POLISH AMERICAN JOURNAL • APRIL 2012 www.polamjournal.com 1 $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 Get ready for dzIad sMIGustny DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION AND CONTINUANCE OF POLISH AMERICAN CULTURE PAGE 6 EAStER-FooD BlESSiNG PRAYER • A FEW tAStY ŚWiĘCoNKA ShoRtCUtS • NAtioN MoURNS FolloWiNG RAil DiSAStER lADY With AN ERMiNE • NAPolEoN’S PoliSh lEGioN • BiShoP BARtChAK EXPlAiNS hhS MANDAtE to PoPE FiNDiNG GRANDMA’S EURoPEAN ANCEStoRS • MEEt tiM FiRKoWSKi – A FAMilY hiStoRY DEtECtiVE neWsMark kaPtur WIns, kucInIch looses. Rep. Dennis Ku- cinich (D-Ohio), the eight-term congressman lost his pri- mary election for Ohio’s newly created 9th district to Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio). The loss also deprives the nation of a general election EAStER tRADitioNS contest between two national polarizing fi gures, as Kaptur will be facing off against the winner of the GOP nomina- the holy Week – Wielki Tydzień tion, Joe Wurzelbacher — better known as “Joe the Plumb- er” — in the general election. by Staś Kmieć / PAJ Kultura Editor Kaptur and Kucinich were victims of a congressional n a Holy Saturday morning in my youth: dressed redistricting process that combined their seats. Because of up in fi ne clothes, my brother and I prepared to the population losses recorded by the 2010 U.S. Census, bring our fi rst Easter basket to church to be blessed Ohio lost two congressional districts and the borders of the at the parish Święconka. My mother and father remaining districts were redrawn. The new map combines assembled and arranged the contents according the districts of Kaptur, who represents what is currently the to tradition and upon entering the church hall; we 9th district, and Kucinich, who represents the 10th. were introduced to an ancient Polish ritual and what would According to the count on the offi cial Ohio secretary of O become an annual commitment. With each year, the baskets state website, Kaptur had won four out of the fi ve counties became more elaborate, and eventually embodied the full in the district. extent of the custom. Extended family members living four See “Holy Week,” page 5 allIance aluMnI Plan for reunIon. Graduates and their families are invited to come and reminisce at the Alliance College Centennial Reunion 2012, Oct. 5-7 at the Riverside Inn, Cambridge Springs, Pa. The gathering will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the former Polish American college. In addition to the Centennial Reunion, planners will rec- ognize the 50th Reunion for Class of 1962, and the 25th Reunion for Class of 1987, the last graduating class. For details, registration, and other information, visit obama to Break Promise on Visa Waiver Court Says www.alliancecollege.com or contact Michaeline at (508) 823-4080 or [email protected]. by Peter Gentle done before the end of his said. St. Stanislaus WASHINGTON, D.C. presidency, and probably that Minister Sikorski, mean- Owns Its tensIon In ParlIaMent. Former communist offi - (Polskie Radio) — After talks will be a little longer than the while, thanked the United cials refused to honor Polish freedom-fi ghters known as with Polish Foreign Minister end of this year,” Clinton told States for its condolences af- Assets “accursed soldiers” whose day was offi cially celebrated in Sikorski in Washington, U.S. reporters at a joint press con- ter 16 people died in the train secretary of state Hilary Clin- ference with Minister Sikor- crash in southern Poland at ST. LOUIS, Mo. — St. Poland recently for the second year in a row. The term “ac- Stanislaus Kosta Catholic cursed” or “doomed soldiers” (“żołnierze wyklęci”) refers ton admitted that Poles would ski, March 7. the weekend: “Likewise, we not be included in America’s President Obama faces regret the death of the Ameri- Church will have control to the some 30,000 Poles killed by the communist regime over its assets and property for resisting Poland’s post-war Sovietization. Represen- visa waiver program by the elections in November. can journalist Marie Colvin, end of 2012. “But we are going to con- and I am pleased that our dip- instead of the Archdiocese of tatives of the post-communist Democratic Left Alliance St. Louis, a local circuit judge (SLD) deliberately showed up late so they wouldn’t have Despite promises by Presi- tinue to work very hard to see lomats were able to be help- dent Barack Obama last De- that it is accomplished,” she ful in taking her body out of ruled, March 15. to observe parliament’s one minute of silence honoring the Several years ago, St. Stan- heroes. cember that Poles would not added. Syria,” he said. have to obtain visas to en- “We are working very hard On the situation in Syria i s l