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Midnight Mass

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Buffalo, New York – Corpus Christi Church will celebrate a traditional Christmas Eve Midnight Mass (known in Polish as Pasterka or the Shepherd’s Mass) at midnight on December 24. The Mass will be celebrated in both Polish and English.

The service will be preceded by Polish Christmas Carols or Koledy (pronounced kol-end’-ee) beginning at 11:30p.m. and led by Fr. Anzelm Chalupka, Pastor. Poland has a rich Catholic tradition dating to the 11th Century. Over the years, Poles have developed many beautiful Koledy, which speak to their religious devotion and the significance of the Christmas holiday.

The church is located at 199 Clark Street, just one block from the Broadway Market. All are welcome to attend.

Throughout the world, Catholics have traditionally celebrated the birth of Christ with a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. In more recent years, many churchs have moved away from this practice, choosing instead to schedule their “Midnight Mass” earlier in the evening. Locally, Corpus Christi is one of few remaining churches that continue the traditional Midnight Mass observance.

Polish artwork restored at Corpus Christi

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(click on images for full view – photos by Father Anzelm & Andy Golebiowski)

(Kate Kline – AM-POL Eagle) Corpus Christi Church of Buffalo preserves pieces of St. Barbara’s church and in turn gains history and beauty in its church. Corpus Christi acquired the painting of Joseph Mazur’s Most Blessed Trinity and an altar table from the closed St. Barbara’s Church in Lackawanna and proudly displays them in its chapel.

The chapel was used for the past 80 years as a convent by the Franciscan sisters, according to Father Anzelm Chalupka. It was restored two years ago, and is presently the church’s chapel. It holds about 60 people and is used Monday through Saturday for evening Masses and is open and lit for prayer and adoration.

Both the painting and the atlar were made in the 1920s in the style of the Polish highlander, according to Father Anzelm.

The altar is beautifully hand made and is adorned with many intricate wood carvings, including a lamb with a cross, in the center of the altar. “There are many altars from the past few decades that are very cheap looking and don’t show art. If you look at this altar, you see beauty and harmony,” Father Anzelm said.

[read full story at AM-POL Eagle]