Arrival and Anticipation

       

Compilation of Jewish tomb stones at old Jewish cemetery 

More Jewish tombs stones in rows at the Jewish cemetery

The Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Beautiful sunset from the second floor of the Center of Prayer and Dialogue 

         We arrived in Poland after a 9 hour flight at 10:30 am Saturday morning. We arrived at the Center of Prayer and Dialogue, our residence for the week, and were welcomed with a delicious polish dinner. We had soup, salad, chicken, mashed potatoes. All the food tasted so fresh and flavorful.  After lunch we continued on a tour of the town Oswiecim, where the Center of Prayer and Dialogue is located. We walked around the old Jewish cemetery, which is kept by volunteers. We learned that during WWII  many of the stones were moved from their original location and some of the stones were used for road pavements. In contrast, we visited the modern polish cemetery down the road from the old Jewish cemetery. There, we saw people coming to visit their loved ones with beautiful flowers and candles. Next, we walked over to a Jewish Museum and learned about Jewish traditions and were able to sit in the last synagogue in the town. We then went back to the center and had another delicious meal. We all went to the bed rather early, about 9 pm for me, because many of us did not get much sleep on the flight! I enjoyed walking around the town, observing the polish people, seeing the town squares, and especially enjoying nature. The weather was pleasant on Saturday and we were able to witness a gorgeous sunset on a way to dinner. 

            Day 2 was another incredible day. We took a 45 minute bus ride to Wadowice, Poland. Wadowice is the birthplace of Pope John Paul II. Today was Palm Sunday so we were able to see a Palm Sunday procession in front of the Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We had a tour of the town and saw Pope John Paul's elementary and high school. My favorite part of the day was when we went to the museum of Pope John Paul II, which was also his home. It was interesting to see the early and late life stories of Pope John Paul and understand where his love for Polish culture was rooted in. Pope John Paul travelled to many countries and mended relations with Jews and Christians. At the end of the night we had a lecture with Father Manfred about different perspectives during and after the Holocaust. He emphasized the importance of listening to one another because all cultures have different perspectives. During his talk, I was thinking about how many people today may look at the Germans today as guilty of causing suffering during WWII. Germans understand the horrific actions Hitler took during the war and memory and reflection of the Holocaust is present in Germany today. Sr. Mary mentioned something that stuck with me. She said we are here to remember and honor the memory  of the Holocaust but have to let ourselves feel the way we want to feel. There is no right or wrong perspective of the Holocaust. On the first night of the trip, Sr. Mary encouraged us to think about why we are here. Tomorrow, as we visit the camp, I hope to gain insight and knowledge which will help me discover why the Holocaust happened and why I am here.

Marina Falisi