Between 21 and 25 July 2025, a gathering was held for pupils in the final three years of primary school. The facilities of the Rzeszów Piarist school hosted more than 60 participants, including pupils and young parishioners from the Piarist presences in Bolszewo, Poznań, Łowicz, Kraków, and Rzeszów.
It was a privileged time to share enthusiasm and faith. The programme included sports and recreational activities, much-loved volleyball and football matches, discos and Piarist dances, as well as the screening of a film. To deepen their relationship with the Lord, the young participants attended the Eucharist and took part in moments of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and community prayer.
Three particularly significant moments in the cultural and historical programme were: a visit to the Museum of Poles Who Saved Jews During World War II, dedicated to the Ulma Family, in Markowa; the “Zagroda” Ethnographic Museum and Park in the same town; and a gincana —an urban treasure hunt— through the old town of Rzeszów, whose central highlight was a visit to the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, part of the former Piarist college in the city.
The Piarist presence in Rzeszów dates back to 1655. Unfortunately, the first school was closed at the end of the 18th century. The Order returned to the city in 1974, to the Wilkowyja district on the outskirts, where it took charge of the Parish of Saint Joseph Calasanz, and since 2019 has also run a primary school.
This gathering was not only an opportunity to get to know the capital of Subcarpathia, but also to share life and experiences. In the coming years, the young participants will have the chance to take part in the Piarist Youth Meeting (known as SMP in Polish), an annual youth pastoral event of the Province of Poland, held every October in Kraków. The gathering was coordinated by Fr. Mariusz Kaźmierski, with the support of Fr. Krzysztof Świderski and Fr. Łukasz Adamusiak, newly appointed Provincial Assistant for Youth Ministry. We also gratefully acknowledge the valuable collaboration of the Piarist Youth Animators.
Jacek Wolan, SchP
