Gallery:
2011, June:  24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30; July 1, 2.

contact: aw(at)wapm.pl - Fr. Andrzej Wasko SDS (polish or english)

2447  The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities.  Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God.

    He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none and he who has food must do likewise. But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you. If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit?

Blessed are the merciful, because they shall obtain mercy, says the Scripture. Mercy is not the least of the beatitudes. Again: Blessed is he who is considerate to the needy and the poor. Once more: Generous is the man who is merciful and lends. In another place: All day the just man is merciful and lends. Let us lay hold of this blessing, let us earn the name of being considerate, let us be generous.

Not even night should interrupt you in your duty of mercy. Do not say: Come back and I will give you something tomorrow. There should be no delay between your intention and your good deed. Generosity is the one thing that cannot admit of delay.

Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the needy and the homeless into your house, with a joyful and eager heart. He who does acts of mercy should do so with cheerfulness. The grace of a good deed is doubled when it is done with promptness and speed. What is given with a bad grace or against one’s will is distasteful and far from praiseworthy.

When we perform an act of kindness we should rejoice and not be sad about it. If you undo the shackles and the thongs, says Isaiah, that is, if you do away with miserliness and counting the cost, with hesitation and grumbling, what will be the result? Something great and wonderful! What a marvellous reward there will be: Your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will rise up quickly. Who would not aspire to light and healing.

If you think that I have something to say, servants of Christ, his brethren and co-heirs, let us visit Christ whenever we may; let us care for him, feed him, clothe him, welcome him, honor him, not only at a meal, as some have done, or by anointing him, as Mary did, or only by lending him a tomb, like Joseph of Arimathaea, or by arranging for his burial, like Nicodemus, who loved Christ half-heartedly, or by giving him gold, frankincense and myrrh, like the Magi before all these others.

The Lord of all asks for mercy, not sacrifice, and mercy is greater than myriads of fattened lambs. Let us then show him mercy in the persons of the poor and those who today are lying on the ground, so that when we come to leave this world they may receive us into everlasting dwelling places, in Christ our Lord himself, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

RESPONSORY Matthew 25:35, 40; John 15:12
I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was homeless and you took me in.
– Now I tell you this: When you did these things for the most neglected of my brothers, you did them for me.
This is what I command you: love one another as I have loved you.
– Now I tell you this: When you did these things for the most neglected of my brothers, you did them for me.



'Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy'. Sweet is the name of mercy, dearest brethren; and if the name is sweet, how much sweeter is the quality itself? Yet though all men would wish to receive it, alas! their own conduct is not such as to deserve it. All wish to receive mercy, few are ready to show mercy to others.
What effrontery to want to receive what you neglect to give! You must show mercy in this life if you hope to receive in it the next. And so, dearest brethren, since we all wish for mercy, let us make her our patroness in this age that she may free us in the future. For there is mercy in heaven, and we attain it through the acts of mercy that we perform on earth. This is what scripture says: 'O Lord, your mercy is in heaven'.
There are two kinds of mercy then, mercy on earth and mercy in heaven, human mercy and divine mercy. What is human mercy like? It makes you conserned for the hardship of the poor. What is divine mercy like? It forgives sinners. Whatever generosity human mercy shows during our life on earth divine mercy repays when we reach our fatherland. In this world God is cold and hungry in all the poor, as he himself said: 'As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you di it to me.' God then is pleased to give from heaven, but he desires to receive on earth.
What sort of people are we - when God gives, we want to receive, when he asks, we refuse to give? When a poor man is hungry, Christ is in need, as he said himself: 'I was hungry and you give me no food'. Take care not to despite the hardship of the poor, if you would hope, witout fear, to have your sins forgiven. My dear brethren, Christ is now hungry, he is hungry and thirsty in all the poor; and what he receives on earth he returns in heaven.
I put you this question, dearly beloved: what is it to you want, what is it to you are looking for, when you came to church? What indeed if not mercy? Show mercy on earth, and you will receive mercy in heaven. A poor man is begging from you, and you are begging from God: he asks for a scrap, you ask for eternal life. Give to the beggar, so that you may deserve to receive from Christ. Listen to his words: 'Give and it shall be given you'. What effrontery it is for you when you come to church give whatever alms you can to the poor in accordance with your means.

Lk 6: 36; Mt 5:7
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and gifts will be yours.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and gifts will be yours.

