Our first stop was at Eichstadt. The Church and shrine are along one side of a courtyard; there's also a school adjoining, and the courtyard has brightly coloured grids for the children to play on in their break periods. The church is typically Bavarian baroque, though quite small compared to many others we visited. Paintings about water miracles line the walls. We had Mass there. Afterwards, we went through the door behind the altar into the shrine itself and paid homage to St Walburga. I've written about this on the Saints thread because the only photograph I took was an Annunciation in stone surrounding the door of the tomb. Above that are stone statues of all of Walburga's family - two parents and three children, all regarded as saints; a parallel with our present Holy Father's own family? Walburga (710-779) had two brothers, one of whom was St Willibald, Bishop of Eichstadt. The other brother was abbot of a large monastery founded by Willibald. It's interesting to note the connection between Anglo-Saxon England and Germany. Old English isn't so very unlike the German language, so learning German wouldn't have been difficult for these three siblings. St Boniface was their uncle, another great gift to Germany from England.

From around 12th October each year (the anniversary of the date Walburga's relics were taken to Eichstadt) until 25th February (the main feast of St Walburga) a liquid, known as 'oil' because of its miraculous properties, but actually water, seeps from the tomb of St Walburga and is collected and distributed free to pilgrims. By the end of February it has dried up completely. No one is sure quite why this happens, if it's caused naturally, because of the rock and the time of year, but the 'oil' has appeared every year for over 1200 years and miracles have been attributed to the use of the oil. Mary and I have some and we will let you know if we get any results!

There's a cathedral in the main square in Eichstadt where St Willibald is buried. The interior is well worth a look, the light is fairly dim, unlike in most baroque churches, and I found it very inspiring and quite glorious. I'm really sorry I didn't get a photo - I assumed there would be plenty on the net of both the shrine and the cathedral and now I can't find any.

+ + + + +

After Eichstadt we saw what was for me one of the most memorable places I've ever visited.

Dachau. One would expect that it would be almost too painful for words but over the years it's been so saturated in prayer that one comes away inspired. I don't know why - perhaps that's not a very good word to use, but I know that I felt deeply touched, and left with a feeling of hope in human nature because evil didn't prevail. I took several photos here, and want to share them with you.


This was taken from within the compound, looking back at the entry gates. The familiar slogan 'Arbeit macht frei' is set into the wrought iron. Unfortunately I didn't see this in time to take a picture.

The unfortunate victims were taken to the gates by train, some of the tracks have been recently excavated and exposed. After this they were admitted into a large administration block:



Inside this building, which is long and quite low, there is a simple exhibition showing the rise of Hitler, and the fate of people in the camp. Dachau was never described as a 'death camp' and no gas chambers were used (though they were installed, constant sabotage by the prisoners rendered them unusable up to the end of the war), but people died here all the same, in large numbers. Many died from ill-treatment, hunger, disease or medical experimentation.

In recent years there has been a greater willingness in Germany to face up to their Nazi past. Nuremburg has a 'Dokumentation centre' in the old rallying grounds, and in Munich there is another 'Doku' centre being constructed. With this new atmosphere of openness will, I think, come closure and healing, absorbing the lessons of the past. Modern Germany is a wonderful place to visit and has an exciting future.

Walking through the administration building I felt a deep urge to pray, but then found it difficult to find any words that would express what I was feeling, an ache for suffering humanity. "Lord have mercy on us" seemed the only thing possible.

outside the building is a sculpture:


You can see the reconstructed prison block in the background. There were over 30 blocks, all demolished when the camp was liberated, but I think this is now regretted. To the right are what look like apartment buildings - Dachau is a little town, and the camp is slightly to one side of it, but people still live and work there.


I'm sorry, because this has been resized, the writing on the memorial is a little hard to read. It's in several languages, including English. On the other side of the square is a parallel monument with the words 'Never Again' in many more languages, including Hebrew.


This picture is looking back down the long central avenue in the middle of the prison blocks. Note the guard tower at the end of the reconstructed block. The other blocks are shown in outline with their numbers identifying them. Block 26 was of especial interest to our pilgrimage as it was here that over 2500 priests were incarcerated. I said some sorrowful mysteries along this walk. As I said, prayer comes easily in this place, something within one demands it.

