Fr. Łukasz Bankowski – Vatican
More than just sightseeing
Youth from the “Phileo” community of the Holy Trinity parish in Wrocław came to Rome. As their chaplain, Fr. Jakub Deperas, emphasizes, the pilgrimage is not a typical tourist trip. “I try to come with young people every year or two and show them the Eternal City and the sources of Christianity. This is a community that forms throughout the year, and this trip is an extension of that journey,” he says.
Sightseeing remains an important part of the stay, but it is not its sole purpose. It’s about experiencing the Church where its heart has beaten for centuries.
The Pope who continues to educate
When asked about their first associations with John Paul II, answers come almost immediately. “Cream cakes, kayaking, great contact with young people,” says Karol.
This is an image almost every young Pole knows. However, a moment later, the conversation goes much deeper. “John Paul II spoke about family, about marital love, and about accompanying young people. He showed God’s love for man. He left beautiful homilies and encyclicals,” Hubert emphasizes.
Alicja adds briefly: “He was very smiling and knew how to be close to young people.”
It is precisely in this change of perspective that something most valuable lies. The Pope, whom many had known until now from a few characteristic images, becomes a guide who helps answer the most important questions about love, choices, and the meaning of life.
Liturgy that stays in the heart
The encounter with John Paul II did not only take place in the silence of prayer at his tomb. For many young people, the Eucharist itself was equally important. For Klara, one of the greatest experiences was reading the first reading during Holy Mass. The emotions were so strong that – as she admits – her heart was beating much faster even before the liturgy began.
“I was very stressed. I even had trouble with my voice, but I think it worked out. The whole Mass was truly beautiful, and the sisters’ singing made a huge impression on me. It was a unique experience,” she recounts.
Karol will remember the entrance procession the longest. “The sight of so many priests walking to the altar really stuck in my memory. It will stay with me for a long time. I even thought: Maybe someday I will walk like that too,” he says with a smile.
This one sentence shows that a pilgrimage can leave something more in a young person than just the memory of a beautiful liturgy. It can awaken questions about one’s own vocation and the path that God has prepared for everyone.
To give thanks and ask for faithfulness
Altar servers from the parish of Our Lady of Częstochowa and St. Wenceslaus in Lubicz Górny also prayed at the tomb of St. John Paul II. “We wanted to thank God for the vocation of altar server and for our community growing so quickly. We also commended our parish, the parish priest, and all parishioners, thanks to whom we could come here,” says Fr. Damian Kurzawski.
As he emphasizes, the pilgrimage also has immense educational value. “It is a time of building community, getting to know each other, and strengthening faith. Learning about history and culture allows young people to look at the world more broadly and mature.”
“It was worth getting up before dawn”
The idea of going to Rome arose during one of the parish pilgrimages. “The priest asked us where we would like to go for a longer trip. I said: to Rome. And it worked out,” recounts Piotrek, the president of the altar servers.
The greatest experience was the opportunity to serve during Holy Mass at the tomb of the Polish Pope. “Getting up so early was hard, but it was definitely worth it,” he admits.
Sister Avila from the Congregation of the Sacred Heart, who accompanied the group, has no doubt that John Paul II remains a relevant guide for young people. “He had exceptional contact with young people. Their presence here best shows that he still leads them to Christ,” she says.
A legacy that does not fade
What is most striking is that the generation that does not remember John Paul II does not stop at the most famous anecdotes from his life. At his tomb, they discover a Pope who did not offer young people an easy life, but a life with meaning. He taught that man finds himself not when he seeks his own comfort, but when he courageously responds to God’s love and serves others.
Twenty years after his passing, young people do not come to John Paul II out of sentiment. They come because in a world full of easy answers, they find something much more valuable in him: the courage to ask the most important questions about God, love, vocation, and the meaning of life. And that is why his voice still does not fall silent.