There are three things, my brethren, by which faith stands firm, devotion remains constant, and virtue endures. They are prayer, fasting and mercy. Prayer knocks at the door, fasting obtains, mercy receives. Prayer, mercy and fasting: these three are one, and they give life to each other.
  Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. Let no one try to separate them; they cannot be separated. If you have only one of them or not all together, you have nothing. So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others you open God’s ear to yourself.
  When you fast, see the fasting of others. If you want God to know that you are hungry, know that another is hungry. If you hope for mercy, show mercy. If you look for kindness, show kindness. If you want to receive, give. If you ask for yourself what you deny to others, your asking is a mockery.
  Let this be the pattern for all men when they practise mercy: show mercy to others in the same way, with the same generosity, with the same promptness, as you want others to show mercy to you.
  Therefore, let prayer, mercy and fasting be one single plea to God on our behalf, one speech in our defence, a threefold united prayer in our favour.
  Let us use fasting to make up for what we have lost by despising others. Let us offer our souls in sacrifice by means of fasting. There is nothing more pleasing that we can offer to God, as the psalmist said in prophecy: A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God does not despise a bruised and humbled heart.
  Offer your soul to God, make him an oblation of your fasting, so that your soul may be a pure offering, a holy sacrifice, a living victim, remaining your own and at the same time made over to God. Whoever fails to give this to God will not be excused, for if you are to give him yourself you are never without the means of giving.
  To make these acceptable, mercy must be added. Fasting bears no fruit unless it is watered by mercy. Fasting dries up when mercy dries up. Mercy is to fasting as rain is to earth. However much you may cultivate your heart, clear the soil of your nature, root out vices, sow virtues, if you do not release the springs of mercy, your fasting will bear no fruit.
  When you fast, if your mercy is thin your harvest will be thin; when you fast, what you pour out in mercy overflows into your barn. Therefore, do not lose by saving, but gather in by scattering. Give to the poor, and you give to yourself. You will not be allowed to keep what you have refused to give to others.



"The heralds of the truth and ministers of divine grace, who have explained to us from the beginning right down to our own time each in his own day the saving will of God, say that nothing is so dear and loved by him as when men turn to him with true repentance.

Wishing to show that this is by far the most holy thing of all, the Divine Word of God the Father (the supreme and only revelation of infinite goodness) deigned to dwell with us in the flesh, humbling himself in a way no words can explain. He said, he did, and he suffered those things which were necessary to reconcile us, while we were yet enemies, with God the Father, and to call us back again to the life of blessedness from which we had been alienated. Not only did he heal our diseases with his miracles, and take away our infirmities by his sufferings, and, though sinless, pay our debt for us by his death like a guilty man. It was also his desire that we should aim to become like himself in love of men and in perfect mutual charity, and he taught us this in many ways.

He taught it when he proclaimed, ‘I came not to call the righteous but sinners, to repentance.’ And again, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.’ He also said that he had come to seek and to save the lost sheep; and on another occasion, that he had been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. In the same way, in the parable of the lost coin, he referred in a symbolic way to the fact that he had come to restore in men the royal likeness which had been lost by the evil-smelling filthiness of passions. Likewise, he said: ‘Just so, I tell you, there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.’

He taught it when he brought relief, with oil, wine and bandages, to the man who had fallen among thieves and had been stripped of all his clothing and left half-dead from his injuries. Having placed him on his own beast, he entrusted him to the innkeeper; after paying what was needed for his care, he promised that when he came back he would repay whatever more was spent.

He taught it when ‘he said that the prodigal son's all-loving father took pity on him and kissing him as he came running back repentant, clothed him once more with the beauty of his glory, and did not reproach him in any way for what he had done.

He taught it when he found the sheep which had strayed from the divine flock of a hundred, wandering over hills and mountains. He did not drive it or beat it but brought it back to the fold. In his mercy, placing it on his shoulders, he restored it, with compassion, unharmed to the rest of the flock.

He taught it when he cried, ‘Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest’, and ‘Take my yoke upon you.' By ‘yoke’ of course he meant ‘commandments’ or a life lived according to the principles of the gospel; by ‘burden’ he meant the labour which repentance seems to involve. ‘For my yoke,’ he says, ‘is easy and my burden light.’

Again teaching divine righteousness and goodness he commanded, ‘Be holy, be perfect, be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful’, and, ‘Forgive and it shall be forgiven you’' and ‘whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them’."



