At 6:30 p.m. on October 27, 2018, the 40th anniversary of the election of Pope John Paul II and the inauguration of his Pontificate was celebrated at the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles in Rome. A Mass was offered with His Eminence, Giovanni Cardinal Battista RE, presiding.

Those attending the celebration included Polish diplomatic authorities involved with the Holy See; the priests in charge of the Roman Curia; the Friars Minor Conventual, from different friaries around Rome; and many Polish nuns along with the lay faithful. After the Mass, a large bust of John Paul II was blessed. The bust is a gift from the Polish artist, Mr. Tomasz SOBISZ. He is a sculptor and professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, Poland.
Cardinal RE gave some passionate, personal testimony in which he highlighted the personal attributes of St. John Paul II, attributes which were perfectly captured by the artist: his being a man of God who managed to reawaken religious sensibilities in the world; the depth and intensity of his union with God; his prayer, which he called the primary task of a Pope; his mystical dimension of always entrusting his pontificate, sufferings and discernment to God’s Providence.
At the end of the celebration, some bas-reliefs were donated in memory of the 100th anniversary (1918-2018) of St. Maximilian Maria KOLBE’s priestly ordination. The works are destined for the Rectory of Sant’Andrea della Valle, the Parish of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte, the friary of Maximilian Maria KOLBE and the friary of the Twelve Holy Apostles.
After the celebration, a buffet was served in the Sala dell’Immacolata.

Friar Robert LEŻOHUPSKI