Many priests who refused to give the Nazi salute or promote government propaganda were taken to Dachau and over 300 were victims of medical experiments. There are several Blesseds among their ranks (of course so many saints must have perished here, I'm talking of official designation), including Karl Leisner, a young deacon who was actually ordained priest by an auxiliary bishop who was a fellow inmate. Blessed Karl died just after liberation. Blessed Titus Brandsma is rather better known, a Dutch Carmelite, a reserved and rather academic figure - not perhaps in the typical 'heroic' cast - who endured cruel beatings during one of which his spectacles were sadistically trampled on. As a shortsighted person I rely on lenses to see anything, and I would be helpless otherwise. During one beating it was noted that he seemed hunched with his hands concealed - he was holding a pyx and trying to hide it from his torturers. Blessed Titus died by lethal injection in 1942 after being used for medical experiments. His last act was to hand his rosary to the nurse assisting the doctor who killed him. He had learned she was a Catholic. She said "I can no longer pray", to which he replied, "well just say 'forgive us our sins' then". Later she repented fully and returned to the Church. Blessed Titus, pray for us!! Website for Titus Brandsma

All the priests on the tour stop by Block 26 and pray there. It's a very moving sight.

I took the avenue photo from another memorial


Just behind this is the Carmelite chapel and convent.



It was here that we had a short Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The chapel is a replica of the one that existed in Dachau camp - German priests were sometimes permitted to say Mass, but not others. There is a little display of the handmade vestments made from scraps of fabric, the altar vessels, and inside the chapel is a most beautiful wooden statue of the Madonna and Child that was in the camp. Germany has a long tradition of woodcarving, as we would later see in Oberammergau, and the work is exquisite. I'm not sure where it was made, but find it hard to believe it was constructed in the camp itself.

The present chapel was built in the 1960s and is of much better quality than the hut would have been. The walls are of brick, for example, but the wooden roof emulates the original. I'm sorry, I can't find a picture online of this, it's very moving.

Reverting to type, I sniffed out the gift shop and bought a couple of rosaries, one for myself and a very pretty rose quartz one for the daughter who loves all things German and all things pink. It will remind us to pray for the suffering.

Later: I've found an image of the Madonna statue hereon the Titus Brandsma site. I note that it says the statue was smuggled into the camp.

[I have used this space because the duplicated Opera House photo was not necessary - my Firefox had been playing up. The following three posts were posted earlier]

[Modificato da Wulfrune 26/02/2007 16.53]

[Modificato da Wulfrune 26/02/2007 16.59]

That's really beautiful! Were you able to go inside?

Glad you girls are back safe and sound. I'm eager to see more photos and hear about the adventures. I'm sure Bavaria will never be the same after a visit by two of our most rabid Benaddicts. Did you get to see Big George?

Hello from Mary still on Cloud Nine!
Monday morning and I'm still shattered. I've now downloaded all my photos from my camera, so I'll start resizing and then.....Way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As Clare said, the only disappointment was the short time we had in Altoetting. You need a whole day there.
But, I feel very lucky that I was able to go to Bavaria at all and thank the Lord that I can share our experiences with you all. I'll get the photos on here as soon as possible!
Luff and Choy, Mary xxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

This is the Marienplatz on the first day of our pilgrimage - Monday February 19th. The Mardi Gras fun had already begun and there was loud rock music [which was, even for me, quite jolly!!!!], plenty of beer-drinking and lots of colourful decorations, confetti etc. showering down on the revellers. How different it must have looked on the day our Papa was there! Never mind, we were THERE, which is the most important thing.

In the background is the semi-circular balcony of the Archbishop's residence where our Papa appeared so jubilantly after he was named as Archbishop of Munich-Freising in 1977. I think he stayed at this residence last September - I ought to be certain, but I'm still very tired!!! In the foreground is a strange woman with poor teeth; she's either deranged or exuberantly happy!!!!!

[Modificato da maryjos 26/02/2007 16.44]

The new bronze relief of Papst Benedikt in the Frauenkirche, gazed upon by me! It's not a good likeness of him, but the fact that it's there is what's important and that they care for him so much!

Interior of the Frauenkirche with natural lighting.

At the back of the Frauenkirche is a Benedict display. It's almost hidden away and I do feel that more could be made of it. Needless to say, we made straight for it!

