St. Marcina in Klobuck

Linking to Our World Tuesday

Church Steeple 

Pathway on the side of the church with 1339  Klobuck.

Pathway on the opposite of the church with 1480 to 2007.

Cousins: Left to right: Ruth and Tadek - 4th cousins, Elle is Tadek's wife and she is leaning on the table, next to her in white is her sister.

Center of the church inside.

Sacrament table.

Tadek and Karoliny (his grandniece) came and picked me up from my hotel at 1:30 PM on Friday. Karoliny spoke excellent English and she was my translator. 

For lunch, Elle fixed a marvelous homemade meal of tomato soup of which you added either rice or noodles. Then the main course of golabki (stuffed cabbage rolls), shredded beets, roasted potatoes, fasole (beans), and apple compote. Smachna!

Tadek escorted me around Klobuck, picked up information and post cards about the city for me. Later, we went back to his home for desert which Elle had gotten from her favorite bakery and let me tell you, it was almost too much. Elle said I needed to try everything and I tried but I just couldn't get those last two pieces in.

You are looking at salt and pepper hugging on the right. There was cheese cake, apple and rhubarb tort, berry creme tort, berry tort, chocolate loaf and pound cake. Yum, yum and yum (Smachna). 

They treated me royally.

Klobuck Reflections

Linking to: Weekend Reflections

Skywatch Friday

 New Buildings in Klobuck, Poland

 Klobuck Cemetery

 Klobuck City Building

Town Square

Klobuck Church Tower - St. Marcina

Klobuck Fences

Klobuck is the hometown of my grandfather's family. My ancestors have lived here for more than 350 years and I have many cousins still residing here. I expected Klobuck to be small like Sztabin but it is much larger and not far from Czestochowa (about a 15 minute drive).  The population is about 13,000.  

Linking to Good Fences

The pathway around St. Marcina Church in Klobuck.

The monastery next to the church.

Klobuck's school across the street.

Klobuck was granted town rights in 1339 but long before the town was established, this area was part of a major trade and it is possible that the ancient Roman trade route called “amber track” ran right through the settlement. The amber track was used to join the Mediterranean coast with the Baltic Sea.

New home in Kunicha, Poland

Linking to Wordless Wednesday

Inside Jasna Gora

 Jasna Gora in Czestochowa, Poland

  Altar and chairs set in place for mass.

 Angels on the ceiling.

 Ceiling of saints.

 Golden interior and places of worship.

Beautiful interior 

 Large gated area close to the Black Madonna

Another altar and holy statues.

This is the priceless Black Madonna.

A mass is celebrated every hour in this area where the Black Madonna hangs. The area has benches surrounded by a gated and fenced area.  On both sides of the four foot fence was a walkway in a U shape that goes behind the entire altar and back out on the other side.  I got in line to get closer to be able to take a photo or two of the Madonna and got myself into a predicament that I could not get out of.  What I didn’t realize was that as soon as we entered the side of the fenced area, everyone knelt on the cement floor and began to knee-walk forward.

I cannot knee walk and I was stuck because I could not turn around and leave the line so I crept as low as I could all the way around the U.  

  

The Black Madonna was taken from Jerusalem in 326 to Constantinople by St. Helena who gave it to her son, Constantine. The painting resided here in a church for six centuries. It was brought to Czestochowa by Prince Ladislaus of Opole in 1384.  From a manuscript entitled "Translatio Tabulae", dated 1474 in the Jasna Góra archives, a description of the painting’s history is given as follows:  "The Madonna was created by St. Luke the Evangelist on a table top from the house of the Holy Family. St. Luke was said to have painted two images of Mary, one of which found its way to Bologna, Italy."

Linking to Our World Tuesday

Jasna Gora Gates and Grounds

Linking to Travel Photo Discovery

One of several fountains on Jasna Gora grounds.

Jasna Gora Monastery

Lubomirski - first gate into Jasna Gora. This gate is dedicated to the Princes of Lubomirski; this royal family gave many valuable objects to the Pauline Monks of Jasna Gora. 

 Gate 2 - Virgin Mary Queen of Poland

 Gate 3 - Shrine of our Lady Queen

Gate 4 - Matka Boża Bolesna (Our Lady of Sorrows)  and the clock tower behind this gate.

 Tower with a gold crown and flags.

Totus Tuus Gate - Pope John Paul II's apostolic motto in latin meaning "totally yours". 

In 1655 the Swedish Lutheran Army invaded Poland winning victory over victory of the cities in Poland, that is until they came to Jasna Gora. The Pauline monks refused to surrender even though they were greatly outnumbered.  The battle began and to no avail the Swedish Army could not defeat the monks. This cannon is dedicated to the winning victory that the Monks had over the army. The monks would climb the tower and shower the Swedes with pious hymns. Just before General Muller was to launch a last attack on Christmas Day, he was eating breakfast and cursing Jasna Gora, when he suffered a fatal accident by a stray bullet. 

Angels protect those who dedicate their lives to God.

Park in Czestochowa

 This car was actually parked in front of my hotel in Krakow and I had to take a photo just like that couple who were taking a photo.

 Fountain in the center of the grand esplanade to Jasna Gora in Czestochowa, Poland.

 Park in Czestochowa.

Lady in the Park

Linking to Shadow Shot Sunday 2