August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption, known in Poland as Matka Boska Zielna, Our Lady of the Herbs, brought the blessings of bouquets of herbs to church.
The women bought the bouquets at the market from Polish farm wives who made them up from field flowers and herbs. Goldenrod and black-eyed Susans, seemed to be the chief components. Many of the women, who took the bright yellow and orange bouquets to church, still wore their old-world kerchiefs, and the sight of them as they converged upon the church with the bouquets held stiffly before them made a colorful picture. Brought home, the blessed bouquet was kept in sight in a place devoted to other blessed objects, generally beneath the principal holy picture, or, if there were two, between them.
In keeping with this beautiful Polish custom, flowers will be blessed during the August 15th 9:30 a.m. Mass.
