New Christmas CD
Polish Soldier's Burial Plot *** Polski Cmentarz Wojskowy
1917 - 1919
The burial plot in the above photo commemorates the Polish soldiers who trained in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario from 1917 to 1919 at Camp Kosciuszko and subsequently made the supreme sacrifice -- they personified the Polish soldiers' motto:
"For your freedom and ours!"
Statue Honoring
Kazimierz Pułaski
This statue of General Kazimierz Pulaski was presented to the city of Buffalo, NY by the people of Poland in 1976 as a gift during the bicentennial of the USA.
Pułaski Wreath-Laying Ceremony
Downtown Buffalo, N.Y. - March 2, 2012 - 5:00 p.m.
CLICK HERE for details.
Group photo taken in front of St. Stanislaus Church (Buffalo, NY) in 1946. Do you recognize anyone?
Polonia Photos
For Your Library:
ENTER PM TV & Radio Portal
St. Hyacinth's, Dunkirk, N.Y.
Blessed Mary Angela Church
(formerly St. Hedwig's), Dunkirk, N.Y.
HISTORY: As a result of the movement to regain the independence of Poland and policy differences with the United States, 22, 174 volunteers of Polish descent crossed the Niagara River from Youngstown, NY to Niagara-on-the-Lake and joined 221 Polish Canadians for military training from 1917 to 1919. The Polish Falcons of America, Polish patriot and pianist Ignacy Paderewski and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson all figured prominently during these events. The Polish volunteers were trained by Canadian officers under the command of Lt. Col. A. D. Lepan and outfitted and financed by France. As a result, they wore French uniforms and were called the "Blue Army".
In Europe, the volunteers were assigned to the Fourth French Army in battalion and regimental groups and participated on the Western Front in the Champagne sector of France in 1918. In October 1918, the battalion and regimental groups were united to form a separate Polish army, which with additional Polish volunteers from around the world numbered 80,000 under the Polish commander General Joseph Haller.
At the end of World War I, the soldiers were transported across Germany to Join the greater Polish forces to ensure the new-found independence of Poland and also to repel the Bolshevik invasion of the land. They engaged in military actions in Lwów, Wolyn and Pomorze.
At the Niagara-on-the Lake burial plot rest 25 soldiers of 41 who were stricken with and died of influenza while in training. Also honored is Elizabeth Asher, a non-Pole and resident of Niagara-on-the Lake, who risked her own safety in caring for many of the sick soldiers. The burial site was restored in 2000 by Polish American and Canadian veterans associations, the Niagara Region Polish American Congress, Western Division.
The Peasant Prince
By Alex Storozynski (2009)
Few foreign volunteers in American fights have been as consequential as Thaddeus Kosciuszko was during the Revolutionary War. The Polish officer designed the cannon firing positions at Saratoga and the fort at West Point. (It was Kosciuszko's design for the fort that Benedict Arnold tried to sell to the British.) As Alex Storozynski notes in his excellent biography, "The Peasant Prince," Kosciuszko was an impassioned idealist who yearned to see the end of slavery in America; later, when he returned to Poland, he undertook the protection of Jews and serfs. When Kosciuszko made his second trip to America in the 1790s, George Washington welcomed him "to the land whose liberties you had been so instrumental in establishing."
Printed in The Wall Street Journal
Haller's Blue Army
Vintage Photo of Saint Stanislaus Church and Surrounding Neighborhood on Buffalo's Eastside
Getting ready for the Dyngus Day Parade in Buffalo, NY - View Photo Gallery
An annual pilgrimage to the Polish Soldier's Burial Plot is held every year. This year's event will be held on June 12, 2011. It will begin at 12:15 p.m. with a military inspection of veteran's organizations, followed by a Catholic mass, and culminating with a parade and wreath-laying ceremony at Cenotaph. NOTE: The event is organized by the Canadian Polish Congress - Niagara District
Thaddeus Kosciuszko
NEW! A novel set in Buffalo during the time when the first Polish immigrants were trying to establish themselves in their new land.
Written by Geraldine Wierzbicki-Roach, a native Buffalonian of Polish descent
Buffalo's Broadway Market is still where it's at!
Kosciuszko bust located in the lobby of the Monroe County Hall of Justice in Rochester, NY
During his time, many Polish Americans considered Józef Piłsudski to be the "George Washington of Poland." This revered general did more than any other single Pole, working primarily with Poles and on Polish soil, to achieve the independence of Poland after the first World War.
