To cultivate, enhance, and promote the understanding of the Polish
language, culture, and arts;
To project the accurate and true image of the Polish American;
To promote cordial and cooperative relations among the members and the
community-at-large;
To be a non-sectarian and non-partisan organization in south-central
Pennsylvania
luty/February 2014
www.polamhar.com
Survey Results
Dziękuję to all those who completed the membership survey. Approximately 1/3 of our 2013
members (22) returned the survey at or before the Wigilia:
All those responding indicated they read the newsletter and like the variety of articles. A
suggestion was made to include all important dates/events on the front page.
Everyone listed the Wigilia as their favorite event, followed by the picnic and Polish Film
Festival. It was suggested that a reception follow the film.
Most are interested in a bus trip to the Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa , Doylestown, PA,
and to the Polish Embassy in Washington (see items on the EU Embassy Tour in this issue).
Suggestions included :
Holding events earlier to preclude the need for driving at night;
Holding events in a more centralized location or rotating them through different
areas;
Arranging for transportation to events for non-driving members and carpooling;
Announcing events in local newspapers, with articles and pictures;
Offering trips to Polish neighborhood restaurants and shops;
Sponsoring cooking demonstrations;
Group purchases of Polish food;
Demonstrating Polish crafts;
Offering a Polish history course;
Offering a Polish “street” language course (i.e., common phrases, vocabulary);
Holding a dance/ball and a bimonthly game party;
Cooperation with local clubs, e.g., World Culture Club, Capital City Polka Club;
(A special thanks to Lorraine Buchinski, who offered most of these suggestions).
Five people expressed a willingness to assist with activities and/or serve on the Board: Thanks
to Dave Popko, Bill Minsker, Carolyn Blaszczyk and Phil Wysocki.
Of those responding:
Most agree membership cards are not necessary and indicated they would attend 1-3 events in
a year;
Half visit our webpage for news, links and pictures;
One-third have Facebook and indicated they would “like” our page .
Coming Events
An Evening of Chopin
February 22, 8:00 PM
The Music Center at Strathmore
Brian Ganz, Piano
Explore Chopin’s compelling works for the piano with Brian Ganz, who returns by
popular demand with his fourth Chopin recital in his journey to perform all of the
composer’s works.
This concert features Chopin’s masterpiece of narrative and emotional power, the
Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52; the Mazurka in A minor, Op. 17, No. 4, one of
his most soulful and mysterious works; the epic Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No.
1; the tender and storied Waltz in A-flat Major, Op. 69, No. 1 (“L’Adieu”); as well
as the highly dramatic Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 45.
Ganz has been a prizewinner in the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium and the
Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud (Paris) International Piano Competitions.
“There isn’t much about Chopin that Brian Ganz doesn’t know. The pianist has
explored the nocturnes, the etudes, the sonatas and concertos and the rest in
concerts, master classes and recordings for years now. His delight and wonder in
this music seem to grow, apparently without bounds, as time goes on” (The
Washington Post). http://www.strathmore.org/eventstickets/calendar/view.asp?id=9308
Location: The Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane,
North Bethesda, MD 20852
For tickets:Call the Strathmore Ticket Office at (301) 581-5100.
Single tickets start at $28. Age 7-17 are free.
US Witness Report Found on
Stalin’s Katyn Massacre
by Monika Scislowska
WARSAW, Poland (AP) —A researcher says she has
uncovered vital testimony from a U.S. officer who, in 1943,
was forced by the Nazis to watch as they exhumed
thousands of Polish officers killed on Soviet leader Josef
Stalin's orders.
At a news conference in Warsaw, U.S. researcher Krystyna
Piorkowska said she found the Paris-dated May 10, 1945,
testimony of former American prisoner of war Lt. Col. John
H. Van Vliet Jr. in the U.S. National Archives near
Washington in November 2013. It was filed among other
unrelated World War II documents from the U.S. Embassy
in Paris.
(AP Photo/Czarek Skolowski)
The sworn deposition provides evidence of Soviet responsibility for the 1940 massacre of
some 22,000 Polish officers in the Katyn forest and other places in what was then the Soviet
Union. The Soviet Red Army had taken the Polish officers prisoner after invading eastern
Poland in September 1939.
Another report that Van Vliet made a few days later in Washington is considered missing. This
has fueled speculation that the U.S. government helped cover up Soviet responsibility for the
massacre out of fear that saying the truth would anger Stalin, whom the Allies were counting
on to help them defeat Germany and Japan in World War II.
For decades, Moscow had blamed the Nazis for the massacre, but then in 1990 admitted that
Stalin had ordered it. The massacre further embittered Poland's relations with Moscow, which
has refused to consider the massacre a genocide and has been reluctant to prosecute any
living henchmen.
