POLAND

DAY 1 (4/26) FLIGHT TO WARSAW

Today, your pilgrimage begins as you depart on your international overnight flight to Poland. Now it’s time to relax, enjoy your flight, and focus on the incredible spiritual journey ahead.

DAY 2 (4/27) WARSAW

Upon arrival in Warsaw, you will meet your tour director and driver. Mass will be celebrated at St. James Church, where Helena Kowalska prayed and asked Fr. James Dabrowski for advice, which resulted in Helena becoming Sister Faustina. We will transfer to the hotel to enjoy a welcome dinner.

DAY 3 (4/28) WARSAW

After breakfast, our day begins with an enlightening visit to the Popieluszko Museum.  Immerse yourself in the life and legacy of Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko, a priest and martyr whose courage and steadfast commitment to defending human rights played a pivotal role in the resistance movement against communist rule. Next, we will celebrate Mass at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, where Father Jerzy celebrated Mass and delivered homilies filled with courage and truth. Next, we will explore the Old Town, renowned for its cobblestone streets and stunning architecture. We will visit the Market Square and the Warsaw Ghetto monument, which stands as a solemn tribute to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. Enjoy time in the afternoon to explore on your own. Dinner will be at your hotel.

DAY 4 (4/29) WARSAW | CZESTOCHOWA | KRAKOW

Following breakfast, we will travel to Częstochowa, the spiritual heart of Poland and a favored pilgrimage site of St. John Paul II. We will visit Jasna Gora (meaning ‘Bright Mountain’) and the Chapel of Our Lady, home to the beloved Black Madonna. According to tradition, it was painted by St. Luke the Evangelist, later discovered by St. Helena, and enshrined. Mass will be celebrated. Enjoy the peaceful, holy grounds of the Jasna Gora monastery compound (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), before we continue to Krakow, check into our hotel, and enjoy dinner together.

DAY 5 (4/30) WIELICZKA | KRAKOW

After breakfast, we will visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the Chapel of St. Kinga, an exquisite underground church carved from salt featuring a salt sculpture of Saint John Paul II. Mass will be celebrated. We will return to Krakow to enjoy lunch on your own in Krakow’s Market Square. In the afternoon, we will visit Wawel Hill to see the beautiful Cathedral and Coronation Chapel, and pray at the tomb of St. Stanislaus, Poland’s patron saint. Afterward, we will return to your hotel for dinner.

DAY 6 (5/1) WADOWICE | KRAKOW

This morning, we will travel to Wadowice, the birthplace of Saint John Paul II. We will learn about the life and devotion of the beloved Polish pope. We will visit the church in the market square, now called the Papal Basilica Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wadowice, where he was baptized, made his first Confession, received his First Holy Communion, and served as an altar boy. Mass will be celebrated. Next door to the basilica, we will visit his childhood home, which is now a museum dedicated to his life and pilgrimages. Enjoy lunch and time at leisure. Be sure to try the famous “Pope’s cake”, a must while in Wadowice! Afterward, we will return to Krakow, have dinner at a local restaurant, and return to your hotel for the evening.

DAY 7 (5/2) ZAKOPANE | KRAKOW

Following breakfast, we will travel by bus to the charming village of Zakopane, St. John Paul II’s favorite place for recreation and relaxation. We will visit the Fatima Church, which was built by the mountaineers in gratitude for the Blessed Mother saving St. John Paul II’s life from the assassination attempt in 1981. Mass will be celebrated. Next, we will take the gondola to Mt. Glubowka for a magnificent panoramic view of the city and hillside trails St. John Paul II used to climb (weather permitting). Enjoy time at leisure for lunch and shopping on Krupowki Street before returning to Krakow for dinner at your hotel.

DAY 8 (5/3) AUSCHWITZ | KRAKOW

After breakfast, we will set out for Auschwitz, known as the largest concentration camp, established in Europe during World War II. We will take a guided tour, which includes a visit to the Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who gave his life to save another prisoner. We will drive to nearby Oswiecim/Harmeze to gather for Mass. Following lunch on your own, we will return to Krakow. Enjoy time at leisure to explore local cuisine on your own for dinner, then return to your hotel for the evening.

DAY 9 (5/4) SHRINE OF DIVINE MERCY | KRAKOW

Today, our pilgrimage takes us to Lagiewniki, the sacred site where the message of Divine Mercy first began. Here, we will have the opportunity to visit the Basilica of Divine Mercy, including the St. Faustina Chapel, which was consecrated by St. John Paul II during his final visit to Poland. Mass will be celebrated. We will also visit the Chapel of the Merciful Jesus, home to the revered Holy Picture of the Merciful Jesus and the Tomb of St. Faustina Kowalska, the visionary whose revelations inspired the Divine Mercy devotion. Our journey continues to the St. John Paul II Center, where we will have the chance to see his relics and learn more about his enduring legacy. Afterward, we will return to Krakow for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant, savoring Polish flavors and new friendships.

DAY 10 (5/5) RETURN HOME

Our pilgrimage ends today as we depart Krakow on our return flight home, taking incredible memories to last a lifetime.