Author celebrates heritage by publishing nativity play with hymns in Polish

Helen Gwozdz Miller announces publication of ‘The Christmas Miracle in Kolendy’

 

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. – Inspired by plays she saw as a child in the 1950s, Helen Gwozdz Miller wrote “The Christmas Miracle in Kolendy” (published by WestBow Press), which features the nativity play accompanied by songs in Polish, in the hopes that others of Polish heritage will want to honor their roots.

 

First written and produced in 1989, the nativity story in “The Christmas Miracle in Kolendy” was inspired by members in a Polish American Club who wanted to sing the kolendy – or hymns – of the people who founded the group. The nativity play itself is written in English and the hymns are in Polish. Songs are syllabicated to help singers learn them, and interpreters translate song verses for the listeners before each song is performed. Scriptures used are taken from the New Jerusalem Bible.

 

Miller hopes that this book will motivate readers to treasure the songs of past generations. She says “The story of Christmas has been retold for over more than 2000 years, yet we can never tire in its retelling. Bringing it to our roots, helps to reinforce the message.”

 

“The Christmas Miracle in Kolendy”

By Helen Gwozdz Miller

Softcover | 7.5 x 9.25in | 80 pages | ISBN 9781512776645

E-Book | 80 pages | ISBN 9781512776638

Available at bookstore.westbowpress.com, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com

Website: www.HelenGwozdzMiller.com

 

About the Author

Helen Gwozdz Miller graduated from Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and a minor in chemistry; she also studied philosophy and theology at the Elms. She has been a parishioner in several Catholic parishes throughout her life, and is currently at Our Lady of Lourdes, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, where she has been for more than 35 years. While she previously taught religious education classes there and was a member of the adult choir, she is currently a member of the women’s spiritual reading and faith sharing group. Miller is now retired after a career in information technology. She has three children, seven grandchildren and resides with her husband, Frederick, in New Jersey. “The Christmas Miracle in Kolendy” is her first book.