Polish American Journal • August 2013 1 August 2013 • Vol
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POLISH AMERICAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 2013 www.polamjournal.com 1 AUGUST 2013 • VOL. 102, NO. 8 $2.00 PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT BOSTON, NEW YORK NEW BOSTON, AT PAID PERIODICAL POSTAGE POLISH AMERICAN OFFICES AND ADDITIONAL ENTRY JOURNALESTABLISHED 1911 www.polamjournal.com BISONS HONOR FR. THAD BOCIANOWSKI DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION AND CONTINUANCE OF POLISH AMERICAN CULTURE PAGE 9 THE GOOD SERVANT • BALTIMORE’S 13TH ANNUAL KATYN REMEMBRANCE • FIVE DAYS IN POLAND POLISH PRIESTS TAKE ON NEW DUTIES • SWITALSKI RECEIVES PURPLE HEART • “IT WAS A POLISH WIMBLEDON” THE KOSCIUSZKO FOUNDATION CELEBRATES TWENTY-THREE YEARS OF TEIP PROGRAM • MUSIC FOR HUNGRY EARS Polish Pulchritude Immigration Reform NEWSMARK Threatens Visa Waiver WASHINGTON Sainthood for “Our Pope” — Poland’s ambas- ROME — The prayers of generations of Poles and Pol- sador to the United ish American were answered when the Roman Catholic States says proposed Church announced it will declare the late Pope John Paul piecemeal changes II a saint. to the country’s The proclamation was immigration laws made after Pope Francis could threaten Poles signed the decree granting being included in sainthood to the late Pol- SCHNEPF: “... di- the Visa Waiver Pro- ish-born pontiff. viding the bill gram. Many Polish Ameri- into smaller parts “The idea of di- cans feel a strong sense of is ... dangerous viding the bill into pride for John Paul both as for us ...” smaller parts is Catholics and as Poles, said somewhat danger- the Rev. Steve Bartczyszyn ous for us, because it could lead to the of St. Hyacinth Basilica in Visa Waiver Pro- Chicago’s Logan Square gram being excluded neighborhood. With most [from the reforms],” Catholics, he said, saying ambassador Ryszard “our pope” means the cur- Schnepf said. “Not rent pope. For Polish Cath- because it is contro- olics, “our pope” refers to John Paul, even eight years after MISS POLONIAS 2012 Alexandra Szelewski (left) and 2011 Amanda Mozdzen versial, but because his death, he said. (right) congratulate Christine Pyrda, who was awarded this year’s title at the 59th it is not of interest “Sometimes they’ll even say, ‘our countryman the Polish Scholarship Festival, held in Syracuse, N.Y.’s Clinton Square, June 21-23. to members of the pope,’ and later on they’ll keep saying ‘our countryman,’ Pyrda is a junior at Whitesboro High School. Born in the United States, both her House of Represen- BOEHNER. “We not just ‘the pope’ — it shows they hold him near and dear parents emigrated from Poland. Pyrda would like to major in electrical engineer- tatives.” are not going to to their hearts,” Bartczyszyn said. ing and physical therapy at Buff alo University. Fluent in Polish, she has danced A meeting do the Senate John Paul II was pope from 1978 until his death in with The Little Poland Dance Ensemble and volunteers at the Polish Community of Republicans bill.” 2005, and the “celebrity” pontiff, drawing vast crowds as Home during her free time. in Washington he crisscrossed the globe. Over the past fi fty-six years, over $330,000 in scholarships have been awarded. decided to oppose to a central plank of a At his funeral, thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Story on page 20. See “Immigration,” page 4 Peter’s Square and chanted “Santo subito” (“Sainthood now!”). The pope was fast-tracked to beatifi cation and be- PGSA Documenting a Quest for Truth came “the blessed” John Paul II barely six years after his death, the fastest beatifi cation in centuries. Celebrates An Interview Pope John XXIII, who convened the Vatican II council Anniversary with Dr. Sabina in the 1960s, will also be declared a saint, the Vatican said. Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., Vatican press director, Helping Searchers Find Bober on the said that the gathering of cardinals to decide the date of Polish Roots for 35 Years Legacy of the canonization of Blessed Popes John Paul II and John CHICAGO — 2013 is the 35th Anni- Bishop Ignacy XXIII will most likely be held in September with the can- versary of the founding of the Polish Ge- Tokarczuk onizations of both popes to follow soon after before the nealogical Society of America (PGSA). end of the year. While Blessed John Paul II’s cause fol- On April 23, 1978, a meeting was Dr. Sabina lowed the steps and had an accepted second miracle, that of Bober, trained John XXIII did not. Fr. Lombardi explained that allowing held at the Polish Museum of America in Chicago to discuss the forming of a in theology and his canonization to go forward without a miracle is in the Church history, power of the Pope, but is not absolutely necessary. Thus, Polish genealogical society. Statistics showed many Americans can