The fees charged by Rev. Andrzej Jarosiewicz for sacramental services in the town of Węgliniec, with a population of two thousand, have outraged parishioners who wrote to us. 

At the Parish of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Węgliniec, the parish priest has set specific amounts for individual services. For example, a funeral Mass costs PLN 900, while parents of children receiving their First Holy Communion are required to pay PLN 800 for each child. These are not all the fees parishioners have to pay. Every certificate issued by the priest costs PLN 30. The suggested amount for Wypominki is PLN 50.

Parishioners are complaining. They claim that the prices are too high. They say that when they offer the priest other amounts—whatever they can afford—they are told that the price list is binding and that they cannot pay less. In addition, the parish priest is reportedly checking whether a given parishioner received him at home during the kolęda pastoral visit.

It should be explained here that the practicing residents of Węgliniec were pleased with the previous parish priest, Rev. Janusz Kozyra. They emphasize that the former parish priest approached financial matters very transparently and settled them clearly. Fees for sacramental services were also much lower. A funeral Mass reportedly cost PLN 300, and Rev. Kozyra was said to have left the decision about the amount of the offering to the donors.

The change of parish priest imposed on the parishioners of Węgliniec by Bishop Andrzej Siemieniewski at the end of 2023 was received unwillingly in the town. Some parishioners even visited the Curia to protest and express their opposition to the change of parish priest, but no one took their opinion into account.

That is why refusing to receive Rev. Andrzej Jarosiewicz during the kolęda pastoral visits was a form of resistance. This is reportedly why the parish priest now carries out the verification when issuing certificates.

We asked the Curia by email whether there is a price list for religious services in the Diocese of Legnica and whether PLN 900 for a burial service is a lot or a little. We received the following response.

To my knowledge, there is no established price list for religious services in the Diocese of Legnica. The authority to prepare such a price list lies with the Polish Episcopal Conference. In Poland, the Polish Episcopal Conference has not prepared one. The matter of fees for parish-office documents and religious services remains open for agreement between the applicant and the priest. Usually, it is an offering. At the request of the interested person, the priest may issue confirmation of payment. As I am not the competent person to provide answers on behalf of the Curia, please direct similar questions in the future to the Curia Spokesperson.

Yours sincerely, Rev. Tomasz Kołodziej, secretary to the Bishop of Legnica

What do we pay the priest for during a Catholic burial:

  • Celebration of Holy Mass (after the liturgy, the Eucharist is received, the deceased is entrusted to God, and the coffin or urn is blessed before it is taken to the burial site)
  • The prayer accompanying the coffin or urn to the burial site

During the ceremony at the grave, the priest may also deliver a short funeral speech, which is not obligatory and may offer comfort and support to the deceased person's loved ones and family through personal contact.