On Lemko cemeteries and death – interview with priest Jarosław Czuchta

On Tuesday, 22 November 2016, the last meeting within the Lemko Paths series will take place. It may be translated as Lemko All Souls Day. The meeting’s name, which is organized by the Nowy Sącz Shtetl, Association of Professional Government, Pedagogical Provincial Library in Nowy Sącz and Nomina Rosae organization, maybe does not tell us much, as also the Polish word Zaduszki, or Slovak Dušičky used among Rusyns did not have an exact counterpart. It refers to the western Christian traditon’s holiday when, on 2 November, people visit graves and remember the late. Nowadays, on this day, both in Lemkovyna and the Presovian, as well as Subcarpathian Rus’, people pray for those who passed away, as it is a day off.

The Nowy Sącz “All Souls Day” will refer to Lemko theme. Lemko cemeteries, a man’s passing away to the eternity in the East Church’s spirituality, as well as remembrance about the late – these topics will be covered by priest Jarosław Czuchta, a priest in Lemkovyna. The meeting will take place at 6PM in the historic nether regions of the Nowy Sącz public library (Franciszkańska street 1, Nowy Sącz). The interview with the Greek Catholic priest of the parishes in Śnietnica, Gładyszów, Uście Ruskie and Wysowa (a chapel) will be moderated by Łukasz Połomski.

On this very day, also a theatre play will take place, entitled: Half open door, performed by Nomina Rosae theatre. The play will be accompanied by Zoriushka group performance, repertoire of which includes Balkan, Lemko and Polish songs. The performance itself will be a story about Lemko poetry and music that are to be taken out of oblivion. The two artistic performances will serve to show the atmosphere of abandonment, creating a bridge between unbelief and hope for a new life – where, as it would seem, life does not exist anymore. The audience can guess that it is about the non-existent Lemko villages.

Photo: parish cemetery in a non-existent village of Bieliczna, near Izby