The 5th Congress of Young Religious was held from 18 to 21 September 2025 at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń, under the theme “Behold the Man” (Jn 19:4). It brought together nearly 600 people from various forms of consecrated life, among them young Piarists from Poland: juniors and young religious.
The programme focused on human formation and was developed on the basis of a survey carried out by the organisers among young consecrated persons in Poland. Among the guests were Fr. Amedeo Cencini (Canossian, psychotherapist), a specialist in religious formation; Sr. Beata Zarzycka (Albertine, psychologist); Fr. Tomasz Gaj (Dominican, psychotherapist); Hubert Malinowski (lay psychologist, coach); and Fr. Tomasz Nowak (Dominican, parish priest).
In addition, 21 thematic workshops were organised, divided into four categories: pastoral ministry, liturgy, media and< technology, and psychology.
The entire congress took place in an atmosphere of joyful community among young people centred on Jesus. The participants prayed together in the Eucharist, adoration and the Liturgy of the Hours. There were also small-group meetings in which they were able to share their experiences, joys and difficulties.
In the evenings there was also time to talk and play board games. Piarist dances, led by our young people, were especially popular.
One of the organisers of the congress was Bro. Łukasz Fabijański, Sch. P., who was chiefly responsible for coordinating the thematic workshops. He shares his experience in these words:
“I was fortunate to take part in the 4th Congress in 2022. It was a very important experience for me to be part of a community of young religious in Poland and to build very valuable relationships. That is why I was very happy when one of the main organisers called me and asked if I wanted to help organise the next congress. During the preparations and during the congress itself, I was deeply impressed by the incredible people I was able to work with, and I felt proud of what we had achieved. All this work was, for me, an overwhelming experience of God’s grace and of intercongregational cooperation, since almost all the organisers came from different congregations. Through it all, I was able to experience the deep unity of the Church in all its diversity.”
Among the participants there were also juniors from the Polish Province, including Bro. Piotr Możdżeń, Sch. P., who was the youngest religious at the congress, having made his first religious profession just one week earlier.
He describes his experience as follows: “When I hear ‘Congress of Young Religious’, the words that immediately come to mind are the joy of encounter and the witness of presence. In addition to these experiences, the words of Lauds resounded in me with particular strength: ‘Each look at the cross helps us grow, it bears fruit.’ With this spirit I lived these days, which, through encounter, showed me consecrated life as a cross from which luxuriant and colourful flowers spring forth – a symbol of life!”
Young adult Piarists from Poland and Belarus also attended for their ongoing formation. With them was Fr. Piotr Jałako, Sch. P., who, on behalf of the Province, is responsible for accompanying religious up to six years after their solemn profession.
Among the invited workshop leaders was Fr. Jacek Wolan, Sch. P., who led the workshop “Rhetoric in Practice”, during which he inspired and showed how to “speak so that people want to listen”. One of the workshops was also given by Mrs. Magdalena Kiwior, responsible for the Province’s social media. She showed participants how to manage a Facebook fan page and how to create Instagram reels.
The initiative of the Congress of Young Religious arose after the World Day for Consecrated Life celebrated in Rome in 1997. Since 2001, five editions have been held in Poland at various intervals. At present, we hope that the congress will be held regularly every three years, because we are aware of the great need young people have to grow and strengthen their vocation.
Bro. Łukasz Fabijański, Sch. P.
