Sights & Sound: Polish and Slavic Apostolate celebrates Jubilee Year of Hope
On Sunday, Nov. 9, the Archdiocese of Newark’s Polish and Slavic Apostolate gathered at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ, to celebrate a Mass for the Jubilee Year of Hope.
Auxiliary Bishop Tadeusz Bronakowski of the Diocese of Łomża, Poland, presided at the liturgy in Polish. He was joined by many priests along with hundreds of members of the Polish Catholic community, many wearing traditional attire, expressing pride in their rich cultural heritage and deeply rooted Catholic tradition.
The Mass was held in remembrance of Saint John Paul II. The Polish pontiff visited the cathedral during a visit to the United States in 1995.
When he declared that 2025 would be a Jubilee Year, Pope Francis explained why he had chosen the theme of hope:
“Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring. Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety, from firm conviction to hesitation and doubt. Often, we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic, and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope.”
A moment of hope, joy, and blessings
The joy of those gathered for the Polish and Slavic Apostolate’s Jubilee celebration reflected the hope and certainty that come from belonging to a vibrant faith community.
Father Andrew Ostaszewski, Ph.D., coordinator of the apostolate, said that the Jubilee Mass was a key moment for the life of the Archdiocese’s Polish Catholics:
“It is important for us to be together, witnessing our unity and our faith. How proud we were to be the Polish Catholics in the Archdiocese of Newark and how joyful we were to be at the Eucharist which is the best way to thank God for all of his blessings and our Saint John Paul II. Let us remember him as a gift from God and a Saint for our time. And let us continue to work together for our Polish community in the Archdiocese of Newark.”
To view more photos of the Jubilee for the Polish and Slavic Apostolate, click HERE.
Featured image: Worshippers pose for a photo with Auxiliary Bishop Tadeusz Bronakowski of the Diocese of Łomża, Poland, after the Jubilee Mass of the Polish and Slavic Apostolate at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ on Nov. 9. (Photos by Julio Eduardo Herrera / Archdiocese of Newark)
