Journal of My Experiences
This morning we were awakened quite abruptly by the alarm clock of Mat Graves. He had asked if he could set his alarm one half hour early so as to get a shower, we said it was o.k. However, he made a mistake and set the alarm One and One half hours early. So at five thirty am we hear a strange sound �Wake up Matt, get your lazy arse out of bed�. I thought it was six thirty and began soon afterwards to get myself ready for the day, rummaging through my stuff. Only when I put on my watch and began to walk outside did I realize how early it truly was. I�m sure my tentmates were not impressed with myself or Matt. At least I was up early to pray, and Matt got his shower.
Yser Tower
This day was set aside to visit monuments of the First World War. Our first stop was Yser Tower, a huge tower built after World War I as a monument to peace. It said on the side �No more War� and at the top a cross with AVV � VVK meaning �all for Flanders � Flanders for Christ.� The first tower had been blown up, and a second was built in its place. The monuments truly had a presence. The inscriptions showed again the very rich Christian heritage of the country and Europe. Apparently the site has become a source of national pride.
Trenches
We also visited a series of Trenches near Ypres. They were built out of stacked sandbags, which now had become as hard as stone themselves. It was one of those experiences that was quite interesting, but I think I was too busy gawking around to really realize the significance. People actually had to live in these Trenches and war was fought from here, many lost their lives. It is really hard to understand or appreciate. I took a nice picture of a poppy growing out of the side of a trench. The Rwandan Nuns spoke to us of their own experience of war � but I was too tired to remember what they said.
Vladslo German War Cemetery
Next we visited Vladslo German war cemetery. It was an extremely somber garden. It was filled with dark grey flat stones on the ground. Each stone has about 20 names on it, since the Germans were given only a small space to bury their dead. They were also forbidden to use white stone and given other restrictions. Hence, this site was more austere and somber than some of the Commonwealth memorials, which look somewhat triumphant or heroic. I spent much of the time here looking on the names, actually looking for my last name or a family name on a tomb. I did not find it. Nevertheless, my German background made me really think about the people who were buried here, likely very average, normal people fighting in a cause that they deemed worthy. To us they seemed like bad guys � the enemy. But in the end they weren�t that much different than the guys buried in the other cemeteries (especially in a war like WWI). As war was constantly condemned throughout the day, I realized how we are all capable of participating in evil. The evils of today may be different, but we are no much different than those buried there.
Tyn Cot CommonWealth Cemetery
We also visited Tyn Cot Commonwealth Cemetery, also near Ypres. It was very, very big, apparently the largest commonwealth cemetery of WWI. The stones were numerous, 11, 908 soldiers are buried here. Many tombs say only �known unto God� � a wall at the back listed about 35,000 soldiers whose graves were unknown. What a phenomenal number of dead. Again, nothing really hit me at the site � it is hard for us to fathom war at all, but especially the nature of war at that time. It is something I will have to think about. We saw many Canadian Graves, and prayed together at the site.
Ypres and Menin Gate
Next we went to the Flander�s Fields War museum in Ypres. I was facing sensory overload and tired, so I can�t say much about the museum. I kind of wandered along and didn�t take much in. Some exhibits that were interesting however: Ypres was the first city in which mustard Gas was tested. The city was also entirely destroyed during World War I. The horrors of War were apparent throughout the museum, but I must admit I was desensitized and did not think much about it.
We then had a brief �audience� with the Mayor. He spoke about the history of Ypres and how it had become a site dedicated to peace. He talked about their international efforts for peace throughout the world. Afterwards we were all given �drinks� on the Mayor. A joyous time. We ate at the museum curry chicken with rice. Quite tasty, but dangerous in the gut.
Afterwards we visited the Menin Gate memorial. It was monumental, with over 54,000 names of soldiers who died in battles near Ypres, but whose graves are unknown. The monument was about three stories high with names everywhere they could be written. It was quite unbelievable to look at the names. We attended the last post service there, Marc and Jennifer laying a wreath.
I have always found discussions of peace quite difficult. Many people just seem to be so simplistic about the reality of war and human conflict. So many seem to think a pacifist stand would make the troubles of the world go away. Yet, at the same time, I can see no benefit from war, and very rarely a real just reason for war. Certainly this war, World War I, was not worth any of the bloodshed that happened. Hundreds of Thousands died, little or no land was gained and all over the assassination of a duke. It seems quite shameful and everyone was condemning it. Yet at the same time they were honoring soldiers all the time. I found this kind of strange. Nevertheless, I�m sure those who died believed they were fighting for a noble cause. I know that all the recent Pontiffs have been unilateral in their condemnation of war, especially John Paul the Great. I too believe that war today is almost always wrong. Nevertheless it is hard to see clearly. Was Iraq better off before or after? Hard to tell. Even if it is better, was the bloodshed worth it? Justified? I don�t know.
That day I met Mieke, one of the Belgian leaders who was a university chaplain in Brussels. She was very knowledgeable about the history of the region, especially church history and helpful to have around. She found out that I was a seminarian and we talked for the ride home. She was very kind. I found out that in Europe, all the churches are owned by the government, and that the government pays the wages of the clergy. This was due to when Napoleon conquered the area, he confiscated all ecclesiastical property with the agreement that he would pay the priest�s wages. The government does not want to stop paying the wages or else they would have to give back the property, which apparently is a very large amount.
I also found out that the designer of the flag of the European Union had an explicitly Marian intention when he created it � It contains twelve stars over a blue background.
Evening Prayer
That night we had night prayer in the chapel in the Monastery. I had earlier talked with a Belgian Youth about the churches in Belgium, and how glorious and magnificent they were. Everything had very beautiful paintings and was made of the finest materials. He said that he didn�t like fancy churches but simple churches. I later had this sentiment confirmed from other sources. The monastery which was very fancy architecture and huge elaborately sculptured Stations of the Cross in the hallways, but the chapel was barren except for a single cross in the middle and very plain altar. I�m sure it was exquisite in the past, simple judging by the elaborate ceiling above.
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