Polska update...
Well, here I am in Stalowa Wola, Poland!
We had a 3 hour bus ride from Warsaw to Nowa Deba, where Monika's dad picked us up and drove us to Stalowa Wola. We arrived around 4:15/4:30 am. Monika's family (Mical family) got us a hotel room about 100 meters from their house. There is a park close by, which Mike and I worked out later Monday.
Monika and her priest friend, Fr Jozef, took us to Rzeszow (Resovia in English), to be measured for our "magician robe" (the name Monika's brother Wojtek gives to CASSOCK) The man making them said normally they take a month to make, but he would try to have them for us Monday the 6th, but it would be tight. We began walking around the city, went to lunch and called the Cassock-maker at 2. He had finished the cut out of the material and was ready to make marks for alterations, so we went back and tried on the start of our very own tailor made cassocks! We rested in the afternoon and then met Monika's friend Damian, who is entering his last year of seminary. We went to the town where his seminary is, Sandomierz, and walked around a little. We toured the seminary, which used to be a Benedictine cloister. Damian was recently ordained a deacon, so on the way home we asked him to lead evening prayer...his first time in English! (probably his first time in a car too!)
Tuesday we woke up very early in order to go to the 6:30 Mass at the family parish, which is the main church in Stalowa Wola. Mike, Wojtek and I altar served...they had an alb long enough for Mike!!! After missing the first bus at 8, we walked back to their house and watched the Olympics before boarding the 10:45 bus to Krakow, which is 3.5-4 hours away. Once in Krakow we walked around, saw many beautiful churches and the city. Around 7 pm we met up with Mrs. Milik (mother of a recently ordained seminarian brother from Boston), who took us to the Divine Mercy Shrine, and then the JPII center (because of how late we were meeting up with her, the DM Basilica and JPII center were closed, but at least we got to pray at the DM shrine and venerate a relic of St Faustina). We saw the Milik's new house, which they will move into later in the month, and then went to the apartment for tea. It was great to see Mrs Milik, and she was pleased when I told her I used to work at St Thomas in Bridgewater (where Fr Adrian is assigned). You could tell she was very appreciative of the Polish people at St Thomas who told her they would take care of her son, and bring him pierogi!
Yesterday we went to the 9 am Mass at the Mariacki (not pronunced in English the way it looks), and then Monika and Wojtek's dad came to meet us. We went back to the DM Shrine and were able to pray in the basilica this time. Then a quick stop to the JPII site, and then we were off to Salt Mines-- named "Wieliczka" (again with the pronunciation). Only Mike, Wojtek and I went down to the mines. It was ~380 stairs and 54 levels down to the first level of the mine. It was really cool! I've been in a salt mine before (Salzburg 2010!), but this one was HUGE! There were underground Chapels (that STILL have Sunday Mass!) After the 2 hour tour, it was off to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. Similar to Dachau in Germany, it was a very sombering experience. Just to think of the amount of people that came to that ground and never left. The purpose of them going there was to be murdered--destroyed because they didn't worship the same, act or look the same way as others...
After our time there, we drove an hour and half to Czestechowa to go to the shrine there and see the icon of our Lady. Fr Chris back in Boston had given me the email of a priest there who is in charge of VIP relations, and said he'd be able to get us close to the icon. Fr Simon was AWESOME. He was witty, and he got us SO close to the icon. It was SO moving to see the church PACKED with pilgrims, as well as see the walls filled with canes and crutches of those who experienced healings while at the shrine. It was a joy to bring the intentions for which people have asked me to pray to Our Lady and seek her intercession.
We left the shrine around 10:30 for our 4 hour drive back to Stalowa Wola. I wasn't able to sleep most of the ride, so I just hung out in the back and listened to Monika's dad talk with Mike. We arrived back around 2:30, knowing Thursday would be another busy day. We woke up to the phone around 7:40 saying to be ready at 8 because the Cassock-maker needed to see us for "final alterations". Up and ready we got...and down to Resovia with 2 priest friends of Monika's. The cassocks look BEAUTIFUL, and the man told us that he will have them ready tomorrow (Friday)!!!!! (later in the day after Mass, Deacon Damian told us his took one MONTH, and ours took less than one work WEEK! SO awesome!) We went to a castle and toured around. We rushed back to Stalowa Wola to the house because Monika's mom had made a big lunch. She made Golabki and Pierogi...SOOOOO good. (See mom, worry less...I'm being taken care of in Poland!)
I have my God thought for the day, but it will come in a seperate blog....just because I know how Juli gets reading really long posts... ;-)
Tomorrow is "chill day", and we are going to drive to see a mountain. I've been instructed by Monika's mom that I am NOT to climb it because of my foot...And then Saturday we will do a pilgrimage...More on that later. For now...
