Heritage: Customs
What is the Polish greeting some priests used to start Mass?
The greeting in Polish was: Niech będzie pochwalony Jezus Chrystus!
This is pronounced like "Nee-ekh benje pokh-va-lohn-ee Yezus Kristoos,"
and it means, "Praised be Jesus Christ!"
The congregation's response was: Na wieki wieków, Amen.
This is pronounced like "Na vee-e-kee vee-e-koov, A-men"
and it means, "Now and forever, Amen."
What is the annual Corpus Christi Procession in June all about?
![[Picture of 2004 Corpus Christi Procession]](images/corpus_christi_2004_sm.jpg)
T h e F e a s t o f C o r p u s C h r i s t i c e l e b r a t e s t h e r e a l p r e s e n c e o f C h r i s t ' s B o d y a n d B l o o d
i n t h e H o l y E u c h a r i s t . T h e f e a s t ' s o r i g i n s c a n b e t r a c e d t o J u l i a n a , a n u n f r o m L i e g e ,
B e l g i u m , w h o w a s i n s p i r e d b y a v i s i o n t o s t a r t a c e l e b r a t i o n o f
t h e Real Presence a r o u n d 1 2 3 0 . I n 1 2 6 4 P o p e U r b a n I V i n s t i t u t e d t h e c e l e b r a t i o n a s a f e a s t .
T r a d i t i o n a l l y t h e F e a s t i s h e l d o n t h e f i r s t T h u r s d a y a f t e r T r i n i t y S u n d a y . I n
t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s t h e F e a s t i s g e n e r a l l y o b s e r v e d o n t h e f i r s t S u n d a y a f t e r T r i n i t y
S u n d a y . T h e C a t h o l i c E n c y c l o p e d i a h a s a c o m p r e h e n s i v e history of the Feast.
I n P o l a n d a n d a f e w o t h e r E u r o p e a n c o u n t r i e s a n o u t d o o r p r o c e s s i o n o f t h e B l e s s e d S a c r a m e n t i s a n i n t e g r a l p a r t o f t h e c e l e b r a t i o n . F o u r a l t a r s ( B o z y D o m e k - " G o d ' s L i t t l e H o u s e , o r C h a p e l " ) a r e s e t u p o u t s i d e t h e p a r i s h c h u r c h . A f t e r t h e M a s s , t h e P r o c e s s i o n b e a r i n g t h e B l e s s e d S a c r a m e n t v i s i t s e a c h o f t h e a l t a r s . T h e f o u r a l t a r s represent the four directions of the compass , s h o w i n g t h a t C h r i s t ' s p r e s e n c e a m o n g u s i s u n i v e r s a l . T h e presider a n d t h e S a c r a m e n t h e c a r r i e s a r e p r o t e c t e d w i t h a n e l a b o r a t e c a n o p y . H e i s f o l l o w e d b y c o n c e l e b r a n t s , a l t a r s e r v e r s , a n d t h e p e o p l e o f t h e p a r i s h , s i n g i n g E u c h a r i s t i c a d o r a t i o n h y m n s . A t e a c h a l t a r a b r i e f r e a d i n g f r o m t h e N e w T e s t a m e n t i s p r o c l a i m e d , a p r a y e r o f a d o r a t i o n i s o f f e r e d , a n d t h e B l e s s e d S a c r a m e n t i s a d o r e d .
The p i c t u r e shows t h e 2 0 0 4 C o r p u s C h r i s t i P r o c e s s i o n a t S t . M a r y ' s . T h e p r e s i d e r w a s B i s h o p J o s e p h M a r t i n o . M o n s i g n o r (now Bishop) J o s e p h B a m b e r a a n d F a t h e r J o s e p h O r l o s k i w e r e c o n c e l e b r a n t s .
Why does the parish have a Forty Hours Eucharistic Devotion in the Fall?
![[Picture of monstrance holding Eucharist]](images/monstrance.jpg "[Picture of monstrance holding Eucharist]")
"Forty Hours' Devotion" is the practice of continuous adoration before the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the main altar of the church. It is not a strictly Polish practice. Its continued observance at Polish parishes in the face of declining observance in the United States on the whole, however, can be attributed to a Polish sense of tradition and love for the Blessed Sacrament. The forty hours are said to represent the time that Christ lay in the tomb, and encourages the same watchful and heartfelt prayer that His Apostles felt in His absence. The Catholic Encyclopedia has an extensive discussion of the Devotion's development.
