On June 18, over 250 parishioners of Holy Rosary Church in Baltimore, along with members of the Friends of John Paul II Foundation, the Polish American Congress, Polish American Health Association, and Katyn Foundation, gathered to honor Father Ryszard Czerniak, SChr, on his 25th anniversary of priestly ordination. The celebration was a special tribute to Father Czerniak’s decade of dedicated service as pastor of Holy Rosary. Under his leadership, the parish flourished as a spiritual and cultural home for Polonia, offering Polish-language liturgies, beloved traditions such as Corpus Christi processions, special gatherings, and a deep sense of community rooted in faith and heritage.
Father Czerniak’s commitment to preserving the parish’s legacy led to a successful campaign to restore the church’s historic roof and kept the doors open as a pilgrimage site for the Archdiocesan Shrine of Divine Mercy. The Shrine remains a spiritual destination for visitors who come to pray before the relics of St. Faustina, St. John Paul II, and Blessed Michael Sopocko. The Shrine gained international recognition after the Vatican acknowledged the healing of Fr. Ronald Pytel as a miracle through the intercession of St. Faustina, a key step toward her canonization in 2000.
Holy Rosary parishioners come from 50 different cities and towns in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia, and remain united through their commitment to and support of the parish. As Father Czerniak begins a new chapter at St. Florian Parish in Hamtramck, Michigan, the community sends him forth with deep gratitude, confident that his new parish is receiving a shepherd devoted to the spiritual needs of the Polish diaspora.
Serdeczne Bóg zapłać, Father Czerniak!