We begin this Sunday morning, the last day of this year’s Polish Fest, in the most right and proper way. We begin with Holy Mass. This is the fourth time our Parish has organized this festival.

We present Polish—“American culture, music, and food. We also present ourselves, here, before Jesus Christ, as one people. We hold out a history of the Polish people that is marked by both great victory and bravery and by terrible tragedy.

Shakespeare could not have written a better history. Of course we do not need Shakespeare alone, for we have Mickiewicz and Sienkiewicz.

For nearly 1,040 years, faith in Jesus Christ and His gospel has kept us together and kept us strong. Even in the worst of times we knew that the blood of martyrs would be the seed of our continuing faith. We heard the words echoed in today’s psalm:

—He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.—

As a community, here in the Capital Region, our Parish has stood for 85 years as a beacon of Christ’s light. The Words of God is preached, the sacrifice is offered. The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ strengthens us. We hear the words of Paul:

—If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.—

So we stand together as a community of faith. We witness Christ to you, through our Polish hospitality. Polish hospitality brought to you by Poles, Polish-Americans, and Italian-Americans, people of Irish, French, Caribbean, African, and Hispanic decent. People from every nation and culture united in Christ and honoring the rich Polish culture that has given so much to the world. We offer you our beloved customs, which have their roots in the Polish civilization, nurtured for over a thousand years.

And today, instead of the usual organ music, we are accompanied by the Eddie Forman Orchestra, wonderful musicians joining with us to praise Jesus Christ with joy and gladness.

My Dear Brothers and Sisters

Every Holy Mass is a mass of thanksgiving. We thank God for all the goodness which he gives to us, His love, mercy, and peace. We thank God for these three days of Polish Fest. We thank Him for the talent of the Eddie Forman Orchestra and for their contribution to making this a truly special liturgy.

On behalf of the parish, I personally want to thank all those who visited us during the last three days, all our guests, friends of the parish, those from other parishes.

Finally, I heartily thank all those who worked so hard and sacrificed so much in preparing for the Polish Fest. This glorious festival is the crowning achievement of their many months of hard work.

In closing, May the Almighty God bless all of us gathered here, our families and relatives, and our whole community.