European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 29, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Focus parting the Iron curtain Poland reveals surprises and stereotypes first the rows and rows As far As you could thou the Long jammed together in the the the museum children in White communion Mountain Folk wearing colourful nuns in traditional Black and Young elderly groups of All gathered at this sacred place in an overwhelming display of religious they come by the thousands from far and near to worship the Black an ancient painting tucked away in a tiny Chapel at a monastery in for centuries they have congregated at this shrine to pay homage to this gothic which is said to be pilgrims flock to the to Jerusalem and but this is the East bloc a country that from december to july was under strict martial Law imposed by its communist Wojciech neither communism nor martial Law seems to have dampened the religious Fervour of Poland scenes like the one at the Jasna Gora monastery in Czestochowa Are what made a recent bus trip to Russia and Poland much More than just another it was a Chance to see life in the East to observe the contrasts and to be our group of 23 travelled by night through East Germany with a morning Stop in Dresden to visit the cites renowned Art the then on to Poland for five Days and to the soviet Union for another it was More than the devout pilgrims that made the Stop our guide through the monastery Maze was father Simon a instantly likeable priest who enjoyed telling jokes in his heavily accented american he led us past the Down Steps and corridors packed with worshippers to the basement Chapel for a Brief View of the celebrated we followed him into room after crowded room for a look at treasures chalices that had been donated by those who received favors from the in one of the rooms he showed us the Nobel peace prize awarded to Solidarity Leader Lech Walesa in he blessed adding extra holy water for those of Little he took us to the monastery souvenir urging us to buy a it costs because we used expensive paper from its Worth you get the Complete history of the shrine minus my he walked us to the an american once told me that America gave two generals to Poland general motors and general the problem we cant buy their poles Are not driving big supplies of some certain electrical agricultural equipment and for Are not in Many buildings and Homes Are run badly in need of a fresh coat of Overall Poland seemed better than most of us we stayed in modern from a Holiday inn Complete with indoor swimming Pool surrounded by plastic Palms in to a Hilton Type High Rise in downtown we ate we saw no Long lines of shoppers waiting to get precious people were though not no one wanted to buy american jeans or running what they wanted were with american father Simon Stefanowicz with tour group outside the Jasna Cora monastery in stories and photos by Leah Larkin stripes Magazine August