Van Vliet was a POW in Germany when he was taken to Katyn to see the evidence.
In the document that Piorkowska found, Van Vliet tells an interrogating U.S. officer that he saw
the exhumation of some 3,500 corpses in tailor-made, little-worn Polish uniforms. They were
all killed with a shot to the back of the head.
He said the "decomposition of the corpses and the nature of the undergrowth undisturbed" on
the graves indicated they must have remained there "over a year — possibly three or four."
"The belongings removed from the corpses all indicated death in the months of February,
March or April, 1940," Van Vliet said.
The area was under Soviet control then. Germany's Nazi regime discovered the graves in early
1943 after invading parts of the Soviet Union.
The report by Van Vliet named other Allied POWs who witnessed the exhumation with him.
Some of the names were not known previously to Polish historians.
Piorkowska told The Associated Press that the deposition was a signal to "go on searching,
that there are still more documents to be found."
"This offers new names and suggestions of where to seek new evidence," she said, adding
that she was seeking to get in touch with the other POWs' families.
Van Vliet made a new report in 1950 to help a U.S. investigation of the Katyn massacre. That
document is available but is considered less valuable because of its distance in time from the
actual event. http://www.bigstory.ap.org/article/us-witness-report-found-stalins-katyn-massacre
PBS to Broadcast May 5, 2014 Concert
Honoring the Canonizations of Bl. John XXIII and John Paul II
Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_XXIII
Photo: http://www.catholic.org/pope/jp2/pope.php
A unique musical event is being prepared on the occasion of the canonization of Bl. Popes
John XXIII and John Paul II. On May 5th, 2014, Constitution Hall in Washington DC will hold a
special concert entitled "Peace through Music 'In Our Age'," planned as a musical tribute to
two great Popes, who will be canonized as saints, a week earlier in Rome. The title of the
concert, referring to the Declaration adopted at the Second Vatican Council, has symbolic
reference and emphasizes the particular merit of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II in the field
of interreligious and intercultural dialogue through promoting tolerance and mutual respect.
Polish Ambassador Ryszard Schnepf stated the concert will be "an extraordinarily respectful
form of honoring the achievements and legacy of the late John Paul II, also in view of the 25th
anniversary of the 1989 elections, which brought victory to Solidarity and initiated democratic
changes in Poland"
With the cooperation of the Archdiocese of Washington, the Embassy of the Republic of
Poland in Washington DC, and Georgetown University, many millions of people will be able to
experience this great artistic and spiritual event through its broadcast on the Public Broadcast
Service (PBS), with retransmissions likely by many stations worldwide. An international team
of musicians will include, among others, the Kraków Philharmonic Choir, conducted by Sir
Gilbert Levine, dubbed "the papal maestro" due to his close cooperation and friendship with Bl.
John Paul II. Already a number of distinguished guests have expressed their willingness to
participate in the event, including Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, one of the closest collaborators
of Pope John Paul II. http://www.polandembassy.org/
Experience the best of European Culture without the Jet Lag
On May 10, the European Union Embassies and the EU Delegation to the United States will
open their doors to the public for the annual EU Embassies' Open House: a day of family fun,
food, culture and more. The event offers visitors a rare look inside the embassies and provides
a unique opportunity for them to experience the cultural heritage and national traditions of the
28 member countries. This annual event is a highlight of the Washington May calendar and is
celebrated during Europe Week. Each embassy will open to the public from 10 am until 4 pm on
Saturday, May 10, 2014, offering a rare look inside the buildings and providing a unique
opportunity to experience the country’s cultural heritage and national traditions.
http://www.euopenhouse.org/
Embassy of Poland
During the EU Embassies' Open House, enjoy the
collection of Polish paintings by such masters as
Julian Falat and Jacek Malczewski at the
Embassy of Poland.
Learn about contemporary Poland, currently
holding a rotating presidency of the Visegrad Four
(V4).
View the exhibit “Smiling Poland – Smiling World”
and taste samples of traditional Polish cuisine.
Not wheelchair accessible
Address: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009
http://www.euopenhouse.org/recent_post/participating-embassies/
Analysts Optimistic for Polish Economy in 2014
Poland's economy is set to grow by over three percent in 2014, according to forecasts by chief
economists from 15 leading banks. The annual survey by the Puls Biznesu daily indicates that
while no boom is expected, Poland can be optimistic about its economic prospects for the
current year. Analysts say that growth rates will put Poland among one of the best in the EU in
2014.
