FILIPINOS AND POLES IN LOWER SILESIA CELEBRATE THEIR SHARED FAITH WITH BLESSING OF THE RELICS OF SAN PEDRO CALUNGSOD
15 September 2024 – Philippine Ambassador to Poland Leah M. Basinang-Ruiz and her family, accompanied by the Embassy’s Cultural and Information Officer, FilCom Coordinator, and Alternate VRM Operator Ma. Chloe O. Silverio, participated as Guest of Honor in the inaugural Lower Silesian Filipino-Polish Meeting on Sunday 15 September 2024, which was held at the St. Joseph Church in the town of Żórawina, in the city of Wrocław, the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland.
The event, which was initiated and organized by Żórawina Parish Priest, Fr. Cezary Chwilczyński, aimed to introduce, with the support of Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma, the devotion to the Patron of the Filipino Youth San Pedro Calungsod among the community in Poland.
The meeting started with the raising of the Philippine and Polish flags as the Hanys Band played the Philippine and Polish national anthems in front of the St. Joseph Church in Żórawina, led by Fr. Cezary Chwilczyński and Philippine Ambassador Leah M. Basinang-Ruiz.
The Holy Mass was concelebrated by St. Joseph Parish Priest Fr. Cezary Chwilczyński, Father Szymon Tuptoński O.F.M. Conv, and visiting priest from Warsaw Fr. Wiesław Dawidowski, OSA, during which the devotion to San Pedro Calungsod, Patron Saint of the Filipino Youth, was inaugurated and his relics were blessed, attended by the Polish community and Filipinos living and working in the area as well as local officials from Żórawina and Oleśnica
Ambassador Ruiz was invited to speak before the congregation, during which she extolled the presence and contributions of the Filipino community in Lower Silesia, particularly in Wrocław, Żórawina, and the nearby town of Oleśnica. She also noted that the Philippines and Poland share a common faith which serves as a lifelong and unbreakable bond between the two countries. Finally, she highlighted the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of PHL-PL Diplomatic Relations and the historic visit of Polish FM Sikorski to Manila on 3-5 September 2024.
After the Holy Mass, the congregation shared Filipino traditional food ((kaldereta, menudo, bulalo, sisig, pancit, lechon, maja blanca) as well as Polish cakes, tea and coffee, prepared by Filipino volunteers, and afterwards posed with Ambassador Leah M. Basinang-Ruiz.
The momentous occasion also featured interviews of Ambassador Ruiz by the TVP3 Wrocław which enabled her to describe the significance of the event, the presence of Filipinos in Poland and highlights of PHL-PL relations as both countries celebrated their 50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations
Cultural and Information Officer and Alternate VRM Operator Ma. Chloe O. Silverio registered a total of 24 Filipinos who conveyed their desire to vote in the May 2025 elections.
In honor of the Lower Silesian Filipino-Polish Meeting, Fr. Cezary Chwilczyński commissioned the printing of a special leaflet for the mass which described the life, mission, and martyrdom of San Pedro Calungsod (in Polish), and also contained the Gospel Readings and hymns in Polish, English and Filipino.
