Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa will host Trump. What is this Bucks County landmark?

Michele Haddon and Chris Ullery, Bucks County Courier Times

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa draws visitors from around the world to Central Bucks County.

Located on Beacon Hill in Doylestown overlooking Peace Valley Park, the international landmark provides a place for prayer, reflection, learning and self-guided tours at its 170-acre campus with two churches, chapels, retreat house, visitor's center, religious articles center, Polish language school, museum, bookstore, gift shop, cafeteria and Polish deli.

Our Lady of Czestochowa
Our Lady of Czestochowa

Each year, the shrine holds a Polish-American festival over two weekends that draws over 30,000 people from around the region.

And on Sunday, Donald Trump is scheduled to pay a visit to the shrine, his campaign confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

But what makes this place of worship so significant goes well beyond its upcoming visit from the former president and 2024 candidate. So, here are some interesting things to know about this highly-regarded cultural and religious destination:

Our Lady of Czestochowa shrine in Doylestown started with a small barn chapel

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa held its first mass in a small wooden barn, and it would be another five years until there was a following, and the funds needed, to acquire more property for a proper chapel in 1960. The barn still sits on the property in the cemetery at the shrine.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa held its first mass in a small wooden barn, and it would be another five years until there was a following, and the funds needed, to acquire more property for a proper chapel in 1960. The barn still sits on the property in the cemetery at the shrine.

The history of the shrine in Central Bucks County dates back to 1951, when Father Michael Zembrzuski came to the United States, according to Our Lady of Czestochowa's website.

He brought with him a copy of the Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, blessed by Pope St. John XXIII, with the hopes of establishing an American shrine similar to one in Czestochowa, Poland.

In 1953, Zembrzuski was granted permission by the Holy See and Cardinal O’Hara of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to establish the shrine on land he purchased in the municiplaity of New Britain Township, which has a postal address of Doylestown.

The shrine held its first mass in a small wooden barn two years later, and it would be another five years until there was a following, and the funds needed, to acquire more property for a proper chapel in 1960.

The groundbreaking and construction of the shrine began in 1964, and the shrine was finished and a dedication was held in 1966.

Today, the shrine built almost 60 years ago remains a towering centerpiece of the grounds, while additional structures have been added over time, including the Ave Maria Retreat House, Visitor Center and the Lower Chapel. The barn chapel was transported in its entirety and relocated to its current location at the shrine's cemetery in 1972.

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa held its first mass in a small wooden barn, and it would be another five years until there was a following, and the funds needed, to acquire more property for a proper chapel in 1960. The barn still sits on the property in the cemetery at the shrine.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa held its first mass in a small wooden barn, and it would be another five years until there was a following, and the funds needed, to acquire more property for a proper chapel in 1960. The barn still sits on the property in the cemetery at the shrine.

Three former U.S. presidents have visited Our Lady of Czestochowa shrine

According to the shrine's website, in 1966, Lyndon B. Johnson and his family attended a ceremony during which the new shrine was dedicated in honor of Our Lady of Czestochowa.

George H. W. Bush also visited the shrine, as he campaigned for the Republican presidential nomination ahead of the 1980 primary election.

And in 1984, Ronald Reagan came to the shrine for the conclusion of the annual Polish-American Festival, the website said.

President Reagan talks with the Rev. Lucius L. Tyrasinski, shrine director (left), and Cardinal John Krol, archbishop of Philadelphia, during the president's visit to Our Lady of Czestochowa in September 1984.
President Reagan talks with the Rev. Lucius L. Tyrasinski, shrine director (left), and Cardinal John Krol, archbishop of Philadelphia, during the president's visit to Our Lady of Czestochowa in September 1984.

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Pope John Paul II visited the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa three times

Pope John Paul II, who would later be canonized a saint, visited the shrine three times in its history, though his first two visits were before he was named pope and instead was Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, Archbishop of Krakow.

The future pope's first visit was in 1969, and he returned in 1976 with the delegation of Polish Bishops for the 41st International Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia.

In 1980, two years after he was elected pope and took the name John Paul, he visited the shrine again. This time he blessed and signed the Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, which is currently located in the lower church of the shrine's chapel.

A large statue of the pope greets visitors in front of the shrine and another bust sits inside.

In 1980, two years after he was elected pope and took the name John Paul, he visited the shrine again. This time he blessed and signed the Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, which is currently located in the lower church of the shrine's chapel.
In 1980, two years after he was elected pope and took the name John Paul, he visited the shrine again. This time he blessed and signed the Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, which is currently located in the lower church of the shrine's chapel.

Shrine of Czestochowa cemetery holds the heart of a Polish statesman

The cemetery at the shrine also has a bronze statue containing the heart of Poland’s third prime minister, Ignacy Jan Paderewski.

Paderewski, who died on June 29, 1940, was a pianist and composer who traveled the United States during World War I to raise money and build a pro-Polish movement. He served as the prime minister from January to November 1919.

Paderewski resigned from office after “realizing that forming a national union and attaining peace with the Soviet government were impossibilities,” according to archived information online from Arlington National Cemetery, where his body was entombed until after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Upon his death, then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt offered to give the former statesmen a “temporary resting place” in America, saying “he may lie there until Poland is free,” the Arlington archive adds.

While Paderewski’s body was returned to Poland in 1992, his final wishes were for his heart to remain in America.

Our Lady of Czestochowa in New Britain has hosted presidents and popes over the decades, and on Sunday former President Donald Trump will campaign at the shrine. Here's a look at the landmark grounds that sits over Central Bucks County.
Our Lady of Czestochowa in New Britain has hosted presidents and popes over the decades, and on Sunday former President Donald Trump will campaign at the shrine. Here's a look at the landmark grounds that sits over Central Bucks County.

How to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa is located at 654 Ferry Road in Doylestown. It is open seven days a week year round. Check online for the specific visiting hours of its various chapels and facilities. The Trump campaign has not announced details of his campaign visit and how the public can attend.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa will host Trump campaign

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