Cathedral de Sal de Zipaquirá

Browsing through my external hard disks, sorting movies and images, browsing the internet, I have arrived to the day - August 19, 2014, when the participants of World Apostolic Congress on Mercy in Bogota Colombia held their fourth day of the congress down inside the world wonder - Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá outside of Bogota. Here is a nice short video I found on Vimeo beautifully depicting the mystery and sacredness of this inspiring place. Check it out:

Catedral de Sal from H. Paul Moon on Vimeo.

Post-WACOM Bogota 2014 Documents

If you wish to browse through the wealth of the Congress teachings, videos, see the works of mercy in Bogota or to download an applet for WACOM for easier mobile access, please visit the official website of World Apostolic Congress on Mercy here.

Final Day Of WACOM Bogota 2014

Pictures, pictures...

WACOM Bogota 2014 - The Fourth Day

So much has happened yesterday on the fourth day of our congress that I will more time to prepare images and videos and to upload them here. First, we traveled outside of Bogota to the extinct salt mine in Zipaquira turned into a museum and a place of worship, where deep inside the mountain we had our fourth day talks, testimonies and the Holy Mass. We listened to the official letter of the Archbishop of Kraków, His Eminence Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, to the participants of the Congress, read to us by his delegate, Mons. Jan Machniak, the rector of the International Academy of Divine Mercy in Kraków.

Then, in the afternoon we were transferred to the Centro Convenciones Compensar where were had a nice surprise - a taste of a great Colombian wine and a water, light, music and color show. We sat in the stands and marveled at the latest technology. We listened to the message of the Holy Father Francis who spoke us from a projection shown on a curtain of water mist. Incredible. We were given paper hats, masks, candles, whistles, you name it. A truly joyful end to the long and eventful day. Such a nice touch by the organizers!

Just a few images below as I could not manage to upload videos from the light show.

Have a great day and may Divine Mercy be you light, strength, consolation, inspiration and motivation!

ZIPAQUIRA SALT MINE

Mons. Jan Machnak delivering Cardinal Dziwisz's message to WACOM 2014

CENTRO CONVENCIONES COMPENSAR

Celebrating WACOM Bogota 2014 in joyful mood

The message of the Holy Father Francis projected on the water mist screen

Third Day Of WACOM Bogota 2014 - A Festival Of Mercy

On the third day of World Apostolic Congress on Mercy we have moved to the open space of Colegio San Pedro Claver at Fontibon district of Bogota City. The entrance was open to anybody, it was a Divine Mercy invitation day for all inhabitants of Bogota. We started the day as usual with Laudes, proceeding with talks from various speakers, confessions for all participants and the Holy Mass presided by His Eminence, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa from Santiago de Chile, one of the nine Cardinals to assist Holy Father in the governance of the Holy Church.

The Presentation

Tonight I had an opportunity to share some insights into the personal and missionary experience of Divine Mercy in Tanzania during the meeting of Cardinals and Bishops with the continental and national coordinators of World Apostolic Congress on Mercy.

Speakers who wanted to share similar insights were many thus we were allocated just a few minutes. This forced me to cut short what I prepared on behalf of Divine Mercy followers in Tanzania. Here I present the full text of my presentation.

WACOM III Bogota 2014 - Videos

Here a videos from the day of registration to the WACOM III and the first two days (Friday and Saturday). You may spot me somewhere in there.


Official TV advert

Day of registration

Friday

Saturday

WACOM 2014 - Day One - Impressions

I will comment on the proceedings of the congress in upcoming posts. Today just a bunch of images from the first day of the congress. Enjoy!

Registration For WACOM Bogota 2014

There was a couple of hours delay when the actual registration process has finally begun. It took me an hour to get through the all stages but at the end it all went fine and I have become a happy owner of my congress participant special kit. See below what I found in that lovely bag (no, that scarf is not a stole to celebrate sacraments. This is in fact a poncho!).

The congress first session begins tomorrow morning but tonight there is going to be a concert in the city. 

Time to find a coffee shop nearby and work on my address I was asked to give on this coming Sunday. I know what I would love to share with the people but time allocated for speakers is only 8 minutes. Some editorial work to make my speech precise and straight to the point.

Have a blessed day! Staying together in prayer!

Laguna De Guatavita

Yesterday, instead of going up the mountain to the Shrine of Monserrate, we decided to go first out of town. It took some time to buy and activate the local simcard with data plan, but thanks to my two angels Adriana and Stella who were my guides in the trip, things went rather smoothly. I can't imagine how I would get in terms with the salesmen who knows only Spanish and my Spanish is close to zero.

The weather yesterday was not apparently at its best, nevertheless we had a nice drive up the Andes towards Guatavita town on the lake Tomine, some 70 km from Bogota. It was drizzling so we were unable to see much there. I asked my guides to go up the mountains to Laguna de Guatavita, a sacred place for Muisca ancient people. That place was and still is the powerhouse of spirituality. I wanted to go there to pray for the success of the upcoming Congress on Mercy and for all intentions - mine and of my friends. This trip included quite significant physical effort on my part. It was the day after arrival to Colombia, so jet lag was still there and the altitude of the Laguna - above 3,000 meters a.s.l. meant an extra difficulty. These two factors and the fact that due to my weight and health issues I am not a good climber, all added up to the flavor.

Quiet Reflections Over Sunday Morning Coffee

Waking up to the last day in the homeland before starting my long journey back to Kiabakari which will lead me initially to South America for the third World Apostolic Congress on Mercy. I will attend the Congress in the capacity of the national coordinator of Divine Mercy in Tanzania. I feel deeply honored and privileged as this will be my third time to participate in such a global event (the first was the Congress in Lateran Basilica in Rome, the second in the Divine Mercy Shrine in Kraków-Łagiewniki). 

But - first things first. 

Today is the last full day in Poland. The Mission Awareness Sunday in one of the Kraków's parishes. As I pray silently to gather my inner strength and resolve targeting them towards today's goals, the morning coffee brews across the room. In a few minutes I will be ready to cross the city from Grzegórzki to Biały Prądnik to begin my service to the Word of God. 

The so familiar scent of a freshly brewed coffee reminds me so many meeting and quiet chats over a cup of coffee with so many good friends throughout the past three months in Europe. So much to be grateful for to God and to His people. So many recollections, so many good experiences, so many challenges faced off boldly, so many things that happened shaping in a way the months to come.

I ask humbly for your kind prayers that the Word of God I will sow today with the power of the Holy Spirit yields abundant fruit in the Holy Church. I wish you all a blessed Lord's Day! 

Time to go.

Looking Forward To WACOM 2014

A very good morning indeed. I have just succeeded to register myself online for WACOM 2014 (World Apostolic Congress On Mercy) which will take place in Bogota, Colombia in August this year (check the news on Facebook and YouTube). I was blessed to attend the previous two Congresses - in Lateran Basilica in Rome and in Łagiewniki-Kraków. And I am very happy and grateful to Merciful Lord and people of good will who enabled me to get ready for the third Congress. I will participate in this important event as the national coordinator of WACOM in Tanzania.

I am deeply grateful to my friends who found a good connection and airfare at Swiss and those who helped me with partial payment for my air ticket to Europe and then to Colombia. I am deeply grateful to His Excellency Bishop Michael Msonganzila who supported the journey with remaining two thirds of the airfare and gave his blessing for the endeavor.

I am deeply grateful to Almighty and Merciful Lord for the chance to give testimony to the world about the Divine Mercy devotion and spirituality in this part of the universe. I am looking forward to reconnect with Divine Mercy Apostles from various countries whom I met in the previous two Congresses.

I commend the spiritual preparations for the Congress and the Congress itself to your kind and generous prayers, my dear readers. May Lord's Will be done in all of us and in everything we undertake in His name. God bless us all in this holy time of Lent!

Official website of WACOM Colombia - registration online

Successful registration

WACOM 2014

Anyone who wants to join me on the journey to Bogota, Colombia in August 2014 for the World Apostolic Congress on Divine Mercy (WACOM 2014), especially pilgrims from Tanzania, please, contact me on my email through the contact page on WACOM website (click here). So far, I was blessed to attend the congress in Rome and in Kraków. I won't make it to Australia this year in October. but surely I would love to take part in Colombia in two years time. Let's go together!

My ID from WACOM 2008 in Rome