The trip to Poland (part 2)

Greetings world,

I am writing this blog entry as a follow up to the previous blog on my recent Poland trip. I want to show you some of the pictures of some of the things I saw. I'll add a little commentary to help you understand a little more about the trip. Here we go...


To the left is a picture of Our Lady of Czestochowa. This image of Mary is one of the most venerated images in all of Europe. Every morning at 6am, the image is unveiled. But it is not just a normal unveiling; there are trumpets and singing and the works. It is such a beautiful ceremony, and a sign of the devotion that the people of Poland have for the Blessed Virgin Mary.



Here is a picture of the main street in Czestochowa. This city is one of the most visited Marian Pilgrim areas in Europe.
Here is an action shot of our beloved Father Brad celebrating Mass in front of the image. Very cool.














Here is a shot of Auschwitz. Perhaps one of the most haunting images in my mind from the camp. The sign reads: "Arbeit Macht Frei" - Work Makes you Free. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like for the prisoners to read this sign as they entered into this place of death.




This is the second time I have seen this quote from George Santayana. It rings truth, and the inscription needs no commentary.

In what the Nazis called Auschwitz II, located in Birkenau, some 100,000 prisoners were confined into horse stables. The stables were meant to hold 15 horses. The Nazis squeezed 400 men and women into these compartments. Here is a shot of the bunk beds that would be used by the prisoners.