Our further journey led through Lida, Voranava (large Polish communities) and Bieniakonie – where the grave of Mickiewicz’s beloved, Maryla Wereszczakówna, is located, and then to the Lithuanian border. Right near Sołoneczniki there is a cemetery where A. Mickiewicz first saw the rite of Dziady. We reached Rudomino near Vilnius, where local Poles were already waiting for us with accommodation. We were received with truly Polish warmth and hospitality. From there, we set out every day along the route of our pilgrimage. We first headed to “Her Who Shines in the Ostra Gate.” We were shocked by the location of the chapel. So close to the people, in full view – like a roadside shrine, though full of dignity, which anyone can enter on the way to work or while shopping. Tears came to our eyes by themselves. You are here, Mother! And we are here too! Thank you for allowing us to reach you! Mother of God, take us under your protection and guard us! We prayed and sang while kneeling on the pavement in the street. A concelebrated Mass with all six priests was held specially for us before the image of the Blessed Virgin. We prayed together for all the intentions with which we had come. Our eyes were swollen from crying. This Mass was an event that cannot be forgotten. As some of the few visitors, we toured the treasury.
Mr Grzesiu, our wonderful and unforgettable guide, suggested that we tour Vilnius starting with the house where “from 1929 to 1936 the Servant of God, Sister Faustina Kowalska, stayed ... it was here that the Lord Jesus dictated to her the words of the chaplet of Divine Mercy ...” We also prayed there, reciting the chaplet. In Vilnius we visited a number of churches, including the most beautiful and richest fortified church of St Peter and St Paul. It is said that in 1710 the Blessed Virgin Mary of Grace appeared beside it and “put an end to the plague.” We also visited St Anne’s Church, which was originally intended to be the resting place of Polish kings who would end their lives in Vilnius, and which Napoleon wanted to “carry in the palm of his hand to Paris” as a Gothic pearl. In the devastated Bernardine church, currently being renovated by the Franciscans, we were able to see medieval handmade bricks. In the Church of the Holy Spirit (the Dominicans), we attended Holy Mass, which was also concelebrated by our priests on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the birth of composer Emil Młynarski. This church, which captivated us with its beauty, contains an image of Divine Mercy painted according to Sister Faustina’s vision (the original). After Mass, we listened to a concert by Polish choirs. The Mass and the concert were attended by the composer’s granddaughter, the daughter of the famous pianist Artur Rubinsztein. St Teresa’s Church also captivated us, not only with its beauty but because Piłsudski’s heart was kept in a hiding place in the pillar of the side nave opposite the pulpit, until its burial in his mother’s grave at Rossa. St John’s Church (the academic church), whose tallest tower rises above Vilnius, is a museum. Stanisław Moniuszko worked there as an organist for many years. The cathedral contains the greatest number of mementoes of Polish identity. Among other things, there are two royal chapels. In one, called the Chapel of St Casimir, his mortal remains rest. Also buried there are Kings Władysław and Aleksander, and two wives of Zygmunt August, Elżbieta and Barbara Radziwiłłówna. In this chapel, the royal family listened to Mass from the balcony. The second royal chapel witnessed royal weddings, including the secret marriage of Zygmunt August and Barbara.
In Vilnius, we also visited an Orthodox church where, in the crypt known as the “wraka,” lie three Orthodox saints: Joan, Eustafi and Antoni. These saints died while spreading the Orthodox faith. The Franciscans, meanwhile, were pioneers of the Catholic faith in Lithuania. To commemorate their martyrdom on the cross and their drowning in the Wilejka, the Three Crosses – a symbol of faith, hope and love – were erected on Vilnius’s highest hill. They were blown up by the communists. New ones have now been erected.
We spent a great deal of time walking in the footsteps of Słowacki, Piłsudski, Moniuszko, Blessed Rafał Kalinowski and Mickiewicz. It was here in Vilnius that Adam Mickiewicz was imprisoned with other Philomaths and Filarets in 1823–24. The cell in the Basilian monastery, from where he was taken by kibitka deep into Russia and never returned to Vilnius, gave us cause for reflection. This is where Part III of Dziady takes place.
Numerous graves of compatriots who died defending their homeland or passed away of natural causes are located in the cemetery at Rossa. At the grave of Piłsudski’s mother and his son’s heart, we laid a bouquet of white-and-red flowers. It was placed by Kasia Wiewiórska, a pupil of School No. 10 in Bolesławiec, leading a group of four children. We lit votive candles and sang “Rota.” We also reflected on the words engraved there: “He who, able to choose, chose instead of a home an eagle’s nest on the rocks; May he know how to sleep when pupils are red from thunder and the moaning of devils can be heard in the rustling pines. Thus I lived.” (a quotation from Słowacki). We walked along the paths and over roots forming natural steps, paying tribute to the deceased members of the Piłsudski, Tyszkiewicz, Podczaszyński and Traugoński families while praying the rosary. We stopped at the graves of famous people, including Antoni Wiwilski – creator of the “Three Crosses” monument, the monument to Słowacki’s father, Lelewel and Syrokomla, Słowacki’s father and stepfather, Piłsudski’s brother and wife, and many other famous Poles.