Places in Italy, once just seen in pictures and learned about in books, have come alive for 90 young people from the Diocesan Shrine of Saint John Paul II/Holy Rosary Church in Passaic, N.J., during a recent pilgrimage led by Father Stefan Las, pastor of the parish, and a group of chaperones.
This once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage for these young people was part of the historic Jubilee Year of Hope that the Church is celebrating. During the pilgrimage, the parish community with Polish roots took part in the week-long Jubilee of Youth in Rome from July 28 to Aug. 3. The main highlight of the Jubilee was the Saturday night vigil, followed by Mass the next morning with Pope Leo XIV at Tor Vergata on Aug. 3. It is estimated that 1 million people attended the event. Father Las sent several messages to Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney from Italy stating that the group was praying for him, the youth, and all in the Diocese of Paterson.
For 21-year-old Amelia Siczek, her favorite part of the pilgrimage was meeting other young Catholics from various parts of the world on the way to Tor Vergata. She said, “The pilgrimage was truly an extraordinary experience as it helped me form bonds with strangers I initially did not think we would have anything in common.”
Sylwia Zak, 19, had similar sentiments. “This trip brought me closer to my faith after seeing so many young people gather together to pray and worship at Tor Vergata,” she said.
Taking the opportunity of being in Italy, the parish group also visited many well-known pilgrimage sites in the country. These locations included Assisi and Padua, as well as tourist cities such as Venice.
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Sebastian Sianozecki, 17, said, “There were multiple favorite points of the trip, but the peak highlights were when I went to Padua and Venice. In Padua, I visited the place of my chosen saint for confirmation, St. Anthony. Seeing this specific church in real life was very cool because I loved the architecture that surrounded the area. I also loved Venice for its scenic views. With my friends, we went on one of the boats there, and that is an experience that I can never forget. I feel like every day was memorable in its own way.”
Also, choosing an Italian saint for her confirmation name was Zak, who said, “My favorite part of the pilgrimage was being able to experience so many historical and religious spots while meeting new people and friends. My favorite place we visited was Assisi because my confirmation saint was St. Clare, and I’ve always wanted to visit her town. I also loved the winding cobblestone streets.”
Siczek’s favorite place during the pilgrimage was the Sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina in San Giovanni Rotondo. She said, “There you can find a hallway of mosaics created out of stones originating from different countries around the world that are embedded on the walls and lead to Saint Pio’s tomb. Each stone was very intricately placed to illustrate the life of Padre Pio, which absolutely fascinated me. I had asked the tour guide how long it all took to create, and she told me that 18 people worked together and it only took approximately two months. To me, this was a miracle in itself. Here, I learned Padre Pio’s words — that he will not enter Heaven until all of his spiritual children were there — and they really resonated with me.”
With Pope John Paul II as the parish group’s patron saint, having a deep love for the popes of the Catholic Church is common for these young people. With the Church’s newest pope, Pope Leo XIV, left similar impressions. Many comparisons were made between Pope John Paul II and Pope Leo XIV. The late Polish pontiff celebrated the final Mass of World Youth Day in 2000 at the same location Pope Leo XIV did 25 years later.
During Mass with Pope Leo XIV, Siczek said, “A rainbow appeared in the sky right as he began speaking, and I took it as a sign of God’s presence. Through his homily, Pope Leo XIV encouraged everyone to foster a relationship with Jesus — a pivotal message for this year’s Jubilee.”
Zak said, “I think Pope Leo is kind and personable, and I think a lot of young people, especially Americans, feel a connection with him. It was cool to hear him speak English during his homily.”
Sianozecki said, “Pope Leo should be someone to be looked up to. I feel a connection with him because I am American. I remember that in some parts of the Mass. Overall, I hope that Pope Leo can do well and help strengthen the Catholic Church while being the Pope.”
Looking back on the experience, Siczek said, “This pilgrimage strengthened my faith because visiting all these places around the world that I had only heard about before allowed me to truly experience their holiness. I felt very grateful for the privilege of embarking on this pilgrimage since it helped me learn more about my faith and myself.”
