15. Aug 2025

Kruswica - Molino

Photo 1: Today would be another hot day. So I got up shortly around 5.30 in the morning to get an early start and try to get as far as I could before the heat of the afternoon sun would reach its peak. Today was also the Assumption of Mary, a very important holiday in Poland. That meant that grocery stores would be closed. Whatever food and liquid I would need, I purchased yesterday evening and would have to carry with me through the day.

It usually takes me about two hours from the time I get up to the point when I can actually leave. If I use the tent, it will take another half to one hour, depending on how wet the tent is. Today I started off right about 7.30 AM. I did not expect to see anyone this early on a holiday morning. But I did. Bartłomiej and Marek were celebrating the special day with several rounds if beer. I greeted them with my "Dzień dobry" and Bartłomiej (to the left in the photo) asked me if I spoke English. I did not think that my Polish pronunciation was that bad! We talked about what it means to follow Jesus. I then prayed for them that they would come to know the Good Shepherd.

Photo 2: Fields forever...

Photo 3: The path turned to a swamp. I was not sure that if anyone would walk into it, whether they would come back out. Fortunately it was not too difficult to walk around it. I did see another large mud pool where it looked like wild boar had been wallowing in it. I could see their foot prints in the mud.

Photo 4: The monastery in Molino where I stayed the night. To do so, you need to have the pilgrim passport with all the stamps in it. I was so happy to have a shower and a bed. Also about three minutes down the road there was a Café that had open and offered some food and drink items as well. I made it through the day!

At 6.00 in the evening there was an Assumption of Mary service at the monasterychurch. I had never been to such a service before and decided to attend. The priest said three words at the beginning of his sermon which I inderstood: Mary, bible, and tradition. I am thinking he might have said that the Assumption of Mary is not found in the biblical narritive, but is a tradition that is honored by the church. Some people had brought a small bouquet of flowers with them. The climax of the service was at the end when the alter server carried a bucket of water and the priest took something like an old fashioned hand made broom and put it in the water, then walked up and down the aisles and shook the broom to sprinkle the people and flowers with drops of water. I am not sure what all that has to do with the Assumption of Mary. When a few drops came down upon me, I prayed for God's amazing grace to rain down upon Poland. God's grace, though, is not limited to just a few drops. It flows like a never ending river from the throne of God (...see Revelations 22:1-2).

Photo 5: My room at the monastery...