A Chapel of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Is Created in Niepokalanów It will become a part of the World Centre for Prayer for Peace

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1 A Chapel of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Is Created in Niepokalanów It will become a part of the World Centre for Prayer for Peace Only in 12 locations within the whole world the Chapels of Peace will be created. They are called 12 Stars in the Crown of Our Lady Queen of Peace. Despite the distance and time difference, they create Global Centre for Prayer for Peace. Under the protection of Virgin Mary, perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be held in the Chapels. Niepokalanów in Poland is one of the locations. How this happened? ST. MAKSYMILIAN KOLBE WRITES A LETTER TO US The idea of creating a chapel, where the perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament would be held, has been for many years a desire and spiritual need of the Franciscan friars, the local parish community and the pilgrims visiting this special place. This desire came true only in At the beginning, we expected that the chapel would serve only the local community and the pilgrims, but what has happened we see as a sign of God s intervention. Creating the Chapel required rebuilding parts of the Basilica. Together with photos from our monastery archives showing the original method of construction of the Basilica, I have received a letter of St. Maksymilian, who in 1934 wrote from his mission to Japan how he imagined the Basilica in Niepokalanów and the altar of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. This letter has been earlier included in officially published Works of St. Maksymilian, but I haven t known it. I was astounded that our design of the chapel was almost identical with the vision of St. Maksymilian Kolbe!, says father Andrzej Sąsiadek OFMConv, the parish priest of the Immaculate Inception parish in Niepokalanów. St. Maksymilian wrote: I suppose that the basilica will be large, according to the needs, but modest and beautiful with the harmony of all parts, created for its only purpose: to redeem and sanctify as many souls as possible in Niepokalanów (...) I imagine a beautiful statue of Our Immaculate Lady in a grand altar, and between her open hands a monstrance with a perpetual

2 exhibition of the Blessed Sacrament. Friars adore in turns. Whoever enters the church, goes to their knees, adores, looks at Our Immaculate Lady s face, goes away, and She works with Our Lord Jesus on their request... The design of the Chapel of Adoration in Niepokalanów has been prepared by Drapikowski Studio, a studio of Gdańsk artists Mariusz and Kamil Drapikowski. The Altar of Adoration will be made of gold, silver and crystal. The central part of the altar will be a true size sculpture of Virgin Mary cast in silver with her hands open in invitation. Christ present in the Eucharist (a Monstrance) will be located under Mary's heart, in a large (20 cm diameter) brightly lit Host, shown under her parting coat. The figure of Virgin Mary will be surrounded by silver lilies. Lilies will be also envisaged at the crystal layers. Lit from beneath, together with golden rays also surrounding the figure, the lilies will present an intangible aureole of light, similar to the aureole in which the Virgin was seen during her apparitions in Lourdes, Guadalupe and Fatima. At one of the crystal layers, 12 cut gemstones will be placed, symbolising 12 stars from the Apocalypse of St. John, which are also pictured at the Niepokalanów Miraculous Medal of Mary Immaculate. Design of the altar by Drapikowski Studio It is hard to believe, but it seems that our design fulfils the desire of St. Maksymilian Kolbe from almost 100 years ago! Father Andrzej Sąsiadek adds. ANOTHER SIGN FROM GOD Unexpectedly, in November 2017, Communita Regina della Pace (Community of the Queen of Peace) approached the monastery and the parish community with request that the World Centre for Prayer for Peace be located at the Niepokalanów Basilica. Communita Regina della Pace, realising the will of St. John Paul II, who continually reminded about the importance and the need to pray before the Christ in the Eucharist, in 2008 began creating 12 centres for perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. At the centres, called 12 Stars in the Crown of Mary Queen of

