Obituary & Poland & Province of New England & announcements admin | 10 Apr 2010
National tragedy in Poland - 96 dead in plane crash
At 10:53 AM local time (0653 GMT) Polish President’s airplane with 89 passengers and 7 crew members on board crashed while an attempt to touch down at Severny Airfield near Smolensk, South Western Russia. According to official report all passengers died. No one survived the crash. Among killed passengers were Mr Lech Kaczynski, President of the Republic of Poland and his wife Maria Kaczynska, former President of Poland on exile Mr Ryszard Kaczorowski, Chief of Staff of Polish Armed Forces and Commanders-in-Chief of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Operations; Catholic and Orthodox bishops military ordinariates of Polish Armed Forces, Protestant military prelates, some other priest, including President’s personal chaplain and Head of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, Governor of National Bank of Poland, two vice-speakers of lower House of Parliament (Seym), numerous Members of Parliament. All were expected to attend official celebrations in Katyn Forest commemorating 70th anniversary of massacre of Polish officers and policemen by Soviet NKVD in 1940.
All week long National Mourning was announced in all Poland starting Saturday at noon, April 10. The tragedy happened in the day of Eve of Feast of Devine Mercy. Five years ago, pope John Paul II also died the day before Feast of Devine Mercy.
On Sunday, April 11, body of the President Lech Kaczynski was flown from Smolensk to Warsaw and carried along streets to Presidential Palace for family attendance. Crowds of people greeted the coffin along the itinerary. Another crowds are gathered in front of the President’s Palace grieving, mourning, praying and paying homage to the country leader tragically killed together with his wife and numerous state officials.
Special Mass celebrations are other services are held across the country including those given in Vincentian staffed churches:
- Saturday, April 10 - 1600 GMT - special Mass in the Basilica of Holy Cross in Warsaw (very close to Presidential Palace)
- Sunday, April 11 - prayers in the intentions of all dead in the crash were held during all Sunday Masses in Pentecost Parish in Sopot
- Sunday, April 10 at 1600GMT - Miraculous Medal Shrine, Zakopane - a special prayer service during Divine Mercy devotion
- Wednesday, April 14 at 1600GMT - Miraculous Medal Shrine, Zakopane - prayer service during Miraculous Medal Novena devotion
- Friday, April 16 at 1600GMT - Miraculous Medal Shrine, Zakopane - prayer service during Divine Mercy devotion
- Monday, April 12 at 1630GMT - Seminary Church of Conversion of St. Paul, Stradom, Krakow - Eucharotisc service
- Monday, April 12 at 1700GMT - Seminary Church of Conversion of St. Paul, Stradom, Krakow - special Mass
- Wednesday, April 14 at 1630GMT - special funeral Mass in Our Lady of Lourdes church, Krakow
There are some celebrations planned in Polish Vincentians staffed churches abroad, too:
- Sunday, April 11 - 1400GMT at St Vincent church in Helsingor, Denmark
- Saturday, April 10 - 1900GMT - special prayer service in St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY, USA (Province of New England)
- Sunday, April 11 - 1530GMT - special Holy Mass in Polish in St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY, USA (Province of New England)
- Wednesday, April 11 - 2300GMT - special Holy Mass in Polish in St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY, USA (Province of New England)
We will try to keep you informed of the progress of news coming in from Russia and Poland and celebrations commemorating the tragedy. Also follow us on Facebook and Twitter where additional stories regarding the tragedy will be published.
May all those who died in the plane crash today rest in peace and will be welcomed in the gates of heaven.
Let us keep them, their families and friends and whole Poland in our prayers.
