Archdiocese plans pilgrimage to
Poland and the Czech Republic

By Brandon A. Evans

Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein will lead an archdiocesan pilgrimage to Poland and the Czech Republic from
May 12-21, 2006.

The cost of the trip, which includes air fare, hotels, some meals, sightseeing fees, transportation and a tour guide, is $3,399 for a double room and $4,584 for a single room.

It will be the first time that the archdiocese has hosted a pilgrimage to these countries.

“The archbishop wanted to visit the home of Pope John Paul II, specifically where he was born, baptized and went to school,” said Carolyn Noone, associate director of special events for the archdiocese.

“I very much want to visit the sites where Pope John Paul II lived his life as well as visit these two beautiful countries,” Noone said.

Because of this unique aspect of the trip, Noone thinks that the available spots may fill up quickly even though the deadline to register for the trip is Jan. 31, 2006.

The pilgrims will leave Indianapolis on May 12 and arrive the next day in Warsaw, Poland.

The day will include a driving tour of the capital of Poland and Mass at the Cathedral of St. John, one of the city’s oldest churches.

The next day, the pilgrims will visit the small town of Szymanow to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Jazlowiec.

On the morning of May 15, the group will drive to Czestochowa to see the Jasna Góra Monastery that contains the famed Black Madonna. Mass will be celebrated at the monastery.

Later that day, the pilgrimage will continue to Krakow.

On May 16, the pilgrims will celebrate morning Mass then enjoy sightseeing in Krakow, including the Main Market Square, St. Mary’s Church and Wawel Hill.

That afternoon, the group will travel to the distant suburb of Tyniec to visit an 11th-century abbey that was the Benedictines first base in Poland.

The next morning, the pilgrimage will continue to Zakopane to visit Poland’s premier mountain resort where the late Pope John Paul II spent time hiking as a young man. Mass will be celebrated and there will be time for exploring.

On May 18, the group will start the day with morning Mass and a trip to Wadowice, the birthplace of Karol Wojtyla. The pilgrims will have a chance to see the house where the future pope was born as well as the church where he was baptized.

They will then travel to Katowice by motorcoach and board trains to Prague, Czech Republic.

The next morning, there will be a time for sightseeing in the city that used to be the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Part of the touring will include St. Vitus Cathedral, which contains the tombs of the Czech kings.

On May 20, the group will celebrate Mass in the Loreta Church in Prague, which is fashioned to resemble the home of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The afternoon is free.

The next day, the pilgrimage group departs for home, arriving in Indianapolis in the early evening.

(For more information about the pilgrimage or to register, call Carolyn Noone at the Archdiocese of Indianapolis at 317-236-1428 or 800-382-9836, ext. 1428, or e-mail cnoone@archindy.org.) †