The Bobola congregation in West London was initially made up largely of people who had survived the trials of Siberia during and after World War II. It also served unofficially, as a "Garrison Church" for the thousands of Polish veterans, who had fought with the allies and were deprived of the right to return to their Polish homeland, surrendered to the USSR under the Yalta Agreement. From 1961 to 1979 Kazimierz Sołowiej (1912–1979) was the parish priest. He took charge of the refurbishment of the building. Despite an "uneventful" exterior, the interior of the church was, according to Bridget Cherry, "daringly modernised" by émigré Polish craftsmen and artists under the direction of designer Aleksander Klecki. It contains many items inspired by Polish art and religious devotions.