LENTEN LAMENTAT

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One of the signs of Lent in the Polish community are the Gorzkie Żale (Lenten Lamentations or Bitter Lamentations), sung at church on Sundays during that somber season. They’re a series of melancholic hymns about Jesus Christ’s passion and death, meant to be a form of grieving for His suffering. The Lenten Lamentations are divided into three parts. Part one recalls Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, arrest and unjust trial. Part two recalls Christ’s suffering from his unjust trial to His being crowned with thorns. Part three recalls Christ’s crucifixion and death. Each part has its particular set of spoken intentions and hymns.

This year Lenten Lamentations will be held at Holy Family church in the Second (March 2), Fourth (March 15) and Fifth (March 22) Sunday of Lent at 3:00 PM. The Polish and English subtitles will be displayed on the screen.