On Thursday afternoon, almost a thousand people were greeting Our Blessed Mother in the Icon of Czestochowa in front of the Church of The Blessed Virgin Mary - Queen of the Church and St. Maximilian Kolbe. This parish is run by the Priests of the Sacred Heart (Congregatio Sacerdotes a Sacro Corde Jesu).
When the vehicle with the Life Mobile had arrived, everything was already prepared for the welcoming of the Icon and tears flowed down the cheeks of the faithful gathered, as many of them had been making pilgrimages to Jasna Gora, Poland, for which they have special reverence. It is so due to the fact that the pastor of this parish, Fr. Andrzej Wosko, is originally from Poland. He led the liturgy of welcoming the Icon, and after that She was carried in a procession into the church and placed on carefully prepared table next to the the altar. Certainly, this was a historic event for this parish. Several different parish groups were leading the veneration prayers reciting the Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary.
During the celebration of the Holy Mass, which took place that evening, Fr. Andrzej Wosko gave a very moving homily, in which he called on all to rethink their own relationship with the Mother of God and to stand closer before Her countenance to see, if Her gaze is joyful or a sorrowful one, as She points to Her Son, whom we should follow.
At the closing of the Holy Eucharist, Father Andrzej Wosko expressed his gratitude towards all those good people, who have organized and coordinated this peregrination, especially the Croatian Pro-Life Movement "Croatian Alliance for Life - CRO-VITA," which had planned out the route through Croatia. At the end, Father invited all to venerate Our Lady by forming a circle on their knees around the altar. He also stated that the parishioners shouldn't go to sleep, but should remain at the nightly prayer vigil, offering it for the unborn children and for the wellbeing of the Croatian families.