From 17–19 October 2025, the Youth Spirituality Congress – “Inspired by the Word” took place in Kraków, marking the third edition of the series.
The first edition (2017) arose from the Calasanctian Jubilee Year, an event by and for young Piarists aged 18+. The second edition (2021) adopted a more open format, welcoming young people beyond Piarist presences and proposing three participation paths: open, classic and contemplative; it was titled “Youth Spirituality Congress – Inspired by Calasanz.”
The present edition was a joint project of five entities active in youth ministry in Kraków and southern Poland: the Archdiocese of Kraków, the Scouts of Europe, the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, the Salesians, and the Piarists. The organising leads were: Fr Marcin Filar (later replaced by Fr Piotr Kosakowski), diocesan priest responsible for youth ministry in the Archdiocese of Kraków; Szymon Helbin, with wide experience in scouting projects; Sr Wanda Putyra, engaged in national-level music projects with young people; Fr Franciszek Janyga, delegate for youth ministry in the Salesian Province of Kraków; and Fr Jacek Wolan, former Provincial Assistant for Youth Ministry of the Province of Poland. Each coordinated a section: media & promotion, liturgy & music, finance & registrations, logistics and programme. Working teams were formed with youth representatives from each entity.
The Congress opened on Friday at the University Collegiate Church of Saint Anne (Kraków) with Mass presided by Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, Archbishop of Łódź, associated with the movements of the new evangelisation. Preaching from the day’s Gospel, he underlined: “Christian spirituality is born of an encounter with the Lord that becomes friendship. At the heart of faith is the encounter with a concrete Person; it is a relationship.” The liturgy was carefully prepared by Mateusz Łyczko and the team of altar servers. After Mass there was a time of praise and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, led by a group of volunteer musicians who wished to support the Congress.
On Saturday, participants gathered at the Kraków Philharmonic for a talk session with the possibility of questions and answers.
The first panel, “What does it mean that God is present in the Word?”, featured Dr Danuta Piekarz—Italianist, biblical scholar, lecturer at the Jagiellonian University, collaborator of the Salvatorian Centre for Spiritual Formation and consultant to the former Pontifical Council for the Laity—and Fr Dr Wojciech Węgrzyniak, biblical scholar, member of the academic staff of the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków, specialist in the Old Testament—especially the Psalms—and a recognised retreat preacher.
The second panel, “What does it mean that the Word is present in daily life?”, was led by Michał “Pax” Bukowski—rapper, director, editor and television presenter, dedicated to addiction prevention, and in private life a husband and father—and by Monika and Marcin Gomułka, a married couple, Christian content creators and influencers. The Q&A was moderated by Katarzyna Świderska, journalist and presenter of the youth programme “Studio Raban” on Polish television.
In the afternoon, 15 workshops from different spiritual schools related to the Word of God were offered in various locations around Kraków’s Old Town: Mental prayer according to Saint Vincent de Paul; Word of Life; Gregorian chant; The Word in images; Mount of the Transfiguration; Bibliodrama; Jesus Prayer; Lectio divina with elements of Franciscan meditation; Lectio divina (traditional method); Praise with the Word of God; How to discover God’s will?; Lectio divina in the Carmelite tradition; Prayer in the Ignatian tradition; The Tent of Meeting (Oasis movement); Preaching workshop for all. Lay women and men, religious sisters and brothers, priests, university lecturers and community leaders collaborated as facilitators.
The workshops offered a first part (theoretical and introductory) and a second, evening part (practical), with the possibility of entering the presence of God. Between the two, Mass was celebrated, presided by Provincial Fr Mateusz Pindelski, who in his homily noted: “One characteristic theme in Luke’s Gospel is Jesus at prayer. The Spirituality Congress is an experience of God that takes place especially in prayer. Jesus spent nights in prayer; the disciples did not readily take up his example, even though they were accustomed to praying as practising Jews. Prayer remains a challenge for every Christian, for each one of us.”
The third talk session took place at the John Paul II Centre “Do not be afraid!”. Responding to the question, “What does it mean to be inspired by the Word?”, were Sr Dr Joanna Nowińska—involved in evangelising projects across different media, engaged in interdisciplinary research in exegesis and biblical theology, lecturer and organiser of workshops and retreats—and Karol Sobczyk, psychologist, lecturer and writer, committed to evangelisation and to the international charismatic and ecumenical movement, linked—together with his wife—to the community “Voice in the Desert”. There was time for questions and for small-group sharing to gather the fruits of the Congress.
To conclude, young seekers of deeper spirituality took part in Sunday Mass at the Sanctuary of Saint John Paul II, presided by Auxiliary Bishop Robert Chrząszcz (Archdiocese of Kraków), who ended with these words of blessing: “May the Word of God guide your daily life, so that you may be inspired, transformed and sent!”
The organisers expressed their thanks for the collaboration and support of all those who, as volunteers, sustained the Congress.