Dobranoc!
--KPL
We had a 3 hour bus ride from Warsaw to Nowa Deba, where Monika's dad picked us up and drove us to Stalowa Wola. We arrived around 4:15/4:30 am. Monika's family (Mical family) got us a hotel room about 100 meters from their house. There is a park close by, which Mike and I worked out later Monday.
Monika and her priest friend, Fr Jozef, took us to Rzeszow (Resovia in English), to be measured for our "magician robe" (the name Monika's brother Wojtek gives to CASSOCK) The man making them said normally they take a month to make, but he would try to have them for us Monday the 6th, but it would be tight. We began walking around the city, went to lunch and called the Cassock-maker at 2. He had finished the cut out of the material and was ready to make marks for alterations, so we went back and tried on the start of our very own tailor made cassocks! We rested in the afternoon and then met Monika's friend Damian, who is entering his last year of seminary. We went to the town where his seminary is, Sandomierz, and walked around a little. We toured the seminary, which used to be a Benedictine cloister. Damian was recently ordained a deacon, so on the way home we asked him to lead evening prayer...his first time in English! (probably his first time in a car too!)
Tuesday we woke up very early in order to go to the 6:30 Mass at the family parish, which is the main church in Stalowa Wola. Mike, Wojtek and I altar served...they had an alb long enough for Mike!!! After missing the first bus at 8, we walked back to their house and watched the Olympics before boarding the 10:45 bus to Krakow, which is 3.5-4 hours away. Once in Krakow we walked around, saw many beautiful churches and the city. Around 7 pm we met up with Mrs. Milik (mother of a recently ordained seminarian brother from Boston), who took us to the Divine Mercy Shrine, and then the JPII center (because of how late we were meeting up with her, the DM Basilica and JPII center were closed, but at least we got to pray at the DM shrine and venerate a relic of St Faustina). We saw the Milik's new house, which they will move into later in the month, and then went to the apartment for tea. It was great to see Mrs Milik, and she was pleased when I told her I used to work at St Thomas in Bridgewater (where Fr Adrian is assigned). You could tell she was very appreciative of the Polish people at St Thomas who told her they would take care of her son, and bring him pierogi!
Yesterday we went to the 9 am Mass at the Mariacki (not pronunced in English the way it looks), and then Monika and Wojtek's dad came to meet us. We went back to the DM Shrine and were able to pray in the basilica this time. Then a quick stop to the JPII site, and then we were off to Salt Mines-- named "Wieliczka" (again with the pronunciation). Only Mike, Wojtek and I went down to the mines. It was ~380 stairs and 54 levels down to the first level of the mine. It was really cool! I've been in a salt mine before (Salzburg 2010!), but this one was HUGE! There were underground Chapels (that STILL have Sunday Mass!) After the 2 hour tour, it was off to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. Similar to Dachau in Germany, it was a very sombering experience. Just to think of the amount of people that came to that ground and never left. The purpose of them going there was to be murdered--destroyed because they didn't worship the same, act or look the same way as others...
After our time there, we drove an hour and half to Czestechowa to go to the shrine there and see the icon of our Lady. Fr Chris back in Boston had given me the email of a priest there who is in charge of VIP relations, and said he'd be able to get us close to the icon. Fr Simon was AWESOME. He was witty, and he got us SO close to the icon. It was SO moving to see the church PACKED with pilgrims, as well as see the walls filled with canes and crutches of those who experienced healings while at the shrine. It was a joy to bring the intentions for which people have asked me to pray to Our Lady and seek her intercession.
We left the shrine around 10:30 for our 4 hour drive back to Stalowa Wola. I wasn't able to sleep most of the ride, so I just hung out in the back and listened to Monika's dad talk with Mike. We arrived back around 2:30, knowing Thursday would be another busy day. We woke up to the phone around 7:40 saying to be ready at 8 because the Cassock-maker needed to see us for "final alterations". Up and ready we got...and down to Resovia with 2 priest friends of Monika's. The cassocks look BEAUTIFUL, and the man told us that he will have them ready tomorrow (Friday)!!!!! (later in the day after Mass, Deacon Damian told us his took one MONTH, and ours took less than one work WEEK! SO awesome!) We went to a castle and toured around. We rushed back to Stalowa Wola to the house because Monika's mom had made a big lunch. She made Golabki and Pierogi...SOOOOO good. (See mom, worry less...I'm being taken care of in Poland!)
I have my God thought for the day, but it will come in a seperate blog....just because I know how Juli gets reading really long posts... ;-)
Tomorrow is "chill day", and we are going to drive to see a mountain. I've been instructed by Monika's mom that I am NOT to climb it because of my foot...And then Saturday we will do a pilgrimage...More on that later. For now...
Dobranoc!
--KPL
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