AMT Travel

Poland had suffered enormously during the 20^th century by the Second World War and Communist times but was blessed by life of holy people like John Paul II, St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe. The pontificate of the Holy Father John Paul II led also to canonization of many other Poles like St. Hedwig Queen Of Poland, St. Kinga, St.Albert, St. Simon who were added to a list of saints started by St. Adalbertus and St. Stanislaw. The tour will take pilgrims to places where pathways of Polish saints meets together: in front of the Black Madonna altar or inside the Royal Cathedral of Cracow.

Shrines:
-Our Lady of Czestochowa, Divine Mercy Basilica in Cracow-Lagiewniki, Our Lady of Kalwaria

09:00-12:30 - visit of Warsaw-the capital of Poland-the Old Town, the Royal Castle, the Royal Way,the Lazienki Park and the Ghetto Monument. The tour includes former Pawiak Prison where from St Maximilian was sent to Auschwitz and the convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy on Zytnia Street where St. Faustina entered the convent.

15:30-17:00-visit of Plock, where on February 22, 1931, 26-year-old sister Faustina had her first and most important revelation of Merciful Jesus and His wish regarding establishing of The Feast of The Divine Mercy on the first Sunday after Easter.The convent and the place were the cell of Faustina was situated will be visited. The Cathedral of Plock will be included in this tour as well.

10:00-12:00-visit of Niepokalanow, "a place chosen by Mary Immaculate and is exclusively dedicated to spreading her cult. All that is and will be at Niepokalanow will belong to her. The monastic spirit will flourish here; we shall practise obedience and we shall be poor, in the spirit of St Francis" (St Maximilian). Before long, Niepokalanow had become one of the largest (some say the largest) friaries in the world. In 1939, it housed 762 inhabitants: 13 priests, 18 novices, 527 brothers, 122 boys in the junior seminary and 82 candidates for the priesthood. Visit of the first chapel and the first cell of Fr Maximilian will be visited with the Museum of St Maximilian.

15:30-16:30 visit of Glogowiec and Swinice Warckie. A family house in Glogowiec where Helena Kowalska ( St Faustina) was born on 25 August 1905 and the parish chuch of St Casimirus where she ws baptized will be visited.

17:30-18:30-short visit of Lodz- in the Cathedral she heard Jesus: 'Go immediately to Warsaw, and there you will enter a convent'. Walk along Piotrkowska street with impressive tenement houses from the late 19th and early 20th century.

11:00-13:00-visit of the 'Spritual Capital of Poland' - the shrine of Jasna Góra (Czestochowa) famous for 600-hundred year presence of the Black Madonna Image. Place visited by 4 mln pilgrims every year.The tour will include the Chapel of the Black Madonna, tha Basilica, the Treasury with hundreds of ex votos left by Popes John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, Polish Kings, Noblemen and ordinary people.

14:30-check in the hotel and free time for individual prayers and visits of the Shrine

21:00-the Jasna Góra Appeal evening prayer with the lowering of the silver sliding panel protecting the Image of Black Madonna

10:30-11:30-visit of the Discalced Carmelites Convent in Czerna. A place where St Raphael Kalinowski was ordained as a priest and where he is buried. He was a teacher, engineer, prisoner of war, royal tutor, and priest, who founded many monasteries around Poland after the suppression by the Russians, most prominent of which was a monastery in Wadowice, John Paul II's hometown. John Paul II declared his boyhood hero a Saint. Raphael was the first friar to have been sainted in the Order of the Discalced Carmelites, since co-founder Saint John of the Cross.

14:30-17:00-visit of the salt mine in Wieliczka – one of the UNESCO World Heritage Monuments . Tour of a real underground city with miles of corridors and hundreds of chambers-the most bautiful included in the tour with underground lakes,the St Cunegond Church, chapels, adorned with real works of art made by hands of miners as symbol of their strong devotion and faith.

08:30-16:00-Visit of Cracow- the tour begins with the Wawel Castle- the Royal Residence with famous collection of Flemish tapestries, Italian paintings and the Cathedral where Polish king were crowned and buried. The Cathedral is place for reliquiaries of St Stanislaw the Bishop, patron of Poland, St Hedwig Queen of Poland,St Florian, patron of Cracow and Blessed bishop Vincent Kadlubek. The St Leonard cript where Karol Wojtyla had celebrated his first mass on 2 November 1946 and the venerated Crucifix of St Hedwig will be included in the tour. After the visit of the castle walk along the Royal Way with stops at churches of St. Andrew, St. Peter and Paul, the Holy Trinity Dominican Basilica with relics of St Jacek Odrowaz, the St Francis Basilica one of the most beloved places by John Paul II, where St Maximilian started preaching,with relics of Blessed Salomea and Blessed Aniela Salawa. Next place on the tour- the Jagiellonian University with the Collegium Maius -Copernicus' college; the Main Market Square- the largest square of medieval Europe with the Sukiennice (the Cloth Hall) building and the Dormition of Virgin Mary Basilica holding a treasure of the North European late gothic-the Veit Stoss Altar.

