Mass for the occasion was celebrated by Fr Leszek Gołębiewski SJ, representing the Polish Provincial, alongside the British Provincial, Fr Peter Gallagher SJ, and members of the Walm Lane community. A large congregation gathered to give thanks for seven decades of prayer, service, and community life.
The anniversary celebration included a concert of Marian music, featuring several pieces composed specifically for the anniversary. Past parish priests also addressed the gathering via video from Poland, and a commemorative plaque was unveiled in memory of Br Bolesław Kroll SJ (1929–2019), who served at Walm Lane from 1959 until 2012.
Fr Leszek Szuta SJ, parish priest, reflected on the parish’s mission: “We are a Jesuit parish, but we are especially dedicated to Polish people who are living here in London. In this year our parish had the anniversary of 70 years of existence, and it’s a Polish parish that was established especially for Polish people who had to stay in England after the Second World War. They couldn’t come back. They wanted to have a Polish community, a Polish parish, Polish-speaking Mass.”
A short video including the interview with Fr Leszek can be viewed here.
Polish Jesuits continue to serve the parish today, offering Mass in both Polish and English to accommodate the local community. Fr Szuta explained: “Around us there are some English-speaking Sisters and therefore we are saying Mass for them and people who want to participate in this Mass. But in the evenings, we have Polish Masses and during the Sundays we also have Polish Masses… we are trying to serve especially the Polish Catholic mission, and to serve the Polish people.”
Fr Szuta also shared how the parish engages with young people through faith education: “When I came here, I wanted to introduce St. Stanisław Kostka to the young people and I looking for the relics and I ask [Br] Ken [Vance] and he said that he has a relic of St. Stanisław Kostka and I asked him if I could borrow it. From this time, I have this relic – and normally I am having this relics in my home but I’m giving them for the lessons with children, with young people, to giving some examples, to speaking about St. Stanisław Kostka.”
The anniversary celebration was a joyful reminder of the enduring dedication and faith of the Walm Lane community, and of its continued mission to serve Polish Catholics in London.
You can find out more about the Polish Jesuit community and parish at Walm Lane on their Facebook page here.
All photos of the 70th anniversary celebrations are courtesy of the parish.
