POLISH AMERICAN JOURNAL • JUNE 2010 www.polamjournal.com JUNE 2010 • VOL. 99, NO. 6 $2.00 PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT BOSTON, NEW YORK BOSTON, AT PAID PERIODICAL POSTAGE POLISH AMERICAN OFFICES AND ADDITIONAL ENTRY JOURNALESTABLISHED 1911 www.polamjournal.com AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JAMES CONROYD DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION AND CONTINUANCE OF POLISH AMERICAN CULTURE MARTIN, PAGE 3 FR. DABROWSKI’S DREAM LIVES ON • MASTERPIECE UNDERGOING CONSERVATION • GOLGOTHA OF THE EAST TO BE UNVEILED STOJOWSKI: PIANIST AND PATRIOT • THE POLISH CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE • AuTHOR AllEN PAul TO AddRESS PIASA WAWEL’S SPIRITS, SOulS, SAINTS, MARTYRS, AND GHOSTS • MORE THAN ONE WAY TO PREPARE KIEłBASA NEWSMARK Komorowski Donation Speaks Volumes Healing the Leads in Polls Katyń Wound? CLINTON PROMISES VISA INQUIRY. U.S. Secretary of WARSAW — Over sixty by Robert Strybel State Hillary Clinton has promised to look into the issue well-known politicians, public PAJ Warsaw Correspondent of Poles requiring visas to enter the United States after a figures, actors and sportsmen, meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. have formed a committee in WARSAW — Never was there The two officials met in Washington, D.C. as part of a Pol- support of Civic Platform’s more hope that an issue poisoning ish-American strategic dialogue. c a n d i d a t e Polish-Russian relations since the Earlier, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek for president early 1940s might finally be re- of Poland, criticized the U.S. visa policy, which divides EU mem- solved within the in the foreseeable B r o n i s l a w ber states into “better” and “worse” countries according future. The Kremlin has never been Komorowski. to which ones are included in the Visa Waiver Program so open about Joseph Stalin’s 1940 (VWP). Buzek pointed out that “this is an element of the “An hon- Katyń Massacre of 22,000 Polish inequalities that exist within the EU,” and asked that the orary com- officers or so matter be resolved as soon as possible. mittee will willing to share be the crème hitherto secret Sikorski has told the Polish public that he informed KomoroWski Secretary Clinton that Poland is the only member of the de la crème of documents with Schengen zone that is not included in the VWP. “I had a the Polish society,” a member Poland. This feeling that it made a big impression on the secretary of of Komorowski’s electoral change of heart state. She promised to ask the American consular servic- staff told the Gazeta Wybor- did not come es to look into this issue again,” he stated. Sikorski also cza newspaper. about as a spon- stressed that for the time being, the American consular So far Komorowski — well taneous awak- ening, however. services should grant more visas for Polish citizens, but ahead of rivals in opinion polls It was forced STALIN. Kremlin at the same time, Polish citizens should obey American — has received support from on Moscow by has never been laws and not overstay their visas. Solidarity leaders who initiat- ed democratic transformation the politically so open about awkward and role in 1940 Katyń GET IN LINE? A top cardinal is revealed two have recom- in Poland, including former embarrassing Massacre. mended that the beatification of John Paul II should be PM Tadeusz Mazowiecki and tragic demise of postponed until previous popes have become saints. President Lech Walesa and Poland’s top political and military “It’s better to postpone John Paul II’s beatification former foreign minister Wla- dyslaw Bartoszewski. Apart elites in a Soviet-built plane on Rus- until other popes are beatified,” Cardinal Angelo Sodano sian soil while en route to a Katyń wrote two years ago, the Italian daily Il Giornale has re- from political back-up, Ko- morowski has also received FALL RIVER, Mass. — Under President Washington’s commemoration. The Katyń contro- vealed. versy which Russia had held under In 2008, Sodano, the former Vatican Secretary of State, support from celebrities such gaze, the Polish American Citizen’s Club of Tadeusz as actor Daniel Olbrychski Kosciuszko in Fall River, Mass., donated three books to wraps suddenly got publicized by refused to testify in John Paul II’s beatification process the world media like never before. and wrote a confidential letter to father Slawomir Oder, and four-time Olympic cham- the Fall River Public Library. The books were bestowed postulator of the cause of beatification. pion in race walking Robert in honor of Polish Constitution Day. Russia’s top leadership suddenly The letter reads: “In my opinion, John Paul II led a life Korzeniowski. Above, Paula Costa Cullen, administrator of the decided to launch what observers of a holy man (…) Some may, however, doubt whether Other candidates in the Library, accepts a copy of Aleksandra Gorska, Monika have described as a “charm offen- the beatification process should take precedence over June 20 election include for- Karolczuk, and Roman Marcinek’s “Poland, A Complete sive”. The Smolensk tragedy un- Guide” by from Peter Ramut, Jr., Chairman of the Book ongoing processes of Pius XII and Paul VI.” mer prime minister Jaroslaw leashed in Russia both a grass-roots Selection Committee of the Kosciuszko Club. Also The main part of John Paul’s beatification process Kaczynski, leader of SLD and official outpouring of sympathy donated were “Poland” by Renata Grunwald-Kopec, was closed in December 2009 when Pope Benedict XVI Grzegorz Napieralski and and solidarity with the Polish peo- and “Poland, Home of a Thousand Year Old Nation,” by signed a decree on John Paul II’s heroic deeds. The Con- PSL’s Waldemar Pawlak. ple. Whereas Iceland’s volcanic-ash Janusz Dobesz. gregation for the Causes of Saints is currently examining (thenews.pl) See “Katyn,” page 3 John Paul’s miracles. Fr. Orzech New SPECIAL CONVENTION OKs MERGER. The Polish Union Poland’s Biggest Re-enactment Ever of USA held a Special Convention in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. to PAPA President by Robert Strybel nificance, we need to go back nearly two vote on a merger with Grand Central Council of Pennsyl- CLEVELAND — Members of WARSAW–Up to 200,000 spectators, centuries to 1226, when Duke Conrad of vania Catholic Beneficial League. After discussion, del- the Polish American Priests’ Associ- including numerous Polish American tour- Mazovia (Konrad Mazowiecki) commit- egates unanimously approved the merger. ation (PAPA) met for their 21st an- ists will be headed for northern Poland’s ted probably the greatest blunder in Pol- The second item of business was the proposed Consti- nual convention, April 12-16, 2010, Grunwald area in mid-July ish history. He invited the tution and By-Law changes, which were deemed neces- on the campus of the Orchard Lake to witness the this coun- Teutonic Knights, an order sary prior to the regular Convention scheduled for Sep- Schools in Michigan to celebrate try’s largest ever histori- of German warrior monks, that institution’s 125th anniversary. tember of this year. cal re-enactment. One of to protect his realm against General Secretary Charlotte Androckitis gave a brief Elections for the Executive Board the Middle Ages’ biggest the invading pagan Prus- and Board of Directors were held. report on the fiscal health of the fraternal, which boasts military clashes has been sians. They came, started an assets to liabilities ratio of 117.02%. Elected were: Fr. Eric S. Orzech, re-enacted for years on the to take over and soon had Diocese of Cleveland — president; fields of Grunwald in the created a fortified Teutonic ZLOTY TAKES A TUMBLE. Economic turmoil in Greece Msgr. Peter Zendzian, Diocese of forested Mazurian Lake state that would prove a Brooklyn — vice-pres.; Fr. James L. and on Wall Street had repercussions on the Polish zloty. District. Knightly brother- serious threat to the Slavic The value of the Polish zloty continually decreased in P. Miara, Archdiocese of New York hoods from all over Europe and Baltic nations until — sec.; and Fr. Walter J. Ptak, Arch- early May, with no signs of the fall abating. take part in the event and 1945, when German East Witold Kozinski, deputy chief of the National Bank diocese of Detroit — treas. work all year to prepare, Prussia was finally liqui- PAPA’s Board of Directors will of Poland, has assured that there is no need to be wary repair and polish their ar- dated. about the zloty’s fall, as its value is still close to a balanced be: Very Rev. Canon Thomas Mi- mor, weaponry and equip- By 1410, Poland and chalski, (Brooklyn); Fr. Marek Ka- rate of exchange. ment. To the participants it Lithuania had their fill of Economist Marek Zuber believes that the zloty’s weak- minski, (Syracuse); Fr. Miroslaw is a point of honor to keep Teutonic expansionism Krol, (Newark); Fr. Nicholas Cof- ening is nothing to be alarmed about, as Poland’s econo- things as historically au- and a major confronta- faro, (Saginaw); Fr. Walter Rakoc- my is still growing and as such a weaker zloty is better for thentic as possible. tion became inevitable. zy, (Gary); Fr. Maciej Melaniuk, market investment. This year’s event, however, will be Under the command of Poland’s Lithu- (Metuchen); Rev. Msgr. Daniel Problems will be seen by Poles who have mortgages extra special, because it marks the 600th anian-born King Władysław Jagiełło, a Plocharczyk, (Hartford); Very Rev. taken out in foreign currency, most commonly the euro anniversary of the July 15, 1410 battle huge army of Poles, Lithuanians and Ru- Canon Joseph Sredzinski, (Greens- or Swiss franc, as monthly payments are to increase that in many ways changed the course of thenians confronted the Teutonic troops of burg); and Fr.