MARTA SALACKA, THE 27-year-old mother of one whose dying wish was to return to Poland before her death, has passed away.
Salacka, who was diagnosed with leukaemia, needed a special medical flight in order to allow for this to happen.
To help cover the costs, her friend Monika Ni Habrych organised a fundraising campaign which hoped to raise €25,000.
News of the appeal went national, however, and more than €40,000 was raised in total.
Salacka had lived in Castleconnell in Co Limerick for a number of years with her husband Mariusz and four-year-son Nikodem before finally getting to make the trip home last November.
In response to her death, members of Limerick’s Polish community descended on St Michael’s church in Denmark Street in Limerick.
Presiding over last night’s mass was Polish Chaplain Rev Andrew Sroka, who told TheJournal.ie that upwards of 150 people out to remember Salacka.
“I saw that some of her Irish friends were there as well and so I made sure to say a few words to them in English,” Sroka said.
While her funeral mass is due to take place in Poland this Saturday, a remembrance service will be held in St Michael’s church on 31 January at 7pm.
Speaking of the service at the end of the month, Sroka, who is leaving Ireland tomorrow in order to attend her funeral, said that having a remembrance service in Ireland is “very important”.
“Marta had a lot of friends here in Ireland,” he said.
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