On Saturday, 17 January 2026, the French Circle of Friends of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation held its traditional Opłatek evening in the honorary salons of the Palace of Monaco, the seat of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Paris. The gathering brought together numerous members, guests, and friends of the Foundation in an atmosphere of fraternity and fidelity to the spiritual heritage of Saint John Paul II.
The evening opened with welcoming remarks by His Excellency Mr. Wiesław Tarka, Ambassador, who expressed his joy at hosting the participants and emphasized the importance of these moments of sharing, which carry deep spiritual and cultural values.
Mr. Henri Rogowski, member of the Board of Directors of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation in Rome and founding president of the French Circle, then took the floor. He thanked the Ambassador for his faithful hospitality.
He expressed particular gratitude for the presence of Monsignor Dariusz Giers, administrator of the Vatican Foundation, who had come especially from Rome. Responsible for the administrative and financial affairs of the Foundation under the supervision of the Secretariat for the Economy in the Vatican, Monsignor Giers also maintains the link with the Circles present throughout the world.
Mr. Rogowski also greeted the distinguished guests present, among them Countess Isabelle d’Ornano, for her constant support of the Foundation and her sponsorship of twelve students at the Catholic University of Lublin, as well as Father Łukasz Skawiński, parish priest of the Polish church in Paris, in front of which stands the bust of Saint John Paul II donated by the French Circle.
He also thanked the members of the Board of Directors, the honorary presidents Christiane Tomkiewicz and Daniel Brzakowski, as well as Christiane Rogowski for her work in managing and preparing the evening, and all members of the Circle for their faithful commitment to the mission of the Foundation and for their numerous presence that evening.
A central moment of the evening was the address by Monsignor Dariusz Giers, translated by Mrs. Małgorzata Dudek, current president of the French Circle in Paris. His speech offered a broad overview of the activities of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation. Having lived in Rome for more than thirty years, Monsignor Giers recalled his service to the Foundation since the Jubilee Year 2000 and the deep ties uniting the Foundation with the Circles around the world.
During the Jubilee Year, among the thirty million pilgrims present in Rome, many members of the Foundation were present, including ten Circle presidents, as well as representatives of the Paris Circle: Countess Isabelle d’Ornano, Henri and Christiane Rogowski, Daniel and Liliane Brzakowski, and Béatrice Stolz-Debavelaere. These encounters allowed them to pray together at the tomb of Saint John Paul II.
Monsignor Giers also recalled the recent institutional developments of the Foundation. Regarding the governance of the Foundation, on 26 November 2025, Pope Leo XIV appointed Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś as the new Metropolitan Archbishop of Kraków. According to the statutes, the Foundation remains under the supreme authority of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kraków, successor of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła.
The Board of Directors of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation in Rome brings together ecclesiastical and lay members from various countries. France and the French-speaking countries are represented by Mr. Henri Rogowski, former councillor and deputy mayor of Paris.
The Documentation and Research Centre on the Pontificate of John Paul II in Rome, directed by the Foundation, now has a new director — Canon Dr. Mirosław Cichoń, who succeeds Canon Dr. Andrzej Dobrzyński, who held the position for eighteen years.
Monsignor Giers also mentioned the preparations for the 45th anniversary of the Foundation, which will be celebrated in Rome from 19 to 22 October 2026. A plaque bearing the names of benefactors will be placed on the walls of the John Paul II Pilgrim House, Via Cassia 1200, in Rome, to honour individuals, institutions, and parishes supporting the mission of the Foundation.
Anyone wishing to be included on this commemorative plaque is invited to contact our Circle or the Foundation directly in Rome:
Fondazione Vaticana Giovanni Paolo II – Via di Porta Angelica, 63 – 00193 ROMA – tél : 00 39 06 686 18 44. Mail : office@fjp2.com.
He concluded by warmly thanking the French Circle for its commitment and constant support.
Mrs. Małgorzata Dudek, president of the French Circle of Friends of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation, then presented a summary of the activities of 2025 and the projects for 2026, including the anniversary Mass commemorating the visit of Saint John Paul II to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal on 30 May 2026, and the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Foundation in Rome.
She also announced the Circle’s planned participation in the Catholic gathering organized on the last Sunday of June in Osny, at the Pallottine Fathers, where a Foundation stand will be held to promote its mission and activities.
The evening continued with a moment of recognition and gratitude, with the presentation of medals and diplomas.
These distinctions were awarded to Monsignor Dariusz Giers and to several members of the Circle for their nearly twenty years of commitment and fidelity.
After the awards ceremony, the assembly enjoyed one of the most anticipated moments of the evening: the performance of traditional Polish Christmas carols, the Kolędy. They were beautifully performed by the Totus Tuus choir. The concert was enriched by the participation of young children dressed in traditional folk costumes, as well as young musicians, giving the event an intergenerational and cultural dimension. The musical performance was conducted with professionalism and care by Mrs. Urszula Szoja-Cuvellier.
The evening then continued with a profound spiritual moment — the blessing of the Opłatek, the traditional unleavened bread, given by Monsignor Giers. The sharing of the Opłatek among participants, accompanied by the exchange of good wishes, created a privileged moment of fraternity, peace, and communion, faithful to the spirit of this centuries-old tradition.
The gathering concluded in a convivial atmosphere around a generous buffet of Polish specialties, offering participants a final moment of exchange and friendship, and closing the evening in a spirit of warm camaraderie.
The following day, Sunday 18 January 2026, a solemn thanksgiving Mass was concelebrated at the Polish church Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption, located at 263 bis rue Saint-Honoré in Paris (1st arrondissement).
The Eucharistic celebration brought together the rector of the Polish Catholic Mission in France, Father Bogusław Brzys, Monsignor Dariusz Giers, and Father Łukasz Skawiński, parish priest of the church.
At the end of the Mass, a bouquet of flowers was reverently placed at the foot of the bust of Saint John Paul II, erected in front of the church, as a sign of homage and gratitude.
Henri Rogowski
Photos: Marta Kohler, Claude Skrzypek, Daniel Brzakowski, Christiane Rogowski
Contact details of the French Circle of Friends of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation:
Secretary: Christiane Tomkiewicz
Email: christianetomkiewicz471@gmail.com
Phone: 00 33 6 20 83 17 35
https://fondationjeanpaul2.fr/
