Faith from Far Away

Each soldier who is here gets two weeks where he can go home or anywhere in the world he or she wants. Well, I decided to go to Europe. For all of you back home, you may be asking, "Why didn't he come home for two weeks if he had the chance?' Well, this is my reasoning. Most of it has to do with the fact that it would be hard to come back to Iraq for six more months if I went home. When I go home next, I want to stay there. Outside of that main reason, it was a good opportunity to see a part of Europe I had not seen before. I figured I would go on a mini-tour to Krakow, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. It turns out that my two weeks going around this part of Europe was as much of a retreat as it was a vacation. I was sure to take my time, get plenty of rest, and leisurely see whatever I wanted to see. Plus, I found myself spending lots of times just sitting and praying in Catholic churches in each of these cities. Since I did not know any of the languages, it was like a silent retreat at times. The highlights of my trip: IN KRAKOW--the places where Pope John Paul II prayed and served as a priest and bishop, the Convent where Jesus appeared under the title of Divine Mercy to Saint Faustina, and seeing the Auschwitz Concentration Camp including the cell where Saint Maxmillian Kolbe was killed. IN PRAGUE--visiting the part of the world that my ancestors came from, the Prague Castle with St. Vita Cathedral, and praying daily at the church where the Infant of Prague Statue resides. IN VIENNA--seeing this beautiful and historic city, St. Stephen's Cathedral (which is huge), and going to an art museum with paintings from Raphael and other masters. IN BUDAPEST--going to Mass daily at St. Stephen of Hungary Basilica and walking along the Danube River. Each city had its own charm. Personally my favorite was Krakow because of Pope John Paul II's influence on my life, a good friend who was kind enough to show me around, and how Catholic that city is. For example, I went to a normal weekday Mass at a Dominican church in the heart of Krakow and there were so many people there that some people had to stand. Krakow was also smaller and less touristy making it a very peaceful place to walk and pray. Overall, it was a great trip and I am refreshed to begin my work here in Iraq again for the next six months or so. Just so you know, I thought of all of you back home everywhere I went and prayed for all of you. And to be honest, I would have traded the whole trip to be home for good. That is the truth. I have included three pictures. One is of me at the site of the Divine Mercy in Krakow. Another is a view of the Old Town Square in Prague. The final one is a picture of St. Stephen Basilica in Budapest.