3 Peace, chapels of prayer for peace will be located. The Chapels of Peace are created at all continents, to spread the idea of peace and reconciliation among people and to create the World Centre for Prayer for Peace and surround the whole world with the prayer. This was another sign from God that the Chapel of Adoration should be created and that it will be a special place. It will become a Centre for Prayer for Peace and reconciliation among people. Not only peace in the world, but also for peace in our souls, in our families, in our country, says Father Andrzej Sąsiadek. Until now, six Chapels of Peace have been created: Bethlehem in Israel, Medjugorie in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ozernoye in Kazakhstan, Jamusukro in Ivory Coast, Namyang in South Korea and Kibeho in Rwanda. The seventh Chapel of Peace will be created in Dagupan in the Philippines. Each of the altars for the Chapels of Peace has been blessed by the Pope. photos from left: Anna Szymanowska, Vatican Press materials, Judyta Sałek The Polish Chapel of Peace in Niepokalanów will become the eighth Star. Niepokalanów has been chosen because the place was blessed with presence of St. Maksymilian Kolbe, who during World War II offered his life as a love and peace sacrifice for another man s life, entrusting it to Immaculate Mary. The consecration of the Chapel of Peace in Niepokalanów is planned for 1 September The date is very significant: the anniversary of the outburst of World War II clearly proves the need for perpetual prayer for peace. The year 2018 marks also the 100th anniversary of Poland regaining its independence. The initiative of creating the Chapel of Peace in Niepokalanów has so far received patronage from: His Excellency Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, President of the Episcopal Conference of Poland; His Eminency Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz, Metropolitan bishop of Warsaw; Father Wiesław Pyzio, Provincial Superior of the Franciscan Order Province of Mary Immaculate in Poland and Father Grzegorz Maria Szymanik, Guardian of the Niepokalanów Monastery.

4 HOW TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF THE CHAPEL OF PEACE IN NIEPOKALANÓW Creation of the Chapel of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament of such importance is a very complex undertaking, both from spiritual and financial perspectives. The Niepokalanów Basilica, constructed in , has never been renovated on a larger scale. In order to create the Chapel of Adoration numerous refurbishment works need to be done. The cost of the works is beyond reach of the Franciscan Monastery and the local parish community. Support by prayer and by financial means is necessary to complete this special project. The construction of the Chapel will be solely financed by public collection. SUPPORT BY PRAYER Franciscan fathers entrust the creation of the Chapel of Peace to God and ask the faithful to support it with prayer. They encourage people who want to support this work to pray the rosary and offer sacrifices and sufferings with special intention for creation of the Chapel. A special 9-month novena has commenced on 9 December 2017 in the Niepokalanów Monastery: every day a Holy Mass is celebrated with special intention for creation of the Chapel, for all those involved in this project and for all those who offered financial support. FINANCIAL SUPPORT The financial support for the creation of the Chapel of Peace in Niepokalanów may be given via: 1. Pomagamy.im crowdfunding platform: until 13 April 2018 payments may be conveniently transferred via the platform: The donors transferring the support via the platform have an opportunity to receive the Miraculous Medal of Mary Immaculate of Niepokalanów with a picture of Virgin Mary, to receive an invitation to the ceremony of consecration of the Chapel of Peace, or to submit their prayer intentions to be sealed and bricked up under the feet of Our Lady in the altar at the Chapel of Adoration, to stay there perpetually. The main Holy Mass with special intention for the donors will be celebrated on 15 August 2018, at the day of the Assumption of Mary. 2. Direct bank transfers may be made to a special subaccount created for this purpose, managed by Father Andrzej Sąsiadek, parish priest: Parafia rzymskokatolicka pw. Niepokalanego Poczęcia NMP w Niepokalanowie ul. O. M. Kolbego Teresin Transfer title: Chapel of Adoration, name, surname and the address of the donor. Special intentions may be added to the transfer title, to be sealed in the tube, as well as an address to which a thank you note with the name of the donor will be sent. 3. In-kind donation: the support for the creation of the Chapel of Peace may be also offered in the form of an in-kind donation (silver and gold objects that will melted and used for the creation of the altar). Every object will be prayed upon while melting down with the special intention indicated by the donor. In-kind donations may be sent/delivered to: o. Proboszcz Andrzej Sąsiadek Parafia rzymskokatolicka pw. Niepokalanego Poczęcia NMP w Niepokalanowie ul. O. M. Kolbego Teresin

5 (Father Andrzej Sąsiadek, Parish Priest Immaculate Conception B.V.M. Roman Catholic Parish ul. O.M. Kolbego Teresin) Special intentions may also be included in the delivery. Every donor will receive a thank you note with his or her name on it. MORE INFORMATION: