“The First Roads Were Paved by Them”: The Contribution of Preaching to the Foundations of Polish Culture

The impact of preaching on Polish religiousness and national culture is enormous. Sermons reached all the social classes. They were listened to by the king, by scholars and by the unlearned, by burghers and by peasants, and by the rich and by beggars. For the vast majority of Poles, sermons were the only source of faith and inspiration to live the Christian life. The first preachers limited themselves in their messages to reciting and simple lecturing: the Credo, the Ten Commandments, the Pater noster and the Ave Maria. They made an invaluable mark in forming Polish religious and literary language. The quality and frequency of the sermons depended on a church’s rank (i.e., if it was a cathedral, a collegiate church, a town church, a village church, a monastic church, etc.), the distance from cities and the educational environment. Hagiography and martyrology were read. Religious songs (a significant role was given to carmen patrum –Bogurodzica) played a great role to help with the transfer of faith as they strengthened the oral catechesis and were remembered by the listeners. The Christian moral lectures concentrated on virtues to be sought and vices to be avoided; emphasis was placed on the practice of merciful work and keeping the commandments, while devotion to Christ’s humanity, His Mother and the saints was cultivated