Poland
Divine Mercy & John Paul II Shrines
Divine Mercy, the Black Madonna & the Legacy of St. John Paul II
Pilgrimage Overview
Poland holds a special place in the heart of the Catholic Church. It is the homeland of St. John Paul II and St. Faustina Kowalska, the apostle of Divine Mercy, and the site of the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, where the miraculous icon of the Black Madonna has protected and inspired the Polish nation for centuries.
A pilgrimage to Poland is a journey into the Church’s recent history — through the testimony of martyrs and saints, through the shadow of Auschwitz and the triumph of faith over suffering, and into the living devotion of a people whose faith sustained them through centuries of oppression. Pilgrims encounter the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków, the great Papal legacy in Wadowice, and the quiet depths of Polish Catholic spirituality.
Spiritual Highlights
Pray at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków, where St. Faustina received her visions
Venerate the miraculous image of the Black Madonna at Jasna Góra, Częstochowa
Visit Wadowice, birthplace of St. John Paul II
Walk the streets of Kraków — one of Europe’s most beautiful medieval cities
Visit Auschwitz-Birkenau as a prayerful act of remembrance and solidarity
Discover the Wieliczka Salt Mine with its underground chapels
Celebrate Mass in churches where St. John Paul II once prayed
Quick Facts
May – September
Moderate
9–11 Days
Witness of St. John Paul II and St. Faustina.
Key Holy Sites
Sanctuary of Divine Mercy – Kraków-Łagiewniki
The spiritual home of the Divine Mercy devotion, where St. Faustina Kowalska received her mystical visions and where the original image of the Merciful Jesus is venerated.
Jasna Góra Monastery – Częstochowa
Poland’s most sacred shrine and home to the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, known as the Black Madonna. Pilgrims have walked here for six centuries.
Wawel Cathedral – Kraków
The royal cathedral of Poland where St. John Paul II was ordained a bishop, and where kings, queens, and national heroes are buried.
Wadowice – Birthplace of St. John Paul II
The small town where Karol Wojtyła was born in 1920, now home to a museum dedicated to his life and a pilgrimage church.
Auschwitz-Birkenau
A sobering and prayerful visit to the largest Nazi concentration camp, where St. Maximilian Kolbe gave his life for another prisoner. A place of mourning, memory, and hope.
Wieliczka Salt Mine
A UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring underground chapels carved by miners, including the spectacular Chapel of St. Kinga.
