Kelsey: Wiara Nadziei Miłości ("Faith Hope Love")

Me eating Kremowoki

The White March in Krakow, Poland

Berek Joselewicz Street, known as Jewish street (the heart of spirtitual and communal life in Oswiecim) 

Happy Sunday! We got off to an early start this morning and had 7:30am breakfast (that included yummy cocoa pops). After breakfast we drove about 45 minutes to the town of Wadowice. The ride gave us a great chance to look at the Polish landscape. We passed Auschwitz 3 which was a chemical plant during WWII for the Nazis as well as British prisoner of war camp, among other things. Seeing the borders of the camps gave perspective to the massive amount of land they had under control to do what they wanted.

When we arrived in Wadowice it was very quiet, mostly all of the stores and shops were closed (as tradition for a Sunday) and the locals were all on their way to 9am mass. It also didn’t help that it was cold and raining. We saw the outside of what was the home of Pope John Paul II (his birthname is Karol Józef Wojtyła). The home however, is under huge renovations and is to be turned into a museum that captures the life of the former Polish Pope. Right next to the house is the Basilica of Wadowice, the same church John Paul grew up in and attended. While renovations are being done, there is a John Paul II exhibition near that contains many objects from his house, pictures of the Pope throughout his life, writings and so many other things that provide a great biography. I learned that growing up he had a real interest in the arts, wrote poems and even performed in plays. I also was fascinated by a large mural on the wall that depicts a picture of the city of Krakow on May 17, 1981. It was following the attempted assassination on John Paul’s life and the “White March” was held. Thousands and thousands of people filled the streets in honor of the Pope and it just showed the giant support he had. John Paul II was such a significant figure in Polish history because of the work he does as well as the fact that he was the first Polish Pope, and the first to replace over 400 years of Italian Popes. He was also elected at a rough point in Polish history; they had already suffered constant oppression specifically with the Nazi takeover during WWII along with the Communist takeover afterwards. His election to Papacy gave hope to many people. We also got to taste the Pope’s favorite dessert to have called Kremowiki. I would try to describe it but it will only make me want another because it was so delicious!

We also visited a Jewish cemetery that was used prior to WWII but still remains intact. This cemetery sits in a village locked away with little to no visitors and is a reminder of the Jewish population that once strived in Poland.

Our next stop was attending mass in the beautiful basilica in Wadowice. The mass was all in Polish so we had to try our best to follow what everyone did but we managed.

After lunch back at the Center, we went to a Jewish museum in Oswiecem. This was also another painful reminder of the damage WWII and the Holocaust had on the Jewish population. Oswiecem was once dominated by a 60% Jewish population. After the Nazi takeover their synagogues and homes were destroyed and the population is no longer present in the area. The museum is held in the only surviving temple that was used as possible Nazi weapon storage. Inside the museum are artifacts that were excavated from underground the once Giant Synagogue that dominated the village skyline before it was destroyed. Oh and then we got hot chocolate that is completely different from the US.. pure melted chocolate!

After dinner, we had a lecture from Fr. Dr. Manfred, a German priest that has lived in Poland for the last 22 years. His lecture was eye opening and introduced us to the different perspectives of the Holocaust, that of the Germans, the Polish and the Israelis. It will be useful to keep in mind on tomorrows visit into Auschwitz 1. Tomorrow will certainly be a life changing experience. Keep posted for the update! And I Hope everyone had a great weekend!