On February 20-22, 2026, the first Lenten retreat for the Militia of the Immaculata (M.I.) took place at the friary in Niepokalanów Lasek, a presence of the Province of the Immaculate Mother of God in Poland (Warsaw). The theme of the retreat was “Fatima, Salvation for the World.” The retreat was led by the M.I. Provincial Assistant, Friar Mirosław Maria KOPCZEWSKI. Around seventy-seven people attended.
The participants listened to meditations inspired by the messages of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the children in Fatima. Each day began and ended with communal prayer; the key moments were Mass and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Some traditional Lenten devotions were performed as well, including the Stations of the Cross and the “Gorzkie żale” (an ancient Polish Lenten devotion on the Passion of Christ).
The participants had the opportunity to receive the sacrament of penance and reconciliation, and there were moments of personal prayer in Niepokalanów, a place associated with St. Maximilian Maria KOLBE, or at the friary cemetery, around the graves of friars known and esteemed by members of the M.I. On the final day, everyone shared their experiences during the retreat. At the end, some participants joined the M.I., while others renewed their act of consecration to the Mother of God.
Sister Teresa Maria GRABOŃ, SFMI