In the gospel of John the Lord says: In this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for each other. In a letter of the same apostle we read: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God; he who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

The faithful should therefore enter into themselves and make a true judgment on their attitudes of mind and heart. If they find some store of love’s fruit in their hearts, they must not doubt God’s presence within them. If they would increase their capacity to receive so great a guest, they should practice greater generosity in doing good, with persevering charity.

If God is love, charity should know no limit, for God cannot be confined.

Any time is the right time for works of charity, but these days of Lent provide a special encouragement. Those who want to be present at the Lord’s Passover in holiness of mind and body should seek above all to win this grace, for charity contains all other virtues and covers a multitude of sins.

As we prepare to celebrate that greatest of all mysteries, by which the blood of Jesus Christ did away with our sins, let us first of all make ready the sacrificial offerings of works of mercy. In this way we shall give to those who have sinned against us what God in his goodness has already given us.

Let us now extend to the poor and those afflicted in different ways a more open-handed generosity, so that God may be thanked through many voices and the relief of the needy supported by our fasting. No act of devotion on the part of the faithful gives God more pleasure than that which is lavished on his poor. Where he finds charity with its loving concern, there he recognizes the reflection of his own fatherly care.

In these acts of giving do not fear a lack of means. A generous spirit is itself great wealth. There can be no shortage of material for generosity where it is Christ who feeds and Christ who is fed. In all this activity there is present the hand of him who multiplies the bread by breaking it, and increasing it by giving it away.

The giver of alms should be free from anxiety and full of joy. His gain will be greatest when he keeps back least for himself. The holy apostle Paul tells us: He who provides seed for the sower will also provide bread for eating; he will provide you with more seed, and will increase the harvest of your goodness, in Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

RESPONSORY Luke 6:38; Colossians 3:13
Give to others and you will receive;
– good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap.
As God has given to you, so you must give to others.
– Good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap.



St. Jerome, early Church Father and Doctor of the Church
In this excerpt from his commentary on the book of the prophet Joel (PL 25, 967-968), Saint Jerome teaches the nature of true repentence and expounds on the gracious mercy of God, our loving Father.  This reading is used in the Roman Office of Readings on Friday of the 21st week in ordinary time.

Return to me with all your heart and show a spirit of repentance with fasting, weeping and mourning; so that while you fast now, later you may be satisfied, while you weep now, later you may laugh, while you mourn now, you may some day enjoy consolation. It is customary for those in sorrow or adversity to tear their garments. The gospel records that the high priest did this to exaggerate the charge against our Lord and Savior; and we read that Paul and Barnabas did so when they heard words of blasphemy. I bid you not to tear your garments but rather to rend your hearts which are laden with sin. Like wine skins, unless they have been cut open, they will burst of their own accord. After you have done this, return to the Lord your God, from whom you had been alienated by your sins. Do not despair of his mercy, no matter how great your sins, for great mercy will take away great sins.

For the Lord is gracious and merciful and prefers the conversion of a sinner rather than his death. Patient and generous in his mercy, he does not give in to human impatience but is willing to wait a long time for our repentance. So extraordinary is the Lord’s mercy in the face of evil, that if we do penance for our sins, he regrets his own threat and does not carry out against us the sanctions he had threatened. So by the changing of our attitude, he himself is changed. But in this passage we should interpret “evil” to mean, not the opposite of virtue, but affliction, as we read in another place: Sufficient for the day are its own evils. And, again: If there is evil in the city, God did not create it.

In like manner, given all that we have said above – that God is kind and merciful, patient, generous with his forgiveness, and extraordinary in his mercy toward evil – lest the magnitude of his clemency make us lax and negligent, he adds this word through his prophet: Who knows whether he will not turn and repent and leave behind him a blessing? In other words, he says: “I exhort you to repentance, because it is my duty, and I know that God is inexhaustibly merciful, as David says: Have mercy on me, God, according to your great mercy, and in the depths of your compassion, blot out all my iniquities. But since we cannot know the depth of the riches and of the wisdom and knowledge of God, I will temper my statement, expressing a wish rather than taking anything for granted, and I will say: Who knows whether he will not turn and repent? “ Since he says, Who, it must be understood that it is impossible or difficult to know for sure.

To these words the prophet adds: Offerings and tribulations for the Lord our God. What he is saying to us in other words is that, God having blessed us and forgiven us our sins, we will then be able to offer sacrifice to God.





