Polish Catholics bring new life to Limerick parish

Once a month, St Michael's Church in Limerick is filled with the beautifully sung strains of the Leonard Cohen classic Hallelujah. Nothing unusual there, perhaps, since the song has become a favourite of choirs internationally.

However, the Limerick version is in Polish, courtesy of the Cantate Deo choir, which sings in the Denmark Street church once a month – part of a thriving Polish community in the city.

"We sing most of our church music in Polish but we have sung songs in English and Irish too and we are always inviting Irish people to sing and perform with us," says Anna Bankoszumacher, conductor of Cantata Deo.

The presence of the highly regarded choir has helped to boost the congregation's numbers in St Michael's, though the majority of Poles living in Limerick, or elsewhere in Ireland are not devout.

Even though Polish Masses are filling out Irish churches, Fr Stanislaw Hajkowski, rector of the Dublin chaplaincy to the Polish community in Ireland, believes the impact of the community on the Catholic Church in Ireland has been "minimal".

“The Polish immigrants in Ireland represent the younger generation which had to leave their country for economic reasons.

“In general they are disappointed with politics, politicians and social life in Poland. Their frustration affects their attitudes towards religion and religious practices.

“However, the majority of Polish immigrants consider themselves as believers. It’s been 10 years since the arrival of the first wave of immigrants from Poland to the Irish shores.

“There are signs of consolidation among some Polish immigrants.”

Low attendances

Just over 90 per cent of Polish people – the largest minority group in Ireland – are Catholic, according to the latest available census figures.

Polish language Masses are not uncommon around the country, but the reality is that only about 5 per cent of Polish immigrants attend Mass every week.

This increases to about 30 per cent on major church feast days, but the number is still well below the more than 50 per cent Mass attendances in Poland.

Mirroring what Irish Catholic priests did during Ireland’s period of emigration to America and the UK in the 20th century, a number of Polish priests have followed their emigrants to Ireland where Polish Masses are offering migrants more than just a space for familiar expression of faith.

"There are still lots of Polish people who find it very hard being away from home and they miss Poland very much, so coming to Polish Mass is like getting a little piece of home and it also allows them an opportunity to connect with other people and find support," says Bankoszumacher.

“I think many Irish people don’t want to go to Mass because they think Mass is boring so we are trying to give them a different view of the Mass. Religion doesn’t have to be boring.

“If you want to be near God you don’t have to be just listening to the priest, you can listen to the music also because our Mass is full of so much happiness and music and singing, lots of Irish people, when they come once to our Mass, say they want to come back, it doesn’t matter that it is in Polish.”

Daily Masses

The 122,585-strong Polish community in Ireland is being served by 30 Polish chaplains working across 21 dioceses.

In St Audoen’s Church in Dublin, home to the Polish chaplaincy in Ireland, a Polish Mass is celebrated daily, Monday to Saturday, with four on Sunday.

In the diocese of Cork and Ross, two Polish Masses take place in Cork city every week while others in places such as Bantry, Skibbereen and Kinsale take place monthly.

“Without the support of the church in Ireland it would be extremely difficult for the faithful immigrants to practise their religion according to the tradition they were brought up in their country of origin,” says Fr Hajkowski.

“The life of all immigrants, especially those who want to keep their faith, resembles a caravan crossing a desert. Catholics outside of faith communities perish like people who attempt to cross deserts on their own,” he adds.

In Limerick, home to an estimated 10,000 Poles, more than 500 people attend Polish Mass in St Michael’s Church every Sunday morning; one of five Polish Masses that take place in the church every week.

Community-building

“The Polish chaplaincy is not about taking people away from Irish society, it’s about enabling people to pray in their own language.

“It’s very important that Polish people can have their own Polish priests and their own Polish liturgy here.

"Prayer is often so intimate and private, you love to keep it in your own language because it is so natural to pray in your own language, and the other thing is community-building so Polish people can meet and pray together," says Fr Andrzej Sroka, the Polish chaplain in St Michael's parish in Limerick since 2012.

“I see many Irish people who also attend our Masses especially for the music and the choir because they love it, even though our Mass is longer, it’s an hour and a half, it’s a long time,” he added.

Once hailed as the largest parish in Munster, congregation numbers in St Michael's have shrunk in recent years largely due to the fact that significantly fewer people live in Limerick city centre, but also due to falling attendances, something which is mirrored across the country.

“The Polish community brings great life to the parish. If you look at the way they worship, it is like Ireland was 40 years ago.

“If they weren’t there at all, it would be a much smaller parish,” says Rev Leo McDonnell, parish priest at St Michael’s.

Clean and paint

“They contribute hugely to parish life. They come and clean and paint the church and if there is ever a problem, electrical or otherwise, they are always there to help.

"On the first Saturday of the month they come in from Tipperary and Clare and gravitate from other parts of Co Limerick for Polish mass and they will stay on for adoration until midnight.

“They come to confession in large numbers. It is like Ireland was years ago,” he says.

Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy believes some lessons can be learned from the Polish Catholic community's presence in Ireland.

“What strikes me always is their lively sense of community. I appreciate that’s a little like the Irish abroad – there’s a social bond that Sunday Mass supports.

“But we can still learn the lesson – when Sunday Mass is linked to a lively sense of community, it attracts people.

“It is impressive to see the commitment of many of the Polish community to the church.

“ It’s clear that to be a member of the church means more to them than simply going to Mass. It’s a life option that impacts on all your life.”

Tomorrow: The way in which business ties have grown between Poland and Ireland