Natalia Pieśniewska – Castel Gandolfo
The Oasis Movement in Castel Gandolfo
Nearly 50 members of the Light-Life Movement from the Archdiocese of Katowice and the Diocese of Rzeszów participated in the Sunday Angelus prayer in Castel Gandolfo. The pilgrims were led by Rev. Sebastian Kaczmański.
The young people awaited the arrival of Pope Leo XIV with joy and enthusiasm. “We want to meet the Peter of our times with great joy. It is a tremendous experience for us to be able to profess our faith together with him and build a relationship with God,” said seminarian Piotr Sidor from the Archdiocese of Katowice.
For most of them, this was their first stay in the papal resort town. “It is a great experience to be able to see the Pope in the place where he rests,” emphasized Kinga Knop from the Archdiocese of Katowice.
At the conclusion of the prayer, Leo XIV addressed special greetings to the pilgrims of the Liturgical Academy from Rzeszów, who were participating in formation dedicated to the liturgy and the life of the Church. For the Oasis Movement members from the Diocese of Rzeszów present in Castel Gandolfo, this was an unexpected distinction and one of the most moving moments of the meeting.
A Cry for Peace
Young pilgrims unanimously emphasized that the intention of peace is particularly close to their hearts. They came from Poland and Scotland to meet the Pope, whom they admire—as they said—for his commitment to unity. They noted that today Poles care deeply about world peace, which is why they want to pray for it together with the Holy Father. “We will pray with him for world peace,” they emphasized in an interview with Vatican News.
Piotr from the Archdiocese of Kraków admitted that he came to Castel Gandolfo with a specific intention. “I am here to pray together with Pope Leo for my family, loved ones, friends, and coworkers, as well as for world peace, which is so sorely lacking today.”
A Family Meeting with the Pope
Among the Polish pilgrims, there was no shortage of families who made participating in the Angelus prayer the main purpose of their vacation in Italy. For many of them, meeting the Holy Father was not only the fulfillment of a dream, but above all an important experience of faith.
The Kozłowski family from Warsaw’s Bemowo district planned their entire trip with the meeting with Pope Leo XIV in mind. “This is a gift for our children, but also for ourselves. We are a believing and practicing family, which is why this entire trip is a great spiritual experience for us,” the parents said. Their children, who recently received their First Holy Communion, happily added: “We came to see the Pope!
A family from Nałęczów also came to Castel Gandolfo with their own intentions and requests for prayer from loved ones. “We are praying for our family, for God’s blessing, health, and care for all our loved ones. We also brought intentions from coworkers,” Konrad shared. His mother, Jolanta, admitted that she had dreamed of meeting the Successor of St. Peter for years. “I wanted to see the Polish Pope, but it was not granted to me. I am glad that I can see Pope Leo XIV today,” she said.
This meeting also had a special character for Mrs. Dominika from Rumia in the Archdiocese of Gdańsk. “Our son’s name is Leo, which makes us all the more glad that we can see Pope Leo,” she emphasized.
From the Domestic Church to Castel Gandolfo
Among the Polish pilgrims were also Teresa and Artur Długosz from the parish of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in Warsaw, belonging to the Domestic Church community. Participating in the Angelus prayer with Pope Leo XIV became the first and most important point of their holiday trip.
“We came primarily to pray for our family, to pray together with other pilgrims, and to experience shared joy with the Holy Father even for a moment. This is very important for our family and will certainly strengthen us,” they said.
The couple also brought the prayer intentions of families from their community to Castel Gandolfo. “We warmly greet them,” they added. As they recounted, right after landing in Rome, they went to the papal residence. “At 8:15 AM we landed at Fiumicino airport, and from there we came straight to Castel Gandolfo. This is exactly how we wanted to start our vacation,” they emphasized.
Their testimony well reflected the atmosphere among the Polish pilgrims. Gratitude for the opportunity to pray together with the Successor of St. Peter was combined with the conviction that meeting Pope Leo XIV would strengthen their faith and encourage an even more zealous life according to the Gospel, Vatican News reports.
