CATACOMBS at Holy Trinity Polish Mission The Holy Trinity Catacombs The Holy Trinity Catacombs A catacomb is defined as an under- travel to sites where holy relics are ground cemetery with irregular housed. Some of these places include corridors, branching out deep into the the tomb of St. Peter in Rome, ground. the tomb of St. John Paul II in the Chapel of St. Sebastian in the The Holy Trinity Church of Chicago Vatican, and San Giovanni Rotondo, was built in the year 1906, and cata- where St. Pio lived. combs were included in the construc- tion to house a collection of holy relics. The Holy Trinity Church of Chicago also has a rich collection of relics. Relics are material objects or remains As of February 15, 2018, there are that come from saints or from Our 267 relics. The first eight relics were Lord Jesus Christ. Relics can be from brought from Poland in 1911 by their bodies such as bones or from Rector Kazimierz Sztuczko. objects they owned or were associated He received them as a gift from with. Holy relics are associated with Bishop Anatol Nowak. The next 17 healing. relics arrived in the later years of the 20th century. They were brought For all Catholics holy relics are an along with holy figurines. instrumental part of their spiritual life. After the opening the Polish Pastoral For the living, they are a symbol of Mission of the Holy Trinity Church a righteous life, lived according to the of Chicago in the year 1987, the total Holy Scriptures. Millions of believers count of relics increased to 36 under Rectors Władysław Gowin, SChr, Paweł Bandurski, SChr and Andrzej Maślejak, SChr. 2 The Holy Trinity Catacombs The Holy Trinity Catacombs From 2016 to 2018, the total relics introduced into the church on Octo- count increased seven fold under ber 22, 2012. Rector Andrzej Totzke, SChr. There is also a beautiful, eagle-shaped The Church received 231 relics from urn with soil from: Katyń, Charków other churches in the Archdiocese of and Miednoje, where you can find the Chicago that closed down. cemeteries of Polish prisoners of war killed by the NKVD in the year 1940. Some of the relics are housed inside There buried 25,700 Polish officers, the church. On the left side by the intellectuals, artists, police officers, alter of Our Lady of Częstochowa, members of the National Guard, Queen of Poland, you can find the members of the Polish Army, and legal relic of St. John Paul II, which we workers. The urn was installed on April received through the Cardinal Stani- 5, 1992 during an evening Mass, during sław Dziwisz, who was a long-time a Lenten retreat, guided by Father and influential aide to Pope John Zdzisław Peszkowski. Paul II. This relic was ceremoniously 3 The Holy Trinity Catacombs The Holy Trinity Catacombs On the right side of the church by the altar of the Divine Mercy, you can find 2 relics. One of this is the relic of St. Faustina Kowalska, the Secretary of the Divine Mercy and Apos- tle of God’s Mercy which one we received in 2002. The other one is the relic of the spiritual guide of St. Faustyna – Blessed Michał Sopoćko. The ceremonial introduction of this relic took a place on February 15, 2009. THE CATACOMBS OF HOLY TRINITY are a pearl for the parishio- ners and the Polish residents of Chicago. You can find there relics of saints and other blessed individuals as well as many hidden secrets and interesting historical facts. Each relic offers priceless historical reminders, including the martyrdom that the Polish Nation went through. The collection even includes objects and rocks from the Holy Land and other pilgrimage areas, donated by fellow parishioners at the beginning of the 20th century. 4 The Holy Trinity Catacombs The Holy Trinity Catacombs The most precious relics in the Holy Trinity Catacombs are: • The fragment of the Holy Cross • The fragment of the Holy Crown of Thorns • The fragment from the Veil of the Holy Mother Relics of the Apostles include objects from: Saint Andrew Saint Barnabas Saint Bartholomew Saint James, son of Alpheus Saint James, the Greater Saint John Saint Jude or Thaddeus Saint Matthias Saint Matthew Saint Paul Saint Peter Saint Philip Saint Simon the Zealot Saint Thomas 5 The Holy Trinity Catacombs The Holy Trinity Catacombs 6 The Holy Trinity Catacombs The Holy Trinity Catacombs The remaining relics belong to saints and other blessed individuals from various descents including Polish, American, Lebanese and Hispanic: Blessed Ab Yaagoub Saint Elizabeth Seton Saint Adalbert Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Saint Agneta Saint Felicity Saint Albert Saint Felix Valessi Blessed Albert Chmielowski Saint Ferdynand Saint Alfonso Mary Liguorii Saint Fideli Saint Aloysius Saint Florian Saint Amanta Saint Francis of Assisi Saint Anette Saint Francis Borgia Saint Anne – the mother of Virgin Mary Saint Francis Cabrini Saint Anne Aleague Saint Francis Camp Saint Andrew Bobola Saint Francis Xavier Saint Anthony Maria