Polish Niepokalanow, near Warsaw
Polish Niepokalanow, began with Fr. Maximilian Kolbe and Brother Zeno Zebrowski placing a statue of Mary Immaculate on the property belonging to Prince Drucki – Lubecki. Maximilian Kolbe nominated Brother Zeno to be in charge of the construction of the Franciscan monastery. Due to this statue of the Immaculate this place has developed and became the biggest Franciscan monastery in the world as well as a great shrine visited by hundreds of pilgrims every day. The monastery is self sufficient with its big publishing house, museum, radio television stations, bakery and famous Volunteer Fire Department among others. Brother Zeno came back to Niepokalanow while visiting Poland in 1971. On June 16th 1983 The Pope, John Paul II visited this Franciscan monastery. Very often Niepokalanow is visited by Brother Zeno’s cousins.