Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Eastern Europe - Czestochowa Oct 17

Our last day! It hardly seems possible - the time has flown by!   
Today, we drove to Czestochowa to the Pauline Monastery of Jasna Gora, home of the "Black Madonna"






Beautiful religious articles are everywhere






These bells are still active


This shrine is to pilgrims who died in an airplane accident while on the way here

Statues in front relate the Mysteries of the Rosary The Agony in the Garden

The crowning with thorns

The crucifixion

The Resurrection

Descent of the Holy Spirit

The Assumption of Our Lady

The Coronation

Stations of the Cross were in the old castle moat Jesus is condemned to die

"Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times"


Veronica wipes the face of Jesus


Jesus dies on the cross

In the main basilica

Side chapel


The ambo

During the tour, Fr Thomas said "you've got a nice camera, take a picture of that window"

Just outside the treasury

Stations of the cross with scenes from Auschwitz as background





Mass in the Chapel of the Sacred Heart


The chapel of Our Lady of Jasna Gora

Fr Thomas tells us of the unveiling of the image


The veil lifts slowly revealing the image, said to have been made by St Luke in Ephasus









Fr Thomas


Fr Blessed us with Holy Water in the sacristy


In the sacristy



On the way out, we saw this statue - not sure what it represents


Warsaw - Church of St Stanislaus









St Stanislaus Church - grave of Blessed Fr Jerzy Popieluszko





On the road between Czestochowa and Warsaw



A rest stop with giraffes!





At the last supper in Warsaw




As we bid adieu to Poland and our group of new found friends, we look froward to our next adventure!