A few months before we left for World Youth Day in Poland, one of our organizers, Greg Coogan, gave us a presentation on what to expect when we arrived. He told us, “Be ready to be with over two million of your closest friends while in Krakow.” At first, this statement did not really give me confidence that I would enjoy my time in Poland. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much of a struggle I thought this pilgrimage would be. I am not a big fan of crowds, and the thought of two million people made me think of long lines for everything. I began praying for patience and perseverance to make it through this pilgrimage.
The lines were not too bad when we began our time in Krakow. It looked as if it would be smooth sailing as we finished our first day with little to no problems with the crowds we experienced. The next day was the official start of the week. It would be a day where thousands of people would begin arriving for the week’s events. We began to see the crowds more and more as we ventured out into the activities that were planned for us. Slowly, the crowds grew larger, and lines grew longer. As I began to notice this, I also noticed changes within myself. First, I was no longer worried about the crowds. Second, I started to become more comfortable speaking to fellow pilgrims. And lastly, I actually began looking forward to the opportunities I would have to do this.
In reality, I began to see the other two million pilgrims as two million friends, just like Greg said in the talk he gave us. The people we met were just one of the many gifts I received from the Lord while on pilgrimage. We met people from England, Australia, the Philippines, and Taiwan. At times there were language barriers, but they never stopped us from sharing the joy and the love that can be found in our Church.
Of course there were long lines for many things we did, but this turned out to be a true blessing as well. We were not alone as we waited. We were in fact surrounded by friends. The people we met were all friendly, and always ready to talk to us. Their energy and their enthusiasm for our Church was so amazing. They were always ready to share what they had with us. They gave us pins, flags, and other souvenirs to remember them by.
One of my biggest fears turned out to be the greatest blessing I received while at World Youth Day. The excitement and love we shared with them is something I will never forget. I will always remember the lines we waited on, not because of their inconvenience, but because of the people I met while in them. Our Lord puts us in many situations, some we may want to be in, and others we do not. When we place our trust in Jesus, we see that everything before is us is there for a reason. Through tough events we grow in love for Him, and love for others. I brought two million friends home with me from World Youth Day.
Father Adam Cichoski
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