The Mass, despite all the unexpected pre-Mass adventures, started on time at one o’clock.

Our Mass, conducted by the rector, Stanisław Górecki was somewhat Spartan in that we elected not to have the traditional organ accompanyment during the prayers and recitations, so there was a spontaneous element to the Mass as no one really wanted to be the one who started belting out the “Amen” and such.

We did have music, though: the local youth choir sang, and a traditional Highlander band played (though not together, of course!).Other than that, the Mass was pretty much according to the patter of Masses for the last, I guess, few hundred years: two readings, some hymns, some prayers, a sermon, communion, and a benediction.

There was an anxious moment for me as we neared the giving of the communion. I had earlier been told that, as a non-Christian, my vows would be a little different than Kinga’s as a Catholic. The Catholic wedding vow, after promising to be faithful, loving, and so on until death, ends with something like, “So help me God and all the Saints.” Since I don’t believe in these beings, it doesn’t make sense for me to be asking for their help, and so in perfoming mixed marriages, the priest usually leaves that out for the non-believing partner.

In my case, though, the priest had me say that. Suddenly I was worried that he might have forgotten and later might offer me communion.

After kneeling at the main altar (which, apparently, everyone was supposed to do, but didn’t),

Kinga and I left arm in arm.

Msza podobno była piękna. Tak słyszeliśmy od gości, bo my widzieliśmy tylko kolejne wpadki – z Biblią na początku; ksiądz proboszcz osobiście biegał na plebanię. Do tego zapomnieliśmy przynieść świec do kościoła, no i przez 10 minut myśleliśmy, że księdzu wszystko się pomieszało z tym ślubem. No ale jakoś wytrwaliśmy, chociaż to był dla nas ogromny stres. Zresztą, jak powiedział ksiądz na kazaniu: czymże jest olimpiada w Atenach i wizyta Papieża we Francji wobec tego, co my w tym momencie przeżywaliśmy.