Sharing In A Pilgrimage
As the summer is nearing its end, I would like to recount a very memorable event from July. Our summers tend to be busy in a very good way. They are woven with many beautiful feasts and solemnities for the Church and our Order. The biggest Feast of the Order is on July 16, the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This year it was a Sunday, and we had the pleasure of meeting with a Cycling Pilgrimage on their way to the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown PA.
Boguslaw (his name means “Glory to God”) Gaweda is the organizer. In 2015 when his father was diagnosed with cancer, he promised God he would organize an interstate pilgrimage to Our Lady in Czestochowa, Doylestown, PA. That year he made the pilgrimage himself. He asked his parish priest for a blessing and took off on a 2-day prayerful journey. His father passed away that year without any suffering during his battle with cancer. Over the years it grew to be a 7-day multistate pilgrimage of young people who bring their intercessions to Our Lady while cycling through all kinds of difficulties, floods, storms, heat, etc. This year they had over 40 participants including 2 priests (Fr. Krystian Burdzy, from our diocese and Fr Andrzej Wasko, a Salvatorian) and a sister (sr. Maria Dziuban of the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception). This pilgrimage is near and dear to my heart as prior to entering I participated in it. For me it was a remarkable experience of prayer, physical work out and camaraderie. You can learn more about them on narowerze.us.
Our quick meeting in the speak room that squeezed in 40 pilgrims (as you can imagine) was filled with storytelling, joy, prayer, and song- yes, they love to sing! We learned they started their journey that Monday all the way north in Boston, MA. The morning they came to see us was especially trying for them as they were delayed due to tornado watches and heavy rain. Thank God without any incidents. We asked who lived furthest away, and one young man was all the way from Chicago. A few minutes into our meeting I realized Our Lady arranged the whole thing as Fr. Krystian mentioned that all of them were enrolled in the scapular, which means they were able to receive a plenary indulgence by visiting our monastery on this very special Solemnity.
Pilgrimages have a long-standing history in the Catholic Church, they are a journey usually taken to a Holy Place. Pilgrims these days are innovative. They can make their pilgrimage on foot, on a bicycle, on a horse, by plane etc. One of the most popular ones is the Camino de Santiago or the Way of Saint James. They involve prayer and often some hardship and are very representative of each of our lives, with its many difficulties on the journey, our goal being Heaven.
Sr. Teresa of Divine Mercy, O.C.D.