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Among the highlights was a visit by former Polish president Lech Walesa to the small community on Oct. 24 (see Today’s Catholic issues Oct. 29 and Nov. 12 for coverage.)
Culminating the anniversary year was the celebration of an outdoor Mass under a bright blue sky at Immaculate Conception Church the morning of Dec. 11.
Celebrant for the liturgy was Cardinal Adam Maida of Detroit, Mich.
Archbishop Patrick F. Flores gave welcoming remarks at the eucharistic service, praising the families who came to establish Panna Maria, as well as the faith communities in Cestohowa, Kosciuszko, Bandera and others.
In his homily, the cardinal noted that it was both the 150th anniversary of Polish immigration to America as well as the 150th anniversary of the adoption of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.
“Let us celebrate all these things here at the Lord’s altar at the Holy Eucharist in this, the Year of the Eucharist,” he said.
Cardinal Maida continued, “We thank God for the unswerving faith of our Polish ancestors, and we also thank God for the apparition of Mary to Bernadette at Lourdes and to Juan Diego at Tepeyac. Despite the great diversity of peoples, we share the commonality of Mary, as Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Lourdes.
She is a constant reference point for all of us on earth to her Risen Son and all the saints. In this Year of the Eucharist, let us experience the motherhood of Mary as a banquet of love. There is a profound link between devotion to Mary and the worship of the Lord in the Eucharist.”
As the cardinal recounted 150 years of Polish history in America, he called on attendees to remember Msgr. Moczygemba and their ancestors. “Little could they have known more than 800 Polish parishes would expand across the land, into places such as Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee,” he said. “They brought two things — a love of faith and pride in their Polish heritage. At the center of it all was the Eucharist. They found strength in the Eucharist, which was manna in their journey of faith.”
The Detroit prelate asked listeners to recall the role of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Park, Mich.
“Since 1885 it has formed 3,000 priests for the church in Polonia, and our faith, traditions and materials have been disseminated throughout America,” said Cardinal Maida. “We rejoice now in the new arrivals from Poland. They come and seek the one bread — the Eucharist — which joins us together. The Eucharist has provided a dynamic means for linking Poles here and throughout the world. We may be separated by thousands of miles, but we are united by language and love of the Eucharist, which binds us together. In recent years, ethnic parishes have been called in question; however, Panna Maria remains a model. I am proud of the way Poles have kept their traditions. Let us acknowledge all of those who have worked to make the parishes shape the generations. Parishes are places to celebration the Eucharist, the living Jesus Christ, who sends us forth as missionaries to the community.”
The Michigan cardinal offered special words of commendation to the priests and religious who link diverse cultures in neighborhoods of change. “At the heart of our lives is our free choice to respond to Christ,” he said. “Let us praise the Lord for the gift of his presence in the Holy Eucharist.”
In concluding remarks at the liturgy, Bishop Jan Wieczorek from Gliwice, Poland, told of his ancestors coming to Yorktown, Texas, 150 years ago. “I can feel them, hear them,” he said in Polish, with his remarks translated by Father Frank Kurzaj, pastor of Holy Name Church in San Antonio. “I have to come to Bandera, St. Hedwig and Panna Maria to hear the old Silesian dialect,” the bishop said to laughter from the audience.
Bishop Wieczorek ended by telling about a conversation he had with a 91-year-old women in Yorktown. “She told me, ‘You have to keep the faith in Poland.’ I told her, ‘You have to keep the faith here in the United States.’ ”
Another special guest, Bishop John W. Yanta of Amarillo, a former auxiliary bishop of San Antonio, then unveiled and blessed a large bell, a gift from Silesians to the people of Panna Maria.
“When Father Moczygemba celebrated midnight Mass under this oak tree, my mother’s relatives were here,” Bishop Yanta said. “Today is the culmination of dozens of other Polonia celebrations which have taken place across the country. Today is a beautiful expression of the communion of saints.”
Following the liturgy, a barbecue lunch, a 1800s fashion show and a performance by the Polish Highlanders dance group from Chicago took place in the church hall.
Outdoor exhibits included genealogy, quilt making, yarn spinning, soap making, a cowboy cookout, corn meal grinding, Polish music and a display of antique tractors and cars.
That evening, a gala reunion was held in San Antonio at the historic St. Anthony Hotel, featuring dignitaries and visitors from Poland and Germany.
The following day, on Dec. 12, the celebration continued at the Holy Name Parish Activity Center, which featured a contest seeking the “best Polish-speaking Texan.” |