2024 Danube Pilgrimage: Munich & Dachau

It's taken me quite a while to start this post (which will probably turn into a whole series) on the Danube Pilgrimage. There was a LOT to process, and I had no idea where to begin. So, I'll start at the beginning and work my way through. I'll try to make the posts as short as possible while still giving details of amazing places where I had the privilege to pray.

As I said in the Pilgrimages: Are They Right For You post, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to be a pilgrim for this trip. To summarize: The idea popped into my head in January that I should look at a pilgrimage. I found a pilgrimage that was a cruise down the Danube, but there were no single spots available. I left it up to God: If I was meant to be on the pilgrimage, I would find a roommate or a single spot would open up. A few months later I received a voicemail from a lady I know from my parish, wanting to know if she could be my roommate. That set the wheels in motion. 

The flight to Munich was uneventful. I met the tour group leader from my area at the airport and met a couple of other pilgrims. It helped that we made contact before landing in Munich since the group leader made sure we found the tour guide from Select International. We had just enough time to put our suitcases in our hotel room before meeting the other pilgrims for Mass at St. Peter. This was just a taste of the beautiful churches where we attended Mass.

The altar: the priests had their back to us

The inside was breathtaking...so much to look at!

This was when I realized that I had to keep reminding myself about the reason for my journey. As we sat down to prepare for mass, someone in our group talked loudly to someone behind her. Her reason for being there was much different than mine. 

Next on the itinerary was Dachau. I visited Buchenwald a few years ago but I didn't know much of the background before I went. Dachau was very different. Our tour host suggested we read the book Christ in Dachau by Father John Lenz. I have to say that it made a huge difference in my experience. On the bus ride we prayed the Rosary. Since it was a Tuesday, the Sorrowful Mysteries were prayed. It was perfect for Dachau, plus Father John spoke about how he experienced much of what Jesus went through during the Passion. 

I chose not to spend much time in the Museum; I wanted to walk around and imagine what Fr. Lenz and the other prisoners went through. I walked through the grounds, taking my time. 

A view of the barracks that held the Chapel. There were more Catholic Priests held here than any other Camp.

The Carmelite Chapel where we attended Mass. The kneelers have no padding on them so midway through my knees were not feeling great. It was a good reminder of the pain that the Priests & other prisoners experienced on a daily basis.

The Mass Kit and Vestments that were used.

Our Lady of Dachau was donated Easter, 1943

Vestment 

Mortal Agony of Christ Bell rings every day at 3:00 pm

Mortal Agony of Christ Chapel

Inside the Mortal Agony of Christ Chapel. Above the entrance is an iron crown of thorns; the chapel symbolizes the liberation from captivity through Christ.

One of the main differences between Buchenwald and Dachau is the presence of different Chapels on the grounds. In Buchenwald, to the best of my memory, the only buildings standing are the gate and the crematorium. In Dachau, chapels from different religions have been built. All but the Russian Orthodox Memorial were dedicated in the 1960's.

The Jewish Memorial

Inside the Jewish Memorial

The Protestant Memorial was interesting outside...

and inside

The entrance to the Protestant Memorial

The Russian Orthodox Memorial

I would have missed this except a tour group came through and the leader mentioned the ashes of an unknown prisoner. Sadly, the group glanced and walked on. I had the opportunity to put my hands on it and pray for him.

As we boarded the bus, many pilgrims mentioned how horrible they felt. My roommate and I spoke about our feelings, and our impression was much different because we read the book. My impression was one of joy, because Christ was victorious in this place, in spite of all of the horrific things that happened here and how poorly everyone (especially the priests) were treated.

We ended our time in Munich with some free time. My roommate discovered the Shroud of Turin Exhibit in the Church of the Holy Spirit. What a find!

We enjoyed a walking tour of Munich with a very personable guide, although she walked a bit quickly! Dinner was at Augustiner's Brewery, the oldest brewery in Munich. 

Bavarian Maypole

Enjoying the local brew in the cellar of  Augustiner Brau

Walking toward Frauenkirche Cathedral

Inside of Frauenkirche

Only 1 window is visible due to the columns

"Devil's Footprint" has several different legends. This survived  the bombings of WWII, which destroyed much of the Cathedral.

I visited Marienplatz before, but it was more beautiful this time, partly due to the fact that it wasn't raining this time! We made it to watch the Glockenspiel.

Our time in Munich came to a close. The next day we had a stop before we boarded the ship to begin our cruise. Needless to say, we fell into bed and fell fast asleep. In the next post: we visit a very special place that nobody I have spoken with has ever heard of, but it's definitely a place I'd love to return, then we board the ship. 

2024 Danube Pilgrimage: Final Thoughts

Overall, this pilgrimage was exactly what I needed. It was almost perfect. I have just a few final thoughts:

• I found that, although awe-inspiring, Baroque Churches are just too much. They are beautiful, but I found it really difficult to concentrate on the Mass; there were too many things to look at.

  

  Basilica of the Nativity of Our Lady, Regensburg, Germany "Old Chapel" or "Alte Kapelle"

• Dachau = Christ Victorious.  I love how there are chapels there; in Buchenwald, there is nothing except the gate and the "medical building".

