The Christmas wafer carries the spirit of shared celebration and goodwill as a symbol of a unique tradition that has been connecting people in a special way during the Christmas season for centuries. On Thursday, December 14, 2023, the annual Christmas wafer meeting took place at the House of the. At 5:00 PM, a Holy Mass began presided over by Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Krakow and the head of our Foundation. The Eucharist was concelebrated by Archbishop Stanisław Budzik, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lublin; Father Prof. Mirosław Sitarz, the Vice-Rector of the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL); Father Sławomir Knopik, the Provincial of the Priests of the Sacred Hearts; Father Prof. Marek Słomka, the Director of the John Paul II Institute at KUL; the director priests, as well as priest scholarship recipients from Indonesia and Ukraine. Additionally, invited guests attended the meeting, including Ms. Ewa Bednarkiewicz, the President of the Friends of the Foundation Society from Warsaw, along with the society members.
At the beginning of the Holy Mass, the liturgy participants were welcomed by Father Director Jan Strzałka. In a special sermon, the main celebrant pointed out three important figures of Advent, calling them “giants of faith”: St. John the Baptist, St. John of the Cross on the day of his liturgical memorial, and St. John Paul II, our Founder and Patron.
After the Eucharist, everyone gathered in the hall to listen to the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, as recorded by St. Luke. Then, they exchanged wishes and broke the Christmas wafer while singing carols performed by the foundation’s choir. Olena Kaflovska, on behalf of the scholarship recipients, expressed thanks and extended holiday and New Year wishes to all the guests. Subsequently, speeches were delivered by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lublin, the Vice-Rector of KUL, the Provincial of the Priests of the Sacred Hearts, and the President. Following the speeches, Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski blessed the wafers, which were then shared among the participants as they exchanged festive greetings.
To conclude this part of the Christmas wafer meeting, President Ewa Bednarkiewicz presented a holiday gift to all scholarship recipients in the form of a commemorative silver medal issued by the Polish Mint on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła’s election as pope. The last item on the agenda for the Christmas wafer meeting was a festive refreshment.
We sincerely thank the Foundation authorities, the Home management, benefactors, staff, choir, and everyone who participated in this year’s Christmas wafer meeting!
Agnieszka Menshykava
