The house in via Cassia1200 was purchased by Polish and offered to St. John Paul Il in an audience at the Vatican on November 7, 1981. The Pope's intention for the donated building was that it be not only a shelter for the Polish who came to Rome, but also a "sensitive point" marked on the map of the history of the church and the history of the Polish nation. When he visited the Polish House on November 8, 1981, John Paul Il pointed out that it was to serve the "Polish pilgrimage" because it is located at the crossroads of the roads leading to Rome and from there leading to Poland and various parts of the world. In the Polish House, pilgrims will not only find room and board but will also be able to count on pastoral care and assistance in visiting the Eternal City. The atmosphere of the house is not without meaning for its furniture was created from souvenirs associated with the pontificate of John Paul II. A daily Mass is celebrated in the chapel.

The first guests arrived at the Polish House in August 1980. Individual pilgrims and groups of pilgrims both from Poland and from Polish communities around the world visit the house.

In the Polish House pilgrims are served by the sisters and brothers of the Congregation of the Heart of Jesus from the Archdiocese of Krakow and by lay staff . The guests who come to the Polish House find in it a "piece of their homeland in exile" and an eloquent presentation of the pontificate of St. John Paul II.

The Polish House also houses the documentation and study Center of the pontificate of St. John Paul II

On November 8, 1981 the Holy Father, St. John Paul Il, solemnly consecrated the House.

” We want the Polish Home to serve the pilgrimage of each person, and especially each Polish person, from Poland or from any part of the world It should be a place where a pilgrim can stop; where he can stay; to which he is coming and from which he is leaving strengthened, spiritually uplifted and directed to a new hope. This is the general purpose of this house, it is a gift of the pilgrims to the pilgrims, it is a gift of the present generation of pilgrims for pilgrims of the present generation but also the next generation. ”

- John Paul II