Corpus Christi in Gdansk

This is my time to stay few months in Poland so I am preoccupied with Polish ways which are fascinating for me to revisit after so many years thinking of myself as an Australian. Memories from childhood come back and now I can understand some things better than when I was very young. They get new meaning for me. Like Corpus Christi holiday celebrated yesterday in all towns and villages of Poland. I did not pay much attention to the day in the past, I just knew that processions were going through all towns and villages from one altar to the next with believers singing religious songs as they walked behind a priest and his assistance. This time I wanted to know more.

Corpus Christi holiday has been observed  in the Catholic world since 1246. It is a movable holiday taking place on a Thursday, 60 days after Easter.  During the day, in Poland, body of Christ present in consecrated bread is carried ceremoniously through towns in the most beautiful monstrance the place may have. Processions stop at four altars where four fragments of Evangelias connected with Eucharist are read by priests.

Gdansk has a very special monstrance made of amber. This is a piece of art created by M.Drapikowski who lives in Gdansk since 1984. His sacral art is displayed among other European museums also in the Vatican. The Gdansk monstrance is huge, weights 30 kilograms and its pieces of amber are of exceptional beauty, colour and sizes.

                                        

During this year procession, the monstrance was carried by four workers of the Gdansk Shipyard. This had symbolic meaning as the Gdansk Shipyard was the place where the demise of communism started.

                                         

While the main procession took place in the Old Town of Gdansk, there were many local ones organised by smaller churches. Traditionally one of the altars in the part of the town I live in is in front of my house. I can observe the procession and the celebrations at one of the altars from my windows. This is what it looked like this year.