Toruń Popiełuszko

Yesterday was Fr. Jerzy's name's day!

Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko was killed 25 years ago by the communists in the neighbourhood of Torun in the direction of Włocławek.

In Toruń a memorial stone, that is visited by a lot of people, is erected.

Popiełuszko was a staunch anti-communist, and in his sermons, interwove spiritual exhortations with political messages, criticizing the Communist system and motivating people to protest.

During the period of martial law, the Catholic church was the only force that could voice protest comparatively openly, with the regular celebration of Mass presenting opportunities for public gatherings in churches.

The Służba Bezpieczeństwa arrested him in 1983, but he was released on intervention of the clergy and received amnesty.

A car accident was set up to kill Jerzy Popiełuszko on October 13, 1984, but he escaped it.
On October 19 1984 he was kidnapped and murdered by Security Police officers.

His body was dumped in the Wisla Water Reservoir near Włocławek and found on October 30, 1984

Toruń Eastern

Like this an Easter table may look like.

Eastern is celebrated on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon.

It requires a complicated calculation to predict when Eastern will fall.

That’s why it is easier to say that Eastern falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring.
Next year, in 2010, it will be the 4th of March.

He….. that’s not after March 21 when spring starts!
That's right. At March 21 starts the astronomic spring. The calculation of Eastern however is based on the meteorological calendar and that means that spring is from March 1 till the end of May.

Toruń Easter basket

One of the traditions around Eastern is the blessing of the Easter basket on Easter Saturday.
The idea behind it is that the people celebrate the end of the fast period.

A small basket is filled with at least an egg, bread, salt, and a polish sausage.
You can add other food that you like to eat at breakfast like sweets, ham and whatever you like.

Then the children and elder people go to the church what is always a nice sight, seeing people from all directions with their decorated baskets.

In the church a priest blesses the baskets with holy water.
Mostly there are several shifts, often every half an hour.

The tradition is that all family members start the Easter breakfast by eating
something out of the blessed basket before they continue to eat the rest of their tasteful breakfast.