St Kilian’s marks Polish ‘Wigilia’

THE Polish community of St Kilian’s Community School came together before the Christmas break to celebrate Wigilia, the Polish Christmas Eve.

The event was the brainchild of Polish lady Monika Uí Annaidh, who joined St Kilian’s as a Maths teacher in September last year. In the weeks prior to the event, Ms Uí Annaidh was helped with the planning and preparation by a large group of students, parents and teachers. On the night itself, guests were led along the darkened, candle-lit corridor to the school library, which had been transformed by the students involved.

Everywhere was festively decorated, with the centrepiece being a magnificent dining table to seat the 60 guests. A group of musicians provided entertainment with traditional Polish music and songs.

In the Polish tradition, events began with everyone sharing the Eucharist with one another, as well as greetings and blessings for Christmas and the New Year. Following this, guests shared a wonderful meal, which had been prepared by the fam- ilies themselves. On Wigilia the food is mostly vegetarian, with fish as one of the main courses. Some of the fare on offer included barszcz (a spiced beetroot soup), pierogi (cabbage dumplings), kapusta (spiced cabbage with mushrooms) and ryba po grecku (Greek-style fish). Desserts and cakes were also delicious and plentiful.

Afterwards, everyone joined in singing traditional Polish Christmas carols. Ms Uí Annaidh and school principal John Murphy thanked everyone who had made the evening such a success.

Mr Murphy spoke about the many characteristics that Polish and Irish people share and paid tribute to the many Polish students, both past and present, and their families for the significant contribution that they have made to St Kilian’s. He talked about how ‘community’ is at the centre of everything that happens in the school and how the Wigilia celebration had been such a wonderful example of this. He reserved special praise for Ms Uí Annaidh, whose hard work ensured the evening was memorable.

Some of the children attending Wigilia at St Kilian’s Community School.

(Back, from left) Maciej Piotrowski, Natan Bas, Robert Czyz, school principal John Murphy, Piotr Czyz, Greg Roszczak, Mikolaj Piotrowski, (front) Ursula Zdanowska, Barbara Krupinska, Patrycja Struzynska and Joanna Czyz at Wigilia at St Kilian’s.

Beata Piotrowska, Mariola Roszczak, Doroia Krupinska and Monica Bas.

School principal John Murphy with organiser Monika Uí Annaidh.

Polish musicans performing at Wigilia.