Traditionally, our parish has held the devotion in the fall, either in the first half of November or the last half of October. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed after the 10:30 am Mass on Sunday, and is kept exposed daily until the following Tuesday evening. In our church there is the practice of inviting guest homilists to offer special reflections during the Exposition.
What are the Polish wafers I see around at Christmas time?
Opłatki
(pronounced "oh-PWAT-key") are thin wafers made of unleavened wheat in a manner similar to
communion wafers. However, opłatki are different in that they are larger, rectangular,
and embossed with Nativity scenes. They are never consecrated, though sometimes they are
blessed. They are generally white, although other colorings such as pink or yellow are available.
Opłatki are shared among family members and friends at Christmas time in the Wigilia
meal on Christmas Eve. When family members will not be able to join in the Wigilia,
an opłatek is mailed to them so they'll have the wafers wherever they'll be. In earlier
times in Poland, the wafers were also shared with animals in recognition of their being the
first to witness Christ's arrival at the manger. The non-white opłatki were originally
used for sharing with animals, but this difference is infrequently observed these days in the US.
At the start of the Wigilia, if the custom of sharing with animals is kept, the colored wafers are given to house and farm animals first. After this, the oldest family member (or the head of the house) first offers their opłatek to their spouse or the next oldest member, wishing them such things as health, good fortune, happiness, and a place in heaven. With each wish, the recipient breaks off a piece of the opłatek for themself. The recipient reciprocates by offering their own wafer with good wishes. Then both consume the wafer pieces. This then continues for all other family members, down to the youngest. Every person at the Wigilia shares with every other person. In large families, sometimes each person needs to have two or three opłatki to be able to share with everyone. Before the wishes, it is customary for the two people to forgive each other any transgressions or arguments they've had between themselves over the past year.
The sharing of opłatki is an old Polish tradition that dates back over one thousand years to pre-Christian times. Even in non-Polish families it can be a simple yet powerful Christmas experience in which family members draw closer to each other, forgive each other, wish each other the good things that cannot be bought in any store, and remember those who shared wafers with them in times past, but who no longer can do so.
What's involved in a Polish Christmas Eve dinner?
The Christmas Eve Vigil dinner is known as Wigilia in Polish families, but under other similar-sounding names it is also observed in Lithuanian, Slovakian, and other Eastern European families. It is a dinner full of symbolism and custom that families take part in before heading out to Midnight Mass to conclude their Christmas celebration. For many Polish-heritage families, Christmas Eve is more of a central day to the Christmas season than Christmas Day itself because of the Wigilia.
In Poland, Advent is treated as a time of fast and abstinence much like Lent.
The Wigilia is the last meal of the Advent season, so it is meatless (even
animal drippings are avoided in preparing the meal). During the evening before
and the morning of Christmas Eve, the family spends time preparing the dishes
and table settings for the dinner. The table on which
Wigilia will be held usually is covered with a fine white tablecloth. In
rural homes straw is placed under the tablecloth. On a fine plate with a fine white
napkin opłatki wafers are placed. In urban homes and the US, instead some
straw from the church manger or a sprig of evergreen is placed on a serving platter
and covered with a fine white napkin on which opłatki are placed. A small
manger scene is also typically placed on the table. Traditionally the dinner is
eaten by candle light, so white or red candles are place on the table along with
the place settings. An extra place is set at the table. This has two purposes.
The first is to provide a place for the Christ Child who originally found no
room at the inn. The second is to provide a place for the unexpected guest so
that no single person in the neighborhood would be denied the hospitality and
joy of celebrating Christmas with others. This practice is based on the Polish proverb,
"Gosc w dom, Bóg w dom." ("A guest in the home is God in the home.")
The Wigilia starts when the first star is observed shining in the East. Typically this lookout job is done by the young children, who know that presents won't be given out until after the dinner is completed! At the start of the Wigilia, if the custom of sharing with animals is kept, colored opłatki are given to house and farm animals first in recognition of their place at the manger before humans even knew of Christ's birth. After this, the oldest family member (or the head of the house) first offers their white opłatek to their spouse or the next oldest member, wishing them such things as health, good fortune, happiness, and a place in heaven. With each wish, the recipient breaks off a piece of the opłatek for themself. Before the wishes, it is customary for the two people to forgive each other any transgressions or arguments they've had between themselves over the past year. The recipient reciprocates by offering their own wafer with good wishes. Then both consume the wafer pieces. This then continues for all other family members, down to the youngest. Every person at the Wigilia shares with every other person.
