The Holy Father Benedict XVI wholeheartedly bequeaths the Apostolic Blessing upon Father Rafał Dyguła SChr and the faithful of the Parish of Our Lady of the Bright Mount in Los Angeles on the 35th anniversary of the visit to this parish of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła (29.08.1976) on the occasion of the presentation of the relics of the blessed John Paul II (26.08.2011), calling for the abundance of God
’s graces and gifts – these words of our contemporary Peter underline the most important events in the recent decades of the history of the only Polish parish in the City of Angels. Years ago, the future Polish Pope was with us in person, when, having attended the Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia, he came to us to preside over the memorable ceremonies in honor of the patron of our Polish-American parish, the Queen of our Polish nation. And, he will remain with us forever in the gift of the holy relics that we have received from his personal secretary, HE Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Jasna Góra, during the nineteenth Pilgrimage of the Family of Radio Maria 10.07.2011. It is our great delight that, at this time, these were the first relics of the new Blessed of our Church on the American continent. Currently, our Marian Shrine, so often referred to as the Czestochowa of California, is a place of prayer for undeviating parishioners of the multi-million inhabitants of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, but also for tourists and pilgrims. We honor and glorify Mary, Our Lady of Czestochowa, in her miraculous image, donated to us by the first Polish Pauline on American soil, the late Father Michael Zembrzuski, founder of the American Czestochowa in Pennsylvania. Present with us in the form of holy relics are the Apostles of Merciful Jesus, Saint Faustina and Blessed Michael Sopoćko. This is the place of intercession of other Polish saints, whose relics we are also fortunate enough to posses. Our oldest parishioners, who survived the Golgotha of the East, have their patron Saint Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński, Metropolitan Archbishop of Warsaw and founder of the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary, who personally experienced the reality of exile into Russia for a period of twenty years. It is significant that for his life motto he adopted the words: Because to be a Pole on earth, is to live divinely and nobly... In addition, the representatives of the Polish Solidarity movement are able to pray for the intercession of Bl. Jerzy Popiełuszko. In this Year of Faith, we joyfully look forward to the completion of the renovations of our church. We are proud that our parish community has its representatives, past and present, in the sphere of arts and culture. We must mention the deceased actress Apolonia Chałupiec (Pola Negri), who is thus far the only Pole with a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The ministry of faith is performed with great devotion by the Society of Christ Fathers for Poles Living Abroad, missionaries from Poland. Mother, Our Lady of the Bright Mount, the Queen of Our Nation, keep every emigrated Pole in your care, and especially intercede for the Polish community of California!
