On March 23, 2007, on the initiative of the Pastor Dr. Stanisław Pławecki at the Polish Catholic Parish in Munich, the John Paul II Foundation Chapter was established. At first, it had a dozen or so members. Mr. Paweł Kuśnierz was the first president of the Chapter in the years 2007-2011. The initial activities of the Chapter consisted primarily on praying for the beatification of John Paul II, organizing a religious book fair and conducting October fundraisers for the Foundation. The Chapter grew from year to year. Dr. Adam Kowalik, was the next president of the Chapter in the years 2011-2017. Mr. Kowalik took care of the documentation of the Chapter’s activities: he designed its folder, updated the website, initiated keeping a chronicle, and also wrote articles about the events and initiatives of our Chapter for the website of the Foundation in Rome, closely cooperating with Father Dr. Krzysztof Wieliczko. After Mr. Kowalik left Munich, Mrs. Marta Czempik took over the function of the President of the Chapter and she is still overseeing the Chapter. Currently, the Chapter has 62 members who try to live the teaching of John Paul II as active members of the parish community. Regular meetings of the Chapter are held at least twice a year. During the meetings, a part consists of conferences related to various aspects of the pontificate of John Paul II delivered by our spiritual guardian Father Pławecki. Various initiatives are also discussed and planned at the meetings. And, so the delegations of the Chapter participated, among others, in the celebrations of the 30th and 35th anniversary of the Foundation in Rome, the ceremony of canonization of John Paul II, a pilgrimage of thanksgiving for the beatification of the Polish Pope to the Marian Shrine in Altöttig, a pilgrimage “In the footsteps of John Paul II in the Homeland” and to Krakow for the ceremony of consecration of the image of Divine Mercy.
Every year, the Munich Chapter organizes Papal Days. Various people associated with John Paul II are invited to participate in the Papal Day. In our Parish we have already hosted Fr Oder, postulator of the beatification and canonization process of John Paul II, French deacon Martial Codou, Floribeth Mora Diaz, a wonderfully healed Costa Rican, scholarship recipients of the John Paul II Foundation from Lublin together with their guardian Fr Jan Strzałka, Monsignor Sławomir Nasiorowski, Bishop Józef Staniewski, former scholarship recipient of the John Paul II Foundation and often Administrator of the Foundation, Father Dr. Krzysztof Wieliczko. Each of these people with their testimony brought us closer to the figure of John Paul II, showing the simplicity and at the same time the complexity of this Saint.
It is worth emphasizing the Chapter’s cooperation of the Chapter with the John Paul II School of Native Subjects in Munich. A representative of the Chapter is always invited to the annual Patron’s Day. Such representative participates in the Holy Mass, the occasional academy and gives a speech about St. John Paul II. Sometimes a guest invited to the Chapter’s Papal Day visits children and young people from the SPO.
On October 8, 2022 the members of the Chapter gathered in the Mission Chapel in front of the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa to thank God together with Father Wieliczko for 15 years of existence and activities of the John Paul II Foundation Chapter in Munich. After the Eucharist there was a solemn agapa enriched with memories of personal meetings with the Polish Pope, Father Krzysztof’s recollections from his travels around the world and meetings with members of other Chapters. On the next day, Sunday, Father Wieliczko delivered an occasional homily to the Polish-speaking faithful gathered in the Munich church. After the Holy Masses, the members of the Chapter conducted a collection for the John Paul II Foundation in Rome. A special appeal was addressed to the faithful:
“Today, in our parish today we are celebrating the XXII Papal Sunday under the motto “The Splendor of Truth”. John Paul II taught: “Let us defend ourselves against the appearance of love, let us not love with words and tongue, but with deed and truth”. In this spirit, we wish to join with the faithful in Poland and in the world, to support together prayerfully and materially the “living monument” of gratitude to Saint John Paul II. It is the John Paul II Foundation in Rome, which documents and deepens the pontificate of the Polish Pope, runs the Polish Home in Rome and provides educational and scholarship assistance to young people from poor families from Central and Eastern Europe. Especially now, in the face of war, it is extremely crucial and valuable to help talented but underprivileged young people who want to enrich themselves intellectually and spiritually. Let’s join the fundraising organized by the John Paul II Foundation Munich Chapter, which has been operating for 15 years at our parish. God bless You for the gift of the heart.”
We hope that our Chapter will continue to grow and cherish the memory of John Paul II and his pontificate, especially among the young generation. We would like to express our gratitude to Father Pławecki for taking care of the Chapter and Father Wieliczko for prayers and kindness.
Beata Tomczyk-Paniak, Secretary of the Munich Chapter
