Schedule:
Venue: Lodz, Puola
Welcome to the ecumenical pilgrimage to the Taizé New Year’s Meeting in Łódź! By filling out this form, you are submitting a binding registration for the trip. Financial support for the trip will be allocated to those who register by November 13.
In brief:
WHAT: Group trip to the Taizé New Year Meeting 2026/27
WHERE: Łódź, Poland. Overland group journey from Finland to Łódź and back.
WHEN: Event: December 28, 2026 – January 1, 2027. Travel dates: December 27, 2026 – January 2, 2027
FOR WHOM: All 18–35-year-olds interested in Taizé Christianity, ecumenism, and international community
DEADLINE: Please register by 13th of November.
To the registration
In more detail:
Join the ecumenical pilgrimage to the Taizé New Year Meeting in Łódź from December 28, 2026, to January 1, 2027! Taizé is an ecumenical monastic community in France that brings together tens of thousands of young people from all over Europe each year. This is a great opportunity to travel with a group and experience an adventure across Europe!
The Ecumenical Youth Committee of the Finnish Ecumenical Council, the Student Christian Movement in Finland, the Orthodox Youth Association – ONL ry, Juventus Catholica, Felm, Lasten ja nuorten keskus and the Changemaker network are organizing a group departure to the event.
What is it all about?
The Taizé New Year Meeting is a five-day gathering in Łódź, Poland. Several thousand participants are expected. The program includes daily prayers, discussion groups, workshops, and meals.
Accommodation will be in 2–3 person groups hosted by local families with your own sleeping pads and sleeping bags (or, if not enough host families are available, on the floor of schools, parish halls, etc.). The program takes place both in local parishes across the wider Łódź area and in the city center. Participants come from across Europe and from various Christian denominations — it’s a truly international and ecumenical atmosphere!
More info will also be updated on the Taizé website as the event approaches: https://www.taize.fr/en/lodz-2026-27
For whom?
The group trip is for everyone aged 18–35. You may belong to any church — or none at all. If you’re over 35, you can still attend the event independently. In that case, arrange your own accommodation in Łódź and register directly via the Taizé website (registration opens in the fall).
Traveling overland
The group will travel to Łódź overland with the following schedule:
Outbound
- Flixbus Helsinki–Warsaw, 27 Dec at 16:30 (Helsinki Terminal 2) – 28 Dec at 10:25, Warsaw West Station. You must arrive at the terminal by 15:30 on the day of departure. The ferry ticket is included in the bus ticket, so there is no need to buy it separately. Buy the bus ticket here. (The current price is approximately €90.)
- Train Warsaw–Łódź, approximately €11. Polish train tickets can only be purchased 30 days before departure. The train schedule will be confirmed once the tickets go on sale, but the most likely departure time is 12:17 from the same station where the bus arrives.
Return
- Train Łódź–Warsaw, approximately €11. The train schedule will be confirmed once the tickets go on sale. The likely departure time from Łódź is after 16:00.
- Flixbus Warsaw–Helsinki, 1 Jan at 18:30 (Warsaw West Station) – 2 Jan at 15:30 (Helsinki Terminal 2). The ferry ticket is included in the bus ticket. Buy the bus ticket here.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRAVEL
- Everyone is responsible for purchasing their own travel tickets. If any unforeseen situations arise during the journey, the group leaders will help, but you are personally responsible for purchasing any necessary new tickets and for applying for compensation from transport companies, etc.
- You are also welcome to travel using means of transport other than the ones arranged for the group. Many group members will probably combine the trip with, for example, a holiday in Poland after the event, and all such arrangements are absolutely allowed and awesome! If you travel to Łódź by other means than with the group, you must arrive in Łódź at the same time as the rest of the group in order to stay in the same host parish. Places in the parishes are allocated at the time of registration and cannot be reserved for group members arriving later.
- Flixbus has been chosen as the means of transport because its schedules fit best with the event timetable and with travel arrangements for participants arriving from outside Helsinki 🙂
- There are approximately 200 bus seats available in total on the Tallinn–Warsaw route during the night, across all bus companies. All participants travelling from the Baltic countries will be buying tickets for these same buses. The seats will definitely be fully booked many weeks before the event. So buy your bus ticket right away!
How much does it cost?
- Event participation fee: approximately €80 per participant (ages 18–35). There may be minor adjustments to the participation fee during the autumn. The participation fee is higher for participants over the age of 35.