According to the survey, wages are also set to rise this year, with predictions averaging at an
increase of 3.8 percent. Meanwhile, a slight drop in unemployment is expected, with the level
likely to fall to 13.2 percent. Consumer spending is also set to rise by 2.3 percent, which would
mark the best result in three years. At the same time, inflation and interest rates are expected to
remain low. PR eardla Zagranicy Nick Hodge 07.01.2014 09:14
Hear more at: http://www.thenews.pl/1/12/Artykul/157909,Analysts-optimistic-for-Polish-economy-in2014#sthash.PV98QXF4.dpuf
Living Inside the Bible
by George Weigel
Kraków, Poland—The village of Pasierbiec is in
the south of Poland, about thirty miles from the
old royal capital of Kraków. Its church, the
Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation, is full
of votum gifts testifying to favors received
through the intercession of the basilica's
namesake.
Outside the church, the priests and people of Pasierbiec have done something quite remarkable,
however, they've recently constructed a stunning, contemporary Via Crucis, in which figures
from modern Polish Catholic history are “inserted” into the traditional Stations of the Cross. The
bronzes themselves are well-done, but what is particularly striking about the Pasierbiec Via
Crucis is the idea that animates these sculptures—the idea that we can, and should, imagine
ourselves living inside the biblical story. Or, if you prefer, the Pasierbiec Via Crucis is a powerful
invitation to look at the world around us, including recent history, through lenses ground by
biblical faith.
For example, in the depiction of the fifth station, it is Blessed John Paul II, not Simon of Cyrene,
who helps Jesus carry the cross. At the sixth station, Blessed Jerzy Popieuszko, the martyrpriest of Solidarity, relieves Jesus of some of the weight of the Cross while Veronica wipes the
Holy Face; the message Father Jerzy preached during martial law in Poland—“Overcome evil
with good”—is inscribed on the Cross. At the seventh station, the second fall, the Lord is
supported by Father Franciszek Blachnicki, founder of the Oasis youth movement in which tens
of thousands of young Poles were catechized during holiday camping trips. At the eighth station,
where Jesus traditionally meets the women of Jerusalem, he now meets Stanislawa Leszczyska
and Stefania cka, prisoners who rescued children born in the Auschwitz concentration camp. At
the ninth station, the third fall, the priest comforting the Lord is Blessed Roman Sitka, rector of
the local seminary in Tarnow and a concentration camp prisoner (like several thousand Polish
priests). At the 10th station, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyski, primate of Poland during the first 33
years of communist rule, holds the clothes being stripped from Jesus—an image that evokes
memories of the cardinal being stripped of his freedom and his dignity during three years of
house arrest. Viewed close-up, the soldiers nailing Jesus to the Cross are obviously Roman;
from a distance, their helmets are eerily reminiscent of the familiar SS helmets of World War II.
And at the 14th station, two contemporary Polish martyrs witness the entombment of the
Crucified One: Father Jan Czuba, martyred in the Congo, and Father Zbigniew Strzakowski,
martyred in Peru.
The dedication of this shrine, which reflects a thoroughly contemporary biblical faith, was led by
the archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Joachim Meisner, who once told me that German martyrs,
not German theologians, would be the foundation on which Christianity in 21st-century
Germany would be rebuilt after the horrors of the 20th century. Meisner's presence at the
dedication was a powerful sign of the German-Polish reconciliation sought by Wyszynski and
Karol Wojtyła at the end of the Second Vatican Council, and the German prelate's conviction
that Tertullian's second-century insight remains true, 18 centuries later: sanguis martyrum
semen christianorum [the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church].
The post-modern world is a wilderness of mirrors in which nothing is stable: even maleness and
femaleness, two “givens” throughout recorded human history, are now regarded as “cultural
constructs” to be altered at will. Reason alone seems unable to offer a powerful antidote to a
post-mod culture of unreality. To see the world around us from "inside" the biblical story of the
human condition can be a reality-check. It's one our culture and society badly need these days.
George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of Washington’s Ethics and Public Policy Center.
http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2013/08/living-inside-the-bible
2014 Declared Jan Karski Year
The Polish Parliament has declared 2014 the Year of
Jan Karski in tribute to one of the Poland’s greatest
war-time heroes.
http://www.thenews.pl/1/6/Artykul/157920,2014-–-Jan-KarskiYear#sthash.JJLd8DEp.dpuf
Jan Karski: photo - wiki
http://www.thenews.pl/1/6/Artykul/157920,2014-–-Jan-Karski-Year
Afghan Withdrawal Already Underway
Poland’s armed forces have already repatriated
nearly half of their hardware from Afghanistan
ahead of the official end of the ISAF
international mission this year
The return of the Polish contingent from
Afghanistan involves not only bringing home
military personnel but what is equally important
and challenging, a huge logistics operation of
transporting the thousands of tons of various
equipment and arms back to Poland.
