A special Feast Day Mass for St. John Paul II was held at St. Stanislaus Church, the Diocesan Shrine for the Saint, on Thursday, October 22. The Mass was concelebrated by Fr. Michal Czyzewski, pastor, and Fr. Jan Kolmaga, parochial vicar. The Mass was preceded with a recitation of the Rosary, a favorite prayer of the Pope John Paul II. Attendees placed roses before the first-class relic and statue of the saint as they offered their prayer intentions.
In his homily, Fr. Michal elaborated on two of St. John Paul’s writings. The first referred to the quote: “I have come to set the earth on fire.” This refers to the zeal that occurs within us when we follow Christ and his teachings with total, complete, and unwavering commitment. It is the Holy Spirit that was sent to stroke the fire and make us each an advocate for Christ’s love and mercy. The second was the St. John Paul II’s book, “Be Not Afraid” emphasizing the importance of faith, hope and love. “Setting the world on fire” can be intimidating and overwhelming. But, with the help of the Holy Spirit we can become all that God intended us to be and “open wide the doors for Christ”.
Following his homily, Fr. Michal called upon Sister Ryszarda Wittbrodt, a Missionary Sister of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to describe her impressions of St. John Paul II. Sister had the opportunity to meet with the Holy Father several times, and it was her order of sisters that administered to St. John Paul II up until his death. The missionary sisters were founded by Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, and the main mission of the order was to spread devotion to the Heart of Jesus and practice spiritual and corporal works of mercy. In Buffalo, the sisters reside at Our Lady of Czestochowa in North Tonawanda. They were eager to pay homage to St. John Paul and brought their bouquet of roses after they learned about the event in the Am-Pol Eagle.
Following the Mass, attendees were given a sweet treat in honor of John Paul’s Feast Day and a picture prayer card. Everyone was encouraged to take one of the roses they had placed before the statue home as a special blessing.
St. Stanislaus currently offers Mass in English on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and on Sunday at 12:00 noon in Polish. The noon Mass is broadcast on the radio at 101.7 FM. The Mother Church of WNY Polonia and the Diocesan Shrine of St John Paul to is located on the corner of Fillmore and Peckham.
