75th Anniversary of the Ursuline Secondary School in Wrocław,
09/12/2022
The feast of St Ursula marked the end of the 75th jubilee year of the Ursuline Sisters Secondary School in Wrocław.
It is the only Ursuline school which survived the communist period in Poland. The communist government allowed several schools run by religious congregations to operate in order to give the illusion of freedom.
The celebrations began with Holy Mass in the university church, presided over by Father Prof. Włodzimierz Wołyniec, rector of the Metropolitan Theological Seminary. During the Eucharist, the newly admitted first-year students took the pledge of allegiance to the flag. This is the most important moment in the life of a student of the school - from now on they become members of the Ursuline family. "My wish for you is that you find in the Ursuline school the right environment for your intellectual, spiritual and human development" – Sr. Kinga Klepek, prioress of the Ursulines of Wrocław, said to the students.
After the Mass, a gala was held, attended by students, teachers, staff of the school, Ursuline sisters and invited guests.
Students had summarised the events of the Jubilee Year. These began on 5 November 2021, the anniversary of the sounding of the first bell in the new Wroclaw school run by the Ursuline Sisters after the Second World War. The jubilee year was full of meetings, during which history was remembered, and the spirit of the Ursuline community was built up. Many activities were undertaken to celebrate the year - including the 75 km Camino for the 75 years of the school’s existence. This was a walking tour along the paths of St James around Wrocław.
In the second part of the meeting, representatives of various groups spoke, as well as the Provincial Prioress, Iwona Skorupa. In the third creative part, the students presented selected events from the life of the school in the context of the history of Poland and Wrocław.
The final touch to the jubilee was a thanksgiving pilgrimage to the Marian shrine at Jasna Góra in November.
based on information from the websites:
Polish Ursuline Province
The weekly magazine ‘Niedziela’ (‘ Sunday’)