Polish Mi-24s, Afghanistan: photo - gov.pl
This includes, among others, 180 armored personnel carriers, command and other special
purpose vehicles as well as helicopters. As Slawek Szefs reports, the process has been
completed in some 40 percent.
However, Polish soldiers have not forgotten about the difficult plight of the local population,
both young and old. "A sizeable part of the Polish reserves will be channeled through various
organizations in the form of humanitarian aid. In the main, these are social assistance related
items such as home container units, equipment for educational, cultural or sports facilities,
also new blankets and linen. Their total worth will be several million dollars," Commodore
Janusz Walczak from the MOD in Warsaw told Polish Radio. PR dla Zagranicy Peter Gentle
07.01.2014 14:17 NFP 14 01 07 - Hear more at: http://www.thenews.pl/1/6/Artykul/157954,Afghanwithdrawal-already-underway#sthash.ltnT5jfR.dpuf
"Walesa, Man of Hope" Returns to U.S. Congress
Standing ovation for
President Lech Walesa
from all of the dignitaries in attendance
at the Congressional Auditorium
Photo - PAP/Jacek Turczyk
On December 5, 2013, 24 years after Lech Walesa's legendary 1989 speech before the joint
session of the U.S. Congress, the words "We the People" resounded again in Washington’s
Capitol during the special event screening of Andrzej Wajda's film "Walesa. Man of Hope." The
film has been nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Film.
Throughout the evening, the guest of honor was greeted with several standing ovations from
nearly 500 representatives of the U.S. political and economic elite, members of the diplomatic
corps, and the media. As Ambassador Ryszard Schnepf stated in his speech, the dismantling of
the communist system, who’s final chord was the fall of the Berlin Wall, would have not been
possible without the protests of the Gdansk shipyard workers, led by Lech Walesa. "This story
began in Poland," emphasized Schnepf, adding that Poland and the Poles will never forget the
words uttered by solidarity as well as the support we received, especially from the United States,
in the most difficult times of martial law.
The special screening at the Capitol was attended by representatives of the Senate and U.S.
Congress, representatives of the U.S. administration, and other dignitaries. A large group of Polish
and local journalists were also in attendance. Among the special guests of the event was the lead
actor in the film, Robert Więckiewicz.
Due to the unique nature of the event at the Capitol, guests and all members of the Senate and
House of Representatives, received a commemorative pin, and philatelic folder issued by the
Polish Post Office commemorating Lech Walesa’s 70th birthday.
A video presentation of the event can be viewed at http://www.polandembassy.org/
For individuals and groups, adults and children.
Contact Joanna Rzeszotko: [email protected]
Another Nazi-looted
artwork will return to
Poland
Photo - Wikipedia
Thanks to the joint efforts of Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture and
National Heritage, a long-lost painting from the pre-war collection of the National Museum in
Warsaw will return to Poland. The work of a well-known German artist, Johann Conrad Seekatz,
titled “St. Philip Baptizing a Servant of Queen Kandake” was handed over by US officials to
Poland’s Minister of Culture Bogdan Zdrojewski on February 6, at 11 am.
http://www.washington.mfa.gov.pl/en/
Members may advertise at polamhar.com for only $50.00 per year. Contact Anna Rossi at
[email protected].
Spring 2014 Dance Schedule
March 1 - Joe Stanky
April 5 – Walt Groller
May 3 – Making Memories Trio
June 7 – Shoreliners
Dances held at Alert Fire Company, 3118 N. George Street., Emigsville
For more information: Contact Dave and Anne Loeffler, (717) 229-2033,
President, White Rose Polka Dancers Association Inc., York, PA
May 10
Rill’s Bus Service
410-848-4649 * 800-801-7539
www.rillsbusservice.com
Paczki Day is the feast of plenty before the Lenten fast begins. It
is the last day of gaiety in Karnawal time, the period between
Christmas and Lent. To mark the last moments of excess before
the austerity of Lenten sacrifice, Polish Roman Catholics
celebrate Paczki Day. In the United States Polonia, Paczki Day
takes place the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, traditionally called Fat Tuesday in Carnival.
