On April 2, 2025, we marked the 20th anniversary of the death of our Patron, Saint John Paul II. On this occasion, a three-day commemoration was held in Rome in memory of the Polish Pope, with the active involvement of our Foundation.
On the evening of April 1, a concert entitled “Credo” by Krzysztof Penderecki took place at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. In addition to honoring the twentieth anniversary of Saint John Paul II’s passing, the event also commemorated the fifth anniversary of the composer’s death. The concert was co-organized by the Church of Saint Stanislaus BM, whose rector is our chairman, and was attended by members of the Polish episcopate, representatives of the Italian Polish community, and members of our Foundation.
The following day, April 2, at 3:00 p.m., a solemn Mass was celebrated at Saint Peter’s Basilica, presided over by the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, with Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz among the concelebrants. At 9:00 p.m., a multilingual prayer vigil in Polish, Italian, and English was held in Saint Peter’s Square.
The final day of the commemoration, April 3, began with a morning Mass celebrated at the tomb of Saint John Paul II. The day concluded with a religious and cultural evening hosted by The John Paul II Foundation in the John Paul II Hall at the Church of Saint Stanislaus BM. The program included a photography exhibition by renowned papal photographer Grzegorz Gałązka, titled “The Departure of the Great Pope. 20 Years Ago.”
We are pleased to announce that, in honor of the 20th anniversary of his death and the 105th anniversary of Saint John Paul II’s birth, the Catholic Editorial Team of TVP produced two new films about the Pope, featuring clergy from our Foundation: Monsignor Paweł Ptasznik (Chairman) and Fr. Tomasz Podlewski (Press Spokesman). The films, titled “In the Footsteps of the Father” (Śladami Ojca) and “The Pope’s Mother” (Matka Papieża), are available free of charge on the Catholic Editorial Team’s YouTube channel.
