Poland 2007

Wadowice,Poland  - 21 Sept 2007
(Parish church on the left and Karol Wojytla's childhood home on the right)

Twelve years ago, on 21 September 2007, Ali and I had our first day in Poland, having arrived at Katowice airport and made our way to Wadowice the previous evening.

Wadowice was the birthplace of Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II,  and was where he lived until he was 18.  So many of the places we visited in Poland had associations with Pope John Paul II that it had the feel of a pilgrimage and Wadowice was a fitting place to begin.

While Ali slept on I went out shortly after 6am.  We were staying just a few minutes from St Mary's parish Church and I was surprised to see not only that the Church was open (something I've never known to happen anywhere in England at that time of the morning!) but that there was a considerable number of people already inside, queuing for Confession and waiting for early morning Mass.

Thankfully there was a later Mass for Ali and I to attend when we departed from our B&B at about 10am.

The parish Church of St. Mary at Wadowice

The baptismal font of Karol Wojtyla in St Mary's Church

Returning as Pope to the parish Church and the font where he had been baptised.

Pope John Paul II had died two and a half years before our visit, and there were many remembrances of him at Wadowice and other places we visited.  It was touching to see, in the parish Church, the font where he had been baptised on 20 June 1920, and also touching to see the photo of  John Paul II praying at the font years later when he returned to his home parish as Pope.

Right next to the Church was the apartment in which Karol Wojtyla was born on 18 May 1920, and where he spent his childhood.   It is now a museum about his life.  It had seemed impossible for Ali to visit as it is on the first floor which is reached by a spiral staircase.  Thankfully we met a group of American seminarians from Chicago, who were a very impressive introduction for Ali and me to the Canons Regular of St John Cantius.   Very ably and with respect for Ali and good humour, they enabled Ali to enter and exit the apartment with no difficulty.  Ali was very grateful to them and pleased to be able to visit Pope John Paul II's childhood home.

With the Canons Regular of St John Cantius who assisted Ali

Inside John Paul II's birthplace and childhood home

Ali before a cassock and other items worn by John Paul II

I was told one couldn't visit Wadowice without trying "Pope cake."  It's more of a cream pie, also known as kremowka, but is given the papal name as it was a favourite of Pope John Paul II.   Ali couldn't be persuaded to try it but insisted I did, and she took a photo to prove it.

Photo taken by Ali.