In Poland nearly 10,000 people gathered on August 15, 2026, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at ERGO ARENA in Gdańsk for the “Simple Path to God - Be Like St. Maximilian” Festival. The idea behind the festival was simple - to create an event where every Catholic would feel welcome.
Its program ranged from a solemn Mass celebrated by Cardinal Robert Sarah to a dynamic performance by Portuguese DJ Priest Padre Guilherme, who gained international recognition following his appearance at World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023.
“Our goal was to bring generations together and to show the beauty and richness of the entire Catholic Church,” said Piotr M. Pietrus, editor-in-chief of EWTN Poland and a co-organizer of the festival. - “There is room in the Church for different spiritualities, sensibilities and ways of expressing the joy of faith. Everyone should be able to find a place here. What unites us all is Jesus Christ, present in the Eucharist. Evangelization must remain faithful to the Gospel, but it should also be courageous, joyful and carried out with the highest level of professionalism.”
The festival aimed to show that Solemn Liturgy celebrated by Cardinal Sarah and joyful music by Padre Guilherme do not represent two competing visions of Catholicism. Rather, they reflected different ways of expressing faith within the same universal Church, whose center remains Jesus Christ. As Padre Guilherme said himself in the interview for EWTN Poland “Not everything old is outdated, and not everything new is good. We must discern."
The project had the blessing of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, who prepared a special message for attendees and signed the festival’s poster.
Following Mass and Eucharistic adoration, the festival continued with music, testimonies, multimedia presentations and worship. The artists represented different generations and musical styles. They included Voice of Poland winner and national star Roxie, internationally acknowledged musician anMari, rapper Edzioo, versatile worship group Schola Adonai and many more.
Since August 15th is Polish Armed Forces Day, there was also a patriotic performance by OT.TO, which honored and commemorated the anniversary of the 1920 Battle of Warsaw, remembered by Poles as the “Miracle on the Vistula” when a said intervention from heaven helped Polish soldiers stop the Soviet Army from advancing in Poland and Europe.
The festival ended with an explosion of joy during Father Guilherme’s performance. His electronic arrangements incorporated Christian songs, religious texts and excerpts from papal speeches. Thousands gathered near the stage, singing, dancing and raising their hands.
As one of the attendees wrote in his Instagram story “First and foremost, the concert was wonderful because we started with Holy Mass”.
The program also included a live connection with Korean youth preparing for WYD 2027 in Seoul, and a special message from Michael P. Warsaw, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of EWTN since Aug 15. marked the 45th anniversary of EWTN's first television broadcast.
The festival gained the attention of the secular media in Poland. They highlighted not only the festival’s attendance and atmosphere but also its professional organization.
The regional news outlet Trojmiasto.pl reported that the event demonstrated how religious music and the desire to experience faith in community can draw crowds comparable to those attending major commercial concerts at the same arena.
“We cannot offer the modern world a message of eternal importance in a careless or improvised way,” Pietrus said. “Professional production, modern technology and artistic excellence should serve the truth of the Gospel. They are instruments - Christ must always remain at the center.”
The event's patron saint is Saint Maximilian Kolbe and every ticket sold was a contribution to the production of a film about St. Maximilian Kolbe’s legacy “Dream of Saint Maximilian”
The “Simple Path to God - Be Like St. Maximilian” Festival was organized by 12 Stars film foundation, EWTN Poland and SMS z Nieba foundation.