There are approximately 250,000 Polish-Americans in our great state, and 55,000 of them live here, in the Houston Metropolitan Area. Our Lady of Czestochowa (OLC) Roman Catholic Church is the spiritual center for our Houston Polish community, and offers a rich variety of religious, cultural, social and educational activities. The parish has been established in 1982 and is considered to be one of the most vibrant Polish parishes in the USA.
In 2010 the Parish Council of OLC and the Polish American Congress, Texas Division, established “The Houston Polonia Memorial Fund” in order to support building a monument, a visible sign, dedicated to preservation and celebration of the memory of those of our parishioners who had passed away and who visibly enriched the life of our community.
The focal point of the Houston Polonia Memorial will be a statue of the Blessed John Paul II. The statue will be an original work of art sculpted by Mr. Robert Sobociński, a known Polish artist.
Our Lady of Czestochowa Roman Catholic Parish has been established in 1982 to minister the spiritual needs of Polish immigrants in Houston Metropolitan area. The parish has become the center of Polish religious, cultural, and social life in Houston. The parish is open not only to those of Polish heritage, who appreciate the priceless treasures of Polish culture, traditions and customs steeped in 1,000 years of devotion to the Catholic faith, but to all ethnic groups of our church. The parish is also a home for the Polish School at Houston.
According to the architectural plan, developed by our own architect, Mr. Hector Villareal, the statue will be placed in the center of the Memorial plaza, surrounded by a green space, flanked by a Memorial Wall on its south side, and in parts paved with “Commemorative Bricks” bearing the names of persons we wish to memorialize.
The cost of building the Plaza (excluding the statue of Blessed John Paul II, which is already funded) is estimated to be between $110,000 to $150,000. In order to fund The Houston Polonia Memorial we will offer “Commemorative Bricks” for sale to parishioners, and non-parishioners, wishing to preserve the memory of their loved ones, or other significant events in their lives.
Bobby Giles, Hector Villarreal, Witold Lukaszewski, Waldemar Ciborowski, Tony Wolski, Kris Krozel, Piotr Przybylski, Zbigniew Wojciechowski, Marian Kruzel
The “Commemorative Bricks” will be engraved with the names or messages
requested by the purchasers and will come in four sizes:
Level I (4”x8”; concrete) $500 Level II (8”x8”; concrete) $1,000
Level III (16”x16”; granite) $2,500 Level IV (24”x24”; granite) $5,000
Corporate Level $10,000 and more
In addition to “Commemorative Bricks”, the Memorial Wall will provide the space for “Commemorative Plaques” at $500 per plaque. All cheques should be written to the order of Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, with the notation: “The Houston Polonia Memorial Fund” and sent to:
Our Lady of Czestochowa
1712 Oak Tree Drive
Houston, TX 77080
We are pleased to announce that the statue of Blessed John Paul II is now being cast in bronze in Poland and should be shipped to Houston by the end of February. Thank you to all of you who made a contribution for this outstanding sculpture. The installation of the statue is planned on, or around, April 27th 2014, when Pope Francis will elevate Blessed John Paul II to his sainthood in Vatican. With the statue already paid, we’ll need additional funds for a progressive building of the Plaza known as the Houston Polonia Memorial (see details in the Houston Polonia Memorial brochure). We invite you to join us in building this all-time monument, and asking for your support.
For each contribution a personalized brick with your name engraved on it will be placed in a pavement surrounding the statue as a permanent sign of your tax-deductible contribution (see examples of personalized statements engraved on a brick or memorial wall plaque below). Checks should be written as pay to the order of: Our Lady of Czestochowa church for: PAC TD – Blessed John Paul II Statue).
For more information please call Father Waldemar Matusiak, Pastor at Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, phone: 713 973 1081; Marian Kruzel, member of the Organizing Committee, phone: 832 419 3693 or Ms. Roza Ekimov, fund coordinator, phone: 281 440 7995.