16:30-19:00-visit of the Divine Mercy Shrine-Cracow-Lagiewniki. In period between world wars in this Monastery lived and died St Faustina Kowalska.The most important places are the Image of Divine Mercy stored in the Old Chapel with the tomb of the Saint and ex-votos for numerous graces received by people. The constant increasing number of pilgrim from all over the world caused the extension of the Sanctuary i.a. building a new church - basilica, that was consecrated on 17th of August 2002 by Pope John Paul II in 2002. In this place Pope solemnly entrusted the world to the Divine Mercy

10:00-13:00-visit of the extermination camps Auschwitz-Birkenau. Special tour of places where 1,5 mln people mainly Jews from all Europe lost heir lives. Place of martyr of St Maximilian (Auschwitz) and St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Birkenau). The tour include place where Fr Maximilian died.

13:30-14:30 lunch in Wadowice - in the 19th century 'dwór'-manor house .

14:30-15:30 visit of Wadowice -the hometown of John Paul II - a house where he was born, the Minor Basilica of Our Lady where he was baptized.

15:30-transfer to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska

16:00-17:30- tour continues to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska - a complex of 43churches and chapels built as a 'model of Jerusalem'. Francescan convent, pictoresque pathways with chapels built on hills and valleys with a forest around is pat of the UNESCO World Heritage. During the Holy Week thousands of pilgrims are contemplating last days of Christ. The Stations of the Cross are followed by 100000 people on Good Friday; no less people particpating for the Assumption of Virgin Mary procession. Place very close to John Paul II's heart

09:40-10:15-short stop at Niegowic where Karol Wojtyla was assigned to his first parish work as a deacon in 1948

11:00-12:00-visit of Lipnica Murowana -a village of St Simon of Lipnica and St Ursula Ledóchowska. A place fames of the Palm Sunday celebration with the contest for the highest 'palm' (palms for that day's ceremonies in unfavorable climates for palms led to the substitution of boughs of box, yew, willow or other native trees). Places to visit- the wooden church of St Leonard from late 16th Century (UNESCO World Heritage Monument), the St Simon church built on a place where St Simon was born and House of the Congregation of the Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus

13:30-15:00-visit of Tropie, a place related with the first Pole to be canonnized (in 1083), the Benedictine St Andrew Swierad from the 11th century. He was considered a saint even during his lifetime by the local people. Visit of the SS Swierad and Benedict the Ermit church built in the 11th century

16:00-17:30-visit of Stary Sacz, old medieval town closely related to queen St Cunegonda(Kinga)of Poland with the monastery of the Poor Clares founded by her in the 13th century. The Saint spent her last years of her life on meditations and was canonnized here in 1999 by John Paul II. The other interesting places are the Spring of St. Kinga, pictoresque Market Square and the 14th century church of St Elisabeth, place of meeting of the victorious Polish King Jan Sobieski returning from Vienna after defeating Turks with his wife.

10:00-13:30: Embarkment on rafts guided by highlanders and trip on river Dunajec Gorges within the Pieniny National Park to Szczawnica. Pieniny are small but one of the beautiful among Polish mountains. White rocks take beautiful shapes like Trzy Korony ( the Three Crowns Mountain) or Sokolica (the Falcon's Nest). The park is a shelter for many protected plans and animals like black stork or royal eagle.

14:30-15:30 Tour continued to Debno a village with the 15th century wooden church of St Michael built without nails! Internal decoration with medieval polychromies and sculptures made this church one of the most precious monuments of Polish wooden architecture being includend on the UNESCO list.

15:30 Trip continued to Zakopane, winter capital of Poland. Panoramic visit of the town with traditional architecture. The visit includes the church of Our Lady of Fatima built by Polish Highlanders as ex-vot for saved life of John Paul II

09:00-10:30-panoramic tour with a funicular to Gubalowka, offein breath-taking view on Tatra Mountains, beloved ones by John Paul II, a place of his hiking.

11:15-12:00-visit of Ludzmierz, the main Shrine of Polish Highlands with 600-year old Miraculous Statue of Our Lady of Ludzmierz. On June 7th 1997 Ludzmierz hosted Pope John Paul II, where he said the rosary in the sanctuary's Rosary Garden.

16:30-17:30-visit of the oldest Benedictine Abbey of Poland in Tyniec and participation in Gregorian Chants. The abbey was on of last places visited by John Paul II during his last pilgrimage to Poland in 2002

NOTE. Masses will be arranged on request of groups-every day or according individual wishes.