Bishop Szymon Stułkowski of Płock spoke with KAI about the plans for the celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of the canonization of St. Stanislaus Kostka in the Diocese of Płock, and in particular about the planned pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Stanislaus—from Vienna to Rome. Bishop Stułkowski also presented these plans to the bishops gathered at the 404th Plenary Assembly of the Polish Episcopal Conference, which concluded today in Warsaw.
In his conversation with KAI, Bishop Stułkowski noted that this year—specifically on December 31, 2026—marks the 300th anniversary of the canonization of St. Stanislaus Kostka, patron saint of Poland, patron saint of children and youth. He also announced celebrations for the jubilee year, which will culminate in a solemn Mass presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio to Poland, Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, to be held in Rostków, the birthplace of St. Stanislaus, on August 16 of this year—the day after the anniversary of his death.
As part of the jubilee celebrations, many events are planned, including the National Pilgrimage of the Liturgical Ministry to Rostków, which will take place on June 13. This summer, a camp for scholarship recipients of the Work of the New Millennium Foundation will also be held in Płock. The youth will spend one day in Rostków. In September, a meeting of the board of the Catholic Youth Association with representatives of the association from all dioceses is planned in Przasnysz. As part of this meeting, a pilgrimage to Rostków will also take place. St. Stanislaus Kostka will also be commemorated during the annual meeting for children and youth in the Diocese of Płock, organized in September.
“A special initiative we wish to propose is taking St. Stanislaus beyond Poland’s borders to help remind people of this figure in Europe and around the world. As part of this initiative, a pilgrimage is planned from Vienna to Rome, following the route this young saint took,” the bishop said in an interview with KAI. The pilgrimage will take the form of a relay. Successive groups will make the pilgrimage for one week each. The entire journey is scheduled to last 10 weeks. The pilgrimage will begin on July 4 in Vienna and end on September 14 in Rome, after covering approximately 1,700 km. At the conclusion, Holy Mass will be celebrated at the Church of St. Andrew on the Quirinal Hill, where St. Stanislaus Kostka is buried. A diverse group of people will participate in the pilgrimage. “Laypeople are walking, many young people but not only them; nuns, seminarians, priests, and bishops are walking. Bishop Adam Bab will be on pilgrimage for the entire week with KSM; Bishop Maciej Małyga will be walking with the university ministry; I will also join their group. Bishop Piotr Przyborek and Bishop Krzysztof Chudzio, among others, will also take part in the pilgrimage,” reports Bishop Stłukowski. The pilgrimage is intended to be an individual journey, somewhat similar to the Camino. In the morning, Holy Mass will be celebrated at the overnight lodging. There will likely also be communal prayer at the end of the day. During the day, while walking, individual prayer is planned. The theme of the pilgrimage will be prayer for vocations to service in the Church in Europe.
May / Warsaw / KAI / March 12, 2026