Epitaph 19

 

Epitaph 19
Epitafium 19
STAVIATOR
MAGNUM IN PARVO CONSIDERA.
JOANNEM CONSTANTIN PANCK
CURATIS HIRSCHERGENSIB. MAIOREM
QUIA PRIMUM ANNIS 25 DUCATUS SCHWID:
& jAURIN SPŪALIBUS EP̊ALEM COMMISSARIUM
NULLI SECUNDUM JUP IS ECCĽICI DEFENSOREM
VIRTUTE ANGELŪ. VERBI DEI ORE & RE PRAECONE MAXM.
PASSIONIS DOMINICAE CULTOREM CONSTANTISSIMUM
HUIUS LOCI ANNIS 38 ORDINARIUM
UNA CUM PROGENITORIBUS IN ORDINARIO JACENTĒ LOCULO
SS. THEOLOCLE BACCALAUREŪ FOR MAIUM
NUNC CAELI, UT CONFIDIMUS, LAUREA CORONATUM,
PROTONOTORIUM APOSTOLŪ, APOSTOLORUM NOTARIUM,
ARCHIPREŜB. CERVOMONĪ. UT CERVŪ AD FONTES SUBSISTENTEM
ECCLESIAE HUIATIS RESTAURATOREM.
INSIGNIS COLLEGIATAE GLOGOV: MAJ. CANONICŪ INSIGNISSIMŪ.
PLENUM MERITIS PIE IN DOMINO DEFUNCTUM
ANNO MDCCX. XIII FEBR: AET: LXXVIII.
HUJUS INSIGNIA SPECTA, & INSIGNEM TESSER AM EXSPECTA:
NON OPUS EST VELIS, NEC OPUS’ VITAE MIHI STELLIS,
AD PORTUM VENI, HUNC SUPER ASTRA FEROR.
NON TIMET HAEC NAVIS FLUCTUS, NEC SYRTIBUS HAERET,
NAM TRIPLEX VELUM LITORA TUTA DEDIT:
VELA FIDES, AMOR, & SPES, MAXIMA SED CYNOSURA
CHISTUS SALVATOR. NOTAQUE STELLA MARIS.
NUNC TENEO PORTUM, SPES & FORTUNA VALETE.
CORPORIS HAEC REQUIES, SPIRITUS ASTRA TENET.
HANC VRNAM COGNATI
POSVERE HAEREDES.
Stop
Look on the great man in a small figure
Johann Constantin Panck
The great conservator of Jelenia Góra,
Who was the first to be Commissar of the Bishop
In Duchy of Świdnica for 25 years.
He yield to no one as the defender of Church laws
In virtue, like an angel, greatest proponent of the word of God in speech and in deed,
Greatest worshipper of the Sunday Passion,
In this place ordinary for 38 years,
Who rests with his parents in a simple coffin,
Of the holiest theology greatest of experts
Now in heaven, we believe, crowned with laurel wreath,
Protonotary apostolic, notary apostolic,
Archpriest of Jelenia Góra, like a deer feeding from the spring,
Reformer of this Church.
An above-average student in collegiate church, conferred with the rank of canon.
As a true God’s servant, he died devoutly in our Lord
In 1710, on 13th February; at the age of 78.
Look at his coat of arms and wait for the explanation.
I need no sails, I need no stars to live,
I have reached the harbour, which occurs above the stars,
This ship fears not the churned waves and white sand bars.
Three sails have brought me safely back to shore.
The sails were: faith, hope and love, the greatest censor
Was Christ the Saviour. Especially the Star of All Seas.
So hold the door, hope and fortune, goodbye.
The body rests here, the soul owns the stars.
In this urn the cousin
Was placed by his heirs.
 
(letters forming a chronogram: MDCCVVI = 1711)

 

Text of the inscription is carved in majuscule with concave letters.

Location:

Eastern wall of the church presbytery, in the sepulchral chapel between escarpments. Irregular oval stone plaque circled with a carved frame (palmette ornament), surrounded by leaf motifs and putti. A bust of the deceased priest on the background of shells, flanked with two angels, tops the plaque. Ovals at the four corners of the epitaph plaque, today empty medallions, perhaps used to contain painted coats of arms of the deceased family members. According to the chronogram, the gravestone was founded in 1711.

Johann Konstantin Panck (1632-1710) was a parish priest of the local church (1693-1710), acting as volunteer commissar of the bishop for the region of Duchy of Świdnica bore the titles of protonotary and notary apostolic. He contributed greatly to restoration and beautifying the temple. In 1706 he contributed to building new organ. In his will he bequeathed 500 thalers for building the main altar. He also rebuilt the chapel of St. Anna placed in a corner tower. Panck’s coat of arms mentioned in the inscription is placed in the centre of the main altar. It depicts a ship with three masts in full sails.

Edited by Ivo Łaborewicz, Translated by Agnieszka Krzysztoń