This Sunday, a letter from Bishop Andrzej Siemieniewski is being read at all Masses. The letter concerns a practice introduced by Father Andrzej Jarosiewicz, the former parish priest. During his tenure, so-called perpetual Holy Masses were celebrated at the Marian Basilica in Bolesławiec. The faithful paid substantial fees for them, even though the priest himself had no right to celebrate them because the bishop had not granted permission for such Masses.

Despite the bishop’s lack of consent, Jarosiewicz celebrated the Masses. All intentions were recorded in a special book, which disappeared after the parish priest moved away. The new parish priest, Bogusław Wolański, concerned by the absence of the “book of perpetual intentions” from the parish office, referred the matter to the Bishop of Legnica, who firmly distanced himself from similar practices. The letter addressed to the faithful emphasized that the Diocese of Legnica does not support perpetual Masses, and that charging fees for liturgies celebrated without the required permission was unauthorized. Consequently, it was decided to discontinue their celebration at the basilica.

Controversial Parish Priest Jarosiewicz

There had long been considerable publicity surrounding the former parish priest from Bolesławiec. He was regarded as a clergyman unfriendly toward people. In December 2023, based on materials publicly shared on social media, Grażyna Hanaf and Krzysztof Gwizdała from the istotne.pl editorial team prepared a report about the priest and a young celebrity. We believe that it was precisely to block this film and remove it from the internet that the priest and the celebrity sued the editor of istotne.pl in a civil court in Jelenia Góra in 2024, and later brought criminal proceedings, this time in Bolesławiec.

The istotne.pl editorial team was the only one in the country to address an important social issue about which others remain silent or write “a morality matter.” Please support our fight. We face a years-long battle in court. You can help us ensure that the truth prevails.

Please support us with any amount. Here is the address where you can make a donation: zrzutka.pl/hb6dc7