Happy are we if we do the deeds of which we have heard and sung. Our hearing of them means having them planted in us, while our doing them shows that the seed has borne fruit. By saying this, I wish to caution you, dearly beloved, not to enter the Church fruitlessly, satisfied with mere hearing of such mighty blessings and failing to do good works. For we have been saved by his grace, says the Apostle, and not by our works, lest anyone may boast; for it is by his grace that we have been saved. It is not as if a good life of some sort came first, and that thereupon God showed his love and esteem for it from on high, saying: “Let us come to the aid of these men and assist them quickly because they are living a good life.” No, our life was displeasing to him. He will, therefore, condemn what we have done but he will save what he himself has done in us.

  We were not vituous, then. But God had mercy on us and sent his Son to die, not for good men but for bad ones, not for the just but for the wicked. Yes, Christ died for the ungodly. Notice what is written next: One will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. Perhaps someone can be found who will dare to die for a good man; but for the unjust man, for the wicked one, the sinner, who would be willing to die except Christ alone who is so just that he justifies even the unjust?

  And so, my brothers, we had no good works, for all our works were evil. Yet although men’s actions were such, God in his mercy did not abandon men. He sent his Son to redeem us, not with gold or silver but at the price of his blood poured out for us. Christ, the spotless lamb, became the sacrificial victim, led to the slaughter for the sheep that were blemished – if indeed one can say that they were blemished and not entirely corrupt. Such is the grace we have received! Let us live so as to be worthy of that great grace, and not do injury to it. So mighty is the physician who has come to us that he has healed all our sins! If we choose to be sick once again, we will not only harm ourselves, but show ingratitude to the physician as well.

  Let us then follow Christ’s paths which he has revealed to us, above all the path of humility, which he himself became for us. He showed us that path by his precepts, and he himself followed it by his suffering on our behalf. In order to die for us – because as God he could not die – the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The immortal One took on mortality that he might die for us, and by dying put to death our death. This is what the Lord did, this the gift he granted to us. The mighty one was brought low, the lowly one was slain, and after he was slain, he rose again and was exalted. For he did not intend to leave us dead in hell, but to exalt in himself at the resurrection of the dead those whom he had already exalted and made just by the faith and praise they gave him. Yes, he gave us the path of humility. If we keep to it we shall confess our belief in the Lord and have good reason to sing: We shall praise you, God, we shall praise you and call upon your name.




Whenever some sort of inconvenience or penalty or dishonor or trouble of any kind happens to one who is ready to find fault with himself, he bears it with a smile, considers that he deserves it and so is not in the least put out by it. Who could be more peacefull than such a person?
Perphaps someone will object, 'But what if a brother should vex me and after examining myself I find that I have given him no cause, how then can I blame myself?
But surely if a person were to examine himself carefully in the light of the fear of God he will never find that he is blameless. He will see that he has provided an occasion by some action or word or attitude. Even if such a one finds himself guiltless in all these ways at the present time, it is quite likely that at some other time he has vexed his brother by the very same deed or by some other. Or he may have upset onother brother. Hence he deservedly suffers for that sin or many other sins that he has committed elsewhere.
Another may ask why he should accuse himself when he has been sitting in peace and quiet and a brother has come up and upset him with some hurtful or insulting word. Since he is not going to put up with that, he feels that it is reasonable for him to be annoyed and upset. For, if the other had not intruded and spoken and made trouble he would not have sinned.
This is indeed ridiculous and it is bad logie. Surely that brother did not inject the passion of anger into him by saying what he did? Rather he revealed the passion already within him, so that if he so wishes he may repent of it. This brother is like early wheat, outwardly bright and shinnig and when it is crushed its rottenness appears.
So this man who sits in peace and quiet, as he thinks, has within him a passion he does not see. One hurtful word spoken by another who happens by and immediately all the poison and rottenness within gushes out. If he wishes to gain mercy let him repent and purify himself and make serious efforts to do better and he will see that instead of insults he should give thanks so that brother as one responsible for bringing him such a benefit. Temptations will not trouble him so much in the future because the more he progresses the easier he will be able to handle them. For as the soul advances it becomes stronger and better able to put up with whatever hardships may come its way.



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.

--------

From a sermon by Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop
Each one of us is called to be both a sacrifice to God and his priest

I appeal to you by the mercy of God. This appeal is made by Paul, or rather, it is made by God through Paul, because of God’s desire to be loved rather than feared, to be a father rather than a Lord. God appeals to us in his mercy to avoid having to punish us in his severity.
  Listen to the Lord’s appeal: In me, I want you to see your own body, your members, your heart, your bones, your blood. You may fear what is divine, but why not love what is human? You may run away from me as the Lord, but why not run to me as your father? Perhaps you are filled with shame for causing my bitter passion. Do not be afraid. This cross inflicts a mortal injury, not on me, but on death. These nails no longer pain me, but only deepen your love for me. I do not cry out because of these wounds, but through them I draw you into my heart. My body was stretched on the cross as a symbol, not of how much I suffered, but of my all-embracing love. I count it no less to shed my blood: it is the price I have paid for your ransom. Come, then, return to me and learn to know me as your father, who repays good for evil, love for injury, and boundless charity for piercing wounds.

