Walking with the Holy Spirit: How One Polish Laudato Si’ Animator Is Transforming Ordinary Walks into Pilgrimages

“The Holy Spirit is the source of life in all living creatures, and can revive our hearts if we ask for it.” — Sylwia Ufnalska

In a world where ecological action is often associated with large-scale projects, conferences, or policy debates, Sylwia Ufnalska offers a remarkably simple invitation: go for a walk.

A biologist, science editor, translator, writer, environmental educator, and tour guide living near Poznań, Poland, Sylwia has spent the last several years developing a network of local pilgrimage routes that weave together prayer, contemplation, environmental education, and care for creation.

Through her environmental background and formation as a Laudato Si’ Animator—a leadership program of the Laudato Si’ Movement that equips Catholics to promote integral ecology in their communities—she explores new ways to connect prayer, nature, and ecological conversion at the local level.

Her initiatives, known as the Ways of St. Francis and the Rogalin Ways of the Holy Spirit, demonstrate how ecological spirituality can emerge not only in remote wilderness areas, but also in the ordinary landscapes people encounter every day.

Both projects are focused on creation and promotion of green pilgrimage routes and offer practical examples of ecological conversion rooted in the local community, accessible to anyone willing to slow down and pay attention.

A Pilgrimage Begins with a Walk

Sylwia traces the origins of the initiative to both personal experience and prayer.

“My main inspiration since March 2020 has been a prayer for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, including wisdom and courage,” she explains. “When the COVID pandemic began, I started organizing nature walks in my parish, because walking and contact with nature improve both physical and mental health.”

What began as simple parish walks gradually evolved into something larger.

In 2021, Sylwia coordinated a local Caritas Laudato Si’ project that created the Rogalin Ways—a network of green pilgrimage routes leading to a historic 200-year-old church in Rogalin. Each route was named after one of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit described in Galatians 5:22–23: the Way of Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.

Along each path, pilgrims are invited to reflect on Scripture, pray, contemplate creation, sing the Canticle of the Sun, engage with selections from Laudato Si’, and help others on the way. The routes also include practical environmental guidance and encouragement to care for local ecosystems.

Discovering God in Everyday Nature

One of the most compelling aspects of Sylwia’s work is its accessibility.

Unlike traditional pilgrimages that may require travel, significant planning, or specialized infrastructure, these routes encourage people to encounter God in places they already inhabit.

“Any plants, pollinators, or birds you see are gifts from God,” Sylwia says. “When you start to pay more attention to them, admiring their beauty or behaviour, all this inspires you to praise God, who created them so ingeniously.”

For Sylwia, ecological spirituality begins with attention.

A flower growing through a sidewalk crack, the sound of birdsong during a morning commute, or the changing seasons in a neighborhood park can become opportunities for prayer, gratitude, and wonder.

This approach echoes Pope Francis’ call in Laudato Si’ to recover “an openness to awe and wonder” in our relationship with creation.

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit as Ecological Formation

What distinguishes these pilgrimages from ordinary nature walks is the intentional integration of spiritual practices.

Pilgrims are encouraged to pray the Chaplet in Honour of the Holy Spirit, meditate on Scripture, contemplate creation through all five senses, and reflect on passages from Laudato Si’.

Each route focuses on a particular Fruit of the Holy Spirit and includes practical invitations for daily conversion. One path emphasizes peace and reconciliation, another kindness and care for others, while another encourages self-control and simpler living.

“Silent contemplation, both indoors and outdoors, is a way to focus on contact with God,” Sylwia explains. “Observation of nature as well as prayer to the Holy Spirit or on the rosary on the way open the heart to spiritual inspirations.”

The result is a model of ecological formation that engages the mind, body, and spirit simultaneously.

Green Pilgrimage Principles

The project also includes practical ecological commitments.

Participants are encouraged to reduce waste, stay on designated paths, respect wildlife, avoid damaging vegetation, travel lightly, and leave natural places better than they found them. The “Green Pilgrimage Principles,” developed by Polish Laudato Si’ Animators, invite pilgrims to see environmental responsibility as an integral part of their spiritual journey.

These principles reflect a core insight of integral ecology: caring for creation is not separate from prayer and discipleship—it is an expression of them.

A Model Anyone Can Replicate

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Sylwia’s work is how easily it can be adapted elsewhere.

Her advice for anyone interested in creating a local Way of St. Francis is surprisingly simple:

1. Choose a route connecting a church or chapel with nearby green spaces.
2. Create a basic map and description that highlights local history and nature.
3. Add spiritual reflections, prayers, or ecological themes.
4. Invite others to join a first pilgrimage or guided nature walk.

“You can also organize regular nature walks with botanists or zoologists, as well as ecumenical and interreligious pilgrimages for all those who care for the Earth—our common home,” she suggests.

The emphasis is not on building elaborate infrastructure but on helping communities rediscover the spiritual value of the places they already inhabit.

A Simple Path Toward Ecological Conversion

Looking toward the future, Sylwia hopes these local pilgrimage routes can help people rediscover a deeper source of happiness and connection.

“Only thirteen years ago, after a series of traumatic events, I discovered that walking combined with prayer in green areas is a miraculous remedy for me,” she reflects. “It always makes me happy, in spite of difficulties.”

Her hope is that others might experience something similar.

In a time marked by environmental anxiety, social fragmentation, and digital overload, the invitation is refreshingly straightforward: walk, pray, observe, listen, and allow creation to become a place of encounter with God.

“I believe that prayer on the way and contemplation of nature can really transform our lives,” Sylwia says. “Let the Holy Spirit guide us every day.”

About the initiative

The Rogalin Ways of the Holy Spirit were established in Poland in 2021 and include pilgrimage routes dedicated to the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. The initiative combines prayer, environmental education, local heritage, and ecological spirituality, providing practical resources that can be adapted by communities around the world. The project promotes healthy lifestyles, care for creation, and reflection on Laudato Si’ through simple, accessible pilgrimages.

See also: How the Holy Spirit enriches your life: 3 impactful ways by an Laudato Si’ Animator and her Laudato Si’ Prayer to the Holy Spirit