A group of students and doctoral candidates from the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) in Poland traveled to Rome to visit significant sites tied to the origins of Christianity and locations linked to Christian-Jewish relations. The trip, organized by KUL’s Heschel Center, was awarded as a prize for the competition winners of "Lublin Region: Dialogue of Cultures, Religions, and Hearts."
"We are very grateful for the time we've spent here," said the competition winners after several days in the Eternal City. "We visited places connected to the history of Christianity, including the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, the Great Synagogue, and other sites related to Christian-Jewish dialogue," they shared.
Discovering History in Rome
“We had the chance to see magnificent monuments of ancient culture, but we also learned a lot about landmarks connected with both the Christian and Jewish faiths,” shared Daria Szelachowska, a student of applied rhetoric at KUL and one of the essay competition winners. “We visited the catacombs, burial sites of early Christians, papal basilicas, and explored Italian cuisine while strolling through the charming streets of Rome, taking in the richness of Italian culture,” she added.
The rector of KUL, Fr. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski, expressed his satisfaction with the competition’s outcomes. “I'm pleased not only with the students and doctoral candidates deepening their understanding of Christian-Jewish dialogue but also with the fact that the winners had the opportunity to visit Rome and the Vatican. This experience is undoubtedly a chance for them to grow, expand their knowledge, and, in turn, enrich the Catholic University of Lublin,” said Fr. Prof. Kalinowski.
Konrad Król, a student of Romance philology and editorial studies at KUL, echoed this sentiment. Like Daria Szelachowska, he was a laureate in the essay category. “This competition allowed us to broaden our horizons and learn more about Jewish history and interfaith relations in the Lublin region,” he explained. Król added that visiting Rome gave students a new perspective on the city. “Rome is the heart of Christianity but also pulses with Jewish culture. The Jewish community has lived and thrived in the shadow of the papacy. The area around the synagogue shows that Jewish heritage is still vibrant here. You can taste various Jewish specialties. I think this visit will leave lasting memories and reflections,” he remarked.
Lublin as a Crossroads of Cultures and Religions
The competition was organized by KUL’s Heschel Center, which focuses on Christian-Jewish dialogue. According to the organizers, the Lublin region has been a meeting point between East and West for centuries, where people of various nations and religions have coexisted peacefully.
Before World War II, Jewish communities comprised a significant portion of the population in many towns and cities, while Ukrainians shared the eastern part of the Lublin region with Poles. Today, remnants of this multicultural heritage are still present, though often overlooked. "We want to encourage young people to rediscover these traces of the past," the organizers said. The competition aimed to preserve the memory of the region’s history and highlighted the possibility of peaceful coexistence between nations and religions—a message essential in today's world, marked by conflict and division.
The competition featured three categories: visual arts, photography, and literature. In addition to the trip to Rome, winners are encouraged to continue reflecting on the contest's themes and broader message.
Unique Experiences in Rome
During their visit, KUL students also met with editors of the Polish section of Vatican News and learned about the work of the Vatican editorial team. They toured Vatican City, and Michalina Nowaczewska, a student of Italian philology at KUL, shared her impressions. “Visiting the Vatican Gardens left a profound impression on me. Seeing the Vatican from within and marveling at the peace, silence, and nature of these gardens was extraordinary,” she said.
The competition was co-financed by funds from the state budget as a task assigned by the Minister of Science. The project was implemented by the Abraham J. Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations. The grant amounted to PLN 7,717,985, which was also the project's total value. The agreement was signed in October 2023.
