Base one · 2 nights
Warsaw
Prayer at the tomb of Blessed Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko, the beautifully restored UNESCO Old Town, St. John's Archcathedral and the shrine of St. Andrew Bobola, one of Poland's patron saints.
St. Thomas the Apostle Parish · Chaplain Fr. Ed Namiotka · April 13-24, 2027
Twelve days through the land of St. John Paul II, St. Faustina and Our Lady of Częstochowa - from Warsaw and Gdańsk to Jasna Góra and Kraków, travelling as one parish community.
Chapter one
“A calm, well-organised journey lets us truly live the pilgrimage.”
Poland is where Karol Wojtyła grew up, where the Divine Mercy message was entrusted to St. Faustina, and where a nation has prayed before one icon of Our Lady for six centuries. This route tells that story whole: from the Warsaw of Blessed Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko, through Gdańsk where World War II began and where freedom was later born, to Jasna Góra and the Kraków of St. Faustina and John Paul II.
The trip is of spiritual nature, led by a chaplain, with the possibility to participate in Holy Mass - and with room in every day for prayer, not only for a guide with a schedule.
Chapter two
Your chaplain for all twelve days
Ordained on 16 May 1987 for the Diocese of Camden, Fr. Ed marks forty years of priesthood three weeks after this pilgrimage returns. Since July 2026 he has been pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle in Brigantine, New Jersey - the parish sponsoring this journey - after nine years leading Holy Angels in Woodbury.
For more than thirty-five years he has given Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends. He has written a weekly column for his parishioners since 2011, now the blog A Pastor's Thoughts, and records his homilies for those who cannot be in church.
He travels with the group throughout, and Holy Mass is celebrated along the route.
Chapter three
Four bases - Warsaw, Gdańsk, Częstochowa and Kraków - with the coach carrying the group between them. Ten nights, minimal repacking.
Base one · 2 nights
Prayer at the tomb of Blessed Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko, the beautifully restored UNESCO Old Town, St. John's Archcathedral and the shrine of St. Andrew Bobola, one of Poland's patron saints.
Base two · 2 nights
The Museum of the Second World War, the Royal Route through the Golden Gate, the medieval Crane on the Motława river and St. Mary's Basilica - the largest brick church in the world.
En route: Malbork - the world's largest brick castle, once the seat of the Teutonic Knights.
Base three · 2 nights
Jasna Góra Monastery: the Chapel of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the Basilica, the ramparts - and, for those interested, the moving evening Appeal of Jasna Góra.
En route: Toruń - the UNESCO city of Copernicus and its famous gingerbread.
Base four · 4 nights
Wawel Hill and its cathedral, Kazimierz, the Main Market Square with St. Mary's Basilica - and the base for Auschwitz-Birkenau, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Wadowice, Łagiewniki and the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
Day trips from Kraków: Auschwitz-Birkenau, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska with Wadowice, and the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
Illustrations generated with AI. The sites are real and on the itinerary; details of each view may differ from the place as you will find it.
Chapter four · April 13-24, 2027
A steady rhythm: one region at a time, guided visits in the mornings, free time to rest or pray. Open each stay to read the full days.
Departure from Newark · Bl. Popiełuszko · Old Town · St. Andrew Bobola
Day 1
Tue, Apr 13
Gathering of participants at Newark International Airport and an overnight LOT Polish Airlines flight to Warsaw - with dinner, breakfast and in-flight entertainment on board.
Day 2
Wed, Apr 14
Arrival at Warsaw Chopin Airport, welcome by the tour leader and transfer to the hotel. Time to rest, then an optional stroll through Łazienki Royal Park - the Palace on the Isle and the famous Chopin monument. Welcome dinner together.
Day 3
Thu, Apr 15
Prayer at the tomb of Blessed Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko, chaplain of Solidarity, at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. Then the beautifully restored Old Town, a UNESCO site: Castle Square, the Royal Castle, and St. John's Archcathedral, resting place of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, the Primate of the Millennium.
Via Malbork Castle · Museum of WWII · St. Mary's Basilica
Day 4
Fri, Apr 16
Morning prayer before the relics of St. Andrew Bobola, one of Poland's patron saints, at his Warsaw shrine. Then north to Malbork - the largest brick castle in the world and a UNESCO site, once the seat of the Teutonic Knights. On to Gdańsk for the evening.
