Faith, heritage and celebration unite at Zabawa
By Kristine Rilling08/26/2025
The 32nd annual Zabawa Polish Heritage Festival at Holy Trinity Parish, Erie, once again featured one of its most beloved traditions: the Polka Mass. This year’s liturgy, celebrated on August 23, filled the historic eastside church with prayer, song and joyful gratitude for the gifts of faith and heritage.
The parish was alive with waving Polish flags and familiar hymns. The uplifting sounds of polka music echoed through the church. Families spanning generations gathered not only to honor their ancestors but also to strengthen the bonds that unite the Erie community through faith and culture.
Honoring Faith and Ancestry
Before his homily, the Most Rev. Lawrence T. Persico, Bishop of Erie, acknowledged several special guests in the audience, including Monsignor Magraw, Father Piszkar and the Holy Trinity parishioners. Also, among them were seminarians representing the dioceses of Erie, Greensburg, Buffalo and Kalamazoo. Also in attendance were Father Scott Jabo, vocation director and rector of St. Mark Seminary, and Father David Renne, vice-rector of St. Mark Seminary. All were warmly recognized with a round of applause.
Bishop Persico then shared how the region’s diverse immigrant roots – Polish, German, Italian, Irish and beyond – formed a rich community built on perseverance and faith.
“Our grandparents did not simply bring recipes and traditions from the old country,” he said. “They brought faith – a gift that not only transforms individual lives but links us together as brothers and sisters through generations.”
That linkage, he explained, stretches from families and parishes to the entire Universal Church, and even to the saints and loved ones who have gone before us. “What a great gift to celebrate today,” he added.
The Gospel Message: Entering Through the Narrow Gate
Drawing from Luke’s Gospel, the homily underscored the challenges of discipleship. Jesus’ imagery of the narrow gate, the locked door and the feast offered lessons for daily Christian living:
• The Narrow Gate: True faith calls for humility and honesty of heart.
• The Locked Door: Conversion is lifelong, not instantaneous, requiring ongoing commitment to become the people God calls us to be.
• The Feast: God’s banquet is open to all who accept His invitation with sincerity, not just the self-assured elite.
“Faith is not a pre-ordained condition nor a …guaranteed reservation,” Bishop Persico reminded the faithful. “God demands of us a personal, committed response to his gift of faith as the key to the promise of resurrection.”
Festival Spirit
The Zabawa Festival, which means “fun” in Polish, lived up to its name throughout the weekend. Parishioners and visitors were abundant on the festival grounds, where authentic Polish food, music and dancing carried the celebration well into the evenings.
Tables overflowed with pierogi, kielbasa and sweet treats, while lively polka bands invited young and old alike to the dance floor. Cultural displays and children’s activities highlighted Polish heritage, ensuring that the traditions of past generations continue to be passed on with joy.
A Living Legacy
The Zabawa Festival in Erie is a lively, long-running celebration of Polish heritage. Organized by Holy Trinity Parish, it's coordinated by parishioners, with leadership from co chairs Ray and Edith Luniewski, who collaborate closely with area committee chairs to plan the event and oversee preparations, starting as early as January each year.
Volunteers from across the community generously shared their time and talents, including students from local colleges who played a vital role in supporting the event and welcoming guests.
The Polka Mass and Zabawa Festival together exemplify the living faith of Holy Trinity Parish. What began decades ago as a way to honor the Polish roots of the community has blossomed into one of Erie’s most anticipated annual traditions.
Bishop Persico’s homily was clear: heritage is more than customs – it is the faith that binds a community together. And in that spirit, the Zabawa Festival is not only a celebration of the past but also a hopeful witness for the future of the Catholic Church in Erie.
View photos from the celebration here.
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