The Second Board Meeting of the Year for the John Paul II Vatican Foundation Concludes in Rome - News

The Administrative Council of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation convened in Rome on May 21-22. Representatives of the Foundation participated in the historic first General Audience of Pope Leo XIV. Several key decisions were made during the meeting. View the Photo Gallery "Each year, the Foundation's board meets twice. The main session at the beginning of the year sets the course for the months ahead, while the May meeting serves as a more evaluative gathering. This is the time when the board assesses the implementation of previously approved projects. The February session resulted in many concrete resolutions, and in recent months, we have been working intensively to carry them out. The May meeting was a valuable opportunity to review our work, evaluate ongoing projects, and discuss future plans. Given the breadth of our initiatives, this gathering is indispensable," explained the Foundation's spokesperson, Fr. Tomasz Podlewski. Day One The meeting commenced on May 21 at the Vatican, beginning with a Holy Mass at the tomb of Saint John Paul II in St. Peter's Basilica, presided over by Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski, who holds the "higher authority" (l’autorità superiore) within the Foundation according to its statutes. Concelebrants included Bishop Sławomir Oder (Vice-President of the Foundation), Msgr. Paweł Ptasznik (President), Fr. Dariusz Giers (Administrator), Fr. Tomasz Szopa (Board Member, Kraków), Fr. Michał Wilkosz (Board Member, Germany), along with directors of Foundation-run institutions in Rome and Poland. Lay board members Bogdan Chmielewski (USA), Wojciech Halarewicz (Germany), and Henryk Rogowski (France) were also present. Following the Eucharist, representatives attended the historic first Wednesday General Audience of Pope Leo XIV. Afterward, both Archbishop Jędraszewski and Bishop Oder engaged in personal conversations with the Pope. The afternoon session took place at St. Stanislaus B&M Church in Rome, where directors presented reports on the progress of initiatives set forth in February:

Fr. Mateusz Wójcik (Director of the Pilgrim House in Rome),
Fr. Dariusz Giers (Administrative Director),
Fr. Andrzej Dobrzyński (Director of the Center for Documentation and Research of the Pontificate of John Paul II in Rome),
Fr. Jan Strzałka (Director of the John Paul II Foundation in Poland).