by Sam Lennon

slennon@thekmgroup.co.uk

Ashford's Polish community was plunged into mourning following the death of their President and his entourage in a plane crash.
Prayers were said at Ashford’s St Simon Stock RC Church at all four of its Masses on Sunday and local Poles are expected to attend a Mass in their own language this weekend.
Fr John Boyle, from the church, pictured, said: “A lot of Polish people were close to tears on Sunday. There was grave sadness.
“One woman told me Poland seems to find its identity in adversity because of the tragedies it has had.”
President Lech Kaczynski and other members of the country’s elite had died ironically while flying for a commemoration of a massacre of Poles in 1940.
The President and 95 others, including many defence officials and public figures, were killed in the Smolensk region of Russia on Saturday.
They had been flying to a reconciliatory ceremony with Russians to mark the Katyn massacre of Polish officers and intellectuals by Soviet secret police.
More than 220 Ashford Poles had less than two weeks ago enjoyed practising one of their customs of an Easter food blessing at St Simon Stock.
They are now expected to join the commemoration of the plane victims at
the next Polish language Mass at St Francis RC’ Church, Maidstone, at 4pm next Sunday
Ashford’s next Polish Mass is at St Simon Stock on April 25.