Thousands of Women Honour Mary in a Pilgrimage That Unites Generations

Upper Silesia, August 17, 2026: Thousands of women have gathered at the Shrine of Our Lady of Piekary in Upper Silesia, continuing a pilgrimage tradition that has brought together grandmothers, mothers, daughters and granddaughters for generations.

A tradition of faith and family

For many pilgrims, the annual journey is both a deeply personal spiritual experience and an opportunity to share faith, family stories and life experiences with other women. Dominika Szczawińska, who has taken part in the pilgrimage for more than 20 years, told Vatican News: “Women need one another.”

Her own story reflects the different stages of life represented at Piekary. She recalled coming to the shrine as a young wife while praying for a child, later returning as a mother, and now arriving as the mother of teenagers.

Women supporting women

Szczawińska said the pilgrimage provides a special space where women of different generations can meet and support one another.

“Grandmothers, mothers, daughters, granddaughters, and friends come together here. Teenagers come too,” she said.

For her, Piekary is a place to give thanks, seek forgiveness and ask for help, while also spending time with other women. The pilgrimage therefore combines personal prayer with a strong sense of community.

The tradition is deeply connected with the religious identity of Upper Silesia. Separate pilgrimages for women and men have been an important feature of the region's Catholic life for decades.

A shrine shaped by history

Fr. Rafał Skitek, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Katowice, recalled Cardinal August Hlond's observation that anyone wishing to understand the faith and character of the Silesian people should visit Our Lady of Piekary.

The shrine also has strong links with Karol Wojtyła, who visited Piekary repeatedly as Archbishop of Kraków. As Pope John Paul II, he continued to send greetings to pilgrims gathering there.

During the communist era, Piekary also became an important place for discussing workers' dignity, rights and responsibilities, alongside the principles of Catholic social teaching.

A message of dignity

Welcoming the women, Archbishop Andrzej Przybylski, Metropolitan of Katowice, presented Mary as a model of dignity and holiness.

“No one has the right to hurt or humiliate you,” he told the pilgrims, adding that every woman is called to “great things” and, above all, to holiness.

The gathering once again demonstrated how the Piekary pilgrimage continues to connect generations, offering women a place where faith, family and community come together in a tradition that remains central to the spiritual life of Upper Silesia.

Courtesy : Vatican News