I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the
multitude, I went with them to the house of God,
with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
Ps 42,4
The Pilgrimage begins July 5th at 8:00 AM, at the Church of the Divine
Providence, 1 Cardinal Hlond Street. Warsaw, Poland.
GPS point: N52°09.587 E21°04.314 (Garmin)
There will be a registration following the Mass which will cost around
50 euros, for the whole pilgrimage.
The Church must consider it one of her
principal
duties-at every stage of history and especially in our modern age-to
proclaim and to introduce into life the mystery of mercy, supremely
revealed in Jesus Christ. Not only for the Church herself as the
community of believers but also in a certain sense for all humanity,
this mystery is the source of a life different from the life which can
be built by man, who is exposed to the oppressive forces of the
threefold concupiscence active within him.
The Church proclaims the truth of God's mercy revealed in the crucified
and risen Christ, and she professes it in various ways. Furthermore,
she seeks to practice mercy towards people through people, and she sees
in this an indispensable condition for solicitude for a better and
"more human" world, today and tomorrow. However, at no time and in no
historical period-especially at a moment as critical as our own-can the
Church forget the prayer that is a cry for the mercy of God amid the
many forms of evil which weigh upon humanity and threaten it. Precisely
this is the fundamental right and duty of the Church in Christ Jesus,
her right and duty towards God and towards humanity.
WAPM is an annual pilgrimage from Warsaw to Czestochowa, the religious
heart of Poland and site of the Black Madonna Shrine.
Approximately 5,000 people, mostly youth, walk the 300+kms (160 miles)
over a 10 day period. The pilgrims are staggered into smaller groups
consisting of a few hundred each. Every morning is celebrated with Mass
followed by many hours walking (with sufficient rest-stops) while
praying the Rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet, singing songs and spending
time in reflection. Evenings are concluded with a prayer followed by
pilgrims taking their rest in a tent. Upon arrival in Czestochowa,
pilgrims merge with many other pilgrims groups arriving from all
corners of the country, creating a mass of faithful, honouring Our Lady
the Queen of Poland. August the 14th in Czestochowa there is a 1pm
(1300h) Mass to conclude the event.
How do I take part?
Registration - Green Group :) - is ongoing in August 1st with the
evening of August 4th being the deadline. The registration point is St.
Anne's Church, Warsaw and it also acts as the starting point for the
pilgrimage. The Opening Mass begins at 5:30am (0530h) although I had to
negotiate with my Youth Hostel to let me out that early. After Mass the
smaller groups assemble and depart Warsaw amid waves from Babcia's
(grandmothers) lining the streets!
I don't speak Polish, is that a problem?
No, from personal experience I can guarantee that every Pole will do
their best to make you feel welcome, especially if you don't speak
Polish. A large number of pilgrims are capable of conversational
English and after some initial shyness, will happily engage you.
Remember that they are touched by you joining them in pilgrimage.
Food?
Food is plentiful. Is is a good idea to bring some of your own but
Poles are exceedingly generous and you may end up with multiple dinner
invitations! Vans stocked with drinks, pastries and sausage rolls also
cater for pilgrims along the route so for a few zloty each day, you
won't go hungry.
Do I have to be Catholic?
No, while prayers and songs are undoubtedly Catholic, everyone is
welcome. We are all children of God.
What should I bring?
Tent, sleeping bag and mat
Adequate supply of socks
Large metal mug (for soup)
Sunscreen and hat
Raincoat (no umbrellas)
Basin (for washing)
Your national flag!
Friends (optional of course!)
Money to buy food and drinks (100zl is sufficient)
How do I get back from Czestochowa to Warsaw?
Buses and trains will take you back to Warsaw (3 hours) following the
conclusion of WAPM. For peace of mind, yuo should book your flight
departure from Warsaw on the August 15th or later.
The route of the pilgrimage is
more or less 160 miles (daily walk of 16-17 miles), regardless of the
rain or the sun. Piglrimage bypasess big cities; our way leads through
some villages, forests, open fields. Night's lodging is your own tent.
Our bags and tents during the day are transported by the tracks. No
smoking, no alcohol, no co-education, no drugs, no bath in the rivers,
proper dress. Categorically do not use the candle-lights in your tents.
It is very important to have
comfortable shoes and socks - forget about quite new ones. During the
way you need small rucksack with food and drink for all day, a
sunscreen cap, a spoon, a cup, a sweater; take also something against
the rain (not umbrella!); basin, basic medicine. Don't forget your
national flag :) A high number of pilgrims can speak English and
German. Traditionally we call one another "sister" and "brother".
Need more info? Ask:
makowieckimd (at) hotmail.com - Mark (Australia)
or
wapm (at) wapm.pl Fr. Andrzej Wasko, salvatorian
"Now as I pour out my
soul, I remember all this - how I used to lead the faithful in
procession to the house of God, amid shouts of joy and thanksgiving,
among the feasting throng."
Yahweh, the God of hosts speaks, "People
will come from other nations people from great cities. The inhabitans
of one town will talk with those of another. Then they will say: 'Come,
let us go and implore the favor of Yahweh, and I, too, will seek
Yahweh'. Many great peoples and powerful nations will come seeking
Yahweh, God of hosts, in Jerusalem and pray to him".
Yahweh, the God of hosts assures
you, "In those days ten men of different languages spoken in
various lands, will take hold of a Jew by the hem of his garment and
say: We, too, want to go with you for we have heard that God is with
you."
Zec 8, 20-23
* * * * *
* * * * * * * * * *
The pilgrim church of God,
We mount the narrow way,
We tread the path that Jesus trod,
His call obey:
To whom God sent his Son,
On whom the Spirit came,
Who in the faith of Christ are one
And in his name.
What though the way tread
Be dark, or faith be dim?
We look to Christ our risen Head
And walk with him.
So lead your children on
In love and truth and grace,
To come where Christ himself has gone
And see his face.
We are a pilgrim people,
journeying through
the varied landscapes of life, on our way to the heavenly Jerusalem.
Let us travel light, unburdened by useless baggage - material or
spiritual - and sing this pilgrim psalm to the God who has given us
such a glorious gol in life.
* * * * *
* * * * * * * * * *
Keith Wheeler has been to WAPM
DEAR
INTERNET FAMILY AND FRIENDS,
Praise the Lord!! Amazing!
Incredible! And
unbelievable! What a glorious trip! This had to be one of the most
awesome times I have ever experienced in carrying the cross around the
world! In August 2005, with God's help, I had the great joy of
traveling with two of my longtime friends, Tim Maxson and Nate
Gustafson. Both of these men are like brothers to me and it was a joy
to walk together. We had the privilege of walking with tens of
thousands of pilgrims across Poland! It was truly glorious!
A year ago, I received an email
inviting me to be a part of an annual pilgrimage across Poland. For
hundreds of years, pilgrimages have been made from all over Poland to
the city of Czestochowa. The tradition still continues with many groups
even walking from other locations across Europe! There are groups of
tens of thousands of people who walked along the highway, through
forests and fields to this city. These groups are made up of children,
young and old people, babies in carriages, and even families. Soldiers
from the Polish, Czech, and Slovakian Armies even had large groups,
along with the Polish Navy. Each group was divided into smaller groups
with a priest who would help lead the teaching and singing. Every group
had a public address system that was carried like a backpack by
different volunteers each day. It often stretched hundreds of yards
(the length of each group) so that everyone in the group was able to
hear.
We began at St. Ann's Church at
the edge of the Old City in Warsaw and began walking through the
streets. Tens of thousands of people lined the streets crying,
clapping, and encouraging us on. We walked ten days (about 160 miles)
for our arrival in Czestochowa. For miles in front and miles in back,
all you could see was people! It was one of the most amazing sights I
have ever seen! As the groups began to arrive in Czestochowa, I
couldn't help but think how closely this must resemble the pilgrimages
in the Bible up to Jerusalem! It was awesome to see as tens of
thousands of people were arriving!
I don't know if I have ever been
with a more spiritually hungry group of people anywhere in the world!
It is almost impossible to describe how open the people were and how
much love there was. Each day, different priests and groups would
invite me to speak with their individual group. I had the privilege of
sharing about Jesus and how we can be forgiven and know Him personally.
I would explain how He wants to come and live in our life and how he
will join us in our pilgrimage through life; and that He will never
ever leave us. Then, I would have the honor of leading that group in
prayer. Most days it was constant preaching, praying, and counseling
from one group to the next. It seemed like there was never a moment of
rest! Even at night I would be often be speaking with people and
counseling late into the night. One day, I literally preached,
counseled, or prayed with people nonstop from four in the morning until
midnight that night! At night, we would sleep in the fields or in barns
that people along the way had volunteered for the pilgrimage. Each day
I would go to sleep totally exhausted, physically, mentally, and
emotionally. Oh, but what a way to go!
