Polish community mourns loss of nation's elite

Poland's staunch Catholic faith would help it through the dark days of mourning for the deaths of President Lech Kaczynski and scores of the country's elite in last weekend's aircraft crash, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, the Most Rev Colin Campbell, said at last night's commemorative Mass.

About 100 of Dunedin's Polish community and supporters gathered at St Joseph's Cathedral for the Mass.

"It is the strong, indomitable Catholic faith that will be effective in healing a nation's wounded heart."

Last Saturday, the president and 95 others, including civic and cultural leaders, died when their plane crashed in western Russia.

The delegation was on its way to the 70th anniversary service to mark the execution of thousands of army officers and intellectuals in Katyn forest in 1940 by Soviet secret police.

That the tragedy occurred near Katyn, and again hit the country's elite, was a "bitter irony", Bishop Campbell said.

Sadly, the crash happened as the frosty relations between Poland and Russia were warming.

The crash had been a reminder of "just how small" the world was with ripples from the crash extending to New Zealand's Polish community, as well as to other New Zealanders.

Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin, whose tribute was read by Cr Paul Hudson, paid tribute to the contribution Otago's Polish community had made to the province. On behalf of the city, he extended the sincere condolences of Dunedin to the Poles.

The Polish ambassador in New Zealand, Beata Stoczynska and the honorary Polish consul in New Zealand, John Roy-Wojciechowski, also sent messages of support.

Ewa Rozecka-Pollard, chairwoman of the Polish Heritage Trust of Otago and Southland, said at the Mass that Poland would survive the "terrible event". It was a time to pause, reflect and show united strength, she said.

- eileen.goodwin@odt.co.nz