When I was teaching, I always had to laugh at some of the things that kids would say. “Do we have to do anything today?” “Can we go outside for class?” “Can we have an open book test?” What was most interesting was IF they did their homework , or some assignment, they would report… …
Teaching religion was forbidden in Poland… yet religion thrived. Why? Because it was a daily experience. It was a daily part of their lives, woven into every action and thought. The traditions and customs of Poland were woven into the daily fiber of life giving that life meaning and purpose. Those traditions and customs gave a …
Long ago in Poland, in ancient Krakow, there lived an old widow named Helena. On the morning of Christmas Eve she went to the Dominican Church to watch the priests put up the Christmas creche. She saw Father Jacek put the beautiful statue in the manger and she noticed that the baby Jesus had no …
One Sunday after Mass, at a family gathering when I was a little boy, my Uncle Stanley shocked everyone by making an announcement. He said that he did not approve of the picture of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Well…. That was a bit of a bombshell to throw into an old Polish family! Now, my …
There is a sweet old Polish legend about Jesus and His Apostles. One day, while walking through the fields and meadows of Poland, St. Peter remarked about the monotony of color. “Everything here is green,” he complained. St. John chimed in and complained that “everything looks the same.” So Jesus called some angels and told …
Someone told me the other day that they were so busy and worked so hard all day long that they forgot to eat! Now… maybe so… but I find that hard to believe. I work hard… sometimes… but I have never forgotten to eat. Never! I’m sorry but that is one thing I will never forget; no …
One day I was in front of the church when some neighborhood children stopped to talk to me. They were ten or eleven years old and seemed very bright. We talked and had a few laughs. Then pointing to the church, they asked who lives here? What’s this building? When I said it was a church, they …
Have you ever seen a picture of the Miraculous Icon of the Holy Family of Kalisz in Poland? If you look at it closely, you will see that it shows Jesus, Mary and Joseph as a royal family crowned and robed in gold and silver. Over them we can see God the Father and the …
I grew up in Wilbraham near the Indian Orchard section of Springfield. In the 1940’s that part of the world was like a Little Poland. Our church was Polish – our school was Polish… our markets were Polish… our doctors were Polish. People spoke Polish at home, in school, at work and in the stores. One …
When I was very young, my grandfather made me begin to wonder about my cousins. My grandfather, who didn’t speak English, kept calling my cousins my brothers and sisters. I knew I was an only child. There was never anyone else in the house and yet he kept calling this multitude of cousins my brothers …
