Wojciech Rogacin – Vatican
The exhibition entitled “Patron Saints of Everyday Life. Great Saints for Today’s Times” opened at the Diocesan Museum in Siedlce on Thursday, September 3. The exhibition will be open from September 5 to December 15, 2026. Detailed information regarding visiting days and hours can be found on the website muzeum.siedlce.pl.
11 masterpieces, including ones from the Vatican
“The exhibition was organized on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, and the catalyst was the fact that our museum holds the only painting by El Greco in Poland, ‘The Ecstasy of St. Francis’,” Father Robert Mirończuk, director of the Diocesan Museum in Siedlce, told Vatican News.
“We have prepared an exhibition of 11 works of art borrowed from various Italian institutions and the Vatican State,” he adds.
The ceremonial opening gala of the exhibition was attended by Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, Apostolic Nuncio to Poland, the Bishops of Siedlce, Bishop Kazimierz Gurda and Auxiliary Bishop Grzegorz Suchodolski, as well as representatives of the authorities. Among those present were Luca Franchetti Pardo, Ambassador of the Italian Republic, Adam Struzik, Marshal of the Mazovian Voivodeship, and Tomasz Hapunowicz, Mayor of Siedlce.
Archbishop Filipazzi: following Jesus with Francis
During his speech at the inaugural gala, Archbishop Filipazzi pointed to the main theme guiding the organizers—commemorating the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis. “It is impossible to understand St. Francis without Christ, but Francis helps us better understand who Christ is and how we should follow Him,” the nuncio recalled in an interview with Faro TV, the internet television of the Diocese of Siedlce.
In his conversation with Faro TV, the Apostolic Nuncio also expressed his joy at returning to Siedlce after some time. “Works of the highest level have been gathered here. This is a great event for the city, the region, and the Diocese of Siedlce,” he said. He added that he congratulates the creators on organizing the exhibition and invites everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to view these masterpieces in Siedlce.
Two works by El Greco
The exhibition features two paintings by El Greco: the aforementioned “The Ecstasy of St. Francis” from the collection of the Diocesan Museum in Siedlce and “Redentore” (The Redeemer), a painting from the Hall of Ambassadors in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, where the Pope receives guests in audience.
Additionally, works have been gathered from institutions such as the Chigi Palace in Ariccia, the Barberini Palace in Rome, and the Museo di Palazzo Pretorio in Prato.
Sensitizing to higher values
As Father Robert Mirończuk says, the exhibition is the fruit of many months of talks with Italian cultural institutions. “Through the exhibition, we wanted to create a space for deeper reflection on how the motifs of the mysticism of prayer, simplicity of heart, and holiness have permeated the history of art over the centuries. We wanted to showcase those saints who, for the sake of Christ and the Gospel, were able to change the world, their environment, and their fellow human beings,” he concludes.
