The National Polish Apostolate Committee and the Most Reverend Archbishop Thomas Wenski,
Archbishop of Miami and Episcopal Liaison for the pastoral care of Polonia, invite the faithful to the
National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa on Sunday, August 27, 2023, to celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady of Czestochowa. It has been a centuries-old tradition in Poland for hundreds of thousands of
Catholics from across Poland to make a pilgrimage to Jasna Góra in Czestochowa, Poland for Our Lady’s
Feast Day. Most pilgrims travel on foot from different parts of the country, while others travel by bus,
train, and car to the miraculous icon of the Black Madonna to request needed graces. Similarly, Polonia in
the United States travel to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
In the 45th anniversary year of the election of Karol Cardinal Wojtyła, Archbishop of Krakow, to the See of
St. Peter in Rome, it is fitting that the theme for this year is: “Promoting the Legacy of St. John Paul II.”
On this occasion, the Polish Apostolate commemorates and highlights the substantial contributions of
Saint John Paul II to world history and the universal Church. Saint John Paul II’s inspiring words on the
dignity of every human person, his teaching of the Gospel, and his contagious enthusiasm gained attention across the globe. His contribution to Poland and the Polish diaspora is enormous. Some have compared