"Bishop Zimowski of Poland to Celebrate Mass at St. Agatha Church"

FROM THE ARCHDIOCESAN website:

On Saturday, January 31, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. St Agatha parish will honor the parish's patron saint with a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Zygmunt Zimowski of the Diocese of Radom in Poland, who is also a pastoral guardian for Poles living abroad. Bishop Robert Hermann and Rev. Msgr. Vernon Gardin will be present for this occasion.

Two special guest soloists from Warsaw Opera Theatre, Ryszard Wróblewski and Edyta Ciechomska-Bilska, will be performing during Mass and will give a short concert following the Mass (around 12:30 p.m.) in the Church. Following the concert, you are invited to join the parishioners for a luncheon with all the Bishops in the School Ballroom. Another concert will also be given at St. Agatha Church on Sunday, February 1, at 2 p.m.

Both soloists have accomplished musical careers: Ryszard Wróblewski, a tenor, is currently with the Grand Theatre in Warsaw. He gave performances at many prestigious opera theatres including Gdańsk, Warsaw and Poznań. He also performed internationally in Europe and the United States. His extensive repertoire includes a great number of tenor parts, such as, Don Jose in Bizet’s "Carmen," Stefan in Moniuszko’s "Haunted Manor," Pinkerton in "Madame Butterfly," Cavaradossi in Puccini’s "Tosca," etc. Tenor Wróblewski also performs oratorio, cantata and concert repertoire.

In 1995, soprano Edyta Ciechomska-Bilska graduated with honors from the musical academy in Warsaw. She is a laureate of Polish and international opera gala competitions. Even as a student, she took part in productions of Warsaw’s Grand Theatre and Warsaw’s Opera Theatre. As a professional artist, she has been a member of the Roma Musical Theatre in Warsaw. Her performances include among many: "Madame Butterfly," Micaela in "Carmen" and Pamina in "Magic Flute." Edyta Ciechomska-Bilska has performed many concerts in Poland and abroad.

Click here for some of my old photos of the church.