While in secondary school, Piłsudski first became an avid revolutionary. Then during his first year of medical school at the University of Kharkov in the Ukraine, he was expelled for suspicious political activities and a year later, in 1887, he was arrested for alleged participation in an assassination attempt on the Russian Czar, Alexander III, Though actually innocent, he nevertheless spent his complete five year sentence in Siberia, Through this episode, Piłsudski gained two important assets: time to plan for Poland's resistance against her oppressors, and credentials as a victim of the Czarist regime. Piłsudski attempted to mastermind Polish resistance by producing the underground newspaper, The Worker. After escaping imprisonment for this subversion, Piłsudski became legendary among his compatriots. After mobilizing his small army of riflemen against enemy forces during the first World War, he was again imprisoned, this time in Magdesburg. In Warsaw on Armistice Day, November 11, 1918, Piłsudski was acclaimed the hero and leader of independent Poland.
Józef Piłsudski 1867-1935
In March 1920, Piłsudski was made "First Marshal of Poland".
Thus Bound: The story of Tadziu and Marysza
Thus Bound: the story of Tadziu and Marysza is a novel written from two points of view: that of the male character and that of the female. In the waning years of the Great Depression, Tadziu and Marysza, the children of Polish immigrants, meet in grade school, a meeting that will direct the course of their lives. Marysza Jargosz is orphaned in infancy by her father's death and her mother's desertion. Her childhood, spent with a grandmother whose intense love influences her life, seems perfect. Tadziu Wreblewski, the eldest of five children, is beset by his father's violent temper and his mother's depression. At Marysza's grandmother's house he is included in loving relationships, escaping the harsh reality of his own home. Marysza becomes his ideal of beauty and intelligence. Tadziu's and Marysza's lives diverge. Their love endures, ending in a manner that will surprise and stun the reader.
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GERALDINE WIERZBICKI-ROACH was born, raised and educated in Buffalo, New York and earned her Ph.D. in English literature from SUNY Buffalo. Her dissertation focused on the novels of George Eliot and Dorothy Richardson. She has taught in colleges in and around the city for seven years. Gerry and her husband, Robert, reside in West Seneca, a town near the city she knows so well and which serves as the setting for the novel. As a single mother facing financial stress and hard work, Gerry raised a daughter and two sons, all of whom have brought her great pride. She believes we do not understand our own happiness. "Looking back on that challenge, I remember the strength my children gave me and realize that the years I thought were difficult were some of the happiest years in my life." She frequently visits her twelve grandchildren, who are scattered throughout the northeast
GERALDINE WIERZBICKI-ROACH
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Gallery of Polish Folk Art
on Display at
Polish Cadets in Buffalo, New York
Krakowiak
One of several incredible wood carvings by the Very Rev. Walter Madej at the Holy Mother of the Rosary Cathedral in Lancaster, New York
You have to see it in person to believe it!
Celebration of the Installation of Relics of the
Blessed Pope John Paul ll
St. Stanislaus Kostka
Rochester, New York
Toledo's Adrianne Policki to Star in New Wonder Woman Series
CLICK HERE to view photos and videos of the Paderewski ceremony held in Cleveland on July 16.
What (or who) is under the sheet? CLICK HERE
Tribute to Sir Casimir S. Gzowski at Niagara Falls, Ontario
Sir Casimir S. Gzowski 1813-1898
First chairman of the Niagara Parks Commission (1885-93) Gzowski was born in Russia of Polish parents. Forced to emigrate following participation in the Polish Rising of 1830, he came to Canada in 1841. An exceptionally able engineer, he first served as a government construction superintendent. He later organized a company which built the Grand Trunk Railway from Toronto to Sarnia, 1853-7, and the International Bridge across the Niagara River at Fort Erie in 1873. He was a founder of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers in 1887. A colonel in the Canadian maliitia, he was appointed Honorary Aide-de-Camp to the Queen in 1879 and knighted in 1890. Gzowski served as Administrator of Ontario 1896-97.
Archaeological and Historic Site Board of Ontario
Sir Casimir Gzowski's International Bridge linking Buffalo, New York
to Fort Erie, Ontario, is still very much in use.
Plaque on display at the Polish Home in Fulton, New York
Fr. Czesław Krysa
singing kolędy at
St. Stan's in Buffalo, N.Y.
Polonia Music recommends "A Polish Christmas Eve: Traditions and Recipes, Decorations and Song"
by Rev. Czesław Michal Krysa, S.L.D.
Best selling author, Rita Cosby, signing a copy of "Quiet Hero" for Grand Marshal Stanley Pulaski at the 2011 Pulaski Parade in Cheektowaga, N.Y.
Separate entrances to the former Holy Trinity Parish School in
Niagara Falls, New York
(A Closed Parish of The Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, N.Y.)
Speaking of Polish-Canadians, Eddie Zawadzki,
Author of
"The Poles in the New World" is an interesting