[Modificato da maryjos 26/02/2007 16.53]

Here is Clare in front of the new pillar erected to commemorate Papa's visit. We had just arrived and it was still rather misty. A mist had descended across the countryside after we left Munich. But we were able to see the special kind of landscape: fairly flat farmland with rich soil. On the hills were small settlements, each with a delightful church. It's truly magical!

At last - THE house in which our beloved Papa was born! And look, a line of schoolchildren being shepherded by their teacher!

The plaque which commemorates our special event. And, standing beside it, that funny woman again! Please note the hat knitted in Vatican colours [Valerie knitted these and we three each sported one!]

Beautiful poster outside the tourist information office. This place is so full of really excellent memorabilia [most of it NOT tat] and it would have been possible to bankrupt ourselves here - we nearly did. The staff were so genuinely friendly and gave us some extra goodies because we had spent so much money. But everyone in Marktl, from the church sacristan to the young waitress in the Kaffeehaus, was so "freundlich". I didn't want to leave. The mist lifted, the sun came out shining brightly by the time we went into the church for Mass. To some people this may seem like any Bavarian village, but to me it was very special. Of course, we know why! But even so, I felt I could happily spend an entire, quiet holiday there.

Beautiful mural on the building between the Geburtshaus and Saint Oswald's Church. The distance between the house and the church is barely one hundred yards, so it's easy to understand that it was possible to get the baby Joseph Ratzinger from home to church for baptism, even though he was only a day old.

Very special sign outside Saint Oswald's Church

Oh look! Bees and hives! I had to include this lovely display beside the altar in the new part of the church. It reminds me of the beehive in Papa's Pentling garden.....and of Pooh Bear, of course!!!!

THE font at which Papa was baptised. Note the HUGE ash cross on my forehead - don't think I've ever had such a large dose of ashes.

Photo of Papa beside the altar in the new part of the church.

Saint Florian - to the right of the altar as you face it, in the new part of the church.

The new altar. The sacristan is "tidying up" after our Mass. At the Consecration he tolled the outside bell - this made me go all tingly. We don't have that here. In fact, sometimes we don't even have the little inside bells.

Looking towards the back of the new part - organ and beautifully coloured window.
That's it from Marktl! I'll try to do the few I took at Altoetting!!!! So pleased you are all enchoying the photos, which we love to share. Luff, Mary xxxxxxxx

[Modificato da maryjos 27/02/2007 9.19]

21st February, Ash Wednesday

This was the first stop of the day - we arrived about 9.30 and found everything shut. It was Ash Wednesday and we thought at once that it would all be closed. I was mentally composing a very stiff letter to the travel company when at 10 am everything slowly began to open. Phew!!!! (note the shopping bag on my arm in Mary's picture - you can see I had expectations of booty)

Because of a funeral in the village we had an extra hour to pass. Even so, Mary and I missed the Heimat Museum. The birthplace isn't open yet; it's being renovated and we could only peep through the windows and admire the spacious rooms. I am so glad Mary captured that sight of the little children passing in front of the house - it shows so well how village life continues and I think looking at the number of 'bambini' the future looks very bright for Marktl.

In between shopping bouts, we rested in the cafe nestling in the buildings between the birthhouse and the church. Although it was Ash Wednesday, Mary and I shared a Papst Schnitte:



Note the Pope Benedict torte at the top of the foto. We sat opposite the window and watched people walking up and down the high street. I also got a 'Proud to be Catholic' sticker at this cafe!!

Here is a view from outside the Church looking back to the Birthplace. You can see, as Mary said, how close the two buildings are.


There is a stationers shop just opposite the church, where I bought a beer glass with the Pope Beer insignia, and some B16 badges. It does sell stationery too but not a great deal. However, I wasn't tempted by the hideous statue for sale (the ghastliness of which is mitigated on foto but in real life is far more awful). Note the Pope wine as well. I think the poor quality of the foto is due to my hand shaking with the shock!!



After Mass we had some time to reflect and pray for the Holy Father and all other intentions. I took this of the modern altar - the cross stitch is quite sweet; it's perfectly possible to reproduce the pattern for the cross, if any one would like. I have a larger image of this picture if anyone feels inspired to have a go.





