NEW YORK CHAPTER OF THE JOHN PAUL II FOUNDATION
On Sunday, April 24, 2022, the Polish community honored the memory of St. John Paul II. On that day, in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, New York, a Holy Mass was celebrated commemorating the eighth anniversary of the canonization of the Polish Pope. The Holy Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan along with Bishop Witold Mroziewski and other clergy. The church was filled to the last place. The Holy Mass was also attended by Americans and believers of other nations. The flag posts exhibited by the Polish Supplementary Schools, the Maritime League and veterans presented themselves very beautifully. Polish scouts, organizations and institutions of the Polish diaspora as well as representatives of Polish diplomacy and diplomatic corps of other countries appeared in large numbers. Among them there was: the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations – Krzysztof Szczerski, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Washington – Marek Magierowski, the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York – Adrian Kubicki and the Vice-Consuls. In his homily, Cardinal Timothy Dolan referred to the legacy of St. John Paul II, and also thanked Poles for helping refugees from Ukraine who found shelter and care in Poland. At the end, Consul Adrian Kubicki spoke about the spiritual legacy of our compatriot and about other Polish saints of our time: St. Faustina Kowalska, Saint Maksymilian Kolbe, Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. He ended his speech with the following words: “Let us be proud of the fact that we are a nation that gave the world St. John Paul II”. During the mass, Polish religious songs were sung by soprano Małgorzata Kelis, and the organ was played by Eugeniusz Wawrzyniak. In the central nave, next to the altar, the Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa and the portrait of Saint John Paul II were placed. On the other side, in the aisle, the image of Merciful Jesus was located. As it was the Divine Mercy Sunday, the faithful prayed in the front of the image after the Holy Mass. The anniversary Masses commemorating St. John Paul II have permanently merged with St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. On the initiative of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York, they have been celebrated since 2005. The Holy Mass was attended by a large group of members of the board of the New York John Paul II Foundation Chapter as well as members and friends of the Foundation.
Zofia Twarowska
