On September 30, 2019, a ceremony was held to enshrine the relics of St. John Paul II at the Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa in Montreal, Canada.
The ceremony began with a Mass presided over by the Most Reverend Mieczysław MOKRZYCKI, Archbishop of Lviv, the Ukraine, and former personal secretary of St. John Paul II. Those attending this special celebration included the friars of the Provincial Custody of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in Canada, and Father Gabriel JURUS, the Pastor of the Slovak parish of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Montreal.
After the Mass, the Archbishop met with the Polish community in the parish hall. He shared his personal experience with St. John Paul II and gave a brief overview of the status of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Lviv.
The Archbishop also participated in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first visit made by the then Karol Cardinal WOJTYŁA to Canada (August 25 – September 16, 1969). During that time, Cardinal WOJTYŁA also visited the Order’s presence in Montreal.
Friar Jan ŁEMPICKI, Custodial Secretary