There is a side chapel with the old reredos and the original font, now restored to the church from the museum. I had a couple of rosaries blessed here.

The Marktl church is wonderfully simple - white walls and very plain architecture. There is a modern stained glass window depicting St Oswald (really more a study in red) but the light just streams into the church. I don't know how much it resembles the one in which dear Papino was baptised (it was rebuilt in the 1960s) but its simplicity appealed to me. Rococco can also be very inspiring, as at Oberammergau, but for me as a northern-born Catholic, it takes more getting used to.

Mary and I were both lectors, which was a marvel in itself, and then we went to receive the ashes.

I have read elsewhere of the willingness of Marktlers to profit rather too enthusiastically from their papal connection, with some rather tacky merchandising - but really the worst seemed to be the beer (and I like beer anyway). I didn't see any baseball caps or T shirts. The Tourist Information shop has, as Mary said, very nice merchandise, such as books, rosaries, candles, calendars and Cds. There are square silky scarves in a choice of colours, depicting the baptismal font - hardly tacky. I bought quite a lot of items, and was given a candle (larger than the ones I'd bought) and another scarf. Pleaes tell me where else this kind of thing happens? I look at the candle and tell myself that it is a gift from the people of Marktl and feel so blessed to have visited their village. Peace be upon them all.

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That's really beautiful! Were you able to go inside?

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Yikes!! My post up there refers to the Opera House and not Dachau. I hope I didn't come off as some weirdo... :

I think I would cry if I were to visit a place like that.

Clare, those cakes look so scrumptious!!!

And Mary, those bees are just too cute!!

I love the pic of the house he was born with the schoolkids walking past it. They better be paying attention and not goofing off! If I were there, I'd treasure every instant.

That display of Papa is very

Thanks you two for sharing!!

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!!! I was away from my PC for a few hours and what a wonderful surprise
to find so many of Clare and Mary's pictures already posted!...You take such good photographs, girls, a
nd your captions are so engaging that I feel drawn right into the scene literally and am truly able to have
the vicarious pleasure of sharing your experience through your eyes, almost like being there myself....And it
also goes to show that the general stories one usually reads about places are really just that - generalizations.
It takes 'feeling eyes and seeing hearts', especially from the very special perspective of Benaddicts.

Maybe we should all write the Archdiocese of Munich and ask them to move the Benedict display to a more
visible location. The Papal picture centerpiece is a great one, and I am glad it features that delightful picture
of the boy Pepperl that I would take with me to a desert island. I I was just reading a brief review of Alessandra
Borghese's book in which she says that Georg Ratzinger told her it had been just a few months before that picture
was taken, when Pepperl saw Cardinal Faulhaber on a pastoral visit to Aschau and made the famous remark,
"One day, I will be a cardinal, too." Georg recalls, with a chuckle: "Two weeks before that, all he wanted
was to be a house painter!"

And your pictures and stories about Marktl are very heartwarming. The Marktlers have obviously been unjustly
maligned for 'commercializing' the Pope just because they came out with bakery products with the papal theme
the day their most famous citizen became Pope! The stories you tell of their generosity is more typical of
small-town kindness anywhere, and I would imagine, more so in 'gemuetlich' Catholic Bavaria....Was that
beautiful Marktl tourism poster available for sale?...The bee display is charming -"with each other, for each
other" then 'Flowers, Sunlight, Honey"...

I really find that bronze pillar impressive - it was a beautiful surprise the day Papi was in Marktl last
September. The reliefs remind me of the classic reliefs on medieval Cathedral doors, like the Ghiberti doors
in the Duomo of Florence. Do you know what scenes/personages/ episodes are portrayed on the pillar?

Lastly, you two look smashing and appropriately rapt! Great idea, Valerie [whom I expect to see in
subsequent pictures], to knit those white-and-yellow caps....Mary, I think the blahness of the bas-relief
of Papi in the Fauenkirche was offset by that lovely garland intertwined with yellow-and-white ribbon(?)
that frames it.

