From May 31 to June 3, 2026, the parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Punsk hosted a renewal of the parish mission held a year ago. At the invitation of the parish priest, Father Andrzej Opanowski, the renewal was led by the Redemptorists: Father Rastislav Dluhý and Father Peter Hertel of Kaunas, and Father Łukasz Baran of Elbląg, who proclaimed the Word of God in Polish and Lithuanian.
See also: Common Mission of the Polish and Slovak Redemptorists (2025)
Puńsk (Punskas), located in the Suwałki region on the Polish Lithuanian border, is a unique place. It is the most Lithuanian-speaking city in Poland, where over 80% of the population is ethnic Lithuanian and uses their native language daily. Puńsk is an important center of cultural and social life for Lithuanians in Poland, so much so that it is considered the capital of the Lithuanian community in Poland.
The mission’s renewal program in Punsk focused on the most important aspects of Christian life. Every day, the faithful gathered for the Eucharist, religious services, and conferences dedicated to perseverance in the Church, conversion, prayer, the sacrament of penance and reconciliation, and the truth about the communion of saints.
A special moment was the evening prayer for the deceased, combined with a procession to the cemetery, during which all the deceased parishioners were entrusted to God’s Mercy.
An important element of the renewal was the Marian prayers celebrated at 9:00 PM. They brought together parishioners of both nationalities in a common prayer before the Mother of God. The shared songs and prayers in Polish and Lithuanian became a beautiful sign of unity and the spiritual bond that has united the inhabitants of this land for generations. At the conclusion of the renewal, the missionaries entrusted the parish to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The common prayer in two languages was an eloquent testimony to the universality of the Church, which despite linguistic and cultural differences remains one family of God’s children. For many participants, it was a moment of deepening their faith, renewing their sacramental life, and strengthening the hope that springs from the Gospel.
The renewal of the missions in Punsk was also a further example of the fruitful collaboration between the Redemptorists of the Warsaw Province and the Bratislava-Prague Province. The joint ministry of missionaries from Poland and Lithuania confirms the vitality of the missionary charism of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and the willingness to undertake joint evangelizing initiatives beyond national and linguistic boundaries. Specifically, it is part of the growing collaboration between the Redemptorist provinces of Central and Eastern Europe and constitutes a visible sign of unity and joint action within the missionary charism. Thanks to these initiatives, the exchange of pastoral experiences, the mutual enrichment of the traditions of individual peoples, and an even more effective proclamation of the Gospel to contemporary humanity are possible.
Mission renewal is one of the hallmarks of the Redemptorist missionary system, which dates back to the beginnings of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. It contributed significantly to the approval of the Congregation’s first rule by Pope Benedict XIV in 1749. The Pope then stipulated that the Redemptorists’ missionary activity also include the renewal of the missions. This idea was later incorporated into the Congregation’s Constitutions during the General Chapter of 1764.
According to Saint Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists, the renewal of the missions is not another parish mission, but a special moment of spiritual renewal, aimed at consolidating the fruits of previous missions. It involves reminding the faithful of the teachings preached, the religious services attended, and the resolutions made. Saint Alphonsus wrote: “Renewal is not a second mission. It is simply a matter of reminding the faithful of the exercises they have participated in, the homilies they have heard, the promises they have made.” He also added that, thanks to such spiritual renewals, many people are strengthened in their good intentions and perseverance in faith.
Fr. Łukasz Baran, CSsR.
( www.redemptor.pl )