Claret Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Saint Anthony from Padwa Saint Francis de Sales Saint Apolonia Saint Gall Saint Augustine Saint Gemma Saint Basil the Great Blessed Gennaio Maria Sarneli Saint Benigne Saint Genevieve Saint Benedict Saint Gerard Saint Bernadette Soubirous Saint Gianna Beretta Molla Saint Bernard Blessed Virgins and Martyrs Saint Blaze of Guadalajara Saint Brauli Saint Helen Saint Bridget of Sweden Saint Ignatius Lakoni Saint Canuti Saint Ignatius Loyola Blessed Caroline Kozka Saint Innocenty Saint Casimir, King of Poland Saint Jack Saint Catherine Sienenska Saint Jadwiga, Queen of Poland Saint Celestine Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko Saint Charbel Maklauf Saint Joachim Saint Clemens Saint John XXIII Saint Cyril of Jerusalem Saint John Godly Saint Daniel Saint John de Chantal Saint Dilekt Saint John Eudes Saint Dominic Saint John Kanty 7 The Holy Trinity Catacombs The Holy Trinity Catacombs Saint John Maria Vianney Saint Philip Neri Saint Josaphat Saint Philomena Saint Joseph Saint Pio Saint Kinga Saint Peter Claver Saint Klara from Assisi Saint Peter Kanizjusz Saint Klet Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Saint Krispin Blessed Pius IX Saint Ladislaus Saint Pius X Saint Laurence Saint Prokop Blessed Laurence Salvi Saint Rafga Saint Louis Saint Rita from Cascii Saint Louis Bertrand Saint Rufina Saint Louis M. Grignion de Montfront Saint Salomea Saint Lucia Saint Serafin Saint Martin Saint Sophie Blessed Maria Angela Truszkowska Saint Stanislaus Kostka Blessed Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr Saint Maria Goretti Blessed Stephen Nehme Blessed Mary Magdalene Martinengo Saint Teresa from Avila Saint Maximilian Kolbe Saint Teresa of the Baby Jesus Saint Margaret Maria Alacogue Saint Teresa, the Virgin Saint Nicholas Saint Vaclav Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta Saint Valerian Saint Maurice Saint Victor Saint Narcissus Saint Victoria Saint Ninnatullach Al-Hardini Saint Vincent Strambi Saint Pankracy and many, many more. Saint Peregrine 8 The Holy Trinity Catacombs The Holy Trinity Catacombs SYMBOLIC REMINDERS OF POLISH MARTYRDOM: Soil from Smoleńsk, where on April 10, 2010, the Tu-154 airplane crash occurred, killing 96 people, including: then President of Poland – Professor Lech Kaczyński along with his wife Maria members of Polish Parliament, lea- ders of the Armed Forces, clergy, veterans, civilians, as well as members of the plane crew. The delegation flew on the 70th annual anniversary of Katyń, with the intention of honoring those who died in this tragedy. This Smoleńsk soil was brought over by Anna Wójtowicz. Anna’s father, Wojciech Seweryn, was a resident of Chicago, a tremendous Polish activist and creator of a monument honoring Katyń located in Niles. He also perished in the crash. The urn con- taining the soil from Smoleńsk was solemnly donated by Mrs. Maria Seweryn, her daughter Anna Wójtowicz as well as a delegation of Smoleńsk family members from Poland to our parish during the Holy Mass on April 3, 2011 (at 10:30 AM), celebrated by Archbishop Joseph Michalik of Poland, in the celebration of the First Annual Anniversary of the Smoleńsk tragedy. 9 The Holy Trinity Catacombs The Holy Trinity Catacombs Soil from “Łączka” – the site of the Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw. This is the resting place for the victims who fought for Polish independence, but were fatally shot down by communist organizations during between the years 1947 and 1956 during their protests. These victims are nicknamed “The Great Soldiers.” The Phial containing the soil from “Łączka” was given to the parish on January 21, 2018 by the delegation IPN from Warsaw for the benefit of Chairman Dr. Jarosław Szarek, which was blessed during the Holy Mass at 10:00 AM led by Father Wieslaw Wójcik, SChr. A procession to the catacombs followed the mass. The Cross made from a pine tree – whose roots were wrapped around the bones of murdered Polish officers in Katyń. One of many such crosses was made by Prelate Zdzisław Jastrzębiec Peszkowski, Chaplain of the Families of Katyń, who in 1939 was taken prisoner by the Soviets. He was imprisoned for 6 months in Kozielsk, before proceeding to Katyń, but his transport was saved from death and miraculously avoided Katyń. His brother Edward died in Charków. The Prelate offered this cross to our Polish Mission on April 5, 1992. 10 The Holy Trinity Catacombs The Holy Trinity Catacombs The Rosary – made from bread at the con- centration camp in Ravensbruck, soaked in the blood of two women killed there: a mother and her daughter. This rosary was donated to our Polish Mission on May 10, 1989 to the then Rector Władysław Govin, SChr by Edwarda Dudek, who lived in Chicago. This rosary has its own short story, and following is Mrs. Edwarda’s original testimony: “During my late mother’s and my stay at concentration camp in Ravensbruck, Germany and that was in the years 1944-1945.