Traditionally the dinner consists of an odd number of dishes, usually five, seven, nine, or eleven. Many of the dishes served are served only this once a year, and most feel they are well worth waiting for. A little wine or after-dinner cordial is served, but never to excess. Typical foods served include sledzie (herring), shrimp, fish such as pike, carp, or orange roughy, pierogi, a fruit compote (sometimes made of 12 different fruits to honor the 12 Apostles), kapusta (a mixture of peas and sauerkraut), grzyby (scrambled eggs and mushrooms), and goł±bki (cabbage rolls filled with rice and barley and mushrooms). Typical soups served in the dinner include a clear beet broth with small mushroom-filled dumplings, and mushroom soup served over egg noodles. Typical Wigilia desserts include kolaczy (poppyseed rolls), fruit cakes, and kruszczyki (a fried pastry covered with powered sugar).
In some families children receive presents on Christmas Eve after the dinner. The Wigilia winds down with the family singing Christmas hymns around the Christmas tree and preparations for going out to Midnight Mass (the Pasterka, or Shepherd's Mass). In some families the singing is replaced by the caroling they hear at Midnight Mass, or by a CD of Christmas hymns playing softly in the background during dinner. Whatever variations your family wants to incorporate, in this day of fast food dining, it is important to stress that the Wigilia is eaten at leisure, with the family and close friends having a great time talking and enjoying each other's company for a few hours on a very special night.
Why do Polish parishes have special Sepulcher displays during Holy Week?
On Good Friday, after the day's special service, Polish parishes set up elaborate sepulcher scenes showing a life-size figure of Christ lying in His tomb. The scene, known as Bozy Grob (God's Grave) may include flowers, candles, paintings of Calvary, an empty cross with a red sheet draped around its arms, etc. Usually the Blessed Sacrament is also displayed in the scene. In some churches the parish organizations' members take turns serving as an honor guard for the Tomb through Good Friday evening and Holy Saturday morning. Prior to the Easter Vigil Mass, the Tomb is rearranged to show a statue of the risen Christ, and is decorated with white linens and Easter lilies.
During the 1800's and 1900's the Bozy Grob was more than a public statement about the Polish parish's grief over the Lord's death. These scenes often incorporated subtle symbols showing the suffering of the Polish nation united to that of Christ. For example, during Communist times in Poland barbed wire (a mainstay of Communist prisons) was often used to re-create Christ's crown of thorns, and a hammer resembling the hammer and sickle of the Soviet flag was often shown in the Tomb as well.
The Bozy Grob can have a different appearance from year to year. Here are three views of the Tomb at St. Mary's over the years. The first is from 2013 and shows the Tomb set up for Good Friday. The second is from the 1970's and the third is from 2003. The last two show the sepulcher set up for Easter.
![[2013 Bozy Grob]](images/bozygrob2013.jpg)
![[1970's Bozy Grob]](images/bozygrob1970s.png)
![[2003 Bozy Grob]](images/bozygrob2003.png)
What can you tell me about Polish Easter eggs?
The colorful and elaborately decorated eggs Poles make and distribute at Easter are called pisanki. The name is derived from the Polish
verb pisać which means "write." These eggs are "written!"
The practice of making pisanki is not limited to Polish culture; several
eastern European cultures such as the Russians, Lithuanians, Czechs, Slovaks, and Ukranians also have rich traditions surrounding the "writing" of eggs.
Pre-Christian Poles decorated eggs to celebrate Spring's arrival and to mystically improve the fertility of the earth. The designs on the eggs were highly geometric, and each shape represented either a certain aspect of nature or a wish for long life, health, luck, etc. After Poland converted to Christianity, there was a reinterpretation of the symbols, but the symbols themselves remained unchanged.
If you're curious to try your own hand at making pisanki, here are directions taken from Jacek Nowakowski's "Polish American Way Recipes and Traditions." Generally, these eggs are not made for eating, but for looking at. The dyes you'll find in a traditional pisanki kit are usually non-edible. If you *do* want to make less elaborate eggs for eating, be sure to use food-color dyes. These won't be as brilliant as the non-edible ones, but since you'll be cracking them open on Easter morning anyway, it shouldn't matter.
