Of Dominicans and Franciscans

February 17th, 2006
Barbakan Residence

Wow, what an intense time it has been over here already. I can’t believe that I have already been here for four days. They seem to have flown by as if nothing had happened, and yet I already feel as if I could write a book about all of the things that have taken place.
I was picked up at the airport by Fr. Adam Maczka, OFM, a friend of ours and the vice-rector and archivist of the Franciscan monastery in Krakow. Then, I arrived at the place where I am staying, called the Barbakan Residence. Immediately, I was able to meet a few of the guys here, who are all very nice and very interested about life in the US. After dropping off my stuff (and no, I didn't sleep), I met up with my cousin, who happened to be visiting here from Warsaw, since colleges and universities are on break right now. We went to a Georgian (as in the country, not the state) restaurant and met some of her friends. After dinner with them, they went to a coffee shop before their train left to go back, and I began to walk back to the residence. On the way, I wanted to see if I could go to Mass somewhere, so I stopped at St. Adalbert's church, a little tiny structure in the middle of the market square, and the oldest church in Krakow (from the 10th century). As I walked in, I happily found a group of older ladies reciting the Divine Mercy chaplet, so I decided to stay. Halfway through, a sister (wearing habit, of course) walked out from the sacristy and prepared the altar for Mass, so I was able to stay, which was such a consolation, since the reality that I am now in Krakow finally began to hit me. Then, I walked back to the residence, where I finished unpacking.
I have a nice room, with a quaint view out the window. The room has a private bathroom, desk, bed, bookshelf, and closet for clothing and shoes. With regards to my living accommodations, I have no right to complain, since we also have three (and a half) meals a day, with laundry service. There is also an oratory here, so I can pray in front of the tabernacle whenever I want! Last night, we had pizza and wine, since it was a special day, as February 14th is not only St. Valentine's Day, but also the anniversary of the founding of the women's branch of Opus Dei, as well as the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross (I am living in a residence run by Opus Dei).
On Wednesday, I had to go take care a lot of the organizational things that accompany the beginning of the semester, like getting a student ID, a transportation pass, and going to meet with the director of the program that I am part of (the Interdisciplinary Program in the Humanities and Social Sciences at the Jagiellonian University--IPHSS). I am not exactly sure what classes I will be taking yet, but I know that I will have Polish Language, 20th Century Polish History, as well as History and Customs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. I am also thinking about sitting in on some classes in Philosophy.
While walking around on Wednesday, I wanted to attend daily Mass. Of course, I couldn't find one at 12:00 p.m., since most are either in the morning or in the evening (with each church having an average of seven to eight daily Masses). I finally looked at the Dominican Abbey (the Basilica of the Holy Trinity) (http://www.krakow.dominikanie.pl/), where I found out there was a conventual Mass at noon. The Dominican Abbey also happens to be the location of the Tertio Millennio Institute, a program for international and Polish students interested in the New Evangelization, which was began by George Weigel and Michael Novak, among others. So, I showed up ten minutes before noon, only to find all of the pews PACKED, and people sitting on the floor, on the steps of the confessionals (yes, confessionals that are twenty feet tall and Gothic wood carved do have steps into them ;), as well as people standing. There were probably about 400 people there. Before Mass began, the Dominicans came out in their black capes, and chanted the Angelus. Then, ring, ring, ring, and the Mass began. Looking over to the sacristy, I was shocked when out processed not one, not two, not five, but NINETEEN priests and two deacons to concelebrate DAILY Mass. I 've been to big Masses before, like Ash Wednesday at Notre Dame, but nineteen priests concelebrating daily Mass is a bit shocking, even to me.
Yesterday, one of the guys here, named Adam, and I went to Kopiec Kosciuszki (the “Kosciuszko Mound.”) This monument was built in honor of Tadeusz Kosciuszko, the Polish hero who fought in both Poland and in the American Revolution. From the mound, there is usually a beautiful view of almost one hundred miles, where one can see the Tatra Mountains to the south, the Benedictine and Camaldolese monasteries to the west, and Nowa Huta and the communist destruction of the countryside surrounding Krakow, to the east. Directly below, lies the Vistula River, as well as the common green (Krakowskie Blonie), where John Paul II would celebrate Mass on his visits to Krakow. About four kilometers away, one can see the main market square and the towering St. Mary’s Church, as well as Wawel castle a little to the south. Yesterday the clouds and the fog that settled in impeded the view, and in the afternoon, it started to snow pretty heavily.
In the evening, I attended Mass at St. Stephen’s Church, an unimposing modern-looking church on Casimir the Great Street, about five minutes away from my residence. Much to my surprise, as I walked into the unimpressive church (or so I thought), I was greeted by the sound of people praying the Rosary (which I have found out is usually recited at any hour at any given church, all day in Krakow). My eyes were also filled with a splendid mixture of blues, greens, reds, yellows, and a myriad of other colors, which filled the walls and ceiling of the church. One of the main striking features was the gigantic ambo that was located on the left side of the church, and hung on the wall with a porch-like balcony, next to a picture of St. Jadwiga, Queen of Poland, and Pope John Paul.
The real treasure of the church lay to the left of the sanctuary though, in the miraculous image of Our Lady of Good Counsel. The image is a very large painting, and has undergone a coronation ceremony, as is clear from the gold crown on Mary’s head. After Mass, at 18:30 each day (as I soon learned), there is a solemn covering of the image for the night, much like in Czestochowa. The organ plays a very ornate piece, and while the congregation is kneeling and singing farewell to Our Lady, the priest presses a button and a screen rises to cover the image of Our Lady. On the screen, there is a beautiful painting of a scene of the Annunciation to Mary.
This morning, I began the day by planning to go to Nowa Huta to see the famous church that is shaped like Noah’s Ark, over the building of which Bishop Wojtyla fought the communist authorities. However, I decided that it would be better to take care of some administrative issues, and I set out to the Historical Institute at the Jagiellonian. Afterwards, desirous of taking classes in Theology, yet knowing that the UJ does not offer any, due to the closure of their department by the communists, I went to the PAT (The Pontifical Academy of Theology, founded by Pope John Paul, as a way for Theology students in Krakow to continue their studies, even without a department at the UJ). Upon entering, I met with a priest in the Office of the Dean, and before I knew it, I found myself a student of a Pontifical University, where I will now betaking Theology of the Family and Theology of the Old Testament. I can’t believe that it was so easy. In the United States, one has to fill out paperwork, register on computers, and pay a lot of money. Here, I handwrote an application to the Dean, asking for admission, and was then allowed to take classes for free, because of the fact that I am both a student at the Jagiellonian University, and also from the University of Notre Dame, a well-known American University.
So, as this reflection gets rather lengthy, I must end. I realize that there is so much more that I have not written about yet, such as the people I am living with, and the interest they have in the state of American politics and the “culture wars,” which are not as drastic here in Poland. But, there is a time and place for everything, and now supper beckons, as well as the simple fact that I have been on the computer for too long, so for now, I bid everybody dobranoc!