Shrine dedicated to St. John Paul II

HEWITT  Parishioners of Our Lady Queen of Peace (OLQP) here, especially those from Poland, have been bringing their heartfelt prayers before a new St. Pope John Paul II Shrine inside the church — a simple yet elegant devotional that keeps these parishioners close to their religious heritage and their homeland’s beloved native son.

Located in northern Passaic County in the Hewitt section of West Milford, near Greenwood Lake, the shrine at OLQP draws the faithful into the focus of its devotion: a relic in the form of a sample of St. Pope John Paul II’s blood. It is contained in a brass reliquary which is locked inside a case made of glass and mirrors that is attached to the center of the back wall. On Oct. 22, the saint’s feast day, Bishop Emeritus Arthur Serratelli visited the parish to celebrate a Mass to honor the saint, which included his blessing and dedicating the shrine — the work of Father Kamil Stachowiak, pastor, and members of OLQP’s Polish Mission.

A Polish Mission member, Daniel Piotrowski, built the shrine shortly before the dedication in the evening after his job as a glass maker. He has prayed before it with his wife and two young daughters.

“Almost everything about the shrine is custom made. It came out nice. People like it. They pray in front of it and take photos of it,” said Piotrowski who came to the U.S. 13 years ago from northern Poland. Although Piotrowski never met the late pontiff, he called him “a wonderful person. The job he did was amazing. Everybody loved him.”

Set in a re-purposed alcove in the church, the shrine also features the relic, brought by Father Pawel Golofit of Poland during a visit to OLQP a few months ago when he led a Lenten retreat. Also adorning the devotional is a newly commissioned portrait of John Paul II by the artist Fedi. In the painting, the late pope is shown wearing gold liturgical vestments and miter and leaning on his crozier with the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome in the back­ground. It hangs to the left of the relic on a wall made of small stones that replaced a wall previously made of sheetrock. The new wall matches the design of the sanctuary, which was renovated two years ago, said Father Stachowiak.

In front of the shrine, visitors can offer petitions by lighting a votive candle — one of many in a display underneath the relic — or they can write a petition they are praying for on a piece of paper and place it in a jar nearby. To the right of the relic on a sconce on the wall sits a statue of Our Lady of Fatima, which had been located elsewhere in the church. The Diocese has an official shrine to John Paul II at Holy Rosary Parish in Passaic, where Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, later elected pontiff, celebrated Mass on Aug. 6, 1976 during a visit to Passaic.

“The Queen of Peace shrine is a special place for people to come and pray. It’s a privilege to have a relic of John Paul II. This is an appropriate place to have this devotion,” said Father Stachowiak, one of many concelebrating priests during the Oct. 22 liturgy. “I asked Bishop Serratelli, who visited Queen of Peace in the spring [before his retirement as seventh Bishop of Paterson on April 15], if he would come back to dedicate the shrine when it was finished,” the pastor said.

Another Polish Mission member, Bart Rataj, praised the shrine as “something special for the Polish community here.

“We are happy to have the shrine. It was set up so our kids could understand and remember our country, our faith and John Paul II,” said Rataj, a father of four, who came to the U.S. in 2002 from southern Poland.

In recent months, OLQP has been buzzing with construction and renovation activity. In early September, members of the Polish Mission, including Piotrowski, started to build a small outdoor chapel to give the parish a permanent structure where it can hold Mass outdoors — a direct response to restrictions on social-distancing and church capacity during the coronavirus pandemic. The chapel, which measures 14 feet wide, 12 feet long and 16 feet high, will be open on three sides so celebrating priests can face the faithful who will be sitting in their cars or on folding chairs in the parking lot. Designed in a Polish “highlander style,” it will be topped by a peaked roof with a cross on top of it. It will sit on a concrete foundation on property between the grotto of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the former convent, Father Stachowiak said.

“We have been holding Masses outside near the former school and the turnout has been great. People come from all around. It will be nice to have a place where we can celebrate Mass anytime with the outdoor chapel. Bishop Kevin Sweeney will visit Queen of Peace on Sunday, Nov. 15 for 3 p.m. Mass and to dedicate it,” said Father Stachowiak, who thanked Polish Mission members for donating money, material and labor with their skills in the trades to the parish’s various construction and renovation projects over the years. “As pastor, I’m blessed to be surrounded by people of such great faith who are willing to share with our community their time, talents and resources,” he said.

Two years ago, Bishop Serratelli visited OLQP to bless and consecrate a new marble-and-stone altar — part of the renovation of the sanctuary, which included replacement of the flooring and walls and many other previous improvements, Father Stachowiak said.

Eleven years ago, Bishop Serratelli also opened the Polish Mission at OLQP, which has grown to about 100 families to serve the needs of its tight-knit Polish community coming from West Milford and as far away as Wallington by offering Masses and devotions in Polish; retreats; religious formation, including religious education for children; and activities for fellowship.

“The mission serves as an integral part of the community: the Polish people. They are dedicated to keeping their traditions and are happy to worship in their native language,” said Father Stachowiak, a native of Poland, who has served at OLQP since 2017 and was named pastor in 2018.