trace at earned her doctor- he will be canonized in the 50th anniversary year of the ate at the Catholic opening of Vatican Council II, which he convoked. least one ancestral line to Poland. With that information and the enthusiasm of University of Lub- Pope John Paul II, the third-longest serving pope in his- lin (KUL). Her re- BOBER. “For me, he [Archbishop Tokarczuk] is a pillar of the tory, died in April 2005 at the age of 84. He had suffered those present, a second meeting was scheduled on May 5, 1978. At that meet- search has focused Polish Church and a model for both clergy and laity.” from Parkinson’s disease, arthritis and other ailments for on Polish Church several years before his death. ing the Polish Genealogical Society was its enemy. He was uncompromising in born and Edward Peckwas was elected history during the period of communist his defense of the individual and of the During his tenure, he became the most widely-traveled rule, and her dissertation focused on the pope in history and canonized more saints than any other president – a position he held until 1991. Church. There can be no concessions The Mission of the Society has always activities of Przemyśł bishop Ignacy To- to communists, he once said during a pope. karczuk (1918-2012), whose resistance His papacy included a lot of fi rsts. He was the fi rst mod- been “to collect, disseminate and pre- conversation with Primate Wyszyński. serve information on Polish and Polish to communist dictatorship was every bit In that regard, one could see the kind of ern pope to visit a synagogue and the fi rst pope to visit as vigorous (if less well-known) than Cuba. American family history and help re- man he was even before he took char- searchers use that information.” Primate Stefan Wyszyński’s or Cardinal ge of the Diocese of Przemyśł. While Karol Wojtyła’s. She spoke with the Pol- STEPS TO SAINTHOOD. There are three steps to becom- By 1992, the Society had grown to studying at the Catholic University of well over 600 members and changed its ish American Journal’s John Grondelski Lublin, he stood up for the University’s ing a Catholic saint after death: about Tokarczuk’s life and work. First, the title “venerable” is formally given by the pope name to Polish Genealogical Society of arrested rector, Father Słomkowski, who America to refl ect is national member- opposed communist interference in the to someone judged to have exhibited “heroic virtues.” Sec- When speaking about the Church’s ond, a miracle must be attributed to the deceased person’s ship and geographic diversity. Current University’s internal functioning. He did membership is approximately 2000, role in freeing Poland from communism, the same after Primate Wyszyński’s ar- intervention, allowing beatifi cation. Canonization — or people think of Cardinals Wyszynski and sainthood — requires a second attributed miracle. with representatives in all states, Canada rest, publicly calling his imprisonment and other countries. Board meetings fol- Wojtyla. But your writings show the im- unlawful. In 2010, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI approved John portant role of Archbishop Ignacy To- Paul’s fi rst reported miracle: a French nun supposedly lowed by a General meeting are held 4 times a year – February, May, August karczuk of Przemysl in resisting commu- Archbishop Tokarczuk built some- cured of Parkinson’s disease. nism. Tell us something about him and The second miracle reportedly occurred in Costa Rica, and November. General meetings are a thing like 400 churches in his diocese learning and sharing opportunity with a that role. without government permission. Why where a woman said she recovered from a severe brain in- Archbishop Ignacy Tokarczuk’s role jury thanks to the intervention of John Paul II. featured speaker or genealogical related was that so important, and why did he program. in Poland’s liberation from commu- need so many churches? See “Second Miracle,” page 4 See “PGSA,” page 4 nism was enormous. The government of Communist Poland regarded him as See “Archbishop Tokarczuk,” page 4 2 www.polamjournal.com POLISH AMERICAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 2013 ALMANAC VIEWPOINTS Follow us on Facebook or visit us The Good Servant on the internet at: polamjournal.com We all knew ture and the role it plays in its fol- managing the PIER 53 TO BECOME PARK. From John Paul II lowers’ lives. With that, he beatified PAJ’s Bookstore 1873 to 1915, immigrants from Po- August Q Sierpieñ would one day 1,340 people and canonized 483 and countless land, Italy, and Germany began their be a saint. Some saints, more than the combined tally clerical duties. life in America by being dropped “The saints have always been of us knew it of his predecessors during the pre- An ardent off by American Line steamships at the source and origin of renewal long before he ceding five centuries.