Poland hosts Franciscan youth meeting and US Carmelite retreat in July 2026

From 19 – 25 July 2026, about thirty young parishioners from a Polish parish attended the annual Franciscan Youth Meeting (FSM) at the historic pilgrimage site of Kalwaria Pacławska near Przemyśl. The three‑day program included daily Mass, conferences, workshops, small‑group discussions and devotional services, with participants serving at the altar and engaging in prayers and reflections on the Christian faith.

Between 17 – 19 July 2026, a community from Des Plaines, Illinois, USA, spent a retreat at the Carmelite monastery in Munster, Poland. The retreat featured conferences on hope grounded in St John of the Cross, morning and evening prayers, a Way of the Cross, Masses, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and the reception of a new member into the community. Both events highlighted the role of prayer, fellowship and spiritual formation within the Catholic Church in Poland.