Poland: A Life-Enriching Experience

Poland was never one of those countries I dreamed of visiting. It never struck a deep cord with me or made me aspire to fly across the ocean. I prayed I would go to Ireland and Italy but never Poland. It wasn’t out of dislike for the country; I was simply indifferent to it as a whole. However, when the school presented a pilgrimage to Poland, I was more than ready to accept. They claimed it was one of the best trips they offered and, given the chance, I wanted to see different European shrines. Now, having gone to Poland for three short and wonderful days, I can say it is a country I would gladly return to.

My initial experience of Poland was the Our Lady of Czestochowa shrine. Honestly, I would have gone to Poland simply to be at that shrine. The peace felt there was incredible. In order to see the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa, it is almost necessary to experience part of the Mass. One of my favorite parts was kneeling around the outside of the sanctuary and going around behind the altar. At first I felt odd doing it since Mass was being celebrated at the time but later I was grateful for the opportunity. As I was kneeling, waiting for the line to move, I found myself nearly directly in line with the altar during the consecration. The Mass wasn’t in English but as the host and chalice were elevated, it made no difference. The same Jesus was present and I was mere feet from His altar. It was beautiful to be so near Our Lord as he became present and to see the reverence of the priests. Feeling incredibly blessed to have just experienced the consecration so closely, the line moved around the corner. I saw students lean their heads against a stone in the wall and pray for a few moments with their eyes closed. Although I was unsure of the exact reason I discerned that the stone was directly behind the altar and below the image of Our Lady.

Following suit, I leaned my head against the stone and was amazed when a peace settled in my heart. Prayers of petition formed but the prayers in the forefront of my mind were of thanksgiving for being able to experience such beauty in such an unexpected way. I was so close to Jesus and Mary and growing in love for them both.

The rest of the time we spent at the shrine merely increased my love for it. The adoration chapel was a quiet haven for time with Jesus but the whole shrine seemed to permeate a sense of devotion and reverence. Crutches and braces on the walls showed the power of Marian intercession and what great faith can accomplish. Mass was being celebrated nearly continually, a wonderful testament to the purpose and meaning of the shrine. After only a few hours at the shrine, I came to understand, at least partially, why the Poles love Our Lady of Czestochowa so ardently. Despite being nearly unacquainted with her before, I fell in love with Our Lady of Czestochowa during our brief visit.

Some cathedrals and churches that I have visited in Europe have left me with disappointment that Jesus isn’t the focus of the devotion but merely worthy of a side chapel that is often overlooked or even neglected altogether. Our Lady of Czestochowa’s shrine was the perfect example of elegant beauty and piety blended together. Perhaps it is largely due to the fact that it is more of a pilgrimage location as opposed to a tourist attraction. I wouldn’t say the weekend was life-changing exactly but rather life-enriching. The Polish people have Our Lady as their patron and they have run to her repeatedly throughout history. Such devotion is something that is needed in other parts of the world as well. They have suffered very much over time yet that has helped shape who they are today. Pope John Paul II was an apostle of the gospel of love and he arose from the nation in the midst of her suffering. The saints the nation has produced are also witnesses to their religious fervor. With that in mind, we ask the Lady of the Polish people to intercede for us—Our Lady of Czestochowa, pray for us.

Post written by Trish Irivne

Mardi Gras in Gaming, Austria

Growing up in rural South Dakota never presented the opportunity to experience Mardi Gras the way different parts of the world experience it. Honestly, most of the time I would be in the first days of Lent and I would just then remember that the Tuesday where you can get away eating whatever you want, was already over. This year, Gaming didn’t let that happen.

The day began innocently enough with a class of Christian Marriage. Afterwards, a couple friends and I went to the post office to mail some letters. Ironically enough, mine was to my cloistered Carmelite sister—if only she knew the price of mailing a letter on Mardi Gras! We entered the post office and saw a sight one never sees in the United States—a plate of donuts and a tray of various liquor shots at 11:20 a.m.