Carmelite Convent (Where we had Mass)

Russian Orthodox Church

Protestant Chapel

Mortal Agony of Christ Chapel (Catholic)

Jewish Memorial

• The ship (Amadeus Riva): I was pleasantly surprised at the size of the rooms. The bathroom was a good size with a GREAT shower. If I go on another river cruise, I need to remember to ask for a room closer to the front of the ship because of the engine noise. We were so pampered on the ship. The daily programs were fantastic. They would be on our beds when we returned from supper, as well as turn down our beds and spread out the bathmats.

  

  Spacious Rooms (in a ship)

• It was really cool that I happened upon a couple of Stolpersteine in Regensburg. The sad thing was that our whole group walked right by it, but I stopped when I saw it. One of the guides said Poland talked about doing something like that,t but there were so many Poles taken away that it would be next to impossible to do something. Austra has upright plaques with a doorbell beside the names.

  

  Stolpersteine in Regensburg

• The church in Weltenburg Abbey was very interesting: no crucifix on the altar, but to the side of it. Instead, St. George is on it. The ceiling appears to be domed but is actually flat, and the painter of the frescoes is looking down. The church is built as if it were a theater with 3 levels: Hell, Earth, and Heaven. Good beer!

  

  Altar of St. George

  

  The monks make great beer!

• Linz, Austria. Had Mass in our first Gothic Church with incredible stained glass. In the church is a relic of Granz Jagerstatler and St. Catherine's (of Siena) Gate. The altar was in the middle of the church. Linz was separated during the Cold War: the Russians had 1 side, and the Americans had the other. The river separated the town. We were on the "American side".

  

  St. Mary's Cathedral, Linz, Austria

• St. Florian's Abbey was stunning. Being able to see (and hear) Anton Bruckner's organ, and also his tomb (which is directly under the organ), with all of those bones behind is something to see.

  

  Bones in Bruckner's Crypt

  

  Bruckner's Organ

• Melk Abbey was a little disappointing in that no pictures were allowed inside. Having said that, it was beautiful. Was it as beautiful as St. Florian Abbey? Hmmm... I didn't have time to walk around the gardens.

  

  Our first view of Melk Abbey from the ship in the morning fog

• After Melk, we sailed down the river during the day, and we could see vineyards. So charming!

  

  Wachau Valley, Austria

• Dürnstein: Medieval village oozing with personality. We saw a water line sign as we walked into town. A wedding was just about to start, so we went into the church for a quick look. The wedding party/attendees were dressed in traditional Austrian clothes. The town is famous for apricots, but they weren't in season when we were there. 

  

  Danube watermark on the side of a building

• The most significant "pinch me, I can't believe I'm here" moment was in Vienna, in Schonbrunn, the Habsburg Summer Palace. I still can't believe that I, a girl from small town East Tennessee, was listening to music written by Austrian composers in Maria Theresa's ballroom. It was such a magical evening.

  

  The ballroom where the private performance was held

• We celebrated Mass in some incredible churches: Baroque, Gothic, Wooden, in Dachau, in a Church Hall, and on the ship. One thing that stood out in all the churches was that there were no pads on the kneelers. At Dachau, I forced myself to continue to kneel, offering the pain up to the prisoners who would have loved to have had a place to kneel. It's hard to say which church was my favorite; definitely 1 of the Gothic Churches.

  

  St. Martin's Cathedral, Bratislava, Slovakia

• If I have any complaints, it would be that there wasn't enough time for reflection. I felt like we were rushed out of the churches after Mass because we had something else on the schedule, which was tight. I was also disappointed that the shops at the Divine Mercy Basilica were closed (All Saints Day); I was planning on buying Rosaries there, but Wadowice was a great 2nd choice since that's JPII's birthplace.
• One other thing that I would have changed if I could: I would have preferred tours of the churches. As I look back and dig into some of the churches we were in, we missed a lot. As in, miracles that we weren't made aware of. There was a Eucharistic Miracle in Regensburg that we weren't made aware of. I'm not sure why that wasn't pointed out (and that church wasn't visited) since we were on pilgrimage.

  

  The Minor Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary holds several relics I wish I had known about when I was there

• One thing did put a little bit of a damper on things at the end of the cruise: there was a couple who complained about our guide. I thought she was absolutely wonderful. She was very personable, professional, and when we needed reprimanding, she did so gently. One evening, I had dinner with another couple; all she seemed to do was complain about how things were different. You're on a pilgrimage, for goodness' sake. And, it's Europe...not the USA. Things are different there. 
• I met some wonderful, amazing people on this trip. The couples were just beautiful. I felt no sadness when seeing them together; they were so nice and just beautiful together. The guides we had (even though I know they had to have been stressed out at some point) were calm, professional, and knowledgeable. I could tell that they loved their country (Poland) and that they also loved sharing it with others.

  

  The whole group in front of Melk Abbey. Photo courtesy of Crossroads Italy.

Select International is the way to go. I can definitely see myself on more pilgrimages offered through this company.