Katarzyna Szalajko

Katarzyna Szalajko writes for OSV News from Warsaw, Poland.
 

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A painting of Our Lady of Sorrows is seen at the Benedictine Abbey in Staniatki, Poland, in an undated photo. The 13th-century monastery, home to one of the country's most important collections of religious and cultural treasures, is seeking support to complete a major heritage preservation project by Dec. 31, 2026. (OSV News/Courtesy of Benedictine Abbey in Staniatki)

For 800 years, they kept prayers going; now Benedictines face $1 million deadline

A community of Benedictine nuns in Poland hopes to raise $1 million to complete a preservation project at their 800-year-old abbey by Dec. 31, warning that failure could force it to repay millions in EU funding.

Vilnius' hospice stands as a living work of Divine Mercy as city prepares to host global congress

Thousands of pilgrims are expected to gather in June in the Lithuanian capital for the sixth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy, or WACOM, a five-day event that has previously been held in cities such as Rome, Kraków, Bogota and Manila.

A nun carries the reliquary during a ceremony on May 31, 2025, in Braniewo, Poland, as the church beatifies 15 nuns from the Congregation of St. Catherine Virgin and Martyr, martyred in 1945. (OSV News/Courtesy of Polish bishops' conference)

Polish nuns beatified for heroic witness amid wartime horror

On May 31 in Braniewo, Poland, 15 nuns from the Congregation of St. Catherine Virgin and Martyr were beatified — recognized as martyrs who gave their lives during the final, brutal months of World War II.

The sister smiles at camera embracing woman who leans into her arms.

Amid darkness of Ukraine war, religious sisters bring light, hope and purpose to villages

As the full-scale Russian invasion in Ukraine reached a tragic threshold of three years Feb. 24, religious sisters are bringing rays of sunshine to those who don't know how to smile anymore, including children whose carefree childhood disappeared, and farmers, whose fields are mined and useless.