One of my friends mailed her letters first, and as I was mailing my letter, another clerk came out and tried to interest us in some of the shots. So, being the innocent student she is, my friend took the shot. However, she made it look like it was wonderful. When my turn soon followed, I chose the same one she did. She had said it was good…so it must be. Well, she’s a good actress, apparently, because it didn’t taste quite so good. It was actually pretty terrible, but the clerks were so pleased that we were joining in the celebration that I managed not to make a face.

Victim number three went through the line and downed a shot. Needless to say, we all took a complimentary donut to improve the way our stomachs felt. In Spar (the grocery store) there was also a tray of shots, but we didn’t indulge ourselves. Later in the day, I saw children running around with vividly colored hair and adults gathered in a circle passing around a bottle. The way Austria celebrates Mardi Gras is quite different than the way the United States does. Of course, here in Europe there is a completely different mentality about drinking and alcohol in general. My prayer is that in Europe Lent is celebrated more radically as well. I hope my sister understands the great sacrifice I had to make in mailing a letter to her; I did it all in the name of love!

A post by Trish Irvine, Spring 2010.

_______________________

On Mardi Gras, the students celebrated with Salsa dancing in the Kartause Ballroom:

Trust: A Simple Word

Trust. A simple word— a lifetime of struggle. This is one of the main messages that St. Faustina received as a nun living in Krakow, Poland. Three bus loads of students made their way to Poland February 12^th and stayed for several days visiting the Marian Shrine of Czestichowa, Auschwitz, the Divine Mercy Shrine and touring downtown Krakow and Wadowice, the Pope’s home town. It was an emotional weekend full of God’s graces that many of us will still be processing for years to come.

Visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestichowa was many students’ first encounter with Poland. There, a centuries old image of Our Lady is venerated with masses and prayers by the many pilgrims who seek her intercession. We celebrated Mass in English in front of the miraculous image. The time spent here was life changing for one student who had their first real connection with Our Lady. The devotion and faith of others inspired students in their own walk of faith.

Next, we took the busses to Auschwitz. A very empty feeling washed over me as I walked over the same soil where over a million people lost their lives. I had a very hard time believing the words our tour guide was saying. The buildings were normal enough- there was no apparent warning of the evil that permeated the place. I could not envision the events that took place here, nor did I want to. The same difficulty of imaging the horrors was experienced with many other students… until a certain exhibit in one of the blocks. The Nazis were efficient at creating a profit off of their prisoners- to the last detail. A large bin the length of a long wall displayed an extremely small percentage of the braided human hair collected from prisoners. The Nazi’s goal was to package this hair to sell to a local textile company to make hair cloth. For some students, it was various other material items that reminded them of family members- a thermos, eyeglasses, shoes, the list is long. I walked away convicted of the very real, sanctifying suffering that occurred on that ground. And as Lent is just around the corner, the small sacrifices I attempt will be nothing like the suffering of the victims at Auschwitz.

The next day, we visited the Divine Mercy Shrine where Saint Faustina walked her path toward sainthood. We arrived in time for a chaplet of Divine Mercy prayed in Polish and English, followed by a talk by Sr. Guadia on trust. She pointed out that in the Bible, Jesus never asked us to understand. When questioned, His simple response is to trust: “follow Me”. In a world where Auschwitz can exist, where many concentration camps still do, where pain and suffering can be found everywhere, it can be terribly easy to look out only for one’s own good- to trust in one’s own strength. While I am still tackling the significance of what happened at Auschwitz and many other places before and during the Second World War, I find comfort in the words of Our Lord. I don’t believe I will ever understand suffering, but the good news is that I don’t have to understand. Jesus only asks us to trust- and to follow Him.

Some free time in Krakow let students explore centuries old architecture, walk in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II, and experience local fare. Pierogies were high on many students’ lists of things to try. We were pleased to be surprised at how large the serving portions were at restaurants, for a relatively cheap price. A few students stumbled upon one of the best jazz bars in the city and enjoyed visiting with a native Polish man who lives in Australia and was visiting his home town.

A brief excursion to Wadowice before the long, eight hour bus ride back to Gaming proved to be one of the highlights of my trip. The plan was to tour John Paul II’s birth house and a museum. When both of these were closed, most of the students stepped into the church next door where Karol Wojtyla was baptized. About fifty people from the local community were praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament. While they were praying in Polish, we could tell they were praying the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet or the Litany of the Sacred Heart. It was refreshing to sit in the presence of Our Lord, to soak up His rays and to thank God for His mercy.

