Letters from Deacon Bill.
Received June 15;
WOW!!!!!!
We departed from the valley without a hitch. All the contingencies were unnecessary as all the youth were ready to go. We started loading in Alpine, then to Nordic Ranch, The Wolf Den and then the church, and on our way at 5:30. No stops no hitches & no glitches and we were at the airport in Salt Lake City by 9:30. Waited for the group from Rock Springs and left at 12:40 p.m., arriving in Chicago at 4:45. A bit of dinner and a wait for our flight to Munich at 8:40. Youth are still excited, this old guy is looking for a little sleep, maybe tomorrow.
We are staying in a hostel called “Lemon” informally, and a much longer name on the Internet. Fr. Flo arrived about 2:30 this morning coming from Rome and the closing of The Year of the Priests. Breakfast is very simple, cold cereal, juice, bread, sliced meat & cheese, the rooms are small, but adequate with shared bathrooms. We started the day going to Auschwitz/Birkenau. We had an excellent guide and learned not only the history of the camp, but a lot of the history of Poland. To say that the tour was thought provoking would be an understatement. One important point is the number of Poles, and other ethnicities who were murdered in these camps. There are 2.2 million Poles unaccounted for from WW II, not counting the Polish Jews. Our guides referred to the camps as international cemeteries.There are many things to think about as far as how we treat our fellow man. We traveled to Watowice, the birthplace of JP II, toured his house and the town and the minor basilica next to his house, which is very beautiful. Traveled back to Krakow for a late dinner. Dinner is soup,cole slaw, potatoes, and meat, beef or chicken. Simple fare, but quite tasty and filling. The kids are taking full advantage of the local market across the street, even freezing bottles of water in the ice cream cooler, because there is no ice. Off to bed.
Today was a trip through more Polish history, with a toutof the Wavel Castle and Cathedral. The castle was the home of the Polish kings until the Capitol was moved to Warsaw in the 1700′s. Poland ceased to exist as a country from 1795 until the. End of WW 1 when the Allies re established the country. The castle has been restored to much of it’s former splendor including the 136 tapestry wall hangings which comprise the largest collection in the world. The workmanship and colors, including gold & silver threads is just magnificent. Our guides were excellent and made the history of Krakow and Poland come alive for our youth. We attended Mass in Polish in the Wavel cathedral. What a beautiful structure! After Mass we took the train to the Shrine of Divine Mercy and spent time on the grounds, in the Basilica, and other buildings. The facility is quite large and beautiful and is still an active convent and school. Took the train back to the castle.and back to the hostel for a 9:00 dinner, 9:45 meeting to reflect on the day, and off to bed for a 6:00 breakfast and departure.
Monday & we are off to Czestochowa and Katowice. The trip is nearly 200 miles, so travel is a part of the day, which allows everyone to catch up on their sleep and view the Polish countryside on a cool, rainy day. The stop to see the Black Madonna was truly wonderful. Fr Flo celebrated Mass in the chapel adjacent to the Chapel of the Blessed Mother. Although today was a Monday, the church was continually packed with tours, 1st communicants and their families, and pilgrims. We got a real dose of being wedged in a crowd, an unusual situation for people from Wyoming. We were able to get quite close to the icon which is heavily jeweled and is above the altar at the back of the chapel. The adjoining basilica is undergoing restoration and is also quite breathtaking. Our Lady of Czestochowa is considered the Mother of Poland and this shrine is the most important in the country. This stop has to be the highlight of the trip to Poland and made everyone very aware of their Catholic heritage. We then traveled to the city of Katowice, and visited the Church of St. Stephen and the Cathedral of Katowice. The cathedral is the largest in Poland, and is spectacular inside. The outside is showing the effects of age and elements and is undergoing restoration. The church of St. Stephen is quite beautiful and was a wonderful stop and lunch break. Most of the youth stopped by the local confectionary and then treated us to a busload of sugar high teens. I did notice that there are a lot of retail coal yards throughout the country, the sign of a modern, progressive country. Busing back to Krakow for a walk through old town, a night to pack and prepare for the trip to Prague, about 340 miles away, tomorrow. In the old part of Krakow is the Basilica of the Virgin Mary. We had about 20 minutes to tour the basilica before it closed. The interior is undergoing restoration and the stained glass, altar, and wooden structures covered in gold leaf are truly magnificent. We had about a half hour to walk cheap propecia through the stalls in the central square and buy an assortment of items. Chess sets, jasper necklaces & bracelets, ceramics, & icons seemed to be the most prevalent items. A bus ride home, very late dinner and pack for the trip to Prague.
We actually left on time, with a 6:00 departure. A lot of fog after 2 days of rain, but beautiful sunny morning.
End of June 15 note.