Workshops in Vilnius Old Town
2026-06-09

During this session, staff and volunteers from the Vilnius Blessed Fr. Michał Sopoćko Hospice will share their personal testimonies and experiences. The workshop explores the significance of forgiveness and caring for others – a path that releases anger and pain, brings inner peace, and renews the spirit.

A seminar-style session with the founders of the Alpha Course and the Divine Renovation ministry. The session will explore the mission of the Church: forming missionary disciples in the 21st century.

This guided tour presents the earliest locations where the Image of Divine Mercy, painted according to St. Faustina’s vision, was displayed. In 1934, Blessed Michał Sopoćko served as the rector of the St. Michael the Archangel Church. During the tour, participants will have the opportunity to explore the church itself and learn more about Blessed Sopoćko’s decision to initially place the newly painted image in the corridor of the convent, and later in the church next to the main altar. The tour also includes visits to other historic spaces, including the convent of Bernardine Sisters, providing insight into the iconographic origins of the Divine Mercy image and its subsequent journey.

This immersive exhibition offers a unique experience, conveying the message of mercy and hope through contemporary means – through the universal language of images and lived faith. It serves as a bridge between art and spirituality, offering an experience that can touch hearts and reveal the power of the Face of the Merciful Christ. The exhibition presents a visual and contemplative journey, inviting visitors to encounter the Face of Christ anew.

Visitors are invited to explore the crypts of Vilnius Cathedral with a guide. This hidden part of the cathedral reveals the history of the sacred site, situated in one of the oldest inhabited areas of Vilnius. The tour presents the architectural development of the cathedral through the centuries and introduces the distinguished figures of the Lithuanian state and the Church who are laid to rest here. The exhibition in the crypts and corridors offers insight into burial traditions, archaeological discoveries, and the Royal Mausoleum.

Modern men and women often live under tension, striving to be good and just, yet frequently forgetting mercy – the gentle gaze of God who heals, forgives, and renews. Participants in this workshop will be invited on a journey through biblical texts on mercy. The session offers an opportunity to explore different ways of engaging with the Word of God, entering into the text through the body, movement, creative expression, and community.

Children up to the age of 10, along with parents, religion teachers, and catechists, are warmly invited to this session to hear the story of Sister Faustina and the message of Divine Mercy, presented using the Godly Play method.

This is a form of storytelling through play, in which children are actively engaged. Together, they will reflect on what is most important in the message of Divine Mercy, how we can live it out today, and how to build a City of Mercy. Children will take part in creative activities, while at the end of the session adults will be introduced to the method itself and, for those interested in applying it in their own work, a description of the session will be provided. The session will be led by Sr. Danguolė Gervytė RA.

One of the Sisters of the Angels Congregation – Helena Rafaela Majewska – was chosen by God “to complete the work of St. Faustina”. Following the example of this apostle of Vilnius – “hidden from the world”, yet “adorned only with faith and service” – many people today come to faith in God or deepen it. Others, who had previously been indifferent to or disillusioned with Christianity, rediscover it through the witness of this “hidden from the world” apostle from Vilnius, who was “clothed in the mercy of God”. The spiritual writings left by this angelic mystic, together with the example of her faith and life, can become a proven path for evangelisation and the renewal of the Church. This session offers an opportunity to become acquainted with the life and legacy of Helena Rafaela Majewska. The session will be led by Fr. Dr. Michał Damazyn.

Children up to the age of 10, along with parents, religion teachers, and catechists, are warmly invited to this session to hear the story of Sister Faustina and the message of Divine Mercy, presented using the Godly Play method.

This is a form of storytelling through play, in which children are actively engaged. Together, they will reflect on what is most important in the message of Divine Mercy, how we can live it out today, and how to build a City of Mercy. Children will take part in creative activities, while at the end of the session adults will be introduced to the method itself and, for those interested in applying it in their own work, a description of the session will be provided. The session will be led by Sr. Danguolė Gervytė RA.

In this prayer session, we will encounter the Merciful Jesus, who comes to us through His image – the Image of Divine Mercy. As we seek to experience God’s mercy in our own lives, we will pray, reflect, spend moments in silence, and sing together. Participants are invited to contemplate Christ and give thanks for His mercy. The prayer will be led by the Sisters of Merciful Jesus (ZJSM), gathered from around the world for the Congress.

St. Paul lived with a “thorn in the flesh”. Three times he asked the Lord to take it away, but his prayer was not granted. Instead, he heard: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9). From that moment, a profound inner transformation took place within him. His outlook changed completely, and the Apostle came to rejoice in his weaknesses and in all kinds of hardships.

What is it about weakness that makes Paul strong? We explore this question through the more contemporary concept of “vulnerability”. It is a painful experience, yet not helplessness – rather, a capacity to remain open. In order for love of neighbour, and even more for Divine Mercy, to touch us, there is no other path but the demanding way of vulnerability. It is there that great strength arises – from the very place that hurts. The session will be led by Brother Ivan Demeure (Community of Tibériade), together with Renata and Bjorn John.

