St. Stan's

Today we took a little road trip to visit a very special place.  In the heart of Slavic Village in Cleveland, is the breathtaking St. Stanislaus Cathedral.    It is the mother church for all Poles in the Cleveland area .   It's also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and for good reason.  This church ranks up there with the majestic cathedrals in Rome (in my humble opinion) and is enough to bring a  person to their knees in awe,  upon entering.   

We arrived just as the Polish mass was letting out.  A little boy bolted out of the church speaking Polish very fast.  My kids thought it was the neatest thing!   Next time we will definitely attend a Polish-speaking mass.  I realized they also offer missal in English so we can follow along.  What a great way to learn.  

Before mass began, we lit a candle for our child (or children) .  We also prayed for all orphans in Poland, and around the world.  As well as the families who are considering, or are already on the journey of adopting.   It was emotional.  Here are just a few photos we took:

A mitre worn by Pope John Paul II, that he he donated to the church

 The Black Madonna.  Our Lady of Czestochowa.

 After mass we met a wonderful  parishioner who was so welcoming.  He told us where to grab a good bite to eat, and even shared his favorite Polish greeting with us.   I left in a puddle of tears!   I just felt like the Lord wrapped us in a warm blanket and I am SO PROUD to not only adopt a Polish child, but entire beautifully rich culture.    I couldn't help but think about bringing our child (or children) back to St. Stan's once our family is complete.  I have a lump in my throat just thinking about it.    Thank you Lord, for this day.