This Sunday, June 6 we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi also known as the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.

One of the oldest Catholic holidays-it is on Corpus Christi that we recognize the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist during the celebration of Mass and when the Eucharist is deposed in the Tabernacle. There are usually four stations symbolizing the four Evangelists, Mathew, John, Mark and Luke, erected by the faithful before the Corpus Christi procession. The culminating moment of the procession is the blessing with the most holy Eucharist displayed in an ornate monstrance of the faithful by priest or bishop. In Poland which is predominantly Catholic, Corpus Christi is a national holiday. In our Chicago area we have Corpus Christi parishes in the Bronzeville neighborhood 115 years old) and in Carol Stream. June 6 is also the 11 anniversary of the beatification of Polish priest and martyr Father Jerzy Popieluszko. Father Popieluszko was a chaplain for medical students in the early 1980's and Warsaw steel mill plant workers (Huta Warszawa). He preached great love for God and Country along with the teachings of the Church, Pope John Paul II and Poland's Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski at his masses in Warsaw Zoliborz parish of St. Stanislaw Kostka. When martial law was imposed on Poland, Fr. Popieluszko organized special aid for prisoners of conscience and their families. On Oct. 19, 1984 he was hunted down by the Communist secret police, tortured to near death and drowned in the Vistula river. On June 6, 2010 Father Jerzy was declared Blessed during his Beatification mass at Pilsudski Square in Warsaw. He is also by decision of Pope Francis, the Patron of Poland's Solidarity trade union. You can visit his grave on the grounds of his former parish which attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. We are very blessed to have Father Popieluszko's relics at the second oldest Chicago Polish Roman Catholic church-Holy Trinity right across the street from our Museum. Come and visit PMA! We are open and would love to see You!

Beatrix Czerkawski

Photos from our liturgical instruments PMA Collection display a hand made 16 inch monstrance, also from our Kulczycki Collection an original Solidarity poster by Kris Kozlowski.