EUROPE/ITALY - Holy Childhood children messengers of Hope in Europe. Following in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II

Rome (Fides Service) - Italian children members of the Pontifical Society for Holy Childhood will set out as messengers of Hope in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II along the roads of mission from 24 June to 1 July 2006. On a week long journey they will meet Holy Childhood children in various countries including Poland and visit places where Pope Wojtyla lived and ministered. The intense programme includes stops in Bratislava, Slovakia to meet local Holy Childhood children; Krakow, to visit the city and meet local Holy Childhood children of that diocese; Wadowice, where John Paul II was born and Auschwitz concentration camp where Saint Maximilian Kolbe gave his life to save that of a father of children; Calvaria Hill, where Karol Wojtyla used to go with his father to pray, and to the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa which draws visitors and pilgrims from all over the world. On the return journey the Italian children will meet Holy Childhood children in Brno, Czech Republic and Vienna, Austria. For more info see: Segretariato nazionale POIM - Via Aurelia 796 - 00165 Roma; tel. 06/66502645-6; fax 06/66410314; e-mail: poim@operemissionarie.it (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 8/5/2006, righe 14, parole 209)