100th anniversary of Br. Zeno's birth, in his home parish in Czarnia in the Kurpie region, a monument in his memory was unveiled. The monument portrays a carving of Brother Zeno with his right hand on the shoulder of a Polish girl dressed in the regional Kurpie costume, and his left hand on the shoulder of a Japanese boy. The commemorative plaque displays a similar inscription to the one which is at the monument in Japan: "Brother Zenon Zebrowski - Unlimited Love". Four years later, in 2002, a museum dedicated to Brother Zeno was opened in Czarnia.
 Brother Zeno played an important role in building relations between Japan and Poland. His dedicated service was appreciated by the government of Japan. His charitable work for over 50 years and particularly his sensitivity in times of human tragedy earned him a great deal of respect, which led to a favorable disposition of the Japanese towards the Poles.
A few schools chose Brother Zeno as their patron, books have been written about his colorful life, movies were produced and a musical was performed. The enormous efforts of Brother Zeno were also fruitful in regards to faith. Some Japanese people, seeing his unselfishness and dedication, wanted to discover the reasons for his activities. They learned that the motive of all his work was his love towards people, which Jesus Christ teaches about. Brother Zeno, by his own example, convinced many Japanese to become Christians.
Prepared by wp
Translated by as / mw
In photos: Br. Zenon Zebrowski OFMConv, 1-5) in Japan; 6) with Cardinal Wojtyla in Poland; 7) in Niepokalanow, Poland / Photos by the Franciscan Friars in Niepokalanow and from www.brotherzenon.com
 See also: Nagasaki: The Franciscans, Fat Man, and the City of Ants
See also our photo galleries:
1. 75th Anniversary of the Franciscan Mission in Japan
2. Modern Japan
3. Traditional Japan
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