When Father Michał Zembrzuski celebrated the first Holy Mass here 70 years ago, in modest conditions inside a cemetery chapel, no one imagined that this place would become the spiritual capital of the Polish-American community.
On Sunday, June 29, 2025, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown hosted the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the American Czestochowa – the spiritual heart of the Polish diaspora in the United States. The jubilee gathered more than two thousand faithful, clergy, representatives of the Polish-American community, and guests from around the world. Among those present were veterans from the Polish Army Veterans Association in America with commander-in-chief Tadeusz Antoniak, the national president of the Women’s Auxiliary Corps at PAVA – Helena Knapczyk, the president of the Polish Supplementary School Council of America – Dr. Dorota Andraka, the president of the Polish Youth Association – Jakub Staniewski, highlanders, representatives of Polish scouting, the Main Committee of the Pulaski Day Parade, and large numbers of Polish-American youth.
The celebration opened with a concert under the direction of Teresa Krasowska. The performers included Ewa Biegas (soprano), Fr. Rafał Kobyliński (tenor), the Bucks County Choral Society, and the Polonia Children’s Choir. After the concert, a solemn bilingual Holy Mass was celebrated. The Eucharist was presided over by the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Abp. Nelson Pérez, together with clergy from Poland, the USA, and Canada. A special guest was Bishop Krzysztof Nykiel, Regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary at the Vatican, who arrived with a special blessing from the Holy Father, Leo XIV. In the letter that was read, the Pope emphasized the significance of the American Czestochowa as a place that “builds bridges of faith and community between nations,” and expressed gratitude for the heritage of faith and love that has marked the ministry of the order.
The history of the American Czestochowa dates back to 1953, when Pauline Father Michał Zembrzuski arrived in the United States. His dream was to build on American soil a shrine reminiscent of the one in Czestochowa, Poland, and to create a place that would remind Poles of their spiritual roots. The beginnings were humble. In 1955, inside a renovated barn, the first wooden chapel with the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa was established. On June 26, 1955, it was blessed by Pauline Father Stanisław Nowak. As the number of pilgrims increased over the years, so did the need to build a larger church. On a hill known as the Hill of Light, once inhabited by the Algonquin people, construction of the new shrine began. On August 23, 1964, Archbishop John Krol of Philadelphia performed the groundbreaking ceremony, and construction started as preparations for the Millennium of the Polish State (966–1966) were underway. Thanks to the generosity of the faithful and the support of Archbishop Krol, the dedication of the new church took place in 1966 – with thousands of pilgrims and U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson in attendance. The shrine, designed by architect Jerzy Szeptycki, impresses with its scale and artistic richness. The stained-glass windows by Jerzy T. Białecki, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, depict the thousand-year history of Polish Christianity. The heart of the shrine is the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa, set within a sculpture representing the Holy Trinity. The painting, created by Prof. Leonard Torwit, was blessed in the Vatican on February 10, 1962, by Pope John XXIII.
Today, the American Czestochowa is not only a shrine but also a major center of spiritual life for the Polish-American community – a place of prayer, gatherings, and remembrance. The adjacent cemetery, consecrated in 1964, is the resting place of Poles and people of other nationalities who found their second home here. Seventy years after the dedication of the first chapel, Doylestown continues to stand as a living testament to the strength of faith, unity, heritage, and devotion to the Blessed Mother.
Text and photos: Katarzyna Ziółkowska