Life far from home—surrounded by unfamiliar languages, traditions, and cultures—raising children and working daily: this is the reality for thousands of Poles abroad. In these circumstances, genuine testimony of faith and identity emerges. “Your lives, your fidelity to faith and Polish heritage, reveal the beauty and strength of the Polish spirit,” wrote Bishop Chrząszcz in his Christmas message to Polonia.
One of the most vivid images in the letter is the story of the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt. Bishop Chrząszcz likens it to the journeys that brought Poles to London, Paris, or Toronto. As he writes, many left “not for themselves, but for their children,” driven by responsibility and love, which – as St. Paul notes – “bears all things.”
“The migration of the Holy Family, like that of many Poles, became a place where God acts,” adds Bishop Chrząszcz. “Home is where there is love, where one protects another, and where God is present. The Lord watches over your going out and your coming in,” he quotes from the psalm.
The letter stresses that Jesus understands life abroad. He cites, “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head,” emphasizing that God also faced the uncertainty of exile. Christmas, then, is a sign of God’s closeness to those far from home.
The bishop assures that the Church in Poland remains spiritually connected to Polonia in both prayer and concern. He emphasizes that emigrants are not secondary or on the periphery, but co-creators of the Church’s and the nation’s community. “Your joys and concerns are also those of the Church in Poland,” he writes, thanking priests and consecrated persons who serve Polonia communities worldwide.
In closing, the bishop leaves a key message for Poles abroad: “At Christmas, I remind you from my heart: God is close—in your work, in your concerns, in your family efforts, in your Polonia communities, and in moments of solitude. He is close because He Himself walked the path of an emigrant. His heart knows your hearts.”