During this session, participants will visit the Holy Trinity Church in Vilnius and meet the Basilian Fathers. They will introduce the faith and heritage of the Byzantine Catholic tradition and Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych (1580–1623), the first martyr for the unity of the Church following the Union of Brest. The Union of Brest, concluded in 1596 between Orthodox and Catholic communities within the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, is a unique historical event. Through it, the Catholic Church of the Byzantine tradition restored communion with the Roman Catholic Church, which had been broken in 1054.

This retreat session invites participants on a journey towards inner healing. It will be a time of prayer, personal testimonies, and spiritual conversation, helping those who carry emotional wounds and struggle to forgive to rest in the merciful love of God. Christ Himself calls us to forgive our enemies, and He forgave even those who crucified Him. The guest speaker will be sr. Bededicte Rollin RA. The session is organised and led by the Good Samaritan Community.

This prayer experience offers congress participants a unique opportunity to meditate on the Passion of Christ while walking one of the largest Way of the Cross complexes in Europe, located within the territory of the Parish of the Discovery of the Holy Cross (Vilnius Calvary). The Way of the Cross here is not only a pilgrimage of prayer recalling and contemplating the suffering of Christ, it is also a remarkable sacred architectural ensemble. In the 17th century, in thanksgiving to the Lord for victory in war, it was decided to establish a Calvary complex in Verkiai. The surrounding hills of the Verkiai area were given names such as Golgotha, Mount of Olives, Mount Zion, and Mary’s Hill, while a nearby stream reminded pilgrims of the Kidron Valley flowing through Jerusalem. The route of the Way of the Cross was carefully planned to reflect the topography of Jerusalem, so that pilgrims unable to travel to the Holy Land could follow the path of Christ’s final journey.

This session invites participants to take part directly in the works of mercy. The Betanija Social Centre and its charitable soup kitchen provide meals each day for around 200 people experiencing poverty or hunger. Congress participants are invited to join the Centre’s daily activities: preparing food, helping to set up the space, meeting those who come for assistance, serving meals, and sharing time in fellowship and personal testimonies.

This session consists of two parts. In the first part, participants are invited to visit the Caritas Mother and Child Home, where round-the-clock support is provided for mothers with children who are facing difficult life situations. The centre assists women struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, experiencing violence, unable to live independently, or lacking stable housing. During the visit, participants will hear personal testimonies and learn more about the work and mission of the centre. In the second part, congress participants will have a unique opportunity to visit the House of St. Faustina, where Sister Faustina lived from 21 February to 11 April 1929 and again from the end of May 1933 until 21 March 1936.

Redemptorist priests Fr. Peter Hertel, Fr. Rastislav Dluhý and Fr. František Boldy will share about the importance, beauty, and fruits of their ministry as Missionaries of Mercy. They will speak about this service in the Church, entrusted by Pope Francis ten years ago. The ministry of the Missionaries of Mercy is above all a living sign that the Father welcomes all who seek His forgiveness. The Redemptorist fathers will also reflect on the call of every baptised person to become a servant of mercy.

The prayer session “Be Merciful to Yourself” offers a short yet intensive journey from our own self-constructed image of God to the God revealed to us by Jesus Christ. Drawing on the Word of God and the spiritual heritage of St. Faustina and Blessed Fr. Michał Sopoćko, participants will reflect on how to receive God’s mercy personally: from the Gospel, through forgiveness, to the prayer “Jesus, I trust in You.” This practical session reveals that mercy is not merely a beautiful idea, but a concrete path of inner transformation. Participants will also have the opportunity to view the exhibition Camino Misericordia. The session will be led by guests from Poland: Fr. Mariusz Marszałek SAC and Fr. Maciej Książyk SAC.

This guided tour introduces participants to the principal saints associated with Vilnius and the places connected with their memory. Participants will deepen their knowledge of the lives and witness of St. Casimir, Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis, St. Raphael Kalinowski, Blessed Fr. Michał Sopoćko, St. Andrew Bobola, and St. Josaphat.

The life of Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis was not without tension and difficult experiences. One of the ways he faced these challenges was by adopting a perspective “from the heights of eternity”, which enabled him to show compassion both to himself and to others. This theme will also be explored through the friendship between Blessed Jurgis and Pranas Būčys, as revealed in their correspondence. Together with participants, we will reflect on how the sources of Blessed Jurgis’s compassion can be applied to our lives today, so that mercy may become tangible among us. The session will be led by Sr. Evelina Lavrinovičiūtė MVS.

This session invites congress participants to a unique panel discussion on the relationship between pastoral ministry and art, under the title “Encountering the Face of Christ”. The discussion will feature Dr. Adriana Acutis.

Marriage is a reality of life that calls for both creativity and a deep sensitivity of heart, as well as mercy. The session leader, Gian Luca Demarco, an Italian who has made Lithuania his home, will speak about the many dimensions of shared life, especially when different cultures, expectations, and experiences meet within marriage. This session explores mercy, love, commitment, and humour in the building of family life.

The session leaders, a married couple of judges from Scotland, David and Kathrine Mackie, will explore the impact of childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences, recognising that many – perhaps most – people who come before the courts do so primarily because of their life experiences rather than out of malice.

They will also discuss the positive potential to support those involved in the criminal justice system and to accompany them on a path of conversion and renewal, particularly through peer support and mentorship by those who themselves have personal experience of the system.