The spiritual needs of migrating Catholic Poles in England and Wales over the past two centuries have been tied inexorably to the changing geo-political fate of their homeland.
Most of the arrivals up to the 21st century were escaping political and other repressions.
They were not all Catholics.

On the accession of Poland to the European Union in 2004 there has been large-scale Polish immigration to the UK, up to 900 000 people as of 2017 have come, almost for the first time, exercising their rights to freedom of movement, something taken for granted in Western Europe for centuries.
The Polish Catholic Mission reports that only about 10% of the newly arrived Poles attend church regularly.
For those it has around 219 branches and pastoral centres with 114 priests.
The Vicars Delegate who manage the "chaplaincy" of the Polish Catholic Mission since then have been Mgr.
Tadeusz Kukla up to 2010, succeeded by the Mgr.
Stefan Wylężek.
In Poland, the Polish Bishops Conference has a bishop Delegate, with special responsibility for the spiritual needs of émigré Poles.
The postholder since 2011 has been Bishop Wiesław Cichowski.
The Tablet reported in December 2007 that the Polish Catholic Mission as stating that its branches follow a pastoral programme set by the Polish conference of bishops and are viewed as "an integral part of the Polish church".
The spiritual needs of migrating Catholic Poles in England and Wales over the past two centuries have been tied inexorably to the changing geo-political fate of their homeland. Most of the arrivals up to the 21st century were escaping political and other repressions. They were not all Catholics.
On the accession of Poland to the European Union in 2004 there has been large-scale Polish immigration to the UK, up to 900 000 people as of 2017 have come, almost for the first time, exercising their rights to freedom of movement, something taken for granted in Western Europe for centuries. The Polish Catholic Mission reports that only about 10% of the newly arrived Poles attend church regularly. For those it has around 219 branches and pastoral centres with 114 priests. The Vicars Delegate who manage the "chaplaincy" of the Polish Catholic Mission since then have been Mgr. Tadeusz Kukla up to 2010, succeeded by the Mgr. Stefan Wylężek. In Poland, the Polish Bishops Conference has a bishop Delegate, with special responsibility for the spiritual needs of émigré Poles. The postholder since 2011 has been Bishop Wiesław Cichowski. The Tablet reported in December 2007 that the Polish Catholic Mission as stating that its branches follow a pastoral programme set by the Polish conference of bishops and are viewed as "an integral part of the Polish church".
Catholic Church in England and Wales