Karol Nawrocki participated in a holy mass at the basilica in Piekary Śląskie. He also laid wreaths beneath the image of Our Lady of Piekary inside the basilica and at the nearby monument of St. John Paul II.
Today, the annual May pilgrimage of men—one of the major religious events in Upper Silesia—arrived in Piekary Śląskie. At the same time, Nawrocki is expected to take part in the “Great March for Poland” in Warsaw.
The parish priest of the Piekary basilica, Fr. Mirosław Godziek, welcomed the attendees on Saturday evening and introduced Nawrocki as the president of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN). Accompanying Nawrocki were, among others, Piotr Duda, chairman of Solidarity, and several PiS MPs from the region, including the party’s vice-chairman Michał Wójcik.
After the mass, the IPN president laid a wreath of red roses beneath the image of Our Lady of Piekary in the basilica, inscribed: “To Our Lady of Piekary, Karol Nawrocki.” He also placed a similar wreath at the foot of the Piekary Calvary monument of Pope John Paul II, with the inscription: “In Tribute to St. John Paul II – Karol Nawrocki.”
There were no speeches. As the wreaths were laid at the monument, those gathered sang the national anthem. Nawrocki laid flowers and then, together with the crowd, sang four verses of the anthem while gazing at the figure of the pope. The gathered crowd then chanted, “We will win, we will win.”
Piekary Śląskie has been a center of Marian devotion for several centuries. The first pilgrimage to the miraculous image known for its healing powers took place in 1676. The May pilgrimage of men and boys, as well as the August pilgrimage of women and girls, draw thousands of faithful and are among the most important religious events in the region.