The President's wife visited the National Shrine of St. John Paul II in Washington, D.C. On site, the First Lady was welcomed by the Executive Director of the Friends of John Paul II Foundation, Mr. Anthony Picarello, and the history of the Shrine and the facility itself were presented by Mr. Bogdan Pater.
First Lady Agata Duda visiting the Sanctuary of St. John Paul II, photo: KPRP
The National Sanctuary of St. John Paul II is a place of worship, religious formation and cultural renewal. It is also a place of pilgrimage, where the relic of St. John Paul II is exhibited. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops granted the sanctuary the title of "national" on March 14, 2014.
Then, the President's Wife, accompanied by the Consul of the Republic of Poland in Washington, Mikołaj Rychlik, met with representatives of the Polish branch of the Friends of John Paul II Foundation.
The John Paul II Foundation was established by decree of Pope John Paul II on October 16, 1981. It is a non-profit church organization that aims to support and implement educational, scientific, cultural, religious and charitable initiatives related to the pontificate of the Holy Father John Paul II.
The American Polonia is extremely active in Polish affairs, which is extremely important and for which I sincerely thank you. I am very glad that you support the idea of St. John Paul II, who meant so much to us Poles - said the First Lady.
Representatives of the Polish branch of the Foundation talked about the daily activities of the organization, which is focused on preserving and developing the spiritual heritage of John Paul II and Christian culture. This is done through various activities: scholarship programs, running the museum, the Polish House of John Paul II and the Center for Documentation and Study of the John Paul II Pontificate.
In her thanks, the First Lady also referred to the involvement of the Foundation in helping and supporting the "Help for Poles in the East" initiative, in which the President's wife is extremely involved.
This cooperation developed to an even greater extent when Russia attacked Ukraine.
Thank you very much for this help. This is extraordinary support for Poles, who often find themselves in a difficult financial situation. If it were not for the support of the American Polonia, it would be extremely difficult for us to continue helping - she emphasized.
Agata Kornhauser–Duda, referring to the changing and demanding war reality in Ukraine, emphasized the dynamic nature of the assistance. The response to the needs of the Ukrainian side is the numerous training courses organized by the Polish side, addressed to, among others, Ukrainian volunteer firefighters, Ukrainian women who are staying in Poland or medics who will then use the knowledge they have gained in Ukraine.
The Washington branch of the Foundation promotes knowledge about the life and pontificate of John Paul II in the environment of both the Washington and American Polish communities. Annual dinners combined with a lecture, held on the occasion of John Paul II's birthday, are a tradition. In 2024, the 10th anniversary of the canonization of the Polish Pope was celebrated.
source - KPRP
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