Jan Góra

Jan Wojciech Góra OP (born 8 February 1948 in Prudnik, died 21 December 2015) was a Dominican, Roman Catholic Priest, Doctor of Theology, academic and chaplain. Since 1997, he had been the organiser of the Polish Youth Meeting Lednica 2000 December 2015 in Poznań at the Lednica Fields. Animator for the academic chaplaincy centre "Respublica Dominicana" in Jamna. Author of numerous books and articles.

In 1966, he entered the Dominican Order; during the years 1967-1974, he studied at the Dominican College of Philosophy and Theology in Cracow. During the years 1977-1987, he was chaplain to secondary school pupils in Poznań and since 1987 he is an academic chaplain in Poznań at the Queen of the Holy Rosary church.

His first evangelising work was the annual summer youth colloquia in Ustronie-Hermanice. In 1991, he was co-organizer of the VI World Youth Days at Jasna Góra. It was then that the words of the hymn entitled "Abba Ojcze" were composed for this meeting. During the winter of 1992, he set up the "Dom Świętego Jacka" – a chaplaincy centre on the Jamna Mountain near Tarnów. Initially the "School of Faith" started in the old building of the school and later on, due to the personal intervention of Pope John Paul II, he built the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Unfailing Hope.

In 1997, he organized for the first time the Polish Youth Meeting Lednica 2000 nearby the Lednica Lake near Gniezno. Since that time youth meetings by the Fish-Gate have taken place, initially on the Eve of Pentecost and now on the first Saturday of June. Since 2004, annually, at the beginning of September, he also organizes Lednica for Seniors. He is founder of the Museum of the history of Lednica in Poznań and of the John Paul II House on the Lednica Fields.

Father Jan Góra propagates the idea of Small Nations, works closely with many Catholic and cultural publications and publishing houses. He has received numerous prizes and honours for his work up to now:

• 1983 - Literary Prize Kościelskich in Geneva for the book "Mój dom"
• 1996 - distinction in "Małe Ojczyzny. Tradycja dla przyszłości" contest
• 1997 - "GIGANT 97", Gazeta Wyborcza prize
• 1998 - Honorary Citizenship of Zakliczyn nad Dunajcem Gmina
• 1999 - Włodzimierz Pietrzak Prize
• 2001 - Honorary Member of Poznań Town
• 2001 - Piotr Wawrzyniak Prize
• 2003 - Prize of "Głos Wielkopolski" and Great Seal of Poznań Town
• 2005 - TOTUS prize from the Polish Episcopate
• 2007 - "Honorary Citizen of Poznań Town"
• 2008 - Poznań Television Creator Prize.