Not only did I walk with tens of
thousands of people -- as we walked into a city or village, there would
often be thousands of people lining the streets! Even out in the
countryside!! Many days, the cross would be covered with flowers and
often, food and water would be tied onto it. People would often be
crying and give me a hug and kiss, or they would touch and kiss the
cross. Over and over again, I would have people thank us for coming to
their group. So many would tell us, "Now, I know Jesus!" or "Your
message and the cross changed my life!" One day, a young lady ran up to
the cross and pulled off my sunglasses and looked into my eyes. "Yes,
yes!! I heard that you have Jesus and I want Him too!"
There was so much love! Walking
with these beautiful people was amazing!! The people of Poland seem to
understand the cross like very few other places in this world. They are
true friends of the cross! They are so humble, and open and hungry to
follow Jesus! I can't tell you how much I learned by walking with these
precious people; my life was truly enriched! I only pray that God would
give me grace to return one day!
Thank you!! Thanks for loving
Jesus so much and for your desire to follow Him! Thanks for the love,
friendship, graciousness, and example that you have shown Cherie, the
kids, and I. Thanks for enduring with us through these last two letters
(we promise the next ones won't be so long!)! It's your prayers and
gifts that continue to send us out. Your love and encouragement is a
real treasure! As we carried the cross through Poland I saw such a
clear picture of how the Body of Christ is connected together. There
were those who actually walked to Czestochowa on the pilgrimage and
those who wanted to join us, but weren't able. The ones who weren't
physically on the pilgrimage would line the streets and cheer us on.
They would open up their fields and barns for us to sleep in. And they
would give us food along the way. At times, we almost had too much to
eat! They would insist that we accept their hospitality. They said, "We
want to go but we can't. You have to eat our food, and stay in our
barns so that we can go with you." What a picture! And oh, so true!
There are only a few who have ever actually physically been with our
family out on the road with the cross, but so many of you have truly
joined us with your precious prayers and gifts! You are truly together
with us on this pilgrimage. Thanks!!
God Bless You!!
Keith, Cherie, Hannah, and Josiah
Pilgrim Followers of Jesus
I want to know him; I want to experience the power of his resurrection
and share in his sufferings and become like him in his death.
Philippians 3:10
* * * *
- Australians
- foreigners (photo by: the wife of
the best husband)
- in Warsaw
- troops of German Polish,
US, Slovak and Lithuanian Armies pilgrimage with us
I am interested in participating in the Warsaw Academic Metropolitan
Youth Pilgrimage. I need your help urgently as I am organising a trip
to India (to be followed by WAMP in Poland and World Youth Day in
Germany). My tickets, including transport to Cologne for WYD2005, need
to be organised in the next few days.
While I am in Poland I hope to complete the pilgrimage at Czestochowa
followed by a visit to Auschwitz and onto Cologne via train.
My problem is that I don't have a precise time of when the pilgrimage
to Czestochowa ends. This means that I cannot safely book a train
ticket from Krakow or Warsaw until I can estimate the time it will take
to visit Auschwitz and get to the relevant train station.
Could you kindly provide me with the time that WAPM is planned to end
(or the earliest time I could leave for Warsaw, without missing
anything) or inform me if I could accompany a group from WAMP to
WYD2005 (while still being able to visit Auschwitz).
Your help would be most appreciated.
God Bless, Mark M. (I can't speak Polish)
* * * *
Hello:
I live in Toronto, Canada and came across your web site. I don't know
if I would qualify as a "young person" because I'm 37 years old. But, I
wanted to know if I would be able to walk with the Warsaw Academic
Metropolitan Pilgrimage GreenGroup. I would greatly appreciate any
information you could give me. I was inspired by the pilgrims at World
Youth Day July 2002 -- in fact, I was almost heartbroken when they left
Toronto because they brought so much hope and joy to our city. My Dad
is Polish and I have always had a strong devotion to Our Lady, so a
pilgrimage to Czestochowa just seems like the natural thing to do.
Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Regards
Jane Drake
Dear Andrew, thak you for your informations about pilgrimage. I have
just booked my flight to Poland, so I will definitely be joining your
Green Group WAPM on the pilgrimage in August 2003!
peace & love,
Jane
* * * *
Could I please have more
informations about
the pilgrimage from warsaw-czestochowa? I want to know if somebody here
in italy organizes the trip for italian students, thank you!
greetings from rome! samira
* * * *
Hello,
I am a 19 year old American/Polish girl living in Spain (I do not speak
Polish though :) :)...). I came across the pilgrimage website and am
very interested in paricipating. I would appreciate any additional
information you could give me regarding this. I do not think I know of
anyone else that would be able to come with me or a priest that speaks
one of my languages...English/Spanish....and would be able to come.
Maybe I could join in with another group coming from Spain or the
U.S.
Thanks for your time!
Sincerely, Danielle Danowski(a)
* * * *
On the internet I have read about
the yearly pedestrian pilgrimage from Warszawa to Chestochowa. On the
website you spoke about joining with a group of your own language. I am
very interested in joining this year but I don't know if it's possible:
Im am 30 years old (too old ?). Iam from Maastricht, Holland and till
now I haven't discovered a Dutch group who is walking in 2004. Could
you give me some adresses or links to a Dutch group? A german adress
isn't also a problem because I speak german very well and I live very
close to the German border (region of NordRhein-Westfalen). Could you
also tell me something more about the specific programm. (When you
arrive in Warsawa: where is the meeting point, timetable of departing
to Czestochowa, places where I can stay for the first night.) Is there
a central information-point? Thank you very much for your cooperation
and with God's help I see you in August.
With kind regards, Marco
* * * *
Dear Green Sisters and Brothers,
We are home now in Australia and back at work in our surgery at Glen
Forrest. We wanted to let you know how profoundly the pilgrimage with
your group has affected us. It was the most wonderful experience to see
our Faith so alive and vibrant and to see so many young people with
such strong belief. Please thank all those who were so kind to us and
took the time to speak to us, to help us with food and water, to help
carry the flag etc etc It made such a difference to us and made us feel
very much a part of the Green Group WAPM. We feel very privileged to
have taken part in such a special event.
Our spiritual journey has helped us grow in our Faith and in our
commitment to the Lord. We are enjoying an intimate relationship with
the blessed Virgin Mary that was missing in our lives before this.
Thank you for the great dancing We will practice some Australian Dances
and come prepared with music next time, hopefully in another 2 years !!
May God bless you in your work
Love Liz and Colin
Perth, West Australia
* * * *
Order for the
blessing of pilgrims on their departure.
Sisters and brothers, as we set out, we should remind ourselves of the
reasons for our resolve to go on this holy pilgrimage. Czestochowa,
Jasna Gora we intend to visit is a monument to the devotion of the
people of God. They have gone there in great numbers to be strengthened
in the Christian way of life and to become more determined to devote
themselves to the works of charity. We must also try to bring something
to the faithful who live there: our example of faith, hope and love. In
this way both they and we will be enriched by the help we give each
other.
Sisters and
brothers, listen to the words of the second letter of saint Paul to the
Corinthians: (we are away from
the Lord)
So we are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home
in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by
sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go
home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at
home or away. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he
did in the body, whether good or evil.
The word of the Lord.
R: Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Psalm 24
The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness;
The world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and establish it upon the rivers.
Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
a reward from God his Savior.
Such is the race that seek for him
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
Intercession
God is the beginning and the end of life’s pilgrimage. Let us
call on him with confidence, saying:
Lord, be the companion of our journey.
Father all holy, of old you made yourself the guide and the way for
your people as they wandered in the desert; be our protection as we
begin this journey, so that we may return home again in safety.
You have given us your holy only Son to be our way to you; make us
follow him faithfully and unswervingly.
You gave us Mary as the image and model for following Christ; grant
that through her example we may live a new life.
You guide your pilgrim Church on earth through the Holy Spirit; may we
seek you in all thongs and walk always in the way of your commandments.
You lead us along right and peaceful paths; grant that we may see you
face to face in heaven.
Prayer of blessing
With hand outstretched, the celebrant continues with the prayer of
blessing
All-powerful God,
you always show mercy toward those who love you and
you are never far away for those who seek you.
Remain with your servants on this holy pilgrimage
and guide their way in accord with your will.
Shelter them with your protection by day,
give them the light of your grace by night,
and, as their companion on the journey,
bring them to their destination in safety.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
May the Lord guide us and direct our journey in safety.
Amen.
May the Lord be our companion along the way.
Amen.
May the Lord grant that the pilgrimage
we begin, relying on him,
will end happily through his protection.
Amen.
5 thousand young people....