Is a forgotten Polish martyr working healing miracles in Massachusetts?
A quiet parish in Dudley, Massachusetts, is quickly becoming one of America's most intriguing Catholic pilgrimage destinations.
The National Shrine of St. Andrew Bobola, which holds a first-class relic of the Polish martyr, attracts visitors from across the United States and Canada, and several visitors report remarkable healings and answered prayers.
"Three miracles happened after the dedication," shrine rector Father Krzysztof Korcz said during a recent interview with EWTN's Father Mitch Pacwa. "People were praying in the shrine after the dedication, and they were healed from some kind of cancer. This is the time of investigation."
While the parish itself was established as a “mission church” in 1954, the church was elevated to a shrine on May 11, 2025, and is the only shrine dedicated to St. Andrew Bobola in the United States. This 17th-century Jesuit saint is very much beloved in Poland; however, many American Catholics are only now discovering his extraordinary story.
Who is Saint Andrew Bobola?
Born in 1591, St. Andrew Bobola entered the Society of Jesus and spent his priesthood preaching, hearing confessions, and catechizing Catholics throughout the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He became known for bringing fallen-away Catholics back to the faith and bringing unity amongst Christians.
His missionary work resulted in severe persecution.
During a Cossack uprising in 1657, Father Bobola was captured and subjected to horrific torture. He refused to renounce his Catholic faith, and in the end, was martyred.
"He could rescue his life," Father Korcz explained. "They wanted to give him freedom, but they wanted him to deny his Catholic faith. And he said, 'No. I am a Catholic priest. I was baptized in this Church, and I want to die in this Church.'"
St. Andrew Bobola’s heroic Catholic witness is one of the most powerful examples of faithfulness ever. In fact, Father Mitch Pacwa explained that he “was the most tortured saint” in Church history.
"When they did the Congregation for Saints study, they said he was the most tortured saint in the history of the Church," Pacwa said. "Think of his competition. His competition included the North American Martyrs who were tortured horribly and many other saints throughout history. And they said, 'No, this guy was tortured more than anybody else.'"
Yet today, his martyrdom isn’t the only thing attracting pilgrims to the shrine - it’s the miracles being reported after they visit!
Visitors continue arriving to pray before his relic and seek his intercession. Some have traveled thousands of miles after hearing testimonies of healing.
Father Korcz believes Saint Andrew's growing popularity is no accident.
"I think St. Bobola wants to show more signs," he said. "He wants to remind us that God exists. He is encouraging us that sainthood is our vocation."
The priest also pointed to St. Andrew's own struggles before becoming a saint.
"When he entered the seminary, he was the troublemaker," Father Korcz said. "Even the rector wanted him to leave. But he asked for one last chance and went to the chapel to adore Jesus. He put everything in Jesus' hands, and Jesus shaped him during this adoration."
For Father Pacwa, the saint's message is especially important in a secular society.
"St. Andrew had done the same kind of thing in his time," he said. "People did not know their faith. In the face of ignorance, you make your own ideas up."
As devotion to this powerful saint spreads, the shrine hopes to expand with a prayer garden, Stations of the Cross, and retreat facilities. Father Korcz requests that the faithful pray that the vision becomes a reality.
"I believe that St. Bobola is going to bring pilgrims into the shrine," he said. "Just pray to St. Bobola, write your petitions, and ask for the graces you want to receive from God."
More than three centuries after his brutal martyrdom, St. Andrew Bobola continues to lead souls to Christ. This time, he’s doing it from a small shrine in Massachusetts where reports of healing, conversion, and renewed faith inspire pilgrims worldwide.