Linda Walsh is sharing the pilgrims daily visits in Poland during the 2016 World Youth Day!
Please click on the pictures for a larger view and to read the captions.

Our pilgrims had a wonderful five days with their Days in the Diocese families in the small town of Powankow. They took bike rides, won the Olympics against Lithuania and Slovakia, and learned about the Polish culture. On their way from this little town to Kraków, they also made a stop in Auschwitz.


DAY ONE: Day one at World Youth Day was spent doing a walking pilgrimage to the Divine Mercy Sanctuary and JPII Center. There was record heat and very many people, but we had a nice visit. Then we made our way back to our hostel to prepare for the opening mass. We had a little ticket snafu and it was a long distance away, but we made it there as well.

DAY TWO: The pope arrived today! We spent the day at catechesis and visiting the Schlindler factory and city center, then made our way to Bolonia Park for the welcome of the Pope. Over a million people at least! A very festive night with people from 180 countries!

DAY THREE: Today we did lots of walking (and getting lost). Stations of the cross were the evening event at Blonia Park, which is quite a hike from our hostel, but very besutiful. Today we also celebrated our own group mass at the hostel, and started preparing ourselves for the vigil tomorrow with extra prayer and parish group time. We are ready to do this pilgrimage walk!!

DAY FOUR: The vigil took place Saturday morning into Sunday afternoon. We walked about 12 miles, praying a decade of the Divine Mercy chaplet at each rest stop. Once at the site we spent the night in Adoration, song and prayer. Mass Sunday morning and at the end the pope announced the next WYD will be in Panama. Will you be there?

DAY FIVE: Today we said goodbye to Kraków. We had a nice group mass followed by a walking tour of the old Jewish quarter of Kraków and visited a synagogue and a street market. Then we boarded a bus for the seven hour ride to Prague! Stopped at a McDonalds along the way and got here for a free night. Tomorrow will be our final day in Europe.

END OF PILGRAMAGE: Today we enjoyed our last day as a group in Europe. Two more Pilgrims went on their way to other countries today, and tomorrow four more will leave the group. We left with 42 and 35 will return to Reno! While in Europe, might as well stay! Today we celebrated mass at the Shrine of the Infant of Prague. Father Tom (Babu) got to concelebrate. After mass we had our group photo taken with Chris Stefanick, a famous catholic youth speaker. We had a walking tour of Prague, and ended the day with our farewell dinner - also with Chris Stefanick and his group from Syracuse. Great end to an amazing trip with wonderful people. Youth in our group came from St Michaels, Snows, St Gall, St Alberts, St Josephs, two seminaries and mostly St Rose!