POPE JOHN PAUL II IN PASTWISKA
In the deep winter of Communist times religion in Poland somehow survived which was different than in the other East Bloc countries, it was for the reason of the strength of the Church and the willingness of the bishops to stand up against the threat. The Bishop of Krakow stood out in his opposition and with his appointment as Cardinal, the voice of Karol Wojtyla became louder.
The building of new churches was however banned by the communist authorities making it impossible for a new church building to exist. When the river valley was dammed the people of Pastwiska were forced to walk a very long way round to get to their church on the other side of the river. Plans were set in motion to build a new cowshed in the village and it was only after the cowshed was consecrated that the authorities became aware that it was a church and thus too late – so the steeple was added!
Bathed in the Spring evening glow
From the early 1970’s Cardinal Karol Wojtyla came camping to this beautiful valley of ours. He stayed many times, totally unrecognised, just along the valley from here. It was one time when he was here that a telegram came to him calling him to Rome for the election of a new Pope, it was only then that a few of the local people found out who this camper was.
The Cardinal wished his presence in the area to remain a secret but with going to Rome and, later, his elevation to the Papacy prevented him from ever again returning to camp in the valley. However he always remembered his times by the Wislok River and he continued to keep in touch by letter with the people that he had met and they in turn sent him reminders of this beautiful valley. In addition there were audiences in Rome with these people.
When the little church of Saint Jozef was built in 1980 the Cardinal had already been Pope for two years. A photograph was sent to him of the church and in return he sent, as a gift, in the hands of a Slovak Bishop, a statue of St. Jozef which had been given to him by German pilgrims.
St Jozef
Soon afterwards he sent to Pastwiska the Madonna of Fatima which had been given to him on his pilgrimage there when he was giving thanks for his recovery from the assassination attempt.
Receiving the gift of the Madonna in Fatima