Making it Personal with Bishop William Joensen

Faith That Cost Everything: Poland Pilgrimage Stories with Jon Leonetti - 09/30/2026

Episode Summary

Bishop William Joensen and Catholic speaker and author Jon Leonetti reflect on their recent Poland pilgrimage, which brought together 50 pilgrims from across the United States. They share stories from the shrines of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Our Lady of Czestochowa, St. Faustina and Divine Mercy, and St. John Paul II. Bishop Joensen also announces the return of diocesan anniversary Masses honoring married couples this October. Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko and the Warsaw Rising Museum St. Maximilian Kolbe at Niepokalanów and Auschwitz Couples renewing vows at Jasna Góra Divine Mercy Shrine and St. John Paul II's hometown Anniversary Masses in Council Bluffs and Des Moines

Episode Notes

What does it look like when a whole nation's faith has been tested by war, occupation, and communism, and still stands? Bishop William Joensen and co-host Jeanne Thill welcome Jon Leonetti, Catholic speaker, author, and longtime Iowa Catholic Radio voice. Jon and the Bishop just returned from leading a pilgrimage to Poland with 50 pilgrims from Iowa and around the country.

Opening: Marriage, St. Faustina, and a thank-you

• Bishop Joensen thanks listeners for supporting the Iowa Catholic Radio fall fundraiser.
• He announces the return of diocesan anniversary Masses honoring married couples, whether they've been married 5, 10, 25, 50 years, or anywhere in between:
  • Sunday, Oct. 4: St. Peter Church, Council Bluffs
  • Saturday, Oct. 10: 4 p.m. Mass, St. Ambrose Cathedral, Des Moines
• For details, visit the Diocese of Des Moines: https://www.dmdiocese.org/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=Making%20It%20Personal
• Ahead of St. Faustina Kowalska's memorial on Monday, Oct. 5, the Bishop reads from her Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, on surrendering to God's will.

Warsaw: Faith that cost everything

• The pilgrimage began at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church with Mass and a visit honoring Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, the Solidarity priest martyred under communism.
• The group toured the Warsaw Rising Museum.
• At Victory Square, they recalled St. John Paul II's 1979 homily that helped spark the fall of communism.

St. Maximilian Kolbe before Auschwitz

• At Niepokalanów, the "City of the Immaculate," Jon reflects on meeting Kolbe as the tireless evangelist who used every available medium to spread the faith. His self-offering at Auschwitz was the fruit of a lifetime of preparation.

Our Lady of Czestochowa at Jasna Góra

• Married couples in the group reaffirmed their marriage vows before the miraculous image of the Queen of Poland.
• Jon shares the story of the night the group was nearly locked in the shrine.

From Auschwitz to Divine Mercy

• After a sobering, rain-soaked day at Auschwitz-Birkenau, including St. Maximilian Kolbe's starvation cell, the group went the next day to the Divine Mercy Shrine in Kraków-Łagiewniki.
• There, a sister of St. Faustina's own congregation led them in prayer at her tomb.

Wadowice, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, and a pilgrimage of saints

• The group visited St. John Paul II's hometown museum and climbed the passion shrines of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska.
• The Bishop and Jon close by remembering St. Edith Stein, St. Hedwig, St. Stanislaus, and Blessed Stefan Wyszyński.

Learn more about Jon Leonetti and upcoming pilgrimages at https://jonleonetti.com/

Hear Making It Personal with Bishop William Joensen every week on the Iowa Catholic Radio Network, the Spirit Catholic Radio Network, and IowaCatholicRadio.com: https://iowacatholicradio.com/

Sponsor
Support for Iowa Catholic Radio and Making It Personal is provided by Serra Vocations Ministry, which works to foster vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Learn more at https://joinserra.org/

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