Day 4: Discovering Saints (Wed, Aug 29)

Divine Mercy is the theme of this pilgrimage. We walked in the footsteps of Poland's 3 greatest saints of the last century--Pope St John Paul II, St Faustina, and St Maximilian Kolbe.

We held Mass in the small chapel of Niepokalanow, St Maximilian's Franciscan Monastery. It is the community founded by the "Martyr of Auschwitz" who died giving his life for another prisoner.

We stopped in the small village of Swinice Warckie, the birthplace of St Faustina. The small parish church contains the font where she was Baptized and a relic of St Faustina. After receiving visits from Our Lord, St Faustina Kowalska gave us the devotion of Divine Mercy.

The yard of the tiny home where Faustina lived with her parents and their 11 children contained a "Kalinofsky" bush. My maiden name comes from the kalina bush.

We arrived in Czestochowa in time for the evening prayers. The Jasna Gora Monastery contains the beloved icon of the Black Madonna. Tradition holds that it was painted by St Luke. The painting has been in Poland for 600 years and Our Lady is considered to be the patroness of Poland.

The faith and devotion of the Poles is amazing. The large church was totally packed. Their singing blew me away and brought tears to my eyes. The strong clear voices of the Poles was incredibly beautiful with just as many men present as women. Poland is known for its deep Catholic faith. Through all the persecution they have endured, they have always clung to their faith. That is evening the very walls were dripping with devotion.