Monday’s liturgy was a solemn occasion. It was a celebration not only for several dozen young people, but also for the parish’s former priest, Władysław Rączka. After Mass, the jubilarian received good wishes from the county authorities. “On the occasion of your celebration, dear Jubilarian, we wish you God’s blessing and many more days, months and years filled with love and joy,” said county head Krzysztof Konopka.
Priest Władysław Rączka came to Bolesławiec at a time when there was only one parish in our town. It was the Parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Priest Rączka took charge of it and earned his first pastoral distinctions in that office. Today, he holds the title of Domestic Prelate of His Holiness.
“Bolesławiec delighted me from the very beginning,” Prelate Rączka recalls. “It was a very interesting community. People from Yugoslavia, France, Ukraine and central Poland settled in our region. There were also Czechs, Romanians, and even Greeks and Roma. I believe they integrated thanks to the church. It was during Mass and parish activities that they met, exchanged experiences, and later became friends, and even married one another. Over 37 years, I worked here with 30 priests,” Priest Rączka recalls.
“I baptized and married thousands of people. I become most aware of the passing of time when I go to the cemetery to celebrate funeral Masses. Once, it was a small and intimate necropolis. Today, it is almost a second city...” Priest Rączka adds.