Mariazell Pilgrimage 2017

Yesterday we made our annual pilgrimage to the Mariazell Basilica.  It is the most important pilgrimage destination in Austria and one of the most visited shrines in Europe.  In the church, a miraculous wooden image of the Virgin Mary is honored.

In previous years, the kids and I have only done the short first part of the hike - and then taken a bus to meet everyone else at the Basilica.  This year we walked the entire route!  It was 5 hours of hiking through the beautiful Nature Park and small towns - resting only for a short picnic lunch.  Brian took 22,000 steps (or so his Fitbit says) - so Ellie probably took close to 50,000!!  She walked the entire way - except for a small portion when Brian carried her.  Brian carried Francis on his back the whole way.  I carried Isaac and a backpack.  It was quite the hike!  We were happy to offer up many intentions along the way, and before the miraculous statue of Mary in Mariazell.

Below are this year's pictures!  (Click here to compare them to our family pictures from two years ago - Ellie in the same blue carrier Francis rode in this year; Isaac got up the upgraded Lille baby carrier though :)

Ready to start the hike

Wooden paths with no guard rails!

Our niece Katie just about to take the plunge into the water!

Half way through (just before walking up the HUGE hill)

Lunch break - the only time Isaac was awake

Daddy is strong!!

Hiking with our friends!

Picked up our stroller in Mariazell and headed to the Basilica

Mariazell Basilica

Quick stop for ice cream for the kids - they (at least Ellie!) earned it :)

Happy to make his first visit to Mariazell

The miraculous wooden statue of the Virgin Mary

The story of the statue goes: "On the evening of December 21, 1157, a Benedictine monk named Magnus was in a forest looking for a place to build a monastery. At one point, his path became blocked by a huge boulder that was too big to go over or around, so Magnus took a small wooden statue of the Virgin Mary he had in his knapsack, knelt in prayer, and asked the Virgin Mary for guidance.  Soon there was a great rumble and the rock split in two, allowing him to pass through. Magnus placed the statue reverently on a white branch and soon after, he and some of the local people built a small chapel to house the statue. Word of the miraculous statue of the Virgin quickly spread across the countryside, and the chapel had to be periodically expanded to accommodate the growing crowds. ... Inside, the miraculous statue is housed in the Lady Chapel or Chapel of Miracles, which stands directly over the place where Magnus established his monastic cell in 1157."

Great Mother of Austria, Pray for us!!

The Start of Fall Semester 2017

The new students are here!  This past Saturday the students for Fall Semester 2017 arrived.  Per usual, the "Kartause Kids" put on their best trachten (dirndl and lederhosen) and greeted the new arrivals!  On Sunday, we all went on the excursion to Melk and Durnstein.

It feels a bit like we're repeating our lives from two years ago -- except now we have a 4 year old in addition to a 2 year old and baby, and our niece Katie is here this semester instead of our nephew Timmy :)

Here's the post from this same weekend two years ago, 2015 and last year, 2016.  Clearly, Ellie has greatly improved her Austrian wardrobe, Francis' cheeks were way BIGGER than Isaac's, and Ellie's posing has gotten much better on the playground in Durnstein.

Melk

Downtown Melk

Statue of St. Coloman, Austria's patron saint (his remains are in Melk Abbey)

Playground in Melk

Love their playground equipment here!!

Stairs up to Melk Abbey - next year Isaac will have to walk ;)

Durnstein playground

COUSINS!
So excited our niece Katie is here!!!

We are also blessed to have the help of Catherine, a student from Slovakia, who is staying with us for a few days!

We are excited for another semester and all God has in store!

Slovakia with our Neighbors

This past Saturday, Isaac turned 3 months.  He's been pretty lazy - so we figured it was time for him to get moving.  So off to Slovakia we went!

Our first stop was Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.  Our family had never been to Slovakia - and this city is only a little more than 2 hours from Gaming...I don't know why we waited so long to visit!

We went to Hrad (Castle) Devin, which is located in borough of Bratislava.  It was the perfect place to visit!  From the top of the castle you can see 3 countries - Slovakia, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

Outside the castle walls, the children enjoyed the pony rides and trying to feed the ponies!

That evening, we continued onto to our next door neighbor's hometown about 30 minutes away.  Spending time with our wonderful neighbors was the real purpose of our trip -- and we had the best time!

On Sunday morning, we walked to Mass at the Triumph of the Cross Church - and got to see the side chapel, which dates back to 1246!

After a wonderful home-cooked lunch of a traditional food from the area (roasted beef and dumpling bread covered with a delicious sauce), we went to a festival in a neighboring town celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the "Komunita Cenacolo" at this location.  The Cenacolo community is a drug addiction treatment center that accepts lost young people who want to find themselves and the purpose of life.  It was founded in 1983 by religious sister Elvira Petrozzi in Italy.  Today there are 44 homes worldwide, including in the USA and Austria.  It is very unlike other treatment centers - it is a home surrounded by beauty, animals and wildlife.  Here, young people are presented with a simple way of living a family life with discovery of the gifts of work, friendship, and faith.

At the festival, the kids got to see the farm animals, play at the playground, and visit the chapel (the Tabernacle is located on the mural behind the altar where Jesus' heart is!)

Saints Cyril and Methodius ("Apostles to the Slavs") in front of the altar

After the festival, we went to the nearby town of Trnava.  We enjoyed visiting churches, eating ice cream, and spending a little time in the town center.  It was interesting to see the beautiful old buildings next to the ugly, plain buildings put up during Communism.  We got to visit a Jewish synagogue that has been converted to a cafe as a way to preserve the building - there are no longer any Jews in these countries following their eradication during WWII - so it was a bit odd to see it converted to a restaurant, but at the same time nice to have it as a reminder of what was.

Then we headed back to our friends' home for potato salad (thanks, Francis!) and hot dogs roasted over a bonfire in the backyard.  We also had delicious vegetables fresh from the garden!

Our first trip (of many to come, hopefully :) to Slovakia was WONDERFUL!  It was fun sightseeing, but most of all, we loved getting to spend more time with our neighbors.  That's one of the best parts of living here in Gaming -- really getting to know and enjoying time with your neighbors.  We are slowly learning what it means to be a true neighbor - generous and loving.  Thank you SO much to our wonderful hosts and friends :)  See you next door ;)

Hope everyone is enjoying this Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary!  Mother Mary, pray for us!