April 20, 2019

Traditional blessing of the food held at St. Stanislaus Basilica

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Nick Morganelli

Parishioners gather at St. Stanislaus Basilica in Chicopee for the traditional Blessing of the Food  Saturday, April 20.

CHICOPEE — The rains poured down from the heavens, but that didn’t inhibit Damien and Amelia Rydzewskia from having their Easter food blessed in the cafeteria at St. Stanislaus Basilica in Chicopee. Totaling more than 1,000 people on Holy Saturday, families participated in this traditional prayer between 10 a.m. and noon, every half hour.

Swieconkaor  or święcenie pokarmow wiełkanocnych is one of the most beloved Polish traditions dating back to the 15th century. In many Eastern European countries, it is a tradition to have a basket of food blessed on Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday.

Growing up in the parish and its traditions, Conventual Franciscan Father Christopher Dudek has returned from Baltimore for the Triduum and is here through his ordination next weekend. He blessed the food in English and parochial vicar, Conventual Franciscan Father Mieczyslaw Wilk gave the blessing in Polish.

 “Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, bread of angels, true bread of everlasting life, be pleased to bless this bread, as you once blessed the five loaves in the wilderness, so that all who eat of it may derive health in body and soul. Who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen,” said Father Dudek.

Easter bread, or babka, a round, eggy, yeast dough with raisins, reminds Catholics of the risen Lord and is just one of the foods included on this day. A specific blessing of the meat and Easter eggs is also given.

Piotr, Irina and Sophia Koziol bring their baskets of food to be blessed at St. Stanislaus Basilica, Saturday, April 20.

Married 15 years, Piotr and Irina Koziol, parishioners of St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Basilica Parish, and their 3- year-old daughter Sophia, in preschool at St. Stanislaus School, continue this century-old tradition in their family.

“It is one of the most fun family traditions for Easter. It’s something we do every year,” said Irina Koziol.

They explained that bread is only one of the specific foods that are included for the blessing and each has an underlying meaning. Polish sausage, or kiełbasa links, are symbolic of the chains of death that were broken when Jesus rose from the dead. Salt represents the zest to life and preservation from corruption, and sweets or słodycze suggest the promise of eternal life or good things to come. Families may include a candle, or a swieca, symbolizing Jesus, the “light of the world,” and is sometimes lit when the priest blesses the baskets of food.

A lot of care is not only put into the specific foods but also in how the basket is assembled. Lined with embroidered cloth or traditional folk fabric, the food is covered with an embroidered or crocheted white linen cloth representing the shroud of Christ. Sprigs of boxwood or Polish palms  made from dried flowers and colorful paper complete the traditional décor.

Next year’s blessing of the food will be on Holy Saturday, April 11.