Poland. We visited Poland for our 5-day Fall Break weekend. It was exciting to leave Italy--the first time since our arrival to Italy, which isn’t hard to believe considering Italy has so much to see inside itself.
I really didn’t know too much about Poland before arriving. What I learned on the trip has given me a whole new appreciation for this country, wedged in the middle of Europe. After learning so much about it, I now consider it a powerhouse. Never underestimate Poland’s power. Although a young country, only 92 years old, this country has been through a lot, seen a lot, and pulled through, united! The faith of the people became so apparent even within the first day of being there. The faith, I believe, is what has pulled them through WWII and even Communism. Solidarity fought Communism without shooting a single bullet. The Polish used reason to combat the very thing Communism was trying to inhibit--thought!
We visited Auschwitz the first day. What a moving experience. The gray, chilliness of the air and its surroundings lent to the experience of seeing Nazi Germany’s worst death and concentration camps. To see the result of what ultimate power can do and imagine how evil can corrupt humans to the point of destroying their own race was something that only made me more confused. I still can’t imagine how one human can kill another, how one human can witness another in pain and do nothing, how one human can kill mercilessly. To walk the streets and see the buildings that were a part of something so inhuman, and to imagine the lives of those who walked the same cobblestone paths--both the Holocaust victims and the Nazi soldiers--was an experience I cannot even describe. I thought about it and it’s so easy to see something like that and be affected by it and then walk away leaving history behind, in the past. Something I took away from my visit at Auschwitz is that we must learn from history and take it with us. History does repeat itself and if we don’t learn from history and allow it to teach us something, then we’ll continue to make the mistakes we have in the past. Being present within history, as history is yesterday…it’s the past minute, means taking part in what’s happening right now. I have found it most difficult to recognize that today, right now, we have wars going on--not just in the middle east, but right in our own country, namely abortion. Millions are killed every year. The same thing that I blame those in the past for, is the same thing I can be blamed for: mediocrity. Those who didn’t take a stand during WWII, by not informing themselves and those around them about what was really going on to avoid actually having to do something about it, is the very thing I’m doing. What am I doing to help society and the world? Am I taking a stance?
Something that also ties in with this is our visit to the Rising (Uprising) Museum we visited in Warsaw. The Museum told the history of the lives of the Resistance movement, called the Warsaw Uprising, who fought Hitler’s agenda during WWII, starting in 1944. They fought up until the day when the entirety of Warsaw was destroyed by the Nazi’s. Warsaw stood in the way of Hitler’s advance to Russia. One story that stood out to me was of one man who described how he and several others hid in the sewers for up to fifteen days at a time, living off of sugar cubes. When he thought he couldn’t do it anymore, he was encouraged by the others whom he was with. Stories such as this one defined the courage and persistence of the brave Polish who stood up for something that was wrong. We all can draw inspiration from this. I know I did! It made me think of my own self: would I be that strong if I were in that same situation? Would I be strong enough?
It was ironic that we were to visit the Divine Mercy Shrine that same night, after Auschwitz. Christ, the Dispenser of love and mercy, gave his message to St. Faustina in a country that He knew was going to face a lot. The message now spread world-wide, calls us to ask for and trust in God’s mercy. To go from something so horrific to something so hopeful was a reminder that God is in control. Humans have the capacity, because of their free will, to sin. Yet, God, being the merciful, loving God that He is gives us His Love and Mercy!
The rest of the trip only got better. We visited the Salt Mines, Krakow, and Warsaw. In Krakow, we witnessed the festivities of the Polish Independence Day, celebrating 92 years of freedom! We met some friends who showed us around Krakow! In Warsaw, and this is probably what made our Poland trip an experience beyond what we saw, we met our host families--the families what would be hosting all 9 of us for three days and nights. I was able to truly experience the hospitality of the Polish people. It enhanced my experience to get to know those who lived and were a part of Polish culture so much that I could not help but be affected and attached to the Polish people. They are some of the most humble, hearty, genuine people I have ever encountered. Each family went out of their way to see that our visit to Poland was amazing. They fed us. They organized our days! It was our interactions with them, conversing with them, and getting to know them that showed all of us, I think, why Poland is so special. This one country that no one might think to go to is the one country that is so full of history and good people!
We ended on a good note. Our last day was spent in Czestochowa! So beautiful. The cathedral where the image was housed was gorgeous. The steeple rose high into the deep blue sky where, against the grey-ish, white clouds, it stood as reminder that we must always be pointed upward. Seeing the image for the first time was when we entered the chapel for Mass. It was more beautiful than I could have imagined. It think that it is still being venerated today after five centuries, amazed me. I saw pilgrims all over--hundreds of them--venerating this image. To see the faith of these people as they crawled on their knees around this image--many praying for a miracle--was so beautiful.
As amazing as Poland was, arriving back to Rome felt like arriving back “home” after a trip. I was actually really excited to speak Italian (the little I do know) again, and even interact with the rude Italian mentality again. I think I learned to appreciate it more, and it made me realize I only have so much time left here. It’s hard to describe, but I feel attached to Rome. There’s something about it that attracts me to it. I will always love Rome!
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