  Listen now to what the Apostle urges us to do. I appeal to you, he says, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice. By this exhortation of his, Paul has raised all men to priestly status.
  How marvelous is the priesthood of the Christian, for he is both the victim that is offered on his own behalf, and the priest who makes the offering. He does not need to go beyond himself to seek what he is to immolate to God: with himself and in himself he brings the sacrifice he is to offer God for himself. The victim remains and the priest remains, always one and the same. Immolated, the victim still lives: the priest who immolates cannot kill. Truly it is an amazing sacrifice in which a body is offered without being slain and blood is offered without being shed.

  The Apostle says: I appeal to you by the mercy of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice. Brethren, this sacrifice follows the pattern of Christ’s sacrifice by which he gave his body as a living immolation for the life of the world. He really made his body a living sacrifice, because, though slain, he continues to live. In such a victim death receives its ransom, but the victim remains alive. Death itself suffers the punishment. This is why death for the martyrs is actually a birth, and their end a beginning. Their execution is the door to life, and those who were thought to have been blotted out from the earth shine brilliantly in heaven.

  Paul says: I appeal to you by the mercy of God to present your bodies as a sacrifice, living and holy. The prophet said the same thing: Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but you have prepared a body for me. Each of us is called to be both a sacrifice to God and his priest. Do not forfeit what divine authority confers on you. Put on the garment of holiness, gird yourself with the belt of chastity. Let Christ be your helmet, let the cross on your forehead be your unfailing protection. Your breastplate should be the knowledge of God that he himself has given you. Keep burning continually the sweet smelling incense of prayer. Take up the sword of the Spirit. Let your heart be an altar. Then, with full confidence in God, present your body for sacrifice. God desires not death, but faith; God thirsts not for blood, but for self-surrender; God is appeased not by slaughter, but by the offering of your free will.

You Tube (Green Group 2009)

What is W.A.P.M? 

WAPM is an annual pilgrimage from Warsaw to Czestochowa, the religious heart of Poland and site of the Black Madonna Shrine. 
Approximately 4,000 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 (150PLN 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
aw (at) wapm.pl  
Fr. Andrzej Wasko, salvatorian

(Almost) all you need to know about WAPM

"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

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www.gpsies.com/mapUser.do?username=WAPM

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

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Facebook

	<-- Colin, Fr. Stan & Liz - Australians from Perth in 2003 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, Western Australia BTW, 6 days walking pilgrimage in Western Australia it is limited !!! (25 persons only) and costs $700 !!! :((((( our pilgrimage in Poland is not limited and costs less, much less than 100 Euro.
	- foreigners in the Green Group of WAPM 2006 (photo by: the wife of the best husband) (btw, walking pilgrimage in Switzeland)
	- in Warsaw
	- troops of German Polish, US, Slovak and Lithuanian Armies pilgrimage with us
	:)))

5 thousand young people....

much more pictures on:

a.D. 2008

a.D. 2007

a.D. 2006

a.D. 2005 

a.D. 2004:
www.f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/xxiiiwapm 
http://foto.onet.pl/albumy/album.html?id=27069&grupa=23&kat=0&a=slaweeek 

a.D. 2003:
http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/xxiiiwapm
www.photoasa.com  login: 'zielona2003a', password: 'zielona2003'
www.photoasa.com  login: 'zielona2003b', password: 'zielona2003'
http://ww.spinacz.net/wapm
http://uk.photos.yahoo.com/vasyll


a.D. 2002:
www.photoasa.com  login: 'zielona2002'; password: 'salvatorians'.

a.D. 2001:
www.photoasa.com  login: 'kronikarze'; password: 'salvatorians'.
www.photoasa.com  login: 'agnieszkadz'; password: 'salvatorians'.
http://www.geocities.com/godestalbin/WAPM1.html
www.photoasa.com  login: 'zielona2001'; password: 'salvatorians'.

  More info -->>

Dear Father Andrew,

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) 

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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

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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

* * * *

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.