Oh, I should not forget! Thanks for the Dachau pictures, Clare. I was there in 1974, but that was a lifetime ago,
the first time I ever visited Munich and its environs. In my personal experience, Dachau; Mauthausen, the main
German concentration camp in Austria; Yad Vashem, the Holocasust memorial in Jerusalem; and the
Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, have left searing memories that can only make anyone raise the cry to
heaven, 'NEVER AGAIN!' It's always been my frustration (as someone who devoured Holocaust literature during
my university years) that I have not had occasion to visit Auschwitz, but the Holy Father's epochal visit
there last May has more than made up for that - no actual visit there could match the power of the images
impressed in all our minds from that visit...And yes, Clare, I always let the tears flow, there are never enough....

THANK, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, to you both for sharing your pilgrimage with us....and can't wait to see
and read more!

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 27/02/2007 6.51]

A biiiiiiig thank you Mary and Clare for sharing your wonderful experiences and all those lovely photos!


And I love your hat, Mary!

Great job giving us the virtual tour, girls. It's really wonderful that you could make this trip together. It is so much more magical in the company of another Benaddict. I love the knit hat, Mary. Tell Valerie she could probably sell dozens to us forumites. Looking forward to the rest of the trip.

Thanks, Clare, for your Marktl photos! We didn't quite take the same views. I've added a few more to my post of yesterday, farther up the page. Luff, Mary xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

P.S. I just want to say that I've read Clare's post above and re-iterate what she wrote about the people of Marktl. They are really friendly and the tourist information centre has very tasteful merchandise. In the shop where they sell that delicious cake - the cake with the cross on it - we accidentally spilt tea and coffee in our eagerness to sit down by the window. The young waitress was there in an instant with a cloth to wipe it off us - I had quite a lot on my cardigan, but it didn't show because she was so quick. Wish we could have sat there all day, at the long table facing the window. I was very much taken with Marktl!
Luff again - Mary xxxxxxx

[Modificato da maryjos 27/02/2007 9.28]

You are welcome to save any of my photos.

Altoetting

We boarded the coach and said goodbye to Marktl. Looking back as we crossed the bridge over the Inn, we saw the village beautifully outlined among the trees, with the steeple of St Oswalds rising gracefully.

It's not far to the Marian shrine from Marktl, and we were soon disembarking at the coach park and crossing through the pleasant town, over a scenic bridge and along a narrow pedestrianised road sloping gently uphill; there are gift shops on either side. Altoetting has several churches of interest, including one with the relics of St Conrad of Parzham (1818-94). He was a monastery porter who became renowned for holiness of life and miracles - It's so frequently the 'little people' who are the ones who make it to the heights of sanctity. Faustina, Solanus Casey....

The Chapel of the Miraculous Image is very small inside. As it happened, the Image was not there, but people were still praying. The Image apparently does the rounds in Altoetting, and was visiting one of the nearby churches. I was impressed again by the many, many offerings and plaques left by grateful people in the past. I noticed one painting particularly, which was by the entrance. A young German WW2 soldier was half-lying in mud, with allied tanks advancing, fire pouring from their guns - all seemed hopeless except for the vision of our Lady of Altoetting, to which the young soldier's eyes were fixed, an arm raised in supplication. One can only imagine the joy and relief of that young man and his family that she should appear to him and presumably save him from inevitable death. I thought how wonderful that he did survive - despite that he fought on the other side to my own country; such is the folly of war.

Coming out of the shrine I felt a deep sense of peace, surrounded by the maternal love of the mother of God, our mother. I wasn't particularly expecting it - inside the chapel had been a bit crowded and confused, and no one sure exactly where the Image was. For me this deep consolation was a sign that this is holy ground and a special place for all who love God.

In the square around the chapel are restaurants, gift shops and churches. We really had no time at all to investigate these much, just to grab a bite of pizza and in my case locate some Holy Water which was found in the cloister area of the large church to the right of the chapel. I was helped by a round-faced elderly Bavarian on two crutches, whom I could barely understand. He wanted to chat so we communicated in odd ways by gesture and my very few words of German. When Mary came to get the water, sadly he had gone.

I definitely intend to return to Altoetting - the rather hard-faced commercialism is there (no freebies here!!) but one can ignore it and focus on prayer and Our Lady.

There are hotels and guest houses in Altoetting, and it's such a pretty place that a couple of nights would be well worth it. There is a great deal to see - but unfortunately, we managed to take in only a part because we had to be back on the coach by 3 pm!