In Poland this day is called "Tlusty Czwartek" (Fat Thursday, not Tuesday), which is celebrated
on the last Thursday before Ash Wednesday and starts "Ostatki" (last days of Karnawal) which
ends with "Sledzik" on Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Wielki Post means literally the “Great Fast." Lent is a time of special services, retreats, fasting
and individual acts of penance. Liquor and raucous entertainment are avoided. Meat and snacks
are avoided on Ash Wednesday and Fridays during this period. For Polish Catholics, Lent is the
most reflective spiritual season, a time of the church calendar cycle for prayer, fasting, almsgiving,
and reflection on the mystical nature of redemption. Specific to the Polish Roman Catholic
celebration of Lent is the Lenten Lamentations or Gorzkie Zale, which are sung each week
throughout Polonia.
Swieconka is one of the most enduring and beloved Polish traditions. Baskets containing a
sampling of Easter foods are brought to church to be blessed on Holy Saturday. The basket is
traditionally lined with a white linen or lace napkin and decorated with sprigs of boxwood
(bukszpan), the typical Easter evergreen. Poles take special pride in preparing a decorative and
tasteful basket with crisp linens, occasionally embroidered for the occasion, and just enough
boxwood and ribbon woven through the handle. Observing the beautiful foods and creations of
other parishioners is one of the special joys of the event. While in some older or rural
communities, the priest visits the home to bless the foods, the vast majority of Poles and Polish
Americans visit the church on Holy Saturday, once again praying at the Tomb of the Lord.
More on Polish Easter Traditions, from Paczki Day to Dingus Day can be found at
http://annhetzelgunkel.com/easter/easter.html
Information on the specific contents of the
Swieconka as well as the significance of each of
the items is at:
http://annhetzelgunkel.com/easter/basketdia.html
Lenten and Easter Activities For Children and Families
Stations of the Cross: Children and Their Families Walk With Jesus
http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/child/stations/index.html
Heart Prayer During Lent: Ways for Children and Their Families to Pray and Share During a
Holy Season
http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/child/lent/index.html
Learning About the Easter Tree: The Cross of Jesus Brings Us Life
http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/child/easter/index.html
Polish-American Association Of Harrisburg
[email protected]
Officers and Board:
Nominations for President, Vice-President,
Secretary, and Board Members are still
open. Please consider contributing some
of your time and talents to helping our
Association continue to grow and flourish.
Submit names and position to the email
address above or to 717-889-2623 by
February 28.
Newsletter Editor:
Carolyn Blaszczyk
Submissions for the May 2014 newsletter
should be submitted to the Editor at
717-889-2623 or [email protected],
not later than April 30.
Wigilia 2013
Pictures from our Christmas
Eve Supper Celebration,
held on
December 7.
Many thanks to
Minor Adams
for his wonderful portrayal
of
Święty Mikołaj
Membership Form
YES! I want to join ____ or renew my membership ____ and
support the Association!
Please select a dues category:
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SPECIAL CATEGORIES:
For those individuals and companies who care to make a special contribution in support of the
activities of the Association.
_____ Sobieski (male) $100.00 or more
_____ Jagielonka (female) $100.00 or more
Members in this category receive free admission to all Association events plus recognition in
all event programs.
Please return this form and enclose a check payable to the
“Polish-American Association, Inc.”
Send to: Anna Rossi, 850 Waltonville Rd., Hummelstown, PA 17036
PLEASE COMPLETE OR UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
Last name: ________________________________________________________________
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Polish American Association of Harrisburg Survey
If you haven’t yet had a chance to complete the survey, please do so by February 28.
Please share your thoughts, ideas, interests and suggestions with the Association.
If mailing the survey, please send to:
Anna Rossi, 850 Waltonville Rd., Hummelstown, PA 17036
Email submissions can be sent to the Newsletter Editor.
1. Do you read the newsletter? Yes _____ No ______
If no, why not? ________________________________________________________________
2. Do you find the newsletter interesting and/or informative? Yes _____ No _____
Why or why not, please make any comments regarding form or content?
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Select three of your most favorite events: Easter ____, Wigilia ____, Picnic ____, Lecture ____,
Polish Film ____, Cultural events ____, Bus trips ____, Pierogi, Piwo i Piosenki ____
4. Would you be interested in a bus trip? Yes ____ No ____
If yes, please select: NY Kosciuszko Foundation ____, Polish Embassy, Washington ____,
Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Doylestown ____, Polish-American Center, Philadelphia ___
5. Are you interested in volunteering at events and/or serving on the Board? Yes ____ No ____
If yes, please indicate your specific interest and provide your name and phone number.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Do you have a need for a membership card? Yes ____ No ____
7. How many social/dance events would you attend per year? ______________________________
8. When was the last time you visited our webpage? ______________________________________
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What is the main purpose of your visit(s)? pictures ____, news ____, links ____?
What would you like to see added to the webpage?
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10. Please indicate what events or activities you would like our Association to offer our members
and/or any additional comments on the reverse side.