a u s ter the United States by the with Congress to try to get — and Belarus, where rela- w a s GleMP on the Mend. Retired Polish Primate Józef stripped Glemp is recuperating at home following two recent opera- end of his presidency; Hil- that legislation through. I will tions with the West are dete- ary Clinton admitted that this be very honest with you. We riorating — Sikorski said that of its tions to remove a lung tumor. On the Warsaw Archdiocese s t a n d - website, the 82-year-old cardinal thanked people for their promise may have to be bro- have strong support and we he: “agreed with [Secretary ken. have strong opposition, and Clinton] that the democratiza- ing as a prayers and said he had had reservations about submitting R o m a n to surgery at his age. He took over as Primate of Poland “I know the President so we need to work together tion agenda is something that pledged that this would be to redouble our efforts,” she See “Visa,” page 10 Catholic from Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski in 1981 and shepherded C h u r c h the nation through the tumultuous Solidarity and martial- in a dis- FR. BOZEK law periods to independence. He now holds the honorary American Pastime a hit with Poles, Former Bloc Countries pute over title of Senior Primate. the church’s charter. An 1891 WARSAW — Two hun- agreement between the parish dred children from six for- the nuMBers are In. Poland’s economy expanded and archdiocese would allow mer East Bloc countries came by 4.3% in 2011, marking one of the highest growth rates the church to handle its own to Poland to compete for in the European Union. This gross domestic product sur- fi nances, but still allowed the the Presidents Cup. A crys- passed market expectations. Poland’s economic growth archbishop control over pas- tal vase, with a Polish eagle was fueled in great part by domestic demand which rose toral and board appointments. etched on it and under the considerably in 2011 and by substantial growth of net ex- In 2001, the local parish patronage of President Ko- ports. board attempted to amend morowski, was presented to that agreement, voting to the winner of the three-day eXPandInG east. Polish food will be coming to China deny the archbishop’s ability tournament. as Amber foods opens a restaurant named Sarmatia, offer- to appoint or fi re the pastor or Each team came by mini- ing premium Polish cuisine in the city of Foshan, located in board members. van from their respective the Guangdong province in southern China. Two years later, the Arch- country, (Lithuania, Molda- It accommodates 222 diners and serves predominately diocese of St. Louis asked via, Ukraine, Belarus, and lighter traditional Polish meals which include wild game. the church to conform to Russia), with Russia winning Other food products and alcohol are imported from Poland. a dynamic consistent with in the last 40 seconds of the Company plans include the opening of fi ve restaurants other churches in the archdio- game, much to the disap- in China — in Beijing, Canton and Shanghai — within cese. However, St. Stanislaus pointment of the Lithuania three years. Further plans for the long term involve de- board members were unwill- team. All these young boys veloping a network for the distribution of premium Polish ing to alter that original deal foods marketed under the Sarmatia brand name. and girls put in their best ef- (l. to r.): William Heidt, Allen Heidt, Stasia Ratajczak, Al See “Baseball,” page 10 Koproski, and Janina Zyznowski. See St. Stanislaus, page 10 2 www.polamjournal.com POLISH AMERICAN JOURNAL • APRIL 2012 ALMANAC VIEWPOINTS Follow us on Chrystus Facebook or visit us A Beautiful Custom of National, on the internet at: zmartwychwstał! www.polamjournal.com Religious and Family Unity Prawdziwie April v Kwiecieñ Poles and Polish American are member of the family, extending his zmartwychwstał! Nie ja bijê, wierzba bije blessed indeed to have both a cul- sincere wishes of a “Joyful Allelu- za tydzieñ, wielki dzieñ ture rich in tradition and many ways ia!” The mother does the same, then Za szeœæ noc, Wielkanoc. to express their pride in it. Those all the members of the family share expressions — our customs — have the blessed egg with one another. I don’t strike, the willow strikes been handed down through the gen- In one week, the great day those of us who have shared Friars and Staff of the In six nights, the great night, Easter. erations yet remain a strong part of our lives. such traditions with parents and — Old Polish Palm Sunday saying, Because these practices are wo- grandparents know full well the Father Justin Rosary Hour used when hitting a person with a ven into the fabric of our religious warm feeling that encompasses the P.O.