Pilgrimages
Intellectual formation Spiritual life Community Adventure
From the inception of the JP2 Project, we’ve brought teens, students, young adults, and even families on transformative journeys in Poland and beyond. Here are some of the programs we’ve run either on our own or customized for partner groups. Whether it was a weekend pilgrimage or a two-week service-learning university program, these unique experiences reaped immense fruits.
Theology of the Body Young Adult Pilgrimage
July 2019, July 2022, August 2023
Since 2019, we’ve brought 3 groups of young adults on a 10-day powerful adventure where they enter into John Paul II’s revolutionary teaching on human love, sexuality, and marriage, where it all happened in Poland! Besides the city highlights of the historic center, the royal Cathedral, and Divine Mercy Shrine, these pilgrimages included a 3-day retreat in the Tatra Mountains, where JP2 would take his young adults and discuss these pressing and beautiful truths.
High School Pilgrimage in Poland
July 2018
We worked with 2 private Catholic schools to run a 10-day pilgrimage in the footsteps of the Polish saints St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Faustina, and St. John Paul II. From starting in Kolbe’s “City of the Immaculata” to ending in Krakow, the “City of Saints,” this totally device-free pilgrimage called teens to consider their radical call to sainthood and make their lives an adventure with Christ. With a dynamic chaplain and multiple surprise stops for delicious Polish ice cream, it was a ton of fun.
Young Families Pilgrimage in Krakow and Beyond
July 2019
A unique experience definitely worth repeating! This pilgrimage was carefully crafted for families with young children to have a powerful, beautiful, and smooth travel experience overseas. John Paul II’s teaching on marriage and family was weaved in the days filled with incredible sightseeing, private Masses, personal prayer, and forging deep friendships. Thanks to details such as young adult child care support, playground stops, and wine for parents after bedtime, parents and kids had an amazing time.
ATW Concordia University: Service-Learning in Krakow
November 2023
Concordia University runs a unique “Around the World” study abroad program. In 2023, they added Poland as one of their 10 countries to visit for 2 weeks. We provided guidance and support for their academic endeavors and cultural learning experiences, as well as the logistical help needed. The group wanted some ministry training and service experience, so we also set up an autumn summer camp for the students to organize and execute and provided training sessions and guidance for their success. The whole experience with this incredible group from start to finish was such a joy that we look forward to welcoming them again! Read the director’s endorsement here {LINK}.
Krakow & Rome Pilgrimage for Young Adults
September 2023
One of our Newman partners, joined by another parish, asked us to run a customized pilgrimage for them. What an honor and what tremendous fruits! This pilgrimage took young adults in the footsteps of John Paul II, starting in his hometown of Wadowice and ending at his tomb in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Pilgrims engaged in historical highlights of Krakow and Rome explored the culture of the cities, hit the mountains for a day, focused on their faith through the sacraments and prayer, and even had the opportunity to participate in a beatification Mass. Though customized for this group, it was designed and led with the same focus on growing in community and the interior life that makes all JP2 Project programs so transformative and memorable.
AMU Rome Weekend
November 2023, March 2024
Co-founder of the JP2 Project, Corinne, spent over 4 years working in the Thomas More/Ave Maria University study abroad program in Rome, Italy. When her old boss asked her if she’d welcome the new batch of students to Krakow for a few days, she was thrilled! These students got a taste of what we offer our study abroad and pilgrimage students experience. The itinerary varies according to the length, but from the Royal Cathedral to JP2’s hometown, from Auschwitz to Divine Mercy, these students have quite an adventure. With such open hearts and prayer at the center, the immense graces they received in such a short period of time testify to God’s action in these pilgrimages.
Love & Truth Seminar
July 2020
When the pandemic led to the cancellation of all overseas programs in 2020, we prayed for something to offer the young people. In less than 2 months, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we created, designed and executed a week-long formation program stateside. The program was filled with 30 students from around the nation who came hungry for fellowship, faith, and formation. The “Love & Truth” Seminar kicked off in Virginia with a 3-day outdoor retreat, camping, hiking, and kayaking in the Shenandoah mountains. Students spruced up for the next 5 days in Washington DC for daily seminars led by a university professor, encounters with institutions, such as the USCCB and religious communities, sightseeing pillars of the Catholic faith in DC, and, as always, deep prayer and fellowship. Nobody was thinking about covid those days, but they were growing in every dimension of their person.
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Endorsement
The JP2 Project is an ideal place for spiritually engaged college students to learn and grow. I lead a service-learning program for an American university that takes student teams to 10 different countries over the course of an academic semester. On our last trip, we worked with the JP2 Project, and out of all ten countries, our time in Kraków with the MacDonalds was one of the most spiritually, culturally, and academically enriching experiences of the entire semester.
