Friends of John Paul II Foundation, Inc.,
Washington, D.C.
Dear Board Members of the Friends of the Pope John Paul II Foundation,
Today as we draw near to the birth of our Savior, we recall our beloved Pope now Saint John Paul II and his magnificent devotion to Christ and His Blessed Mother. His personal testimony brought the attention of the world and its leaders to the magnificence of the Christmas miracle. At Christmas in 1998, he wrote:
“Today there shines forth, Urbi et Orbi,
upon the city of Rome and upon the whole world,
the face of God: Jesus reveals him to us
as the Father who loves us.
All you who are seeking the meaning of life,
all you whose hearts are burning
with the hope of salvation, freedom and peace,
come to meet the Child born of Mary:
He is God, our Saviour,
the only one worthy of this name,
the one Lord.
He is born for us, come, let us adore him”
“…come, let us adore Him” Are we not all called to do so? Our work with the Friends is our small effort toward acknowledging the heroic leadership and deep Faith of this man we all loved —- Pope John Paul II. Your work and your persistence over the years have led to securing the message of this great man in the minds and hearts of the faithful. Countless priests, seminarians and lay religious point to the example of John Paul II as the “why” of their vocation. By our work we are validating for future priests, seminarians and lay religious that the charism of Pope John Paul II continues. We must continue to carry the banner and remind the world “Totus tuus” is as meaningful, now as it was at the height of his papacy. But now it is we who are giving ourselves totally to Jesus Christ. There is no better season than Advent and Christmas to refresh this commitment.
At the end of each year, we are asked to consider a gift to the Foundation to secure its future and the important work of carrying on the charism of Pope John Paul II. In 2021 and 2022, despite pandemic interruptions, the Friends in the Washington area were working on promoting our beloved Pope’s legacy.
Below are some of our Foundation’s Chapter highlights of our activities in 2022:
- In May, The Friends of John Paul II Washington, DC, donated $60,000 to the John Paul II Foundation, which will be used to aid the Ukrainian refugees living on the John Paul II University campus in Lublin, Poland. The donation will also support the Foundation housing refugees in the Polish Home in Rome, Italy.
Ukrainian Refugees at University of Lublin, May 2022, picture from Fr. Wieliczko
- Diocesan Catechetical Conference for Religious Education, Reston, VA. On November 19, 2022, our chapter members organized a booth in an exhibition hall themed “Keep Your Heritage Alive!” featuring a broad array of educational materials developed and printed for use by diocesan school systems. Many of the 360 religious educators dropped by to DVDs “Nine Days that Changed the World.”, bookmarks, booklets, and other educational materials, including very popular Christmas and Easter tradition sheaths. The event was a perfect opportunity to share Polish traditions as an essential aspect of our beloved Pope’s efforts to preserve Polish traditions and keep families together. The Chapter ordered $3,500.00 worth of educational materials for this and future educational opportunities.
Polish display table at the Religious Educators Conference from left: Raymond and Cecilia Glembocki, Roza Pace, Sylvia Korzan, and Marianna and John Eckel
- September 21-25, Chapter members Cecilia and Ray Glembocki traveled to Rome to participate in the John Paul Foundation’s 40th-anniversary Celebration, and a symposium on How do we Transmit the Legacy of the Pontificate. While in Rome, Ray Glembocki received Pro Essecelia et Pontifice award from Pope Frances. Congratulations, Ray!
Raymond Glembocki receives a recognition in Rome, September 2022
- November 6, the Chapter held a Board Meeting and Annual Elections. The Board approved a request for funding of materials for educational purposes that include printed items (posters, bookmarks, postcards, DVDs on “Nine Days that Changed the World”, Poland Books, booklets on relics of Saint John Paul II, Interesting Facts about the Pope and other promotional materials for $5,100, of which $3,800 were already spent for education al materials. These materials will be shared at various conferences for educators as well as with the diocesan schools in Arlington, Washington, and Baltimore dioceses. Everyone loved the Christmas and Easter tradition sheets, and it was a perfect way to share our Polish traditions.
Picture following a swearing-in of incoming Board Members. From left: Father Canon Philip Majka; Eva Marie Szczepanski, Recording Secretary; Roza Pace, 1st VP; Dr.Hugh Dempsey, President; Raymond Glembocki, Treasurer; Cecilia Glembocki, 2nd VP; not pictured: Mary Flanagan, Corresponding Secretary
- On December 2-4, Cecilia and Raymond Glembocki chaired the Polish Perspective exhibit on behalf of The American Council for Polish Culture (APCP) at the 102nd annual National Council for Social Studies Conference (NCSS) in Philadelphia. Members of the ACPC Tom Payne (also our Chapter’s Board Member), Debbie Majka, an Honorary Counsel of the Polish Embassy from Philadelphia, and Peter Obst, President of the Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia, joined Ray and Cecilia for that event. A total of 3,648 educators attended the conference. Twenty DVDs on “Nine Days that Changed the World,” as well as hundreds of books titled “Altar to the World, “Interesting Facts About St. John Paul II,” leaflets, posters, bookmarks, and other materials have been distributed the educators. The educators were very interested in the life of the Polish Pope. It was gratifying to be part of the conference and promote notable Poles, Polish history, and traditions, including the information on the significance of our St. John Paul II and the impact he had, and continues to have, upon the world.
- On December 8, Chapter members, led by our outgoing President Marianna Eckel, decorated a Polish Christmas Tree with traditional ornaments that included creations of our former member Robert Flanagan and contributions from the cultural section of the Polish Embassy. The Polish tree, an annual feature at the Saint John Paul II Shrine, was a true standout. On December 11, our Chapter members participated in a Festival of Lights at the Shrine, including a meet and greet reception for the new President. Dr. Maxime Nogier, the Shrine’s executive Director and sisters of Our Lady of Divine Mercy, joined us on this joyous occasion.
Polish Christmas Tree at the Saint John Paul II Chapel
- The Chapter intends to obtain additional DVDs on the “Nine Days that Changed the World” for distribution to media centers in Arlington, Washington DC, and the Baltimore dioceses. Our Chapter already initiated contacts with the Washington DC and Baltimore dioceses and distributed hundreds of the books – “Altar to the World,” along with bookmarks of Saint John Paul II. Several thousands of coloring pages were also shared with the schools in the Arlington Diocese. We will share educational materials and promote our Pope’s legacy at the February 5 Virginia National Council of Social Studies Conference in Richmond, VA, and at the 2023 Middle States Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference in Wilmington, DE, on February 24-25.
Your continued support is needed and truly valued. Please be as generous as you can. Please let us know if you wish to be more involved in our chapter’s activities.
May all God’s blessings be on you and yours in this season and into 2023.
God bless you All,
Hugh M. Dempsey, GCMOb
President
