A Catholic chapel in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) experienced a unique experience on Sunday as hundreds of followers congregated to witness the marriage of Polish couple Leszlek Masny and Agnieszka Latko.

Father Vinsensius Taji, SVD. helped fulfill the couple’s dream of getting married in Indonesia by leading the service at the chapel in Lait Valley, Gunung Baru village, Kota Komba district, East Manggarai, NTT.

Masny and Latko who both wore traditional East Manggarai wedding attire were welcomed to the Lait Valley by the entire community with the kelong traditional dance.

Residents also performed the special Manggarai caci dance for the couple on this rare occasion, which coincided with a traditional welcome ceremony by the Sikeng tribe in a traditional house in Ndoju village.

“We had decided during our courtship to get married in 2012,” Masny told kompas.com on Sunday.

“According to the tradition in Poland, when one of our partner’s parents passes away, we have to postpone our marriage for a year because it is not good to get married during a period of condolence,” said Masny.

“We discussed the matter with an Indonesian missionary in Poland and expressed our wish to get married in Indonesia,” he added.

Then, said Masny, they were introduced to Father Vinsensius Taji, a missionary who had studied and was ordained in Poland and was on vacation in Indonesia.

“We then discussed with him our wish to get married in Indonesia, especially in a Catholic chapel in Lait Valley,” said Masny.

Kota Komba district secretary Mikael Pakur, who attended the ceremony, said he was proud that the Polish couple had picked Lait Valley to exchange their wedding vows.

“This is very unexpected and a rare occasion for the community in Lait Valley,” said Pakur.

Pakur added that Lait Valley was an isolated area with rough terrain and the unique scene was a historical spectacle for the people of Kota Komba district in particular, as well as East Manggarai regency and Flores.

In his sermon, Father Taji said the marriage of the Polish couple proved that God could embrace any race and nation in the world. “This shows that Jesus Christ, whom we believe in, can embrace people from various nations,” said Taji.

Gunung Baru village chief Tobias Dima said in Lait Valley on Sunday that the unique and rare occasion was a novelty for the community.

Residents in Lait Valley, comprising a number of villages, greeted the Polish couple. The couple was even accepted traditionally by the Sikeng tribe in the mountainous region.

After the wedding ritual at the chapel, tears could be seen in Agnieszka Latko’s eyes as a sign of the deep happiness she felt for the warm reception residents in Lait Valley had given to her and her husband. She said the people were very polite and friendly from the moment they arrived on Saturday until they departed on Monday.

“We will always remember this rare experience throughout our married lives. We could have never before imagined such a warm and wonderful welcome or the traditional culture found in Lait Valley. We will convey our experience to our families and friends in Poland,” said Latko.

She added there was no such unique culture or tradition in Poland. “We are very happy because we have seen, experienced and taken part in the various traditional attractions in Lait Valley.

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