WYD Trip Exposes Truest Sense Of Pilgrimage
In the truest sense of the word “pilgrimage,” 47 young adults from the Diocese of Evansville have returned home following a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland. This once-in-a-lifetime experience was filled with graces and challenges, but all returned with a greater sense of the universal nature of the Church and God’s call to a land of modern-day saints.
We departed the Catholic Center on July 23 and quickly learned the first lesson of pilgrimage: All things are in God’s hands.
Following a 6-hour bus ride to Chicago O’Hare, inclement weather grounded all flights in and out of the airport. A 9:30p departure left near midnight, thus affecting planned stops in Warsaw and Niepokalonow, the site of the monastery of 20th century saint, Maximilian Kolbe. But the delay proved providential as it resulted in a Mass in a private chapel in Czestochowa presided by Bishop Charles C. Thompson. “I still can’t stop thinking how amazing it was for our group to have a private Mass at this holy site,” commented one pilgrim, “I will never forget it.”
Following a late dinner, the pilgrims spent the night at the Mercure Czestochowa, grabbing a few hours of sleep before participating in the unveiling ceremony of “The Black Madonna” at 6 a.m. local time on July 25. The icon is covered each night with an elaborate, golden sheath. Each morning, to trumpet fanfare, the icon is unveiled prior to Mass. After time to tour the many ornate chapels around Jasna Gora, the pilgrims made the long bus journey to Krakow.
The week was filled with opportunities to pray with other pilgrims from around the world, the first of which occurred as part of the “Pilgrimage of Mercy” to the Sanctuary for Divine Mercy and the JPII Center. Thanks to a great Polish guide, Paulina (who accompanied the group for the week), pilgrims not only were able to see relics of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, but they also were given the unique opportunity to venerate a first-class relic of Pope St. John Paul II. The relic (a vile of the saint’s blood) was exposed for our pilgrims to touch or kiss as they prayed, a remarkably moving moment.
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings found our pilgrims in Blonia Park, a large, outdoor area reserved for the opening session, the welcoming of Pope Francis, and the Stations of the Cross with the Holy Father. Nearly 2.5 million pilgrims attended these spiritual events.
The week culminated in the Saturday night Vigil and Sunday Mass with the Holy Father at Campus Misericordiae. The nearly 10-mile walk each way, surrounded by millions of other pilgrims, provided a significant glimpse of the universal Church, and it stressed the sacrificial nature of pilgrimage.
Despite the heat, the long walks, and the challenges of such a large crowd, our diocesan pilgrims unanimously agreed that the experience was worth the effort. Some have already begun planning for the next World Youth Day in Panama in 2019.
Dabrowski is Diocesan Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. He coordinated the arrangements for our diocesan pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2016.
