On the night of March 20–21, 2026, a group of young people from the Shrine of St. Anthony of Padua and Bl. Rafał Chyliński in Łódź-Łagiewniki, a presence of the Province of the Immaculate Mother of God in Poland (Warsaw), accompanied by their spiritual assistant, Friar Maciej PIECZYNIA, took part in the Extreme Stations of the Cross.
Entering the Lenten spirit of penance and conversion, the young Christians took on a challenge that required not only good physical fitness, but above all great strength of spirit.
42 Kilometers in Silence
This year’s challenge route was over 42 kilometers [26 miles]. The pilgrims departed in the evening from the Parish Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Zgierz, Poland, and headed toward the Conventual Franciscan friary in Łagiewniki, near Łódź. In keeping with the spirit of the Extreme Stations of the Cross, the entire journey took place under the cover of night and in complete silence, broken only by meditations at the successive stations of the Lord’s Passion.
Franciscan Asceticism in Practice.
For the young people and the Conventual Franciscan priest accompanying them, this nighttime march was an opportunity to experience their own weakness and fragility. The pain in their legs, the growing fatigue, the blisters on their feet, and the struggle against drowsiness became—as the participants emphasized—a true encounter with God and growth in holiness.
Really stepping out of their comfort zone allowed them, in union with the suffering Christ, to realize the call to be “lesser ones” and to renounce their ego in favor of total trust in God’s grace. The presence of a friar on such a demanding journey was a beautiful witness of fraternal guidance for the young people in their personal search for the living God, far from online noise and daily distractions.
Destination: The Shrine in Łagiewniki
The nighttime prayer concluded at dawn, at the feet of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Anthony, at the shrine in Łagiewniki. Although physically exhausted, the young pilgrims reached their destination filled with spiritual peace.
This event showed that today’s young people still desire to live the Gospel fully and are not afraid to face difficulties on the path toward an ever-deeper relationship with God. Lent in Łódź-Łagiewniki once again demonstrated that the Franciscan charism of self-giving and fraternity remains alive and continues to attract the hearts of the young.
Friar Maciej PIECZYNIA
