Fall Pilgrimage

 Our parish, St. Hedwig's, is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year.  In honour of 100 years, the parish has hosted an anniversary mass and dinner, a fun fair for the family, as well as published a (very large and genuinely interesting) history of the parish.  Other events I have already forgotten, and more events are to come.  The most recent happening was a walking pilgrimage from Barry's Bay to Wilno, from where our parish originated as an outgrowth of the Polish settlement in Wilno.

 The pilgrimage started at 12:30pm on a Sunday and followed the old railroad bed for a distance of 7 km or so.  At the head of the line of walkers was a cross bearer and two banner bearers.  As you can see, at one point, Joe took over as the cross bearer and smiled/grimaced his way through half a kilometre.  Benjamin was next in line but quickly passed off the cross to this sister when he began to doubt his upper-arm strength.

 Jacob took his turn carrying the banner.  I think that the banner was a bit harder to negotiate than the cross as our priest had failed to find the proper rod on which to mount the banner.  Thus, the intricately embroidered banner sat precariously perched on two hooks protruding from a cross bar made of wood.  With each gust of wind, it threatened to fall haphazardly to the ground in a big mound of Polish-ladies hard work.  Can you see that look of responsibility on Jacob's face as he ponders the task which he has been given?

 And here is Hannah eating an apple.  And advising her mother that she (meaning her mother) could conceivably sneak off into the woods for a bathroom break before the pilgrimage got underway.  Her mother didn't as she judged the bathroom break to be far too obvious.  Pilgrimages do involve a certain amount of suffering, right?

 These people would definitely have noticed if I had left the group and run into the woods.  I mean, what other than a bathroom break would require such an excursion?  On another note, that tallish young man with the backpack slung over one shoulder?  A diocesan seminarian who is on his apostolic year at our parish.

 Joe getting ready to lead the parish through the woods and along the railbed.  Perhaps the actual church one day, Fr. Joe?  Don't worry, your sister will be there to advise you as to appropriate penances in the confessional.

 Here we are about 300m from our destination.  There were moments along that highway when I wondered whether we would all arrive in one piece.  Walking along the highway with exuberant boys is one of life's more extreme sports.

 A better shot so you can see the long line of people following that cross.

 Ah, yes, our good pastor, Fr. Shalla.  Is his flair for the dramatic apparent?  It was a rather hot day, in the upper 20s, and when I looked back and saw him with his hand over his heart, I had to ask whether such a pose was an act of piety or a plea for de-fibrillation.  Thankfully it was the former.

 Jacob and a few other boys ran the majority of the pilgrimage, as the CWL ladies just weren't up to pace.  I confess that I too, when grown tired of chit-chat, also ran a good portion of the walk.

 I made Joe run as well.  Although he looks content, he was actually quite angry with me for making him exert himself in such weather, "I thought this was a walk, Mom!"

 This was our final stop as we regrouped and prepared to cross the highway.

 These five boys were officially the winners of the pilgrimage.  I mean, they made it there first...

Lovely photo of some wonderful young lads:  future fathers of one sort or another.