On December 19, in the presence of distinguished guests, the ceremonial completion of the renovation project and the opening of the Saint John Paul II Polish Center at the Parish of Our Lady of Sorrows took place.
The opening of the Polish Center was attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland Monika Michaliszyn, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Riga, H. E. Zbigniew Stankiewicz, the deputy of the Riga city council Māris Mičerevskis, the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland Director Zbigniew Ciosek, the President of the Polish-Latvian Chamber of Industry and Commerce Waldemar Mazurek, the President of Polijas – Latvijas attiecību atbalsta biedrība “Silesia” Mariusz Duka.
The Center is located in the Old Town of Riga, next the Presidential Castle and next to the pastoral building (at 2 Pils Street) and is part of the historic complex of the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Riga, which is an architectural monument of national importance. Until 1885, it was the only Catholic church in Riga. In the second half of the 19th century, the church was rebuilt and enlarged according to the design of the famous Riga architect Johann Felsko. The language of sermons in the temple is Latvian, but masses are also held in Polish on almost every day of the week, as well as on every Sunday and holiday.
