“We were given an herb against death”

Many hardworking women of the parish of st. As every year on the eve of the feast of the assumption of mary, the parishioners of st. Stephen's in adelsdorf prepared the root bushes to be consecrated during the feast service.
As in the catholic communities all around, the old custom of consecrating herbs is also cultivated in adelsdorf and aisch on the feast of the ascension of mary.

The women had already started collecting last saturday and they found the herbs on uncultivated plains around adelsdorf. "This time it was already difficult because of the drought", one of the women said. In honor of all herbs – whether known or unknown – the bunches are tied. They point to the beauty and healing power of nature, to the closeness of the sacrifice and they are a plea for healing and salvation. "We have been given an herb against death in mary, which is usually said to have no herb against it", according to lina papp.

Father jaroslaw nowaszczuk from stettin, the vacation representative of pastor thomas ringer, looked around at the women and learned a bit about the customs in his home country and the background of the holiday.

"One of the most important holidays"

"In our country the rosary women tie the bushes and mary ascension day is one of the most important holidays. We celebrate, come together and barbecue on this day", he explains. "The connection between maria and flowers has been alive for over 1000 years. When the apostles came to the tomb of mary, they found only flowers and herbs instead of the corpse. Mary has always been associated with miracles and healings with flowers and herbs. In poland, there are even processions with flowers on this day."

He emphasized the connection with easter: "mary is the first human being who ascended to heaven, body and soul". This was already ready in the 7. Century festival. The dogma of pope pius XII. In 1952, this fact was simply affirmed, since it was not recognized by all theologians.

Mary shows us our goal and we are happy that we have this future: our body belongs to heaven as the soul does!"