- Round-trip bus tickets: approximately €180
- Round-trip train tickets: approximately €25
- Possible travel costs within Finland
- Your own travel insurance
- Total: approximately €250–300
The event participation fee covers the programme, accommodation, a public transport ticket in Łódź, and three simple meals per day. Based on experience, the food provided at the event is sufficient on its own for some people, while others may want to bring or buy additional snacks or food.
Financial Support and Applying for Funding for the Trip
We have received approximately €1,500 in funding for the trip from the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and private donors. The total amount of funding will be divided equally among the participants. It will be at least €60 per participant, possibly more. If you are employed and the cost of the trip is not particularly significant for you, we kindly ask you to leave the financial support for those participants for whom it would make a greater difference. We will let you know the exact amount of funding after registration has closed, once we know the exact number of participants.
You can also apply for personal financial support for the trip from, for example, a local Lions or Rotary club or your own parish. You can find more information and a template for applying for support here. (to be added soon!) In return for such support, you should be prepared to visit an event organised by the supporting organisation and tell them about the trip.
How will this work in practice?
Register for the trip through this form by 13 November. Registration is binding. Immediately after the registration period has ended, we will let you know how much financial support you will receive and send you the payment details for the event participation fee. The event participation fee must be paid to the Finnish Christian Student Federation (SKY) by 22 November, and SKY will register you for the event. You will purchase your own bus and train tickets. Bus tickets should be purchased as soon as possible, preferably right away. Train tickets can be purchased 30 days before the trip, and we will send registered participants information about the correct tickets once they become available.
Important Dates
- 13 November: Binding registration for the group departure (if you wish to receive financial support)
- 22 November: Payment of the participation fee to SKY (you will receive payment information on 14 November)
- 30 November: The final deadline for registering anyone for the event at all
- 17 December, 18:00–20:00: Mandatory information session for all participants.
- 27 December: Group departure from Finland at 16:30 from Helsinki West Harbour, Terminal 2
- 28 December–1 January: The event itself
- 2 January 2026: Group return to Finland, arriving at Helsinki West Harbour, Terminal 2
Taizé Prayer Services to Prepare for the Trip
In Helsinki:
You are warmly welcome to join the monthly Taizé prayer services in preparation for the trip at St Henry’s Catholic Church in Helsinki. The prayer service takes place on Friday evenings after the evening Mass, at approximately 18:40. (You are also warmly welcome to attend the Mass at 6 pm!) Evening tea will be served in the parish hall after the prayer service. The prayer service dates are: 11 September, 9 October, 13 November, and 11 December. You are welcomed to join us!
What does ”group departure” mean?
This is a group trip for young adults who are interested in the event. Each participant is personally responsible for their travel, tickets, and travel insurance. We’ll provide instructions in advance on the event, travel, and ticket details, and the group leaders will accompany the trip to support you. To enjoy the event, it’s important that you’re able to manage independently. That means, for example, being able to speak enough English (or Polish) to get by with your host family and in unexpected situations. The event involves moving between various locations, so you should be able to navigate in a foreign city. Overland travel also requires the ability to adapt if a train is delayed, etc.
Note! This form is the official binding registration form for the trip. You need to fill it out even if you have previously signed up for the mailing list of those interested.
Welcome on a one-of-a-kind journey!
Contact:
Katri Malmi, Suomen Kristillinen Ylioppilasliitto (Student Christian Movement) – Primary contact in practical matters
katri.malmi@sky-fks.fi
050 595 2867
Lauri Aila, SEN:n nuorisojaosto (Ecumenical council)
lauri.aila@gmail.com
+358 45 230 8787
Maria Kauppila (0504658172) and Annakaisa Onatsu (0406858854)
Ortodoksisten nuorten liitto – ONL ry (Orthodox Youth Association of Finland ONL)
onl@ort.fi
050 465 8173
Sisar Maria, Juventus Catholica
lezhmaria.n@gmail.com
050 4707077
Miina Kurjenmiekka, Suomen Lähetysseura (Felm)
miina.kurjenmiekka@suomenlahetysseura.fi
044 901 9958
Kaisa Kahra, Lasten ja nuorten keskus
kaisa.kahra@lnk.fi
044 733 1147
Helmi Saksholm, Changemaker
helmi.saksholm@kua.fi
050 441 8820
