On November 7, 2021, the Washington DC Chapter of the Friends of the John Paul II Foundation celebrated the “Wadowice on the Potomac” at the Army Navy Club in Arlington, VA. It was a grand celebration of the long-awaited celebration of the one hundred Anniversary of his birth and the 43 th year of Karol Wojtyla being elected to the Holy See of St. Peters. The event honored Mary Flanagan for being one of the founders of the Foundation. Mary Flanagan recalled the cherished memories of establishing the Polish Home for the Pope in 1981. She mentioned Walter Zacharewicz for his devoted work in establishing the Washington DC Chapter as the second chapter in the USA in 1981. The past director of the Cultural Center of John Paul II, Hugh Dempsey GCMOb, reminded the guests of the initial work done to support the Cultural Center was done by Polonia and their dedicated members who for years contributed funds to build and dedicated the building as a museum in honor of Pope John Paul II. From our founding fathers to a time when we are now sharing his legacy, we are so proud to have a tradition of honoring the past. Father James McCormick of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Foundation addressed the attendees of how John Paul II believed in the visionary Sister Faustina and proceeded with the process of beatification and canonization. He explained the entire history how Devine Mercy was sanctified through the early years of John Paul II’s pontificate. Guests were entertained with the Skrypczuk Duo, who serenated us with the Pope’s most cherished musical melodies. The guests enjoyed singing along with Stacia and Olek in singing his favorite Barka folk (religious) song.
All the guests were given gifts to remember his legacy. The DVD of ‘Nine Days the Changed the World’ by the Gingrich Foundation and “The Second Greatest Story Ever Told” by Michael Gaitley were among the favorites. Leaflets about John Paul II were distributed as an example of how we spread the legacy to three diocesan catholic school systems in the greater Washington DC area- Arlington, Washington, and Baltimore. These educational leaflets were developed for school children in elementary and high school. The guests were so pleased to finally mingle and celebrate remembering the Legacy with musical remembrances. More individuals are joining the Foundation in hopes of carrying on the legacy and the memory of a great man who we all knew so very well. He said it was important to keep our heritage alive and open our Hearts to love life itself. Polish fabric motif face masks were given as a special gift to be sure we were proud of our Polish heritage.
Marianne Eckel and Cecilia Glembocki presented Father McCormick an American flag that was flown over the United States Capitol on October 16, 2020, this was to remember the year of his 100th birthday and his election to Holy See of St. Peters.
Cecilia Glembocki – Legacy Chairman.
