Friday at World Youth Day is traditionally The Way of the Cross. This year's program integrated the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Examples: Jesus is condemned to death (shelter the homeless), Jesus meets his mother (comfort the afflicted), Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem ( instruct the ignorant), Jesus dies on the cross (give drink to the thirsty), and Jesus is laid in the tomb (bury the dead). It was a beautiful reflection on how to bring the message of world

Wednesday was a great day. It was also surprisingly restful for Suzanne and me. After our first morning of catechists and Mass (given and celebrated by Archbishop Kurtz (President of the USCCB) we made our way to the Tauron Arena on the other side of the city. The arena is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus all week and Wednesday was dedicated specifically to the American Church. We were blessed to be able to take in a panel discussion on religious freedom given by Archbish

World Youth Day 2016 has officially begun! So what has today included? Well our bus this morning was late, it started pouring down rain while we were waiting for Mass, and as of this writing (11:07 pm) we are waiting for the bus to go back to the hotel after a long journey of crowded trains and lots of walking (nearly 9 miles at this writing). O wait, that sounds like all bad things doesn't it. This is a pilgrimage and that means taking the bad with the good. We like our liv

We are a little behind on the blog posts but they are keeping us busy. Monday was our last day of touring before beginning World Youth Day events. We left our hotel and finally headed into Krakow. On our walk to Wawel Hill, we saw two of the appartments where Fr. Karol Wojtyla lived as Bishop and Archbishop of Krakow. On Wawel Hill is the former castle of the Polish royal family and the Wawel Cathedral which is where Fr. Wojtyla served as Bishop and Archbishop. We also learne

pilgrims from around the world In the few minutes I had before Mass, I briefly stepped into an upstairs hall - large tapestries hung from the ceiling, each one commemorating visits Pope John Paul II had made to Marian shrines or sites. When I turned around, I ran into Bishop J. Folda from my home Diocese of Fargo, ND! They say 'the Catholic world is a small world.' We weren't able to chat long, but I am surely thankful for that Shepherd looking after my family's flock. At

Jesus told Sr. Faustina to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as much as possible. She would pray it for any need, no matter how small, because it demonstrated how much she trusted Jesus and relied on His merciful love. The more we trust Jesus, the more He can do in our lives – that’s just how it ''works,’and that’s what He wants! Early on in this pilgrimage I had an opportunity to exercise trust, and I saw how God was looking out for me! On Thursday, July 21st, we had two h

I think this is Day 4 of our Pilgrimage officially. With over a day a day of travel under our belt, we have visited the Tatra Mountains (separates Poland from Slovakia) in the beautiful mountain city of Zakopane where St. John Paul II would retreat to ski, hike, and be in the presence of God in nature. It was glorious! The architecture of the city was stunning - everything was hand crafted out of wood so intricately. We visited a shrine to Our Lady of Fatima which was bui

As we were leaving on Wednesday I was grateful for the quick yet jolting reminder that I was entering into a pilgrimage. World Youth Day isn't so much a vacation as it is a pilgrimage, a trip that is done with specific purpose, in this case detaching from all those things that keep one distant from God and journeying ever closer to him and his will for one's life. I've never been away from my two little girls, Sydney (4) and Juliette (2) for so long. It was difficult to say g

Greetings everyone! Whether you are a fellow young adult, a supporter of our world youth day trip, family, friends, or just a curios observer, thank you! Thank you for reading our World Youth Day blog and for all your prayers. All of us look forward to telling you about our pilgrimage as its happening. Here’s the basics: Who: Seven young adults from Rochester, MN are traveling. Some of us have been to a World Youth Day before (Dana Petricka, Jen Winkler, Beau Gazely, and Zach