SUPPLIES. Medium-sized, raw eggs at room temperature, vinegar, a small cake of beeswax, a candle (taper) in a low stand, a pisak or stylus, aniline dyes (yellow, orange, green, red, violet, brown, black) prepared in water and vinegar, a spoon, paper towels, tissues, one large and one small safety pin, a stiff wire (about 6 inches long), a small bowl, clear, glossy varnish, and waxed paper.
- Plan a design beforehand for your egg. Some people are able to do this freehand on an egg, others need light pencil markings on the egg itself. If you'll be using a pencil be sure to keep the markings *very* light, as it will be practically impossible to erase them from the finished egg if they are too heavy.
- Having wiped the egg with a paper towel moistened in some vinegar, heat the metal end of the stylus over the candle flame. Touch the heated stylus to the beeswax. As the beeswax melts, it will flow into the little well or cup on the top of the stylus. The wax becomes the "ink" in the coloring process.
- Write with the molten wax on the egg surface where you want the final design to be white. Always write away from yourself, turning the egg when necessary. Wherever molten wax appears on the egg, dye will not color it.
- When you're finished with that stage, place the egg in the yellow dye bath. (or the lightest color you're using...the order of lightness is considered to be Yellow, Orange, Green, Red, Violet, Brown, and Black).
- Remove from the yellow dye bath after about 10 minutes, pat dry with a paper towel. Allow the egg to set for 5 minutes.
- Use the stylus to cover with beeswax the portions of the egg that you want to remain yellow in the final design. When that stage is done, place the egg in the orange dye for 10 minutes, pat dry, let set, and repeat for each of the colors.
- When all the coloring is done, hold the egg with the waxed portion near the candle flame (not over or in the flame, otherwise you'll scorch the eggshell and the dye). When the wax melts, turning shiny, quickly yet gently wipe off the molten wax with a facial tissue in one stroke. Repeat until entire egg is cleaned.
- If you're not making the egg for eating, you'll want to preserve it and deepen the colors by varnishing it with two coats. Use a small brush. Leave the egg to dry overnight on a waxed paper.
- Make a hole with a small safety pin at one end large enough to insert the thin, rigid wire. Break the yoke with the wire and scramble the contents. Make a smaller hole in the opposite end.
- Gently, yet firmly, clasp the egg and blow *gently* into the smaller hole; the scrambled contents will slowly be forced out through the larger hole. Your egg is done.
What is involved in the tradition of blessing Easter baskets?
¦więconka, the custom of putting together an Easter basket to be blessed in church is an ancient and festive one, maintained by families of Polish heritage and even a large number of families with no Polish heritage. The Easter basket is lined with a linen which extends beyond the basket's rim and covers the food placed inside as the basket is carried to and from church. The food is later uncovered for the blessing. The blessing takes place in church on Holy Saturday, and contributes to Holy Staurday's spirit of reflection and anticipation. Typically, enough food is put in the basket to supply a breakfast or dinner meal for the family on Easter Sunday. Here is a list of items that are traditionally included in the Polish Easter basket:
- Eggs, colored or plain (jaja, pisanki): Hard-boiled eggs symbolize new life.
- Easter Lamb (baranek wielkanocny): Usually made of butter, is symbolic of Christ as the victorious Lamb of God.
- Bread (chleb): The "staff of life." Bread symbolizes Christ as the Bread of Life.
- Meat and Sausage (mięso, wędliny): Kielbasa, a slice of ham, or roast meat. Symbolizes Christ's victory over death.
- Horseradish (chrzan): Bitter herb foretelling the Crucifixion. In life one must accept the bitter with the sweet.
- Salt (sól): Essential food preservative. Its importance as a purification agent cannot be overstated.
- Pepper (pieprz): Like horseradish, it is one of the bitter herbs reminiscent of Passover.
- Easter Cakes (babka, mazurek, placek, chalka, sernic): Lent is over, and it is time to enjoy life's sweetness!
- Easter Candy: Especially for the baskets carried by children to church.
- Wine (wino): A small quantity of wine is sometimes included. Wine represents Christ's blood shed on the cross.
The prayers in the three-part blessing address the various contents of the baskets, with special prayers for the meats, eggs, cakes and breads. In St. Mary's parish we also use the occasion to help the less fortunate celebrate Easter by donating decorated boiled eggs to a local public kitchen.