Triumph of the Heart Poland Pilgrimage 2026 Q & A

A. Though we are very confident at this time that the pilgrimage will proceed according to plan and prove to be an amazing journey, we strongly recommend purchase of a trip cancellation/travel accident insurance policy.  You can obtain your policy independently, or go through Select International’s recommended carrier, Trawick.  Please visit https://selectinternationaltours.com/travel-protectoin-plans or call Trawick International at 888-681-6272 for more information.

A. We stay in deluxe, superior, first-class hotels, carefully vetted by our travel partner Select International Tours.

For any additional question on our accommodations, call Jane at Select International 800-842-4842 

A.  Our tour company, Select International, will arranged a group rates from DFW airport and a New York-area airport.  However, the group rate is only guaranteed through a certain date (TBA).  For current pricing and flight information, call Jane Allison at 800-842-4842 or email her [email protected].  Select International is very accommodating in helping you upgrade, if you wish to move to premium economy or business class based on availability.   If you don’t live near Dallas or New York City,  Select International will be happy to help you arrange flights that will be convenient for you from your airport of choice.

A.  A tour of holy and historical places is only as good as your guides.   Many local guides leave much to be desired in terms of their knowledge, their ability to comment on the spiritual significance of a particular site for Christians, and their command of English.  We carefully look for local guides who are knowledgeable but also spiritual.  Their English is very good and clear.  Of the thousands of local guides available for tours, we select the cream of the crop.  In addition, Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Ph.D. (aka “Dr. Italy”), has twin academic specialties that make him an extraordinary guide to Catholic Europe—he is an expert in secular European history and culture on the one hand, and in theology and Church history on the other.  Furthermore, his commentary, however informative, is always understandable and spiritually uplifting.  He will be joined by his son Anthony D’Ambrosio, writer and director of the acclaimed film on St. Maximilian Kolbe, which was filmed primarily in Poland.  Anthony will provide extraordinary insight into St. Maximilian Kolbe; his father, Dr. Italy, will help us better understand the amazing Pope who canonized Kolbe, St. John Paul II.  It would be hard to imagine a Poland pilgrimage that would equal this one in terms of spirituality and teaching about these two great Polish saints.

A.  Both.  We will have wonderful times of prayer, liturgy & music daily, with Mass in one of the holy places that we visit each day!   Each person who wishes will have the opportunity to serve as a lector in one of our daily Masses.  But the information and insight you will get into the places we visit and the saints who lived and died there, in particular St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. John Paul II, will be unique.  On the other hand, what you will learn about the general culture, history, cuisine and customs of Poland will also delight you.

A.  Select International Tours is our US Tour company and are available Monday – Friday to assist you.  We have a dedicated tour manager for our pilgrimages – Jane Allison [email protected] 800-842-4842.   On the ground in Poland, Select International will be assisted by a Polish company that knows the ins and outs of the locale.  Should any problem arise, we don’t need to call the States for help.  The local tour office will be in constant touch with us and will actually have a tour manager with us on the bus wherever we go.

A.  Absolutely.  The price for the land only package is listed on the itinerary pages for the Pilgrimage. But remember, you’ll have to arrange for your own transfers from the arrival airport to first hotel, and final hotel to the departure airport.  Our tour company can help you with this.

A.  August weather in Poland is generally mild and pleasant, with some cool days in certain regions, and average highs running between low-to upper-70’s Fahrenheit. It can be sunny and warm, so don’t forget sunscreen, but a jacket for cooler days and nights, and definitely for the cooler mountain regions, is a must.  Keep in mind that shoulders and legs (to the knees) should be covered in order to enter some churches in Poland.  Shorts or Capris that cover the knees are acceptable.  A shawl or scarf can be carried and used to cover shoulders for women who might like to wear a sundress while touring.

A.  Much less walking is necessary than a tour to Italy, for example, and the terrain is generally flat unlike many towns in Italy.  Some days on the main trip might be only 6,000 step days.  Others will be 8-10,000 steps.   The optional extension, however, will be in John Paul II’s favorite mountains where he hiked and went skiing in winter.  So there will be more steps and inclines.  We can’t accommodate passengers who need a wheelchair on this trip, and the trip would also be too much for those who need a walker.  For those who have a bit of difficulty walking and require a cane, the trip is possible.

A.  Be sure to see “Triumph of the Heart,” the film on St. Maximilian Kolbe, which can be ordered for streaming or as a DVD at www.KolbeMovie.com.  There are many biographies of St. Maximilian Kolbe also available for those who like to read.  On St. John Paul II, George Weigel wrote a masterful two volumes on his life which are long but eminently readable and very worthwhile: A Witness to Hope and The End and the Beginning.  These are available as paperbacks, as ebooks on Kindle, and as audiobooks on Audible.  Reading some of John Paul II’s writings is also an excellent thing to do.  I would suggest Familiaris Consortio (On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World) or Dies Domini (On Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy) which you can read for free on the Vatican’s website or buy paperback new or used (Amazon, Thriftbooks, ebay, etc).

A. Yes! Our group will have Mass daily in some of the most special and moving places in Poland, connected to St. Maximilian, St. John Paul II, and St. Faustina.  Since we will have priests traveling with us, confession and perhaps even the Sacrament of the Sick will also be available for our pilgrims.