Needs in this area were always great, especially in the first years after liberation, when there were few priests and the parish was extensive. The parish had a parish church where initially three Holy Masses were celebrated; in addition, priests travelled to the chapel in Bożejowice, to Łaziska, to the church in Bolesławice, Brzeźnik, and to the chapel in Łąka. Mass with a sermon was also celebrated in the chapel of the district hospital.
In the initial years after liberation, there were only two or three priests. At that time, pastoral ministry was a problem in general. As the years passed, the number of priests increased. In 1970, nine priests were engaged in pastoral work in the same area, but the number of faithful was also growing.
The parish did not keep a register of sermons delivered, with the exception of 1959–1960. Nevertheless, on the basis of the announcements book, it can be established that homilies most often concerned the Sunday Gospel pericope. For a number of years after the war, sermons on catechism topics were delivered. As liturgical changes were introduced, the faithful were instructed, in successive lessons, about the liturgy of Holy Mass. The Word of God was proclaimed on all Sundays and feast days during every Mass. Sermons for special occasions were delivered on feasts of the Lord and of Mary, on saints’ feast days, during the Forty Hours’ Devotion, tridua, and so on. Numerous sermons were delivered during indulgences, jubilees, first Masses, funerals, and weddings.
Special care was devoted to the confraternities of the Holy Rosary. On every first Sunday, during the changing of the Rosary mysteries— for men after the High Mass and for women after Vespers—instruction was given. From 1956 onward, every Wednesday during the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, instruction on Marian themes was given. From 1968, on the second Sunday of each month after Vespers, a message was addressed to the women of the Night Adoration Circle.
Sermons were delivered by the priests permanently serving in the parish: the parish priest and the vicars. Priests from other towns, especially Wrocław, were often invited to proclaim the Word of God. The Wrocław bishops frequently appeared in the parish pulpit. Priests were also invited to give specialist conferences, for example on Catholic upbringing.
The faithful of the Bolesławiec parish willingly listened to the Word of God, regardless of whether it was proclaimed by a priest who was more or less talented. Sermons were often called the “Word of God.” They deserved this name all the more the more content they contained drawn from Holy Scripture. Incidentally, drawing sermon content from biblical sources is the duty of every pastoral minister.
After the war, preparing sermons was not easy because of the lack of homiletic studies. The primary source was Holy Scripture. Later, other aids also appeared. These included the quarterly Współczesna Ambona, edited in Kielce, and the monthly Biblioteka Kaznodziejska, published in Poznań. However, there were considerable difficulties in obtaining these aids. Preachers also used the periodicals Przewodnik Katolicki, Tygodnik Powszechny, Gość Niedzielny, Homo Dei, and Ateneum Kapłańskie. Typescripts also provided considerable assistance, such as Zeszyty Apologetyczne, published by the Pastoral Commission of the Polish Episcopate.
The church in Bolesławiec is large, which made it difficult for a natural voice to reach all listeners. Therefore, loudspeakers had to be installed, and in 1968–1970 a new loudspeaker system was provided.
Regarding the subjects of the sermons, we lack precise data for the years 1945 to 1951. On the basis of the announcements books and the sermon register for 1959–1960, we can conclude that sermons were delivered in accordance with the instructions of the Polish Episcopate. From 1952 to 1956, subjects were selected according to the so-called synchronized catechesis. This meant that every Sunday, at all Masses, catechism sermons on the same subject were delivered at three levels: for adults, young people, and children. During this period, the entire teaching of Christian faith and morality was discussed, along with the principal events in the history of the universal Church in Poland.
The subjects of sermons in 1957–1966 consisted of a detailed discussion of the program of the Great Novena before the Millennium of Christianity in Poland. The year 1967 was devoted to Conciliar Renewal. From the pulpit, the faithful were familiarized with the decrees of the Second Vatican Council. In 1968, the subject was: Holy Mass as a school of life with Jesus and Mary. It included a general introduction to the Sacrifice of Holy Mass and selected issues of the liturgy, the liturgy of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, the Eucharistic liturgy as an exchange of the gift of love, and the liturgy of the Word as a dialogue between man and God. On the first Sunday of Advent in 1969, in accordance with the plan introduced by
The Episcopate, a four-year cycle (1969–1972) was begun. Its first year, 1969, addressed the subject of Christ, personal and mystical. In addition to the subjects covered by the episcopal plan, various issues were discussed over the years on different occasions—issues arising from the current needs of parishioners and from current events, such as the Second Vatican Council, the history of councils, liturgical changes, audiovisual culture, the travels of Pope Paul VI, and the encyclicals on celibacy, Populorum progressio and Humanae vitae.