"Be holy as I am holy"- A Youth Pilgrimage to Ozernoe, Kazakhstan in Asia

“Be holy as I am holy.”- this was the theme of the Youth Pilgrimage 2026 to Ozernoe, in northern Kazakhstan. Each year, the Catholic Church in Kazakhstan organizes this pilgrimage, bringing together young people from across Central Asia and beyond, regardless of their religious background.

This year, hundreds of young people participated for five beautiful and grace-filled days, coinciding with the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The young people came from Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Poland, and many different regions of Kazakhstan. They came from diverse cultures, languages, and backgrounds, yet they were united by a common desire: to seek something deeper, to encounter one another, and, for many, to draw closer to Christ.

The pilgrimage was filled with many different experiences: prayer, Holy Mass, confession, walking, sharing, singing, dancing, recreational activities, and, above all, team building. Every day brought something new, and every moment seemed to bring with it a special grace. Looking back, it’s difficult to describe everything that happened, but one thing was clear: God was at work among the young people.

It was deeply moving to see how, despite the noise, distractions, and countless voices competing for attention in today’s world, so many young people still harbor a sincere thirst and longing for Christ. Their enthusiasm, their openness, their questions, their struggles, and their desire to discover the meaning of life are a powerful reminder that the human heart continues to search for God.

Ozernoe: A Place of Virgin Mary and Miracles

The pilgrimage took place in Ozernoye, a small village that holds a special place in the spiritual history of Kazakhstan. Ozernoye’s history dates back to the difficult years of World War II. In 1941, when the region was suffering from severe famine, the population had almost nothing to eat. According to tradition preserved by the Catholic community, the people fervently prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking her to intercede for them.

Then something extraordinary happened. A lake appeared near the village filled with fish. For people facing hunger and despair, the fish became a source of food and hope. The event was remembered as a miracle of the multiplication of fish, the lake became closely associated with the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary.

The history of Ozernoye is also linked to an apparition of Mary. According to local Catholic tradition, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a young girl, leaving a deep spiritual memory among the people. Since then, Ozernoye has become a place of prayer and pilgrimage, especially dedicated to Mary, Mother of God.

The history of Ozernoe was somehow intertwined with the experience of young people. The same place where people once cried out to God in hunger and desperation has now become a place where a new generation cries out to God with a different hunger—a hunger for meaning, for hope, for love, and for Christ.

Thirteen kilometers of Prayer

On the fourth day, we walked about 13 km that was more than a physical journey. Along the way, we stopped several times to share and reflect on our lives. At one point, we were asked to walk for 30 minutes in complete silence.

Thirty minutes of deep silence

Hundreds of young people walked together without conversations, jokes, music, or any other distraction. Each was lost in his/her own thoughts, questions, wounds, hopes, and prayers. It was a deeply moving sight.

In a world where young people are constantly surrounded by noise – phones, social media, entertainment, information, and endless conversations – it was beautiful seeing them voluntarily and seriously embracing silence. For some, perhaps, it was the first time, nevertheless, the silence became prayer.

The Sharing

The young people openly shared their personal journey: on how they encountered Christ, how they discovered the Church, how faith has changed them, and how they are searching for their place in the world. Some stories were filled with joy, others brought pain, doubt, loneliness and hardship.

Each testimony revealed something beautiful: God meets his people where they are. Listening to these young people, it’s evident that faith is not simply something passed down from one generation to the other. Each person must encounter it personally. And perhaps that is precisely what made the pilgrimage so powerful. It wasn’t just five days of activities. It was an interior journey; the journey of the heart.

The theme “Be holy as I am holy” thus becomes an invitation rather than just a phrase on a banner.  An invitation to ask ourselves: What does holiness mean to me? How can I live differently? Where is God calling me? What am I willing to leave behind to follow Christ?

The pilgrimage showed that holiness begins in an ordinary life; in the courage to forgive, the willingness to serve, the ability to listen, the choice to love, the discipline of prayer, and the decision to seek God even when the world offers so many other choices.

At the end of the five days, no one was returning home exactly as they had arrived. Despite the fact that the young people came from diverse countries and backgrounds, spoke different languages and brought different stories, for those few days, they became one community, walking together, praying together, laughing together, sharing life, and seeking God together.

The miracle of the fish of Ozernoye in 1941 is also  seen today, in the hearts of young people who continue to hunger for something greater than what the world can offer.

In Oziornoye, Mary once became a sign of hope for the physically hungry. Today she continues to guide another generation to the One who alone can satisfy the deepest hunger of the human heart, Jesus Christ. This becomes the miracle of the pilgrimage.

Sr. Hellen Waithera, mc Kazakhstan.