Day 24 - Beginning the Poland Pilgrimage

We left for the pilgrimage around 8 o'clock last night.  It was VERY hard leaving Cory.  We had been together for 3 weeks, 24/7 and i was loosing my traveling buddy.  It took me a while to get over it.  Poor Heidi, she didn't know what to do with me, but eventually i was ok and on our way in a bus for about 10 hours to our intitial destination, Czestochowa, Poland.  Upon entering the bus, i had no idea where we would be going.  I read an iternary and the only words I knew were Krakow and Auchwitz, but all the other stops were unfamiliar to me.

Czestochowa is the home of the painting of the  "Black Madonna", a highly symbolic icon of the Polish community and Pope John Paul II.  There was so much history here that I did not know existed.  The painting is housed in Jasna Gorg Sanctuary, a very significant church to the Polish people.  During the occupation of Poland by the Germans, the bishop at the time was Karol Wojtyla, (Pope John Paul II).  He was VERY instrumental in the PEACEFUL resistance of the Polish people and he wasn't afraid to take a firm stand with the german officials. He prayed daily to Our Lady of Czestochowa for guidance in his actions.  Many of the polish people made pilgrimages to this site to ask for the intercession of Our Lady in this very difficult time in their lives.  The germans were fearful of damaging the site, so they damaged the roads the people use to get there in hopes of deterring the people for making the pilgrimage.  They knew what a powerful uniting force and intercessor Our Lady was and they wanted to interfer with it.

The actual painting had been stolen many times in an attempt to stop the pilgrimages and many attempts were made to destroy it, but with the exceptions of what looks like slashes on her face, the painting remains intact.  The painting is mounted above the main alter of the church and along side is the sash JPII was wearing when he was shot.  The  blood stains are clearly visible.  Four to five million still make a yearly pilgrimage to this site and up to 200,000 actually walk to it from all over.  Over many of the walls of the sacntuary you can see rosary beads, crutches, pictures, jewelry, blankets, and all

In addition to the cathedral, there was a museum which housed a rosary made from bread by concentration camp prisioners.  They sacrificed the little food they did receive to make this rosary, so as we looked at it, I teared up realizing what some have sacrificed and how strong their faith was.  There was also a set of Stations of the cross that were very unique.  They are paintings, done in the last 20 years, which incorporate modern church figures such as JPII, Mother Teresa, and children in the background.  I have a few pictures and the depiction of the children was rivetting.  Their faces were so pitiful, like they could feel Jesus' pain.

We ended with mass in the church.  The whole visit to Czestochowa was so unexpected and inspirational.

I am sure I will say this over and over again during this weekend, but being here makes me realize that our church is truly universal.  I may be half away around the world, but we worship and pray and receive the same body of Christ that every Catholic does.  I am certainly grateful for my Catholic faith.

love ya,