By Fr. Andrew Schwenka
for the Register
“Si Deus nobiscum, quis contra nos?”
This Latin phrase—meaning ‘If God is with us, who can stand against us?’—is etched above the entrance to Kraków’s Wawel Castle, the historic heart of Poland’s culture and identity. It captures in a single line the nation’s secret to preserving its rich Catholic faith through centuries of trial.
Thirty-one students and chaperones from the Diocese of Lincoln journeyed to Poland on pilgrimage in June to witness firsthand the story God has written there. It is a story marked by profound suffering—partitions, wars, the horrors of Nazi occupation and Auschwitz-Birkenau, and nearly half a century of Soviet control. Yet it is also a story radiant with grace, embodied in the lives of some of the Church’s greatest saints of the past century: St. John Paul II, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Faustina, and the message of Divine Mercy.
Over nine days, the pilgrims walked through 1,000 years of Catholic Polish history, visiting Kraków, Wadowice (the hometown of St. John Paul II), Auschwitz-Birkenau, Jasna Góra—the shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa—and even hiking to Morskie Oko, a favorite mountain retreat of the late pope. Along the way, pilgrims were immersed in Poland’s vibrant culture—sampling traditional foods, exploring local customs, and even sharing a playful attempt at polka dancing.
The pilgrimage was organized by “Lolek,” a new nonprofit in the Diocese of Lincoln dedicated to bringing the stories of the Church and its saints to life through pilgrimage. Since its founding in 2022, Lolek has led more than 300 pilgrims to Italy and Poland.
President and executive director Jacqueline Kane, a member of St. Wenceslaus Parish in Wahoo, explained its mission: “Lolek is the continuation of the work of John Paul II—calling all people, especially young people, into a personal relationship with Jesus,” she said.
“Our mission is to provide opportunities to encounter Christ through pilgrimage. We design each itinerary to tell a story, and as pilgrims walk with us, our hope is that they not only step into the story of that place, but also discover the story Jesus is writing in their own lives.”
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One of the pilgrimage’s most memorable stops was Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. Here, a Polish nobleman built a network of chapels and winding paths across the hills to replicate a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. For centuries, it has been a refuge for Poles in times of suffering and loss. It was here that young Karol Wojtyła’s father brought him after the death of his mother. Standing before the image of the Blessed Mother, he told his son, “From today on, she will be your mother.”
For Lydia Koperski, a 2025 graduate of Pius X High School in Lincoln, that legacy came alive in a deeply personal way.
“Kalwaria left the biggest impression,” she said. “It’s hard to explain, but being in that place allowed me to meet Mary as my mother, and it seemed like Jesus introduced me to her as well. I was given the opportunity to sing the Ave Maria during Mass in a beautiful chapel depicting the Crucifixion, and I felt in a real way God’s personal pursuit of me. It felt authentic, with no flashy lights or signs, just me and Him.”
Another profound encounter occurred during Mass in St. Leonard’s Crypt in the Wawel Cathedral, surrounded by the tombs of Poland’s greatest heroes and the very place where St. John Paul II celebrated his first Mass as a newly ordained priest.
“Being there made his life feel so real and relatable,” said Collin Kuzelka, a seminarian for the Diocese of Lincoln and a graduate of St. Cecilia High School in Hastings. “I have no memory of Pope St. John Paul II when he was alive, but these places made him real to me. Seeing the places that meant so much to him and formed him into a great saint showed that it was possible for me as well. It is so easy for me to look at my life compared to someone like JPII and see no way to become anything like him. But this trip showed me that in many ways his life was not as different from mine as I had thought.”
At Wadowice, where John Paul II was born and raised, pilgrims visited his childhood home and attended Mass at his parish church. Ben Nagle, a junior at Bishop Neumann in Wahoo, recalled a powerful moment there: “When we were sitting in Mass at Wadowice, I had this sudden realization: I was walking, praying, and attending Mass in the very church where the great John Paul II grew up, where he spent much of his early life, and where he received many of the sacraments. This realization brought tears to my eyes,” he said.
Nearby, at the Carmelite monastery that shaped much of St. John Paul II’s spirituality, Kane shared her testimony of encountering Christ through JPII at World Youth Day in Toronto in 2002. Her story deeply resonated with St. Cecilia junior Nyla Mangers.
“When Jacqueline was talking about St. John Paul II and how he had changed her mindset about the faith and helped her come back to loving Christ,” Mangers said, “it helped me remember that everyone suffers in their own way, but God never abandons them.”
For the past three years, St. Cecilia High School has had students join Lolek pilgrimages. Father Cyrus Rowan, the school’s chief administrative officer, served as one of the priest chaplains for the group this year. He emphasized how meaningful pilgrimage has been for his students.
“Pilgrimage is important because it allows us to step away from the busyness of the world and learn something about ourselves,” he explained. “On pilgrimage, we encounter the lives of the saints and draw strength and inspiration from their example and the trials they endured. For students, that encounter can be especially powerful—offering a strong anchor in faith as they go out into the world as adults.”
The pilgrimage also created genuine friendships and connections among students from across the diocese. Sarah Miller, a chaperone and mother of two of the pilgrims, observed this taking place.
“Watching my own children interact with pilgrims from other schools was so inspiring!” she said. “In Poland, they got to meet the students who wanted to go on a pilgrimage to learn about their faith and live it… and they had fun!”
For many on the pilgrimage, Poland proved to be an unexpected treasure—a place of profound history, deep faith, and personal transformation that left a lasting impression far beyond their expectations.
“I was not anticipating falling in love with this country as much as I have,” Koperski said. “Poland has my heart, and I cannot wait to see what the Lord does with all the transformations that took place inside me and my fellow pilgrims during this journey.”
Lolek has several pilgrimages planned for 2026 to Italy and Poland for students and adults. More information about upcoming trips and ways to support Lolek’s mission through scholarships and tax-deductible donations can be found at www.lolekpilgrimage.org.
