3 days ago
From the Farm: Carmelite Monastery includes a celestial nod with grotto celebration
Our family comes from a devout Polish Catholic faith foundation.
Being so, Catholic teachings denounce horoscopes and astrology as a contradiction of the First Commandment, with the reasoning 'astrology and horoscopes are seen as attempts to seek knowledge or to influence events through means other than God, thus violating the First Commandment's call to worship God alone.'
In conflict, in our identity as a devoted newspaper family, we also admit we love to read the daily syndicated horoscope features in all of the Northwest Indiana and Chicago newspapers, at least for 'entertainment purposes.'
I adopt the philosophy taught to me by journalist mentor and church catechism teacher Stanley Pieza, who passed at age 88 in 1994. He was a retired religion reporter for The Chicago Daily American, and later The Chicago Tribune.
Pieza cited to his Sunday school students examples of how celestial maps and charting of the stars remain as undeniable evidence that the bible details stars in the skies as important guide references in verses and passages.
A notable example is in the birth of Moses, and later, Jesus' birth.
When Pharaoh ordered all of the newborn males of his kingdom and surrounding area to be killed, as explained in the Book of Exodus, his trusted advisors warned him of a foretelling prophecy in the stars that a newborn Hebrew male would stifle the power of Pharaoh.
Similarly, in the Gospel of Matthew, King Herod ordered all male infants under age two in Bethlehem to be killed after the three visiting Magi (astrologers) told him of 'the birth of a new king.' The Magi 'were 'guided by a star in the north to find the newborn and pay him homage.' Often mistakenly referenced, 'shepherds in their fields' did not follow the star of Bethlehem to find Jesus. The shepherds were visited by an angel and guided to the infant king.
Today, the history of stars, the heavens and astrology is still a tightly woven and colorful tapestry.
At 5 p.m. Thursday, July 19, Diocese of Gary Bishop Robert J. McClory will be in Munster at the Carmelite Monastery and Grotto to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Carmelite Fathers making Northwest Indiana their pilgrimage worship home.
I've always been in awe of the sunken gardens and grotto located on this property along 1628 Ridge Road in Munster. Among the priceless artifacts, shining stones and granite and quartz pieces gathered from around the world, there is an intact meteorite embedded in one of the wall crevasses at an undisclosed (and protected) location. I'm told the meteorite ('shooting star') fell in the wilderness of Siberia and was gathered and transported to be included at the shrine with the grotto as a new home.
Thursday's celebration begins at 5 p.m., with the bishop conducting mass, followed by 6 p.m. outdoor fellowship, food and choral music and capped by 7:30 p.m. outdoor eucharistic adoration and worship. For more information, visit
The beautiful and inspiring grounds at the Shrine and Monastery property are comprised of the Marian Grotto, the Stations of the Cross (of which the 14th Station, the Grotto of the Lord's Tomb, deserves and receives special attention), the monastery church that has the miraculous figure of Our Lady of Ludźmierz, Queen of the Polish Highlanders, the Chapel of Our Lady of Mercy, and the Highlanders' Chapel.
Nestled among the trees in the quiet of the garden are figures of Polish saints and others associated with Carmel, including St. Therese of the Child Jesus and St. Louis Martin, her father, St. Raphael Kalinowski, St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. John Paul II. The statue of St. Raphael Kalinowski (whom the Polish School on the monastery grounds is named for) was unveiled in 2007 in memory of the victims of the Katyn Massacre during WWII. There is an urn inside the Polish eagle at St. Raphael's feet containing soil from the Katyn Forest. At the base of this hauntingly beautiful memorial are 'skulls' with 'bullet holes' in the back of their heads, representing the thousands of victims (which included soldiers, clergy, educators, doctors) who were executed and buried in mass graves.
A small Eastern Redbud tree named 'Rafalek' was planted near the statue of St. Raphael Kalinowski on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the school in November 2023.
I'm told 'to emphasize the inexpressible spiritual beauty of God's mercy, extra attention is devoted' to the many statues created with Italian Carrara marble in grottos and chapels. These statues, sculpted by Italian artists, are decorated with the many unusual minerals, crystals, and rock formations, some translucent to glow in the dark, as well as the rare and unique meteorite, which is really a 12-inch-long 'piece' of a larger meteorite that landed on the grounds of the Carmelite Fathers' monastery in Siberia decades ago.
The Discalced Carmelite Fathers Monastery in Munster was founded in 1952 by a group of Polish Discalced Carmelite friars who came to America after World War II to devote themselves to the pastoral care of their countrymen. I'm told it is for this same reason, so many parts of the shrine are devoted for visitors to become better acquainted with Polish tradition and history. The shrine has been designated as a pilgrimage site in the Diocese of Gary's observance of the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025.
One of my most memorable visits to this powerful and impactful landscape was in spring 2023 when a visiting troupe of performers presented a production of 'The Passion of Christ.' Director Cecylia Jablonska heads the non-profit Live Theater Production Company, based in Chicago, which hosts the run of the seasonal stage telling reaching audiences of all ages for more than 35 years since the company launched in Poland, based at
Michelle Zaborowski of Elmwood Park, Illinois, starred as 'Claudia,' the wife of Pontius Pilate, in the live performance I saw two years ago. Michelle participated in the Polish Walking Marian Pilgrimage connecting Chicago, Munster and Merrillville on the trek and sang with the praise choir during the recent event. She is sharing her mother's heirloom recipe for a traditional Polish mushroom soup with readers for today's column.
1 heaping cup dried mushrooms
2 carrots, chopped
1 parsley root, chopped
1/2 celery root, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 tablespoon butter, divided use
1 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
Directions:
Wash the mushrooms and soak them in water for a few hours.
Cook mushrooms in the same water in which they were soaked for 8 to 10 minutes or until soft and tender. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the water broth.
Peel, wash, and dice the vegetables, and add them to the pot.
Add 1/2 tablespoon butter to pot, season contents with salt and pepper and simmer lightly. Stir while simmering, being careful not to burn the vegetables.
Once soup has lightly simmered for 20-30 minutes, pour some added boiling water into pot to create desired consistency and bring the broth to a boil. Cook for another 30 minutes.
Strain the cooked vegetable broth and add it to the mushroom broth. Finely chop the drained mushrooms and add them to the soup. Season the soup with more salt and pepper to taste, add additional butter and parsley as desired.
Serve with lazanki (a cabbage and noodles mix) or pasta.
