Bishop Szymon Stułkowski on the celebrations of the 300th anniversary of the canonization of St. Stanislaus Kostka

Bishop Szymon Stułkowski of Płock spoke in an interview with KAI about how the celebrations of the 300th anniversary of the canonization of St. Stanislaus Kostka will take place in the Diocese of Płock, especially about the planned pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Stanislaus – from Vienna to Rome. He also presented these plans to bishops gathered at the 404th Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, which concluded today in Warsaw.

In the interview with KAI, Bishop Stułkowski recalled that this year, specifically on December 31, 2026, marks the 300th anniversary of the canonization of St. Stanislaus Kostka, patron of Poland and patron of children and youth. He also announced the celebrations of the jubilee year, whose culmination will be a solemn Holy Mass presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio to Poland, Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, celebrated in Rostkowo, the birthplace of St. Stanislaus, on August 16 this year, the day after the anniversary of his death.

Many events are planned as part of the jubilee celebrations, including the National Pilgrimage of the Liturgical Service to Rostkowo on June 13. In the summer, Płock will also host a camp for scholarship holders of the “Work of the New Millennium” Foundation. The youth will spend one day in Rostkowo. In September, a meeting of the board of the Catholic Youth Association with representatives from all dioceses is planned in Przasnysz. As part of this meeting, a pilgrimage to Rostkowo will also take place. St. Stanislaus Kostka will also be commemorated during the annual gathering for children and youth in the Diocese of Płock, organized in September.

“A special initiative we would like to propose is to go beyond Poland with St. Stanislaus, in order to remind Europe and the world of this figure,” said the bishop in an interview with KAI. As part of this initiative, a pilgrimage from Vienna to Rome is planned, following the path taken by the young saint. The pilgrimage will take the form of a relay. Successive groups will walk for one week. The entire pilgrimage is planned for 10 weeks. It will begin on July 4 in Vienna and end on September 14 in Rome, after covering approximately 1,700 km. At the end, a Holy Mass will be celebrated in the Church of St. Andrew on the Quirinal, where St. Stanislaus Kostka is buried. Various people will take part in the pilgrimage: laypeople, many young people but not only them, religious sisters, seminarians, priests, and bishops. Bishop Adam Bab will walk for a full week with the Catholic Youth Association, Bishop Maciej Małyga will walk with academic ministry, and I will also join their group. Among others, Bishop Piotr Przyborek and Bishop Krzysztof Chudzio will also participate,” reports Bishop Stułkowski. The pilgrimage is intended to have an individual character, somewhat similar to the Camino. Each morning, a Holy Mass will be celebrated at the place of accommodation. There will probably also be a common prayer at the end of the day. During the day, while walking, individual prayer is planned. The guiding theme of the pilgrimage will be prayer for vocations to serve in the Church in Europe.

May / Warsaw / KAI / 12.03.2026