NIEZNANA AUTORKA TEKSTÓW POPULARNYCH PIEŚNI KOŚCIELNYCH – S. ANUNCJATA NATALIA ŁADA FNS

Many songs used in Polish churches were created in monastic environments. Unfortunately, over the years, the identity of their creators has been unknown. When entering an order, a monk or a nun took a new name and stopped using their surname, the products of their activities having been dedicated to God and thus were anonymous. Today, we are unable to determine with absolute certainty the authorship of lyrics and melodies of songs. Not infrequently, high probability, at which we arrive in the course of examining archives and through deduction, has to be sufficient for us. One of the environments in which church songs still used today were created was the order of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, previously functioning under the name of Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist. Amongst them, a special place is reserved for Sister Anuncjata Natalia Łada to whom we owe the creation of lyrics of such songs as, inter alia, Let’s Love the Lord, because His Heart… (Kochajmy Pana, bo Serce Jego), The Beautiful Flower of Nazareth (Nazareński śliczny kwiecie), The Hidden Jesus (Jezusa ukrytego), In Your Wonderful Temples (O jak są miłe Twe Przybytki), Have Mercy, my Jesus (Miłosierdzia, Jezu mój), O Have Mercy, Mercy our Lord! (O miłosierdzia, miłosierdzia, Panie!), O Come All Ye Faithful (Przyjdźcie do mnie wszyscy), O the Holy Feast, Jesus! (O święta Uczto, Jezu!), You Make us Rejoice (Ty każesz weselić się), O the Holy Blood! (O Krwi najdroższa!), The Welcoming Song of Joy (Pieśnią wesela witamy), O my Soul (Duszo moja), O the Beloved Joseph! (O Józefie ukochany!). The talented composer of melodies was Sister Gabriela Olga Kołaczkowska. Also, the founder of the Polish branch of the order, Sister Maria Ludwika Nałęcz-Morawska, is the author of one song O the Silent White Host (O milcząca Hostio biała), or, as others want it, two songs.