President Kaczynski joins Sunday procession

St. Stanislaw?s Procession is one of the oldest, most important ceremonies of a religious character in Poland

On Sunday, May 15, the traditional St. Stanislaw Procession marched from Wawel Cathedral to the Skalka Sanctuary, while carrying a relic of St. Bishop Stanislaw.
Over 40,000 Krakow residents and visitors participated in the mass, many of whom had arrived from southern Poland.

Among the guests were President of Poland Lech Kaczynski and Education Minister Roman Giertych. Archbishop Alfons Nossol presided over the mass, which was devoted to St. Jacek Odrowaz, and not St. Stanislaw, as was initially expected. St. Odrowaz was the first Polish Dominican, who fathered missions among pagans in Eastern Europe. This year, the church celebrates the 750th anniversary of his death.

?We can truly say that he was a founder of Europe?s unity as a spiritual community,? Nossol said. He invoked Europeans to build their unity as a community of  culture, ethics and moral principles.

?These are the preconditions that will allow Europe to keep its spirit,? Nosol said.
?Europe will not exist as a spiritual community without  reconciliation — especially with the German nation,? he underlined.

St. Stanislaw?s Procession is one of the oldest and most important ceremonies of a religious and national character in Poland.