Poland is all too familiar with suffering. Yet from this suffering, many saints have emerged. While the Lord’s ways are all too mysterious for me to ever understand, I am grateful to know that I don’t have to. And while it is completely contradictory to many modern ways of thinking, and while suffering may be used to help me grow, I pray that I may always have the courage to say: Jesus, I trust in You.

Post written by Monica Rust, Spring 2010

What the University Didn't Tell us....

Before the 167 of us Franciscan University students boarded the plane bound for Austria, we were informed of many things. Over the course of the four pre-Austria meetings, we discovered the necessity of converters, the practicality of peanut butter, the scoop about the mandatory laundry fee, and the wonderful opportunity to travel around Europe. Despite the helpfulness of these meetings, there were many things we weren’t told. It isn’t exactly the University’s fault; it is just an honest fact.

I wasn’t told how much I would want to know German. Before I got to Austria I had approximately zero desire to learn German and I assumed that wouldn’t change. Yet within a few days of being in Austria, I was wishing I knew the local language. It surprised me that although I was surrounded by English-speaking people most of the time that I would have such a desire to converse in a foreign language. Just the simple phrases that I have taken for granted due to living in a country that speaks, mainly, one language: Excuse me, thank you, please, and the list goes on. Much can be expressed with gestures and snippets of English and German, but there is much to be desired. I almost wish there was a mandatory introductory German class offered on campus.

They didn’t warn us adequately about the Kartause kids. The Gaming staff did their fair share of informing us about them, but by then we had crossed an ocean for a semester with little chance of running home. Adorable little children play outside in the snow after Mass. A perfect picture ofAustria: the red roofs dusted in white, children and adults conversing in the chilly air, the snowy mountain peaks reaching heavenwards, the…snowballs flying through the air landing on unsuspecting college students. The staff did warn us, but the children’s faces were so sweet, I was almost in disbelief that they would attack us. Yet they did. With smiling faces they expertly packed snowballs and then sent them soaring through the air. Victims were chosen and battle lines drawn. I soon decided that I wouldn’t run from their ammunition but rather create some of my own. Of course, one child told me that my snowball throwing was “rubbish.” It is now my custom to go to Mass, with a heart ready to receive Jesus, and a pair of gloves to pack snowballs for my little brothers in Christ.

The University didn’t tell me that some of the best weekends you have will spring from disappointment. This past weekend I was all ready to go to Slovenia minus the actual tickets. On the night before departure, the trip plans were dropped and I had no other choice but to stay behind in Gaming. Yet what seemed to be a disappointment changed into one of the most relaxing weekends I’ve had thus far. I did some homework, went sledding, met some of the local children, and hiked to the waterfall. Overall, it was a wonderful weekend that began as regret for ‘missing Europe.’ Instead, I experienced the beauty that Europe has to offer close to home.

The University did tell me that this could very well be one of the best semesters of my college experience. So far, the classes I am taking now seem the best I have encountered. I am falling in love with Ministry to Moms and the beautiful people I get to meet through it. My fondness for the German language is growing by leaps and bounds. I’m becoming more cultured, I like to think, and by this point I have participated in Mass in English, German, and Czech as well as a Byzantine Divine Liturgy. Perhaps what the University didn’t tell me was much more satisfying to learn on my own.

A post by Trish Irvine

Ice Cream Social & Dance Party

Several of the RA's had the idea of calling everybody together to encourage the group to begin to break out of their cliques and to get to know all the members of the Austria Crew. So, the RA's kicked off the event with a few talks, then had an ice cream social, and finally, finished up with some dancing.

Check out a video and some pics:

Franciscan's New International Business Program

The International Business (IB) program is new to Gaming this semester. Four of the required courses for the International Business major are only offered here in the Kartause. Nine International Business students are currently studying International Economic Systems, the Cultural Environment of Business, International Management and Global Strategic Planning under the guidance of Dr. Tilman Rüsch. With three hours of class time Monday through Friday, the IB students are getting to know each other well.

