Being so close to the icon of the Black Madonna, the Queen of Poland, was indescribable. The beauty and reverence of the whole chapel, even the whole monastery was breathtaking. What a blessing to spend the evening before Our Lady in the very heart of Poland.
This was one of my favorite moments of the entire trip. It was an amazing opportunity to get so close to the Black Madonna. It was inspiring to be so near to an icon that is so dear to the entire nation of Poland. We were all very grateful to Anna and Father Boguslaw for helping us to get near the front.
This evening may have been the pinnacle of the week for me. Walking through the chapel toward the icon, I couldn't look away from the hundreds of thousands of tokens lining the walls in remembrance of prayers answered. From discarded crutches to rosaries, it was stunning to realize that each item represented an individual story. When Fr. Boguslaw led us to the front section for evening prayer, I knew immediately it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Looking over my shoulder, I could see thousands of people filling the chapel, but we were just a few feet away from what he said was the holiest place in all of Poland. Seeing the icon up close was fascinating, especially seeing the scars on the cheek -- we had just learned in one of our lectures about how the Polish people interpret those scars as proof that Mary suffered with them throughout their tumultuous history, so to witness their devotion to her was very touching. Although the language barrier made it difficult to participate in the prayer service, the soothing sounds and the peaceful atmosphere was wonderful. I think we all perked up when we caught the words "University of Notre Dame," and we later learned the priest had read a list of different groups that had traveled to the shrine that evening to remember as special prayer intentions.
Being so close to the icon of the Black Madonna, the Queen of Poland, was indescribable. The beauty and reverence of the whole chapel, even the whole monastery was breathtaking. What a blessing to spend the evening before Our Lady in the very heart of Poland.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of my favorite moments of the entire trip. It was an amazing opportunity to get so close to the Black Madonna. It was inspiring to be so near to an icon that is so dear to the entire nation of Poland. We were all very grateful to Anna and Father Boguslaw for helping us to get near the front.
ReplyDeleteThis evening may have been the pinnacle of the week for me. Walking through the chapel toward the icon, I couldn't look away from the hundreds of thousands of tokens lining the walls in remembrance of prayers answered. From discarded crutches to rosaries, it was stunning to realize that each item represented an individual story.
ReplyDeleteWhen Fr. Boguslaw led us to the front section for evening prayer, I knew immediately it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Looking over my shoulder, I could see thousands of people filling the chapel, but we were just a few feet away from what he said was the holiest place in all of Poland. Seeing the icon up close was fascinating, especially seeing the scars on the cheek -- we had just learned in one of our lectures about how the Polish people interpret those scars as proof that Mary suffered with them throughout their tumultuous history, so to witness their devotion to her was very touching.
Although the language barrier made it difficult to participate in the prayer service, the soothing sounds and the peaceful atmosphere was wonderful. I think we all perked up when we caught the words "University of Notre Dame," and we later learned the priest had read a list of different groups that had traveled to the shrine that evening to remember as special prayer intentions.