Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Thousands of young Poles make their way through the streets of Czestochowa, Poland, July 19, 2025, singing and praying as they approached the Jasna Góra Marian shrine. This year's annual pilgrimage and camp marked the 25th anniversary of the Foundation "Dzielo Nowego Tysiaclecia" (Work of the New Millennium), a vibrant "living memorial" to St. John Paul II, supporting talented youth from underprivileged backgrounds. (OSV News photo/courtesy Sara Janikowska, Work of the New Millennium)

Poland’s ‘living memorial’ to St. John Paul II marks 25 years of transforming lives


By
Filed Under: News, Saints, World News, Youth Ministry

WARSAW, Poland (OSV News) — Thousands of young Poles made their way through the streets of Czestochowa July 19, singing and praying as they approached the Jasna Góra Marian shrine.

This year’s annual pilgrimage and camp were not just traditional summer gatherings of the community. It marked the 25th anniversary of the Foundation “Dzielo Nowego Tysiaclecia” (Work of the New Millennium), a vibrant “living memorial” to St. John Paul II, supporting talented youth from underprivileged backgrounds.

Mass, celebrated by the apostolic nuncio to Poland, Archbishop Guido Filipazzi, was at the heart of the celebration, who reminded the young gathered that “gratitude to God and to others is of enormous importance in our lives, especially in a cultural context like ours, where people often feel completely autonomous and self-sufficient.”

Cultivating gratitude toward God “helps us not to waste his gifts” and “inclines us to reciprocate the love with which he surrounds us,” Archbishop Filipazzi said. “I encourage you to thank God for the gift of this foundation and for the people through whom this work could arise and continue.”

Archbishop Guido Filipazzi, apostolic nuncio to Poland, receives offerings from a young woman and young man during Mass at Jasna Góra shrine in Czestochowa, Poland, July 19, 2025. The young man is receiving a scholarship from the Foundation “Dzielo Nowego Tysiaclecia” (“Work of the New Millenium”). T(OSV News photo/courtesy Sara Janikowska, Work of the New Millennium)

The foundation, called “The Work” in Poland was envisioned in response to St. John Paul’s call to support young people and promote a “culture of life.” Following the pope’s pilgrimage to his homeland in 1999, Polish bishops launched the initiative to help talented youth from smaller towns and rural areas, providing not only scholarships but also a spiritual formation.

Over the past 25 years, the foundation has provided more than 10,000 scholarships to students, shaping not only their educational paths but also nurturing their faith and civic responsibility.

“This is a community for life,” said Father Dariusz Kowalczyk, president of the foundation.”

Many of our alumni now have children — many children, actually — and they represent a wide array of professions. Some came from truly difficult beginnings, broken families and challenging environments. Today, they are grateful for having been part of a community that offered them a new perspective, rooted in faith and in the example of St. John Paul II,” Father Kowalczyk told OSV News.

The priest believes that the figure of John Paul remains fundamental in forming young people today, particularly those from broken or struggling homes.

“Karol Wojtyla lost his mother, brother and father. At the age of 21, he was completely alone, without immediate family. Sociologically, he would have been a perfect candidate to fail in life,” said Father Kowalczyk. “But he didn’t. What made the difference was his deep connection to God and the church. This universal truth enabled him to survive fascism, communism, and personal tragedy.”

“Many young people tell me, ‘I live from one meeting to the next,’ because encounters with the foundation community give them the strength to continue,” he added. “The end of the scholarship program doesn’t mean the end of their bond with us — it lasts a lifetime.”

Jacek Laszczak, a military academy student in Wroclaw, shared that the foundation made his dream of becoming a soldier possible. Coming from a modest family, the costs of training and equipment would have been a burden. “Of course, the foundation is not only financial help,” he said. “It is formation, community and meeting people who aim for great goals.”

Kasia Stalmach, a law student and active volunteer in hospice and emergency services, emphasized how the foundation motivated her to pursue excellence while serving others. “The formation and contact with other scholarship receivers make me a better person,” she said. “I am grateful to be part of this wonderful family and to be a ‘Living Memorial’ of this extraordinary man, St. John Paul II.”

Daria and Rafal Dobosz, now married with three sons, met at a foundation camp in 2008. “We are enormously grateful to God for the help we received,” they shared. “We gained education, good professions, each other, and the invaluable experience of participating in a living church community.”

Another married couple of “The Work” — Dorota and Kamil Polomscy — say they owe their meeting — and now 10 years of marriage — to the foundation. It was during the summer camps for scholarship holders, amid shared prayer and teamwork, that their friendship grew into a vocation. The scholarship allowed them to leave their small town for high school, followed by university, without financial fear, leading Kamil to a career in finance and Dorota to become a certified translator.

“The foundation was a place where we grew in faith, built lasting friendships and found each other,” they said.

The foundation now looks toward strengthening its alumni association, recognizing that now-professionals and parents, continue to seek community, faith formation, and opportunities to give back. “They need it, and they want it,” Father Kowalczyk emphasized. “And this is our mission going forward,” he told OSV News.

