our mission
To serve the Gospel and the Church by forming Eucharistic disciples in prayer, evangelization, works of mercy, and Marian consecration in the spirit of St. Maximilian Kolbe.
Dear Friends and Supporters of Marytown,
Thank you for your continued prayers, generosity, and support of the National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe. Marytown’s buildings and grounds remain in relatively good condition, and we continue to follow preventative maintenance practices, but a property of this size, age, and sacred purpose requires ongoing care. As we look ahead, that care includes not only preserving our buildings and grounds, but also strengthening the systems that help us better welcome and serve our guests, retreatants, pilgrims, and visitors. In the Gift Shop, we are transitioning to Lightspeed to improve sales, inventory, e-commerce management, and daily operations. In the Retreat House, we are implementing Retreat Portal to help manage private retreat scheduling, group registrations, Marytown-hosted events, guest records, and staff communication. Together, these updates will replace outdated manual processes, save time, keep records organized, and give our staff better tools to serve with Marytown’s welcoming spirit. The annual cost is $3,600 for Retreat Portal and $2,700 for Lightspeed.
We are also hoping to move forward with the Outdoor Way of the Cross, which was originally part of Phase 2 of the Rosary Garden project but was delayed by COVID and other circumstances. This project would create another beautiful place of prayer on Marytown’s grounds and give pilgrims a meaningful way to walk with Our Lord in His Passion. Support opportunities include $6,000 per station, with 14 total stations; $1,000 per bench, with 18 total benches; $300 per light post, with 20 total light posts; $250 per tree, with 10 total trees; and $100 per shrub, with 28 total shrubs. In addition, the garden would include a life-sized Pietà statue with an attached altar at an estimated cost of approximately $10,000, bringing the full estimated project total to about $123,300.
Marytown is also blessed with a sacred history of Eucharistic devotion. This year, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Eucharistic Congress, and in two years Marytown will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Eucharistic Adoration at this location. With over 300 committed adorers in the Eucharistic Adoration Apostolate, Marytown offers Eucharistic Adoration 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, welcoming all who come to pray. Looking ahead, our dream is to make the chapel more fully accessible by adding an elevator, ramp, and two large ADA-compliant restrooms. While the architectural estimate for this accessibility project is about $4 million, we believe it would be a tremendous blessing for the many people who visit Marytown throughout the day and night. Your support helps us preserve what has been entrusted to us while preparing Marytown to serve future generations with faith, hospitality, and care.
Trusting in Our Lady’s intercession, I pray God will shower his blessings upon you and your families as well as Marytown.
Fr. Lawrence Zurek, OFM Conv.
Rector of The National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe