On Saturday, May 24, 2008, a group of 22 pilgrims took the St. Brother Albert’s Green Trail to visit the Blessed Sister Bernardina’s birth place.

The pilgrimage was organized at the initiative of St. Brother Albert Aid Society, branch in Jaroslaw but the group of pilgrims consisted of the members of the Society also from two other branches: Sanok and Przemysl. The 40-km long trail was not completed as only two sections were taken on foot: Horyniec Zdroj – Nowiny Horynieckie and Werchrata – Monastyr – road Werchrata – Lukawica, 10 km altogether; later we went by bus to Pizuny.

Franciscan cloister in Horyniec Zdroj
is the beginning of both: the Green Trail and our journey but it is also the place where Marysia Jablonska and Brother Albert met for the first time during the annual Church Fair at the St. Antoni Padewski’s Day celebrated in June. The tablets situated in the vestibule of the church and the effigies of the St. Brother Albert and Blessed Sister Bernardine made of limestone from Brusno by Henryk Janczura and situated in the niches of the cloister wall in front of the church commemorate this event.
What we know is that their meeting was short: “So short was their first conversation. Just the information about the mission of the Congregation, way of life and terms of admission. He didn’t give any date, told her to consider it. He was cautious.... And so they parted.”

Nowiny Horynieckie – „A church on the water”
The place of St. Antoni’s church fair near Blessed Virgin Mary of Horyniec is our destination in the first stage of our journey. It is a magical and lovely spot which can be called a piece of paradise. A few springs of Slotwina river flow nearby the chapel and inside it. The chapel was built in 1893 and, according to the legend, it was situated in the place of the one existing since XVIII century. Inside there is a wooden effigy of Immaculate Mary of unknown origin and the work created by a modern painter, a painting of St. Brother Albert and Blessed Sister Bernardina surrounded by local folk and accompanied by Zamosc-Lubaczow Diocese Bishop Leszczynski (a native of Narol). The water from the springs tastes good and is presumably good for the eyes. Thus, no wonder that Brother Albert visited this place quite often, and not only when he was on foot from Horyniec but also when he took the train, at some point he must have jumped out of the train to Werchrata and then go on foot to the chapel. This place was also often visited by the brothers from the monastery and sisters from Prus. We recite a decade of the rosary and then we go to Werchrata by bus to continue our journey on the Green Trail. We will definitely visit this place again in the future.

Werchrata – Monastyr.
Monastyr (Monasterz) The village was burnt and does not exist today. The trail leads about 2,5 km up the hill where one could find the hermitage and the cloister of the Albertine Brothers. Then we go about 4 km down the trail to the road linking Werchrata and Lukawica, next to Narol and finally to Pizuny by bus.

Pizuny
The group gets to Pizuny around 4 pm, everyone is happy and satisfied. The village now certainly differs from the one existing at the time Maria Jablonska lived here. It is a small village, a summer resort situated in the forest. As the owner of the land says, the village is inhabited by only one family, there’s one village administrator, a dog, a horse and 8 boars kept for breeding. In the centre of the village there is a cross commemorating Sister Bernardina’s birthplace, a church – sanctuary, a community centre (so called shilling-hop), and 6 summer houses which had been adapted from old country houses There are also 3 dragons – one of them is wooden, the other two are made of stone, and a wooden cart. Nearby flows the Tanew river with an unfinished bridge over it. There is also a number of exhibits of tools and utensils used in the past in the homestead. Now the place looks lovely and charming. What about the past? The poetic descriptions of the place provide a picturesque view and romantic vision of lakes and meadows. An element of wilderness, mystery and melancholy certainly dominates....”. At 5 pm father Bronislaw Zolnierczyk leads May Mass in St. Bernardina church built in the exact place of the house in which the family of Jablonscy used to live. Later we sit by the fire, sing and eat supper – it’s great but the mosquitoes and little flies are getting more and more annoying and finally make father Bronislaw leave earlier. On Sunday at 9 am we take part in the Holy Mass and later we sign the guest book – we are the first group of the Saint Brother Albert Aid Society to visit Sister Bernardina’s birthplace. The sisters were very happy that we were there.

I hope that the journey helped us not only integrate within our community but also gave us a chance to rest, learn the history of Horyniec and the healing qualities of its health resorts, and it also strengthened our Albertinian spirit. And I certainly hope that this journey wasn’t the last one.

Henryk Hass, Przemysl