November 1, 2025. A profoundly moving day in and around Montecassino. We began at the Polish War Cemetery, where we paid our respects to the thousands of Polish soldiers who lost their lives in the brutal battle to liberate the abbey and surrounding valley in 1944. Particularly poignant was the section dedicated to Jewish soldiers, whose graves bear Stars of David—a stark testament to those who fought against the very regime that sought their extermination.
By coincidence, our visit fell on November 1st, All Saints’ Day, a national day of remembrance. We were honored to witness a commemorative prayer service, with wreaths laid by a visiting Polish delegation and Italian representatives from the town of Cassino.
Later, we toured Montecassino Abbey, including the oldest part of the structure—a Roman tower used by Saint Benedict himself in the 6th century as his cell and the nucleus of the original monastery. Remarkably, this section survived the devastating WWII bombing that leveled the rest of the complex, sheltering around 300 monks and civilians.
We ended the day in reverence, attending the monks’ evening vespers—a quiet, soul-stirring close to a day filled with memory, resilience, and gratitude.
