Shrine of Saint John Paul II - Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay

Diocese Celebrates Inauguration of Australia’s First Shrine to St John Paul II

More than a thousand people gathered at St Patrick’s Church, East Gosford last Saturday to celebrate the inauguration of a Shrine to St John Paul II and the installation of two first-class relics.

JPII Installation Mass Parishioners and people from across the Diocese of Broken Bay and beyond filled the Church to overflowing with Most Rev Anthony Randazzo DD JCL, Bishop of Broken Bay dedicating the Shrine and installing the relics of the much-loved saint.

Bishop Randazzo said during the Mass that the Shrine must first and foremost be a sanctuary of love because love was the very centre of the life of Saint John Paul II.

“It was this love, genuinely lived by a man of great human charism, which was so attractive to others. So much so, that his life and ministry gave courage to believers across the world, to live the Christian vocation, without fear,” Bishop Randazzo said.

The two relics, some blood and strands of hair saved during St John Paul II’s 27-year Pontificate, were processed through the Church and installed in a reliquary at the front of the Church.

A specially commissioned painting of St John Paul II by a Polish artist was also unveiled on Saturday, along with a 3.5 metre stature of the saint, which stands outside the Church’s main entrance.

St Patrick’s Parish Priest, Polish-born Fr Greg Skulski SDS approached Bishop Randazzo at the beginning of the year for permission to obtain the first-class relics and establish a Shrine to the former Pope who was canonised in 2014.

JPII Installation Mass “I was very keen and excited to see the project go ahead,” Bishop Randazzo said.

An army of volunteers worked for many months to ensure everything was in readiness for Saturday – 22 October and the feast day of St John Paul II.

Not only were parishioners, clergy and visitors from greater Sydney present but student representatives from Catholic Schools Broken Bay and community leaders gathered for the event including the Federal Member for Robertson, Dr Gordon Reid and the State Member for Gosford, Ms Liesl Tesch AM.

At the conclusion of the Mass, Bishop Randazzo publicly thanked Father Greg Skulski, for his hard work and dedication in making the Shrine a reality.

Fr Greg received a standing ovation from those in the Church and the overflow areas, a sign of the strong bond between the much-loved priest and his flock.

Following the Mass, many made their way through the Church to pray before the precious relics and two medallions – one from his Papal visit to Australia in 1995 for the Beatification of JPII Installation Mass Mary MacKillop and a second one celebrating his Silver Jubilee and gifted by Bishop Randazzo.

“Having the relics here, is great for these people to be more inspired by his life and his teachings,” said Fr Greg.

“St John Paul II is truly a saint of our times, known to everyone. This is the first Shrine dedicated to him in Australia. He is an inspiration to many generations,” he said.

The relics have had a long journey from the Vatican to East Gosford.

The strands of hair were taken from St John Paul II while he was Pope, in residence at the Vatican. They were kept by Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki, one of the Pope’s private secretaries, in Lviv, Ukraine.

From Lviv they were taken to Krakow, Poland by Father Damian Pankowiak SDS, just one week before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Fr Greg acquired the hairs in Krakow and brought them to Gosford.

The blood was collected from St John Paul II during surgery while he was Pope. They were kept by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the principal private secretary of the Pope, in Krakow, following the Pontiff’s death and brought to Gosford by Father George Kolodziej SDS, Congregational Leader of the Salvatorians in Australia.

“I am confident that the Shrine will become one of the great Pilgrimage places in Australia. It will be a place for all people, believer and non-believer alike, to seek the truth of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ; the only news which is good for everyone.”

JPII Installation Mass Relics of saints are not worshipped but venerated as a means of asking for the intercession of that saint.

They direct us towards the life and faith of the saint, which directs us towards God.

Following the inauguration and installation, celebrations continued with a traditional Australian sausage sizzle – and Polish donuts.

People remained at the Church until well into the afternoon. Many more, who had not had the opportunity to attend on Saturday visited the Shrine on Sunday.

The Shrine will be open daily, and the relics will be permanently housed in the reliquary, allowing people to come and pray before the relics throughout the year.

Bishop Randazzo also officially opened and blessed the adjacent Pastoral Centre, which will form part of the pilgrimage site. It will include a display dedicated to St John Paul II, and facilities for speakers and conferences. The display will highlight the saint’s successful efforts to end communism in Poland, as well as for building bridges with peoples of other faiths, and for his great legacy for youth in his institution of World Youth Day.