The Friends of John Paul II, Washington, D.C. Chapter, hosted Monsignor Dariusz Giers, PhD, Administrator of the Friends of John Paul II Foundation in Rome, Italy. It was his first trip to the city as Administrator.
The visit began on All Souls Day with a concelebrated Mass at St. John the Beloved in McLean, VA, dedicated to the living and deceased members of the Friends of John Paul II Chapter.
The following day, Monsignor Giers had the opportunity to meet with the Friends of John Paul II Foundation and parishioners at Our Lady Queen of Poland in Silver Spring, MD. He concelebrated Mass with our Chapter’s Maryland Chaplain, Father Jerzy Frydrych, S.Chr., and delivered a moving sermon.
A highlight of Monsignor Giers’ visit was his participation in the “Wadowice of the Potomac,” our annual event commemorating the anniversary (the 46th) of the St. John Paul II pontificate. This year, the event was a unique collaboration with our friends from the Polish American Congress, Washington, D.C. Chapter, who celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Chapter’s founding. Both organizations wanted to honor the memory of Mary Lubienska Flanagan, a steadfast leader of Polonia who had served in numerous leadership roles in both organizations. Presidents Tom Kolodziej and Roza Pace welcomed the guests and expressed gratitude to all (gone and present) for their great contributions over the years to advancing the interests of Polonia and their volunteer efforts on behalf of both organizations and wished them a happy Thanksgiving.
The event, skillfully MC’ed by Hugh Dempsey, D.Ed. GCMOb, was also graced by the presence of Consul Mikolaj Rychlik of the Embassy of Poland in Washington, D.C., who offered warm remarks to both chapters, acknowledging their shared commitment to preserving the legacy of John Paul II and to working on behalf of Polonia. Those present in return expressed general gratitude to the Embassy for its participation and support for our local events throughout the year.
Monsignor Giers offered insightful remarks about the John Paul II Foundation, emphasizing the need to safeguard the great legacy of John Paul II’s pontificate and expressing his gratitude to John Paul II members for their long-standing, faithful support of the John Paul II Foundation in Rome. He highlighted the Pope’s desire to support the education of young people from Eastern Europe, particularly through scholarships at the Catholic University of Lublin in Poland.
To honor both the mission of the Foundation and the legacy of Mary Flanagan, the FJP2 Chapter President, Roza Pace, announced a contribution from the Chapter towards scholarships in Mary’s name. Mary’s family, Matthew and Jesse Witkowski, who also made substantial contributions to our Chapter by working with Mary on the Chapter’s newsletter, received special certificates commemorating the occasion. A certificate along with a promise of the upcoming financial contribution was given to Monsignor Giers.
The keynote speaker for the event, Dr. Paul Kengor, author of A Pope and a President: Ronald Reagan, John Paul II, and the Extraordinary Untold Story of the 20th Century, captivated the audience with his discussion of the remarkable similarities in the lives of the two great statesmen and their deep spiritual bond. Dr. Kengor emphasized how this unique bond led to a seismic shift in world history. He also shared that his research into the lives of John Paul II and Ronald Reagan profoundly impacted him, inspiring him to convert to Catholicism.
Roza Pace noted that the speaker’s remarks particularly hit home as the Washington DC Chapter had the thrill this summer of engaging in a very successful collaboration with the Ronald Reagan National Library in Simi Valley, a collaboration that resulted in the permanent installation of a beautiful John Paul II bronze bust there, sculpted by Gordon Kray, one of our own talented members and the former recipient of the Foundation’s fellowship in Rome. Read more about this unique Simi Valley event on our website at friendsjp2.org and view the podcast about the special exhibit on John Paul II at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley.
During his visit, Monsignor Giers also toured the St. John Paul II National Shrine’s museum and celebrated Mass in the shrine’s chapel, where he delivered a special sermon on the names day of Karol Wojtyła’s (the Pope’s birth name).
The visit was filled with unexpected and heartwarming experiences. One particularly touching moment occurred when a Filipino-American woman, who had stumbled upon the Mass being said in Polish, expressed her gratitude for Pope John Paul II and for learning about the Foundation. She shared how Pope John Paul II’s biography had deeply influenced her father, who had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Another participant in the visit reflected on how Monsignor Giers’ presence and his beautiful homily gave her the spiritual strength to overcome the shock of a recent health scare involving her husband—an event that ended with a statistically improbable but positive outcome. The visit also included stops at the U.S. Capitol with a Chaplain-led tour and at the White House—on the U.S. election day.
Clearly, the spirit of John Paul II was powerfully felt during this memorable visit.
Submitted by Roza Pace
