From October 21st to 24th, 2023, the management of the House of the John Paul II Foundation in Lublin—Father Jan Strzałka and Father Robert Ptak—along with a delegation of scholarship recipients, Viktoria Rudkovska and Nikita Nalivko, visited Sweden at the invitation of the Board of the Friends of the John Paul II Foundation. This organization has been active since 1992 in the parish of St. Thomas Aquinas in Lund. In Sweden, there are five similar societies, all founded by Bożysław Kurowski, who passed away in 2006. Currently, the President of the Lund Chapter is Stanisław Radziukiewicz, succeeded by Jadwiga Kurkus.
Our stay in Lund coincided with two significant dates related to St. John Paul II. 45 years ago, on October 16, 1978, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła from Krakow was elected the 264th pope, and 6 days later, on October 22, his pontificate was formally inaugurated in the Vatican.
The visit to Lund was an excellent opportunity to thank God, together with the local Church, for the life and holiness of John Paul II. We also expressed gratitude to the Society and all benefactors in southern Sweden for their kindness, prayers, and financial contributions.
In the Catholic Church of St. Thomas Aquinas, two Holy Masses took place, followed by informational meetings. At noon, Mass was celebrated in Swedish, and at 3:00 PM in Polish. Participants had the opportunity to learn about the Foundation’s origins and current activities, and view a presentation prepared by the youth depicting daily life in the Foundation’s House. There was also time for questions and discussions.
On Monday, we had the chance to explore Lund, a city founded at the end of the 10th century, currently with around 100,000 inhabitants, many of whom are students from almost all over the world.
We extend heartfelt thanks to the Board and Members of the Chapter, especially to Mr. Stanisław Radziukiewicz and the Kurkus family, for their exceptional hospitality!
Father Jan and Father Robert with the scholarship recipients
