Last Catechesis in Wadowice

We had an amazing catechesis this morning with English speaking pilgrims from the Philippines, Ghana, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the USA and more.  Pilgrims are loosening up and starting to feel the power of being many but also united as one under God.  The Ghana pilgrims performed on stage to get the morning started, and the crowded exploded in cheers and dancing.  Cardinal Seán O'Malley from Boston spoke to us about how individualism is plaguing our world and the only cure is Love.  Merciful Love that gives wastefully to those in need and to those we find most troublesome.  Our civilization cannot persist without Love.

Our WiFi access has been intermittent… many stories (photos, videos) will have to be shared when we return.  Tomorrow, we start the last leg of our journey to the site of the Saturday Vigil and Sunday Closing Mass with at least 2 million people and Pope Francis.  Since we are in Wadowice, we have to leave at 4AM!  We will sleep outdoors at the Campus of Mercy.  Hopefully you can catch some of the Vigil and Mass on TV or online.  We will have no WiFi… So that is all we can report until Sunday at the earliest.

We bring your prayers with us. 

~With Love from the Vermont Pilgrims  

Posing with Ghana and Singapore pilgrims in the morning

The Journey of the Prayer Requests

Our prayer pouch containing hundreds of prayers from parishes throughout Vermont is on a journey longer than any one pilgrim.  We are taking seriously the responsibility of carrying those intentions and offering them up with our own prayers night and day.  These intentions have been offered before some of the most important, miraculous, and sacred images of Catholicism in Poland.  On Wednesday, a couple pilgrims brought the prayer requests to the image of the Black Madonna (Our Lady of Czestochowa), which is a miraculous painting that dates back to sometime between the 11^th and 13^th centuries.

It once protected its sanctuary and the fort of Jasna Gora from an invading Swedish force, far superior in number, which finally gave up its assault after 40 days.  While at Jasna Gora, we lit a candle for our intentions at the Chapel of St. Anthony and prayed a decade of the Rosary in front of Our Lady of Czestochowa.

On Tuesday, we were blessed to visit the Sanctuary of St. John Paul II and the Shrine of Divine Mercy, where we were able to venerate relics of St. John Paul II and St. Faustina, invoking their prayers for the intentions of those who entrusted their prayers to us.  And trusting in God’s mercy, the prayer intentions were offered to Jesus while reciting the Divine Mercy Chaplet, for Jesus told St. Faustina:  “It pleases me to grant everything asked of me by saying the chaplet … if what you ask for is compatible with My will.”  In the side chapel of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, before the original painting of St. Faustina’s vision of Jesus under which lies the tomb of St. Faustina, and before our Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the monstrance for adoration, Jesus’ mercy was again invoked for the prayer intentions.

What an honor, Lord, that you entrusted these prayers to us.  We humbly pray you will hear them and answer them according to Thy will.  “O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I Trust in You." 

Catechesis in Wadowice

Our first catechesis and mass in Wadowice....

.After lunch, we did some World Youth Day organized activities, such as kayaking, soccer, and volleyball. 

Marc and Joe played some international volleyball.  Marc also helped Poland out in a tough soccer match vs. Ghana. 

We finished the day by exploring the town a bit more. 

Monday Goodbyes and Tuesday in Krakow

Monday afternoon we said goodbye to our generous host families in Siedlce, a few of whom are pictured here. We then traveled to Krakow, where we said goodbye to one of our pilgrims, Daniel. After traveling for nine hours by train, we finally arrived in Wadowice, the former of hometown of Pope John Paul II, where we are staying in a school with other pilgrims from the U.S. and Canada.

For our first day in Krakow, we went to the Sanctuary of Pope John Paul II. Inside, the church was decorated with beautiful mosaics depicting biblical scenes. Also on display was the cassock that Pope John Paul II wore on the day in 1981 when he was shot in Vatican City.

Next we went to the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy, commemorating St. Sister Faustina of Poland. In front of the chapel of the convent of Divine Mercy is the image of Jesus Christ that was painted after St. Faustina witnessed a vision of Jesus himself in 1931.

Next we headed into the city, where we had a late lunch and then walked to see the Wawel Castle in Krakow and the main square of the old city, pictured here.

Sunday with the Koc Family

In our last day in the Diocese of Siedlce, we attended Mass at the main cathedral.  A choir group from Lebanon provided the music.  Beautiful middle eastern vocals, instrumentation and melodies sung in a Roman Catholic Mass were a reminder that Christ's message is inclusive and for all people.  We are all called to be One.  We are not called to be the same, but called to be one people, united across all borders and cultures.  We each have our gifts and attributes, but we move as one.

