This celebration is not merely a remembrance of a tragic history, but a proclamation of the victory of love over evil. The martyrdom of the Salesians was not an act of desperation, but a conscious acceptance of the Cross as the path of fidelity to God and to humanity. In the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Dachau, places designed for the destruction of human dignity, their witness became a sign of hope that even there, a person can remain inwardly free and faithful to conscience.

The Beatification is also a powerful message for our times: a reminder that faith has its cost, and that education and responsibility for the young require consistency and courage. The new Blessed Salesians show that true victory is born of fidelity, and that the meaning of life is discovered in the gift of self. Their witness remains a timely call to choose truth, love, and goodness — without compromise.

WHEN: 6 June 2026, 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: The Shrine of Saint John Paul II

PROGRAMME OF CELEBRATIONS:

6 June – Kraków-Oświęcim

– Kraków, 9.00 am – preparatory prayer for the Beatification ceremony.

– Kraków, 10:00 am – Eucharist with the Beatification Ceremony. The Holy Mass will be presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

– Oświęcim, 7.30 pm – Concert: Magda Anioł with her band; 8.30 pm Adoration; 10.00 pm Goodnight; 10.30 pm Integration dances.

7 June – Oświęcim, Solemn thanksgiving following the beatification, comprising: 

–       9.30 am – Meeting of young people with the Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr Fabio Attard

–    11.30 am – Eucharist of thanksgiving. The Mass will be presided over by Bishop Roman Pindel of Bielsko-Żywiec, with the homily given by Fr Attard.

13 June – Ląd, 11.00 am – Eucharist of thanksgiving. The Mass will be presided over by Fr Roman Jachimowicz, Councillor for the Central and Northern Europe Region. During the celebration, the installation of the new Provincial of Piła (PLN), Fr Jarosław Pizoń, will also take place.

21 June – Aleksandrów Kujawski, 12.30 pm – Mass of thanksgiving for the dedication shown in this Salesian house by some of the blessed: Fr Ignacy Antonowicz, Fr Franciszek Harazim, Fr Kazimierz Wojciechowski and Fr Włodzimierz Szembek.

28 June – Tarnowskie Góry – Thanksgiving for the beatification of Fr Ignacy Dobiasz, born in the nearby village of Ciochowice and baptised in Toszek.

23 August – Czerwińsk nad Wisłą, 11:00 am – Thanksgiving Mass to mark the closure of the “Campo Bosco” venue (23 Klasztorna Street).

20 September – Kraków-Dębniki, 11.30 am, 23–30 Klasztorna Street – Mass of thanksgiving at the Church of Saints Stanislaus Kostka and John Bosco (6 Konfederacka Street)

The Shrine of Saint John Paul II

The Shrine of Saint John Paul II was chosen as the place of the beatification—the first church in Kraków dedicated to the Polish Pope, built to honour his person and pontificate. The Shrine is part of the John Paul II Centre “Do Not Be Afraid!”, located in the area known as the “White Seas” in Kraków, on the grounds of the former Solvay Soda Works, where the young Karol Wojtyła worked for four years (1940–1944).

Each day he walked from his home on Tyniecka Street, attending Holy Mass along the way in the Salesian church in Dębniki. In this place, he also witnessed the arrest of eleven Salesians, six of whom will be beatified. On 18 May 2007, the ceremonial blessing of the site for the construction of the Centre took place, along with the blessing of a cross made from structural elements of the altar used during the last apostolic visit of the Holy Father John Paul II to Poland (16–19 August 2002).

Construction of the “Do Not Be Afraid!” Centre began in the autumn of 2008, on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the election of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła to the See of Peter.

The cornerstone for the future Centre was blessed by Pope Benedict XVI during his meeting with young people at Błonia Park on 27 May 2006. It was solemnly placed in the wall of the church on 23 October 2010.L’invito del Superiore di PLS

A video featuring a message from the Provincial of the Kraków Province, Fr Dariusz Bartocha, is available online in Polish with subtitles in English and Italian.