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Shrine honoring Our Lady of Czestochowa and Saint John Paul II

Visitors to Rochester’s St. Stanislaus Kostka Church are often drawn to a shrine in the north transept honoring Our Lady of Czestochowa – Poland’s Black Madonna – and the recently canonized Saint John Paul II. In this 105-year-old structure whose beautiful interior has changed little over the decades, the shrine is a compelling spiritual oasis.

Created in 2008, the shrine features an icon of the Black Madonna written in Poland by renowned icon artist Anna Torwirt. (Icons are said to be “written” because they offer a window into the spiritual realm and can only be created in an attitude of prayer. Like carefully constructed poetry, they are written from the heart.) Beside the icon is a portrait of Saint John Paul II painted by artist Cameron Smith of North Carolina. The Holy Father’s eyes meet the gaze of visitors to the shrine and he leads them with a gentle gesture to the Blessed Mother.

Resting on the altar is a relic of Saint John Paul given to the parish by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, Archbishop of Krakow. The relic is a small piece of cloth from one of the Pope’s cassocks, stained with a drop of blood taken from a vial that was drawn from Pope John Paul during his last illness. It is encased in a reliquary in the form of a cross.

For parishioners at St. Stanislaus -- the spiritual heart of Rochester’s Polish community -- the relic signifies the close, personal relationship many feel with this beloved Polish Pope who helped changed the course of history in their homeland. It is a reminder of his life on earth and a sign of his spiritual presence to those who ask him to intercede for their needs today.

Few churches in the United States – or even around the world – have the privilege of housing a first-class relic of Saint John Paul. (A relic designated first class is drawn directly from the saint’s person.) Cardinal Dziwisz, who was the Pope’s personal secretary for almost 40 years, sent the relic in 2011, responding to a request made by the parish for a remembrance that could be placed at the shrine.

The shrine and relic took on heightened significance during the parish’s Mass honoring the canonization of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII on April 27, which was celebrated by Bishop Salvatore Matano assisted by pastor Rev. Roman Caly and other clergy. Members of Rochester Polonia’s organizations bearing American and Polish flags, along with children from the Polish Language School dressed in traditional folk costume, marched prominently in the procession. Filled to capacity, the church rang with joyful song in honor of this son of Poland whose life truly changed the world.

Kathleen Urbanic is archivist and historian for Rochester Polonia.