Ash Wednesday (Środa Popielcowa, Popielec) is a great holiday in Poland. As you know, the Polish people are mainly Catholic faith, and this is a Catholic feast, so be prepared to have amounts of people getting to church to be blessed by having ash/dust placed on their heads.
The ashes are made from palm branches blessed on the previous year on Palm Sunday. The priests place the ashes on the people’s foreheads saying: Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return’ (‘Z prochu powstałeś i w proch się obrócisz’). The blessed are supposed to avoid meat, alcohol, sweets and snacks on that day.
This rite is performed on that day all over the world, not only in Poland. All people of Catholic faith can undertake this ritual. However, Greek Catholics do not have this rite, but some Protestant churches do.
Saint Mary’s Basilica (Kosciol Mariacki) has always been a symbol of Krakow. A Symbol containing multiple other Krakow Symbols, like The wooden carved altar by Veit Stoss or the Bugle Call Tower with its Hejnal or The Legend of the 2 Brothers. After Tartar raids in the 13th century left the original church in ruins, St. Mary’s Church was rebuilt in Gothic style on the existing foundations and consecrated in 1320. In the early 15th century the towers took the iconic form they have today when the northern tower was raised to 80m high and made into a watchtower for the city. From that watchtower, the Bugle Call plays every day, every hour, no matter rain or shine!
How can one visit the Bugle Call Tower – Mariacki Church?
The Tower cannot be visited during all the months of the year, so make sure you don’t plan to visit it during wintertime as it is closed then. There is always a chance of frost on the stairs so only the Bugle Call player gets to go on top. But! During the summer months, it is always open for visitors and you can check the schedule below.
From July to October (except religious holidays) Monday — closed from Tuesdays to Saturdays 10.00 a.m.- 6.00 a.m. Sundays – 1.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.
January, February, March, November, December — closed
The ticket price, as of July 2021 is 15 Zloty per person or 10 for 7 to 18 years olds.
Things you should know about the tour
Children up to 7 years old are not allowed to go – due to the steep steps (danger ahead!)
There is a limited amount of tickets everyday. You cannot book/buy tickets in adavnce. Just for the same day. Tickets can be bought at the ticket office only (Plac Mariacki 7).
Children between 7 and 18 years old get a discount.
People with walking dissabilities cannot get to the top as there is no elevator or method to pull up any wheelchairs 🙁 sorry for that 🙁
In case of bad weather the tour (just like the Eiffel Tower, in Paris) gets closed down.
The Tower entrance is located on the side of Mariacki Church, from Florianska Street.
A group of no more than 10 people can enter every 30 minutes.
Did you know?
That the Bugle Call (Hejnal) players are actually firemen? They stay there (up in the tower) on shifts that are 12 hours long! They need to “get to work” by climbing the 271 steps, every day, and they play the Hejnal every hour, for their 12-hour shift. Before the stairs were built, there was no way to get on top except with the help of a very tall ladder (wooden). Thank God they don’t use that anymore!
Yours always truly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug that loves views from the top (of the world)
On June evenings, music lovers will have the opportunity to listen to organ concerts in the space of Krakow’s churches, after a two-year break, the International Summer Organ Concerts Festival returns.
Until June 20th, fans of sacred music can listen to the most beautiful Krakow organs located in the historic interiors of historic churches, after a two-year break, the International Summer Organ Concerts Festival returns to Krakow.
The concerts take place in the basilica of Carmelites “On the Sand” (“Na Piasku”), the Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel, and St. Stanislaus the Bishop, Pauline Fathers “Na Skałce” and the Church of the Holy Cross, where virtuosi from all over the world will present pearls from the rich literature dedicated to the organ.
Wednesday, June 2 at 20.00, St. Michael the Archangel and St. Stanislaus the Bishop oo. Pauline Fathers “Na Skałce”, ul. Skałeczna 15
Sunday, June 6 at 7.00 p.m., Church of the Holy Cross, ul. Holy Cross 23
Wednesday, June 9 20.00, Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Carmelites “Na Piasku”, ul. Karmelicka 19
Friday, June 11 at 7.00 p.m., Church of the Holy Cross, ul. Holy Cross 23
Sunday June 13 at 7.00 p.m., Church of the Holy Cross, ul. Holy Cross 23
Wednesday, June 16 at 20.00, St. Michael the Archangel and St. Stanislaus the Bishop oo. Pauline Fathers “Na Skałce”, ul. Skałeczna 15
Sunday, June 20 at 7.00 p.m., Church of the Holy Cross, ul. Holy Cross 23
Admission to all concerts is free, but the number of places is limited. If you wish to read more about the program (in the English language) do click here.
What about the traditional Christmas Kolęda (Carol) in the year of the pandemic?
More dioceses in different parts of the country are announcing that this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the rules of caroling will change and they are canceling pastoral visits at the traditional date, i.e. at the turn of the year. Such a decision was announced those days by Bishop Roman Pindel, the ordinary of the Bielsko-Żywiec diocese. Will there be no carols 2020 in Krakow?
Christmas carol and the coronavirus. What will the pastoral visit be like?
Due to the epidemic situation in Poland in the Bielsko-Żywiec Diocese, we are not organizing pastoral visits to families in the traditional period this year 2020/2021 – Bishop Roman Pindel, Bishop of Bielsko-Żywiec wrote on Twitter. The announcement posted on the website of this diocese informs that the pastoral visit is postponed “until sanitary conditions allow. This time will be announced by the Department of General Pastoral Care” – added.
“Instead of visiting homes by pastors, the residents should be invited to church in smaller groups”
In mid-October, the decision was announced that this time there would be no traditional Christmas carol visit to the Archdiocese of Poznań.“Instead of visits by priests in their homes, the residents should be invited to church in smaller groups for the evening Mass. A special intention of this Mass should be a prayer for the parishioners invited on a given day” – wrote Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, Metropolitan of Poznań in his decree.
Recommendations for Holy Mass
In the decree of the Metropolitan of Poznań regarding the pastoral care during the pandemic, there were also recommendations regarding this holy mass, which this time will replace the priest’s visits to the homes of parishioners:
During the Holy Mass one should give a special homily and pray a prayer of blessing over the gathered and remaining residents, especially the sick, as well as bless the water that the faithful will take home.
After the liturgy, there should be caroling and a talk, also discussing current parish issues. It is also advisable to distribute prayers to be said at home and a caroling book.
It is worth encouraging the faithful to return home to celebrate the “family liturgy”, saying a prayer, the text of which they received in the temple, and sprinkling the apartment with holy water.
A blessing only for new houses and flats – this is what the pastoral visits to the Archdiocese of Katowice should look like this year. In addition, there are plans to celebrate Holy Mass during Advent and Christmas in the local parishes for parishioners from particular streets. The decision on Christmas carols in the Katowice Archdiocese was made at the end of September.
What about a Christmas carol in Krakow? The decision has not yet been made
As for the Krakow Archdiocese, the decision on the first pastoral visit during the pandemic has not yet been made. But we should meet her soon.
“This issue is being considered, we are considering and at the end of November some information should appear on this matter” – the spokesman of the Krakow curia, Fr. Łukasz Michalczewski.
From Gazeta Krakowska (article in PL Language) – November 16th, 2020.
New restrictions. Changes in the Churches. There is a new limit of the faithful
On Wednesday, the government announced the introduction of new restrictions. The changes concern, among others the limit of the faithful in churches during holy masses and other liturgical celebrations.
New restrictions. New guidelines in Churches
During the press conference on Wednesday, November 4, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that the regulation introducing new restrictions across the country would enter into force. The changes also concern the activities of churches. Due to the spreading coronavirus pandemic, a new limit of the faithful attending masses and liturgical celebrations has been introduced.
The Chancellery of the Prime Minister informed that one person per 15 square meters will be allowed in the churches. This is a new, stricter limit to reduce the risk of contracting coronavirus. This means that even fewer believers will be able to take part in the masses than today. The prime minister also appealed to the oldest people to stay at home.
Broadcasting of Holy Masses on TV
“If a religious event takes place in a church, there is an obligation to cover the mouth and nose, with the exception of people worshiping” – we read on the gov.pl website. The new restrictions are to protect Poland from a complete lockdown. National quarantine is a last resort, but “only one step away” from it. “We want to protect the health service, we want to protect medics so that they can continue to heal people” – Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said during the Wednesday press conference.
Broadcasts of the Holy Masses will be available on TV on Sunday. You will be able to watch them, among others, on TVP1, TV Trwam or TVP Polonia.
Recent Comments