Dozens gather in Portland and Bangor to have their Easter baskets and foods blessed.

Continuing a long tradition and beginning a new one, the faithful gathered at St. Louis Church in Portland and St. Mary Church in Bangor on Holy Saturday for the blessing of Easter baskets.

Święconka, the blessing of Easter baskets filled with meats, breads, eggs, and other items that will be served for Easter meals, is a custom that goes back centuries in Poland and other European countries.

St. Louis Church, which was founded by Polish immigrants in 1915, has long embraced the custom, and this year more than 65 baskets filled tables in the parish hall, all beautifully decorated, and many lined or covered with white cloths. 

At St. Mary Church, about two dozen people gathered for the parish's first Easter basket blessing ceremony, which was held in response to a request from a parishioner.

“The diversity of our local community continually brings forth new requests that honor traditions from various cultures. When asked whether we were offering this blessing, I thought that incorporating this blessing as part of our Holy Saturday observances would help to deepen mutual appreciation and bonds among our parishioners at home, while also uniting us with our brothers and sisters in Eastern Europe, especially those who long for and are struggling to know the peace that the Resurrected Christ desires to share with all of us,” said Msgr. Andrew Dubois, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Parish.

The ceremony in Bangor was led by Father Joseph Osunde, OP, parochial vicar of the parish, with Deacon Tim Dougherty assisting, while in Portland, Father Seamus Griesbach, pastor of St. Louis, led the ceremony, accompanied by Father Cyprian Tatah Ferdzefer and Father Augustine Kifon.

“When we gather at our first meal of Easter, may this food be a sign for us of that heavenly banquet to which the Lord calls us,” said Father Seamus Griesbach, who offered a blessing and then walked along the tables, sprinkling the baskets with holy water.  “In the silent hope of this Holy Saturday, we lift up these foods, harvested from the bounty of God’s creation, and we ask him to send his blessing upon them, that they may grace our tables, our homes, our families, and our lives.”

The food is all said to have symbolic meaning. The bread, for instance, is symbolic of the Lord Jesus himself, who is the Bread of Life, while ham is a symbol of the joy we share and the abundance of grace that the Lord has showered upon us.

 “The salt we bless is a symbol of the spiritual prosperity we enjoy as sons and daughters of God. It is also a reminder to us that we are indeed the salt of the earth, called to preserve the holy faith that has been handed on to us and to season the world with this same Catholic faith. The eggs we bless are a symbol of the new life we receive from the One who is risen from the dead. Their hard shells remind us of Christ’s own tomb, but their sweet yolks remind us of the bright splendor of his resurrection,” Father Griesbach said during the blessing. “The kielbasa and other meats are a sign of God’s incredible generosity, and the fish is a reminder that we are called, like the first Apostles, to be fishers of men.”

The bitterness of horseradish, meanwhile, is meant to symbolize Christ's Passion, but the sugar with which it is sweetened brings to mind the resurrection. And chocolates and sweets symbolize the overabundance of God's goodness in our lives.

Ewa Wszola, who emigrated from Poland 40 years ago, said the Easter basket blessing ceremony is something she remembers from her homeland. The small basket she brought to be blessed came with her from Poland, as did the lamb figurine inside it and the cloth that covered it.

“I come because this is what we do in Poland, the blessing at church. This is what we are,” she said.

Amanda Lis-Estes said she grew up in upstate New York and always attended the blessing ceremony at the Polish church there, so she was excited to discover she could continue the tradition after moving to Maine. She has brought her basket to be blessed the past three years.

“I was excited to bring my kids here to pass on the tradition. I think it’s important,” said Lis-Estes, who was accompanied by her three children.  “All the symbolism that is involved in the baskets is kind of a fun way to teach the kids about it and to involve them and put Christ back into Easter. It’s not all about the chocolate and the bunnies.”

“I have everything I need for Easter, and I wanted to get it blessed before bringing it to someone’s house to share it with them,” said Kelsey Taylor, from Scarborough. “Easter is more than just a meal. We gather for meals all the time, which is great, but Easter is a celebration of the Risen Lord, and everything has an element of the divine to it, and this is a part of that.”

The Święconka ceremonies in Portland and Bangor were similar because the St. Louis community helped St. Paul the Apostle Parish get their tradition started.

“Special thanks to St Louis Parish and Michal Slawiec for teaching us about Święconka,” said Kristen Jandreau, coordinator of parish communications for St. Paul the Apostle. “We look forward to making this an annual tradition at St Paul the Apostle Parish."