Invited by Fr. Jan Wichary, local superior of the SVD community in Zakopane, Fr. Jan Halama, provincial superior of the Slovak province, took part in the celebration of St. Joseph Freinademetz, the patron saint of the missionary house in Zakopane. The occasion took place on February 2, 2014 in the local parish of Holy Cross in Zakopane.
The Eucharistic celebration was presided by Fr. Jan and concelebrated by other priests from the area. Numerous religious and faithful, including two religious Sisters from China, participated in the celebration. The homily was preached by Fr. Jan and the prayers of the faithful were done in both the Polish and Chinese languages. Songs in the Goral language were also incorporated into the Mass by the local children’s choir “Turliki”.
After the celebration Turliki (meaning “jingle bells” in the Goral dialect) performed a mini concert of songs. Lunch was served for the guests in the mission house of St. Joseph Freinademetz which caters to tourists who come for recreation or spiritual exercises.