Day 5
Sat, Apr 17
The Museum of the Second World War - one of the finest of its kind - then the Royal Route through the Golden Gate, Długa Street and the Long Market, the medieval Gdańsk Crane on the Motława river, and St. Mary's Basilica, the largest brick church in the world. Dinner in the heart of the Old Town.
Via Toruń · Jasna Góra and the evening Appeal
Day 6
Sun, Apr 18
A walking tour of one of Poland's best-preserved medieval cities, a UNESCO site: the Gothic Town Hall, the Cathedral of St. John, the Leaning Tower - and Toruń's famous gingerbread. In the evening, arrival in Częstochowa.
Day 7
Mon, Apr 19
A guided visit to Jasna Góra Monastery: the Chapel of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the Basilica, and the monastery walls - with time for the Stations of the Cross along the ramparts. In the evening, those interested may return for the moving Appeal of Jasna Góra, the nightly prayer honouring Our Lady.
Auschwitz · Wawel · Kalwaria and Wadowice · Łagiewniki · Wieliczka
Day 8
Tue, Apr 20
A guided visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial - including the prison block where St. Maximilian Kolbe gave his life for a fellow prisoner. A day of silence and reflection on one of history's darkest chapters, ending with the drive to Kraków.
Day 9
Wed, Apr 21
Wawel Hill and its cathedral - coronation church and resting place of Polish kings, with the Renaissance Sigismund Chapel and the royal crypts. Then Kazimierz, the historic Jewish Quarter, and the Old Town: the Main Market Square, the Cloth Hall, and St. Mary's Basilica with the Veit Stoss altarpiece.
Day 10
Thu, Apr 22
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, the UNESCO-listed sanctuary Karol Wojtyła called the place where his heart "has remained forever" - with a walk along its pilgrimage paths. Then Wadowice: the basilica where he was baptised, the multimedia museum in his family home, and a kremówka - the papal cream cake - on the town square.
Day 11
Fri, Apr 23
The Divine Mercy Shrine at Łagiewniki: prayer before the miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus and at the tomb of St. Faustina, then the St. John Paul II Shrine with its papal relics. In the afternoon, the Wieliczka Salt Mine - underground lakes, salt sculptures, and the breathtaking Chapel of St. Kinga. Farewell dinner in Kraków.
Day 12
Sat, Apr 24
A free morning for last-minute shopping or a leisurely walk, then the transfer to Kraków airport and the LOT flight home to Newark.
The program is an outline and may be subject to change. Direct LOT flights: Newark → Warsaw, April 13, 10:50 PM · return Kraków → Newark, April 24, arriving 5:50 PM.
Chapter five
Per person · double room
$4,490
All inclusive from Newark · single room supplement $500 · the deposit is paid online, the balance follows the schedule in your agreement.
Chapter six
Chapter seven
Booking takes three short steps and a few minutes. Your details go straight into your pilgrimage agreement - you receive it by e-mail right after payment.
Tell us how many pilgrims are travelling and whether anyone needs a single room. The price updates as you choose - no surprises later.
One person books for the whole party: name, contact details and address. That is all we need to prepare the agreement.
Review everything on one screen, accept the terms and pay the deposit securely online with PayU. The signed agreement and payment schedule arrive in your inbox.
Questions
No - US citizens travel to Poland visa-free for stays up to 90 days. The travel document required is your passport.
Yes. The price covers round-trip LOT Polish Airlines flights - Newark to Warsaw and Kraków back to Newark - with a checked bag and carry-on luggage.
The trip is of spiritual nature, led by Chaplain Fr. Ed Namiotka, with the possibility to participate in Holy Mass along the route.
The pace is unhurried, but old towns and shrines mean cobblestones and some steps. The hillside paths at Kalwaria Zebrzydowska are optional - the coach waits below.
You pay your deposit securely online when you book - or by mailing a check with the enrollment form to the tour host. Your pilgrimage agreement is issued and sent to your e-mail, and the final payment follows the schedule set out in it.
Poland: In the Footsteps of St. John Paul II · April 13-24, 2027
We will e-mail you the check payment instructions.
Warsaw
Illustration generated with AI