"I am a man of entrustment. I learned to be one here at Jasna Góra" is the title of a unique exhibition that can be viewed from today in the Knight's Hall. Twenty panels display photographs from the Jasna Góra archive, documenting selected moments from the Polish Pope's pilgrimages to the sanctuary.
Saint John Paul II made six pilgrimages to Jasna Góra. He was a man of entrustment and a great devotee of the Virgin Mary. During his first pilgrimage to the Jasna Góra sanctuary on June 4, 1979, he said: "Allow me to entrust everything here! Allow me to entrust everything in a new way! I am a man of entrustment. I learned to be one here." The Polish Pope entrusted Poland, the Church, and the world to the Virgin Mary.
"June is a special month of Saint John Paul II’s pilgrimages to our country. He was the first pope to cross the thresholds of the Chapel of the Miraculous Image of the Virgin Mary. Through this exhibition, we want to recall all his pilgrimages and share the joy that the Polish Pope visited the sanctuary," said Father Michał Bortnik, spokesperson for Jasna Góra. He added that these photos also aim to encourage reflection on the saint's teachings and remind us of his figure.
The Holy Father visited Jasna Góra for the last time during his pontificate on June 17, 1999, and said: "I rejoice today that I am once again allowed to stand in this holy place, in this special place of prayer, and look closely at the Jasna Góra face of our Mother." - This gaze and immersion in prayer can also be seen in the photos on display. We can admire the incredible ability of the Holy Pope to focus on Jesus and His Mother. When we look closely, we see that despite the surrounding crowd of believers, he is almost alone with God," emphasized Father Bortnik.
Saint John Paul II, during each visit to his homeland, instilled hope for freedom and a better future in the hearts of Poles. He always spoke to the youth with care and love, saying that "the fate of the Homeland depends on them." He taught that in times of unrest and joy, everything should be entrusted to the Virgin Mary – "Totus Tuus – Totally Yours, Mary."
The exhibition can be admired in the Knight's Hall at Jasna Góra.
Fr. Michał Bortnik, Maria Bareła-Gawenda @JasnaGóraNews