The IB program involves a couple of business trips which will give students the opportunity to gain advice from professionals in successful international companies. The four ladies are looking forward to visiting Estée Lauder in Switzerland or Belgium while a trip to a Magna Steyr manufacturing facility is geared towards male interests. The students have been preparing for these business trips by researching both companies, studying their competitive environments, and compiling questions to ask.

Dr. Rüsch places a large emphasis on the importance of customer needs and desires. His classes are geared towards providing a serious Catholic with tools to thrive in a tough business culture. A large part of the courses so far have been devoted to understanding reasons behind cultural differences. By looking at the person as a whole, we will be able to understand these differences and find solutions that work for everyone without compromising our Catholic faith. While the business courses discuss the technicalities of business, Dr. Rüsch believes that the success of a student in the business world is largely due to their personality. Dr. Rüsch’s goal is to help his students develop a strong personality that will be a treasure to any company they work for. With this in mind, Dr. Rüsch meets with his students one night a week over dinner at the Kartause Keller to discuss topics in an environment other than the classroom.

It has been a neat experience being part of a developing program which continues to reveal its potential. With the help of devoted and faithful staff, students graduating from Franciscan will be able to evangelize in a new way to the business community which needs it more than ever.

Post written by student Monica Rust, Spring 2010

A student reflection about Prague

Traveling, I thought, was no big deal. I was definitely excited to travel

around Europe and to do so with my peers, but the idea of trekking across

a country, wasn’t entirely new to me. Or so I thought. My family’s

version of travel is to have an end destination and a basic idea of how to

get there before we set out. We don’t have an itinerary for every moment

but simply general ideas. With this in mind, I thought traveling around

Europe would be fairly similar. To say the least, I have come to a

different conclusion after only the first week of independent travel.

Planning isn’t essential, but it is helpful. For example, I bought my

train ticket to Prague the night before we left. Had I planned it out

sooner, I could’ve gotten roundtrip on the bus from Vienna to Prague.

Since that didn’t happen, my traveling was a little less cut and dry. The

way to Prague was via train and the way back was a bus and train

combination. Getting the bus ticket back was a little more interesting

and since there was no other way to do it, I got my return ticket when I

was in Prague. I’ll just say that my faith in God was increased and I

came to realize how praying to the Communion of Saints helps take one’s

mind off all of the bad possibilities. Nevertheless, I was able to go to

Prague and return safely.

Prague was so wonderful, that I would do it all over simply to have that

experience again. At the Church of Our Lady Victorious (home of the

Infant of Prague), the group I traveled with was able to receive a

blessing from a Carmelite priest. Following the Mass in Czech we looked

around at the church. A friend and I went to the priest to ask him to

bless some of the articles we had purchased but before we could ask, he

said we could get the whole group together and he would bless us in the

chapel. The blessing we received was beautiful. He prayed that we

wouldn’t encounter any troubles in our travels and that we would increase

in devotion to the Holy Infant of Prague, among other things. At this

point, I was fairly certain that God would get me home that night. That

was one of the highlights of the day.

Gaming, thus far, has been a wonderful experience. I’ve heard people say

that if they went home today, they would be satisfied. As I thought about

that statement, I at first thought that it was extreme and that I wouldn’t

assert that. But then I realized that perhaps that should be my attitude.

It is all a gift and if the giving were to cease, I should be happy with

all I have received so far. If I had to return home today, I hope I would

be able to go with the attitude that all I have received is a blessing.

With that in mind, I have been so richly blessed with beautiful scenery,

friends, family, God’s love, and the experience of living, studying, and

praying in place of such depth.

Written by Trish Irvine, Spring 2010

Students Pray the Mercy Chaplet in Munich

When we took our school trip to Munich, several of the students decided to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet during the hour of mercy in the main Marienplatz, dedicated to our Lady in the mid 1600's in Thanksgiving for the expulsion of the Swedish invaders. Ever since, the Marienplatz has been the beginning of countless prayers, devotions, and ever a place of protest as in WWII. It also happens to be a favorite devotional place of Pope Benedict XVI.