Polish families in British and Irish churches
Since Poland joined the EU in 2004, many Poles have made their home in Britain and Ireland. Some attend a Polish Catholic Mission parish with Mass in Polish. Many more go to the local parish because it is close to home, because the children are at the Catholic primary school, or because there is no Polish Mass nearby at a time that suits a shift pattern.
These are often families that have been in the parish for years. The parents work and live in English, but faith is something they learned in Polish, from their grandparents and their First Communion classes. Hearing the homily in Polish is not about understanding a few words better; it is about hearing the faith in the language it was first given to them.
Three moments where Polish makes a difference
- When grandparents visit. Babcia and dziadek come over for a few weeks, sit in the pew and understand nothing. With Polish translation on a phone they can follow the whole Mass.
- At sacramental moments. A First Communion or a confirmation with Polish-speaking relatives in the congregation. Switch on Polish for that service and the whole family can follow the homily.
- In evangelical and Pentecostal churches. Polish members in free churches often serve in the church but still struggle with long teaching sessions in English. Captions in Polish help them keep up.
How it works
- 01Scan
The QR code is on the screen, in the newsletter or on the back of the pew sheet. It opens the listening page in the browser.
- 02Choose Polski
No app and no account needed. On iPhone there is also an app in the App Store, if someone prefers it.
- 03Listen quietly
With an earbud the homily sounds in Polish a few seconds behind the priest or pastor, and captions appear on screen. Those who want only to read can turn the audio off.
Liturgy and sermon
Most Polish Catholics know the order of Mass by heart in Polish, so the fixed parts are rarely the problem. The homily, the notices and the bidding prayers are what change every week, and that is where live translation helps most. Church terms and Bible names are the hardest part for any automated translation. ChurchTranslate keeps a terminology list per language, but it is honest to say it will not always find the exact word a Polish priest would use. More in Bible names and terms.
For the parish or church
Your technician, or a volunteer on the sound desk, starts the broadcast from a laptop or phone. Set English as the speaker's language and add Polish to the languages visitors may choose. The how-to guide takes you through the first service step by step.
Cost
One hour of Mass translated into Polish uses 60 credits, whether three people listen or a hundred. Four weekend Masses of an hour each come to 240 credits per month. Polish only uses credits while somebody listens. See the pricing.