“Gratitude is fundamental,” Archbishop Filipazzi told the youth at the foundation’s jubilee Mass, which came some days ahead of the Youth Jubilee in Rome July 28-Aug. 3. “Do not waste the gifts you have received,” the nuncio said.

Father Kowalczyk added: “This place proves that faith can build a community that endures and transforms lives.”

Read More Saints

New CatholicTV series focuses on service, driven by love, by Black Catholics on sainthood track

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-before-298428’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-before-298428’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-before-298428’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/20261029T1530-BLACK-CATHOLIC-SAINTS-TV-1829124.JPG.jpg’, description: ‘New CatholicTV series focuses on service, driven by love, by Black Catholics on sainthood track’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-before-298428’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

A new documentary series on Black Catholics on the sainthood track is set to kickoff Nov. 2 on the Archdiocese of Boston’s CatholicTV network.

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-after-298428’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-after-298428’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-after-298428’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/20261029T1530-BLACK-CATHOLIC-SAINTS-TV-1829124.JPG.jpg’, description: ‘New CatholicTV series focuses on service, driven by love, by Black Catholics on sainthood track’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-after-298428’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Continue Reading New CatholicTV series focuses on service, driven by love, by Black Catholics on sainthood track

Saint Friends 

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-before-298342’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-before-298342’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-before-298342’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/20170801T1337-ST-JOHN-VIANNEY-580987.jpg’, description: ‘Saint Friends ‘ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-before-298342’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Every year as the new year begins, I use a random generator online to pick a saint for the year. The idea is to have a saint to learn about and maybe turn to in the days ahead. Some years, I’ve been matched with a saint I already knew. Often, though, it’s a saint I know less about, which is always an adventure. This year, I was matched with St. John Vianney.

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-after-298342’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-after-298342’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-after-298342’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/20170801T1337-ST-JOHN-VIANNEY-580987.jpg’, description: ‘Saint Friends ‘ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-after-298342’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Continue Reading Saint Friends 

Relics of St. Theodore Guérin offer special connection to her inspiring life in Indiana

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-before-298355’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-before-298355’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-before-298355’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/20261027T1920-THEODORA-GUERIN-RELICS-1828986.jpg’, description: ‘Relics of St. Theodore Guérin offer special connection to her inspiring life in Indiana’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-before-298355’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Catholics in Indiana recently marked the 20th anniversary of the canonization of St. Theodore Guérin, a saint who served their state, with additional relics being given to representatives from each of Indiana’s five dioceses, offering the faithful a special connection to her and her story.

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-after-298355’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-after-298355’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-after-298355’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/20261027T1920-THEODORA-GUERIN-RELICS-1828986.jpg’, description: ‘Relics of St. Theodore Guérin offer special connection to her inspiring life in Indiana’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-after-298355’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Continue Reading Relics of St. Theodore Guérin offer special connection to her inspiring life in Indiana

Pope recognizes heroic virtues of 6 Catholics, from missionary bishops to Padre Pio’s spiritual son

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-before-298298’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-before-298298’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-before-298298’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/20261026T1146-VATICAN-VENERABLE-DECREES-OCT-2026-1828916.jpg’, description: ‘Pope recognizes heroic virtues of 6 Catholics, from missionary bishops to Padre Pio’s spiritual son’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-before-298298’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Pope Leo XIV has authorized decrees recognizing the heroic virtues of a group of Catholics from all walks of life — from a Peruvian bishop to an Italian spiritual son of St. Padre Pio.

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-after-298298’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-after-298298’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-after-298298’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/20261026T1146-VATICAN-VENERABLE-DECREES-OCT-2026-1828916.jpg’, description: ‘Pope recognizes heroic virtues of 6 Catholics, from missionary bishops to Padre Pio’s spiritual son’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-after-298298’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Continue Reading Pope recognizes heroic virtues of 6 Catholics, from missionary bishops to Padre Pio’s spiritual son

Where the dead speak

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-before-298159’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-before-298159’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-before-298159’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/100926_BackFromTheDead_KP-9363-1.jpg’, description: ‘Where the dead speak’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-before-298159’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

As dusk fell on the mountains surrounding the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg Oct. 9, a wise old woman standing outside of the shrine’s cemetery warned those who passed to “listen closely.”

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-after-298159’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-after-298159’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-after-298159’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/100926_BackFromTheDead_KP-9363-1.jpg’, description: ‘Where the dead speak’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-after-298159’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Continue Reading Where the dead speak

48 years after installation, St. John Paul II provides moral foundation for today’s tech race

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-before-298156’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-before-298156’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-before-298156’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/20261022T1004-JOHN-PAUL-FEAST-2026-1828754.jpg’, description: ’48 years after installation, St. John Paul II provides moral foundation for today’s tech race’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-before-298156’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

As the Catholic Church marks the feast of St. John Paul II, scholars and Church leaders are pointing to the late pope’s teachings as a guide for navigating the rapid rise of technology development.

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-after-298156’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-after-298156’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-after-298156’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/20261022T1004-JOHN-PAUL-FEAST-2026-1828754.jpg’, description: ’48 years after installation, St. John Paul II provides moral foundation for today’s tech race’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-after-298156’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Continue Reading 48 years after installation, St. John Paul II provides moral foundation for today’s tech race

Print Print