Polish Community
How much do you know about Polish Parish and Polish Community in Leicester? If you feel like broadening your knowledge, find out what activities take place and what Poles have to offer please feel free to read the interview with the Chair of the Polish Parish Council, Dr Izą Pawluczyk.
Could you please tell us a few words about the history of the Polish Centre in Leicester.
IP: The Polish Parish in Leicester was founded in 1948. It arose as a result of the settlement of Polish Soldiers and their families in demobilisation camps in and around Leicester. Father Frąckowiak, an army chaplain was seconded to Leicester making it possible for the fledgling community to celebrate Holy Mass in their mother tongue. Before long Father Frąckowiak made contact with the Dominican Fathers at Holy Cross Church. As luck would have it the Prior was of Polish extraction and gave permission for Poles to use the church to celebrate Mass, baptisms, weddings, Holy Communion and funerals.
In the early sixties the Polish Community numbered nearly 4000 and although very grateful to the Dominican fathers for their hospitality the Poles felt it was high time they had their own church. Fundraising started and before long enough money had been raised to purchase the Methodist Church on Melbourne Road. There we stayed for nearly 40 years. However, with the passage of time the number of parishioners decreased significantly. The community centre on Dale Street built on three floors became inaccessible to the frail and elderly. The building itself was in need of major restoration and we experienced many of the problems associated with deprived inner city areas such as vandalism; broken church windows and damaged cars.
In March 2000 the Parish voted to relocate the church and centre to the current site on Wakerley Road. On the 1st November 2003 we celebrated our first Mass on the new site.
In the Community Centre we have a church, and a club. We host a Day Centre for the Elderly, a Polish School, the dance group Polesie, the Senior Citizens Association, the Rosary Circle, the choir ‘Halka’ and a troupe of guides and scouts.
Have you any planned celebrations for this year?
IP: Yes. In June we will be celebrating our diamond jubilee. On the Saturday 28th June we will celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation. On Sunday there will be a special concelebrated Mass headed by Archbishop Szczepan Wesoły. This will be followed by a concert and a garden fete in the grounds of the Centre.
What kind of special events are organised at the Centre.
IP: We organise traditional Polish events such as ‘Opłatek’- a Christmas celebration when we share a blessed wafer and wish each other all the best for the coming year. ‘Sylwester’ – a New Year’s Eve Dance to jointly welcome in the New Year. ‘Święcone’ – an Easter celebration during which we share eggs and good wishes. ‘Dożynki’ a traditional harvest festival with traditional songs and dances. ‘Sobòtki/Noc Świętojańska’ – midsummer revelry with a traditional display of songs and dances.
What sort of activities take place on a regular basis at the Centre?
IP: Mass is celebrated every day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we run a Day Centre for the Elderly which is funded by Social Services. On Tuesday evenings the choir ‘Halka’, which was founded in 1953, has its rehearsals. On Wednesdays the Senior Citizens Association runs a ‘keep-fit’ class. On Friday evenings the club/bar opens. The ‘Polesie’ dance group, which was founded 28 years ago, rehearses. Also on Fridays there are Polish ‘A’ level classes, a religious discussion group and the ‘bridge’ club. On Saturdays there is Polish School. The school has existed since 1953 and its main aim has been to maintain the Polish language, culture and traditions alive within the second and third generations of the community. It is run on a voluntary basis with help from the parent-teacher association. It teaches the Polish language preparing children for GCSE and A level exams, history, geography, religious studies as well as Polish folklore traditions, singing and dancing.
Tell us about the Polish Club
IP: The club/bar is a private members club run on a voluntary basis. It is open on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday lunch times. People can come to socialise and have a drink and a chat. The club is usually at its busiest after Sunday Mass.
During football championships and particularly when Poland are playing we transmit the matches on the big screen. We usually have a full house – the atmosphere is fantastic as we all share the emotions of the game.
Is the Centre frequented only by Poles?
IP: The majority of the people who frequent the Centre are Poles. However, when we moved to the current site we agreed that the existing English Catholic community could continue to celebrate Mass in English. Some of them became members of the club and often come to our organised events. They also organise events of their own in our Centre. In addition we hire the club out to people beyond our community. We have had Indian Weddings, engagement parties and birthdays: very colourful affairs!
What are your plans for the future?
IP: If we can get the funding we would like to extend the centre by building a separate hall which could be used for dance practises, parties and performances. It could also be used as a gym or sports hall. At present our church is used a multifunctional room for all our activities. However, getting the hall back into ‘church mode’ for morning Mass after a party or a dance practise takes up a lot of time and energy. It would also allow us to hire out the hall out on a more regular basis
We would like to encourage more of the youth to take part in social events in the Centre particularly the ‘new Poles’. Currently many attend Mass regularly but go straight home afterwards. Only a very small minority have joined the dance group or the choir – a small number help out at Polish School. We will have to seriously think about how we can encourage a greater interest in the activities of the Polish Centre.
Thank you very much for the interview and I wish you all the best.
