The largest outdoor Christian youth event in Poland — the Festival of Life in Kokotek — has begun. Until July 13, more than 1,500 participants from Poland and abroad are spending a week together under the theme “The Passage.” Among the international guests are young people from Australia, the United States, Lithuania, and Belgium — not only Poles living abroad, but also foreigners seeking deeper meaning and community.
This year’s edition is built around the figure of Moses — his story forms the basis for daily talks, meditations, and liturgies.
“He is a symbol we use to show young people how they can pass from fear to courage, from bondage to freedom, from sin to grace,” says Bishop Grzegorz Suchodolski, chair of the Youth Ministry Council of the Polish Bishops’ Conference. The chapel at the NINIWA center has been designated a jubilee chapel for the week, meaning participants can receive a plenary indulgence.
The festival offers not only a spiritual space, but also a strong sense of community.
“Many of these young people come from highly secularized environments and rarely have a chance to be with peers who share their values. Here, they can both have fun and pray,” says event spokesperson Szymon Zmarlicki. He also highlights the spiritual maturity of the participants: “I don’t remember anything like this from my own youth. Courage is a word that fits these young people much better,” he admits.
The program includes conferences, Holy Masses, workshops, an extreme mud run (Thursday), a night of worship with Marcin Zieliński (Friday), and concerts by B.R.O., Dżem, and Skytech. The festival remains open to new visitors — day passes, weekend tickets, and concert entries are still available on the event website.
Family News Service
photo: Grzegorz Szpak