Catholic movements and associations

There are over 150 movements and associations of lay Catholics in Poland; they gather ca. 2 million faithful. Among them there communities with a history that harks back to a millennium ago and those that are only several years old. Movements and associations of laity are actively involved in the mission of the Church, making their contribution in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council.

Movements with the biggest membership are as follows: Light-Life Movement (approx. 100,000 members), Neocatechumenal Way (approx. 40,000 members), Catholic Action (approx. 32,000 members), Faith and Light Movement (approx. 30,000 members), Renewal in the Holy Spirit (approx. 25,000 members), and Movement of Families of Nazareth (approx. 15,000 members). A further one million people are worshippers of the Divine Mercy, half a million foster the cult of the Holy Scapular and several tens of thousands belong to Prayer Groups of Fr Pio. The movements and associations active in Poland cooperate within the National Council of Catholic Movements (ORRK), presided by the Jesuit Fr. Adam Schulz. The youngest members of the Council are: the National Union of Catholic Sports Clubs, Association of Social Communication SIGNIS Polska, and the Association of St. Isidore the Ploughman which provides assistance to farmers, with its chairman, Poland’s Minister of Agriculture Krzysztof Jurgiel.

awo, KAI //mam