Posing with the Choir Group from Lebanon

After Mass, a group of us traveled to the parent's house of our host, Father G.  We were treated to a traditional Polish meal of soup, breaded pork cutlets, roasted potatoes, a secret house recipe for sauerkraut, fresh cherry juice and homemade cream-filled cakes called Napoleons.  All the food was lovingly made by Father's mom, Isa, and his aunt.  They certainly made sure that we had enough!

One of the Napoleons

When we were finished with our four-course meal, Father's dad, Henryk, took us outside to enjoy Polish music and show us his veterinary clinic that he owns with his daughter.  After goofing around with some hats posing for photographs, we went to a huge old oak tree that Napoleon actually rested under during his campaign against Russia.  Henryk then took us to a gathering of pilgrims for a talent show that was happening in his hometown.

Father G, Henryk, Isa and our group

 Father G. and a third year seminarian, Michael, that traveled with us.

Napping Under the Oak Tree like Napoleon

At the talent show that Henryk brought us to

Monday we depart for a 5 hour train ride to Krakow...and continue on to Wadowice.  That will be our base of operations during World Youth Day.  We hope we find internet to continue sharing our adventure.

Arabian Horse Stables, Patrulin Martyrs, and Mass in Kodén

Another incredible day! We began by being treated to some Polish breakfast sausage on top of the already vast selection of breakfast food. We then left the seminary to meet at the Cathedral in Siedlce. We arrived for our morning catechesis where we heard about the history of the Eastern Orthodox Church being unified with the Roman Catholic Church as the Greek Catholic Church. We also learned about impact of Russian occupation that worked to destroy the Greek Catholic Church and 13 martyrs in particular that stood against the Russians and were killed for their faith.

After some coffee, cakes and pastries, we sang a few songs with other pilgrims before walking to a school's cafeteria where we were served a large lunch! A delicious soup with pasta, kumquat juice and then chicken with rice, mashed potatoes, and a cucumber salad. We then walked back to the Cathedral to catch our coach bus.

We traveled to see the Arabian Horse stables and received a tour of their grounds.

One of the horses greeting us.

Then, we traveled to the location of the church where the Pratulin Martyrs were killed.

We received homemade perogis and more cakes! The mother of the priest there even made us fresh apple fritters. All of this before arriving in Kodén for a gathering with hundreds of youth for Mass.

The church built over the foundation of the church where the Pratulin Martyrs stood for their faith.

The basilica in Kodén.

 Pilgrims posing for pics (and what is John eating now).

Day 2 in Siedlce

The day began with morning mass at 7:30 followed by a traditional Polish breakfast of fresh bread, cheeses, eggs, and muesli cereal with warm milk (no meat, it is Friday!).  We then headed to morning catechesis where we learned the three pillars of mercy; merciful acts, merciful words and merciful prayer.

We practiced merciful acts by visiting a Caritas center where children from troubled homes learn, play and grow closer to Jesus.  The children greeted us with a beautiful song and we played games, laughed, exchanged a few gifts and lots of hugs.

Children of Caritas sing for their new American friends

John and Connor set pins in a rousing game of bowling

Card games, puzzles and drawing

Jump rope and hula hoop in the yard

Cards and smiles from the children,

and a handmade gift too!

After a short bus ride, we arrived at Moscibrody, an agricultural restaurant and inn where we learned culinary arts Polish style!  Our instructor, who writes a popular Polish blog on healthy eating, taught us traditional Polish cooking, gluten free and vegan!

While not perfect, we enjoyed the fruits of our labor. But best of all was the fellowship with the many young helpers, our new Polish friends.

And Chris was interviewed, again!

Arrival in Siedlce

Our day began with a sumptuous breakfast in our hotel, followed by a train ride east to Siedlce, where we'll spend the Days in the Diocese.  We were welcomed at the train station by young Polish volunteers who shared with us funny stories, tips about speaking in Polish, and funny vocabulary.  Even Polish names can be challenging to pronounce, so we, in turn, tried to get them to say "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."

Host families met us at the train station, and the rest of our day was filled with performances by local talent and other visiting countries.  In the evening, young people from all around the world came together for prayers, songs, and dances.  Photos with our group and the U.S. flag were in high demand, and we met young people from many different countries, including France, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus, and many others.

Our day ended with a theatrical presentation of the history of Poland and Siedlce.  The theme of Catholicism dominated the performance, which was centered on the mysteries of the rosary: celebrating the joy, sorrow, glory of Poland's past and its hope for the future in the Mysteries of Light.

One of the traditional Polish performances, including song, dance, and authentic dress.

What are some "traditional" American dances??

The history of Poland, in song and dance.

Chris got interviewed!

For live streaming of events:  www.2016jerycho.pl

Day One

                                             Bill and Hayley Falls while we wait for ice cream

Olivia, Heidi and Hayley at our new favorite burger place

Hayley enjoying coffee and a doughnut

The view as we flew into Warsaw

What's John eating now? 

The group outside the castle