On Saturday, July 5, 2025, a folk festival took place in Arłamów, Poland. The festival continued the next day in Kalwaria Pacławska, Poland. The event featured performing folk groups from five different countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
The festival was entitled “The Mirror of Carpathian Cultures. Prologue.” The musical groups performed on outdoor stages. They included Zespół Pieśni i Tańca “Suszanie” [The Suszanie Song and Dance Ensemble] from the Czech Republic; Folklorny Subor Makovica [The Makovica Folklore Ensemble] from Slovakia; Zespół Pieśni i Tańca “Przemyśl” [The Przemyśl Song and Dance Ensemble] from Poland; Zorekvit_Bend Soniashnyk [The Sunflower Zorekvit Band] from Ukraine and The Bodrog Folkdance Ensemble from Hungary.
“We created this festival in order to give people an opportunity to look into a mirror that reflects the splendor, beauty and richness of the cultural heritage of our Subcarpathian land, at the crossroads of the Latin West and the Byzantine East,” said Piotr PILCH, Vice-President of the region, and one of the event’s organizers. “Over the centuries, different nationalities, religions, languages, and traditions have blended here, enriching one another and forming a true cultural melting pot that is worth cherishing,” he added.
“Our aim was also to bear witness to faith in Jesus Christ, which is an essential part of Carpathian culture. We wanted to offer a shared prayer to the Most High for the Church, for every individual, for all nations, and for every state. We prayed for unity and peace in our region and around the world,” said Friar Marian GOŁĄB, Guardian of the Kalwaria Pacławska Shrine community and Festival Director.
Thus, the international initiative began on Friday, July 4, with an ecumenical service attended by pastors from four different Christian denominations. The liturgy took place at the Conventual Franciscan Shrine in Kalwaria Pacławska. Christians from the four denominations arrived in procession from three nearby chapels dedicated to the Holy Archangels. The Most Reverend Adam SZAL, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Przemyśl, Poland, and Father Andrzej ŻURAW (Greek Catholic Church – Archdiocese of Przemyśl and Warsaw) led a procession from the chapel of St. Michael. Bishop Wojciech PRACKI (Augustan Evangelical Church – Diocese of Katowice) led a procession from chapel of St. Raphael. Finally, Father Metody GOCKO (Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church – Diocese of Przemyśl and Gorlice) led a procession from the chapel of St. Gabriel.
The gathered faithful listened to Scripture and brief reflections given by the invited pastors. The participants publicly professed their faith, prayed in four languages, exchanged the sign of peace and reconciliation, and recited the prayer Jesus Christ taught his disciples. At the end, standing, they sang the Akathist, one of the oldest hymns honoring the Mother of God, dating back to the 5th century.
After the blessing of the clergy from the four Christian denominations, the praise of God continued in the church with gospel music.
On the last day of the festival, Sunday, July 6, Mass was celebrated at the Shrine-Basilica of Kalwaria Pacławska, presided over by Friar Mariusz KOZIOŁ, the Minister Provincial of the Province of St. Anthony and Bl. James of Strepar in Poland (Cracow).
After the Mass, the folk groups held a special concert in the church square. After that, they travelled to the villages of Fredropol, Medyka and Krasiczyn, located in the greater Przemyśl area, to offer their repertoire to the local audiences there.
The festival organizers included the Subcarpathian Region, the Shrine-Basilica of the Passion of Christ and Mother of God at Kalwaria Pacławska, Hotel Arłamów, the Przemyśl Cultural Center, the Subcarpathian Gospel Society in Przemyśl and the Przemyśl Region Folklore Society, also in Przemyśl.
Friar Jan M. SZEWEK
