Friends and Family:
The parishioners of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Chappell Hill, Texas would like to invite you, your relatives and friends to join the parish for their “ 3rd Annual Dozynki Mass and Celebration” honoring our Polish Heritage and giving thanks at the beginning of Thanksgiving week. The mass and celebration will be held on Sunday, November 20, 2011 beginning with the holy rosary at 8:30 a.m. and mass at 9 a.m.
There will be a mass procession with participants in traditional Polish costumes at the beginning and ending of mass with a Dozynki wheat basket, baskets of bread and salt, a picture of our holy mother “Our Lady of Czestochowa” and small Dozynki bouquets. The mass procession will include Father Jozef Musiol and altar attendants, participants in Polish costumes, St. Stanislaus CCD youth, St. Stanislaus Altar Society and St. Stanislaus Knights of Columbus.
Following mass, we will have a procession from the steps of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church (with all mass participants/everyone) going to the parish hall with the church bell ringing until we reach to the hall. Inside the hall, we will have a welcome by the leadership of the church parish, a program about our Polish Heritage, Polish Youth dances and singers from Our Lady of Czestochowa Polish Catholic Church, a film documentary telling the fascinating story of a Polish folk song’s transformation into an American country fiddle classic, a Polish pot luck meal (favorite recipes of your family), a silent auction supporting the CCD youth, Koledy practice and a Dozynki dance by Brian Marshall and the Slavic Playboys.
All those interested in celebrating their Polish Heritage with their family and friends are encouraged to help make this a successful event. Everyone is encourage to bring a Polish covered dish for lunch to share for the Dozynki celebration to recognize the end of harvest and honor the memories of our mothers and grandmothers by bringing some of their dishes. You can begin a family tradition by cooking your favorite recipes together. Thus, continuing to pass down these tasty recipes to the next generation and creating many new beautiful memories that will be remembered for generations to come. There is an old saying, “families that cook together, stay together”. In addition, we would like to encourage those that have Polish costumes to please wear them to mass and participate in the procession. If you do not have one, men can wear black pants with a white shirt & a red ribbon and the women can wear a flower wreath with red and white ribbons on their heads, white blouses, patterned skirts or red skirts with red necklaces.
The Dozynki dance will be a public dance from 2 to 6 p.m. with a small charge of $8 for adults and children 12 and under free. The money collected will go to pay for the band and the proceeds will go to the parish fund. Bring your children and grandchildren and create memories and stories that will be told for generations. They will remember the quality time that you spent with them as we now reminisce about our parents and grandparents who spent time with us. These are the treasures of life that cannot be bought or sold, but passed down from generation to generation in the lives we touch.
Doznyki is celebrated in Poland to this day and it is done with ritual and pageantry followed by plenty of good food, drink, music and dancing. Once again, your support is requested in helping make the “3rd Annual Dozynki Mass and Celebration” at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church a success with family and friends. Please forward this information to anyone that would be interested in attending.
Dziekuje!
Dr. Jim Mazurkiewicz
Here’s a slide show of photos of last years celebration!
Jim Mazurkiewicz is a Texas native whose family originally settled in Washington County, Texas at the turn of the twentieth century. His family still owns and operates the family farm in Chappell Hill. He graduated from Waller High School and received a B.S. and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and a Masters from Texas Tech University. Dr Jim is currently a Professor and Extension Specialist for Leadership Programs as TALL Director for Texas AgriLife Extension a member of The Texas A&M System and its statewide Agriculture Program. Jim takes great pride in his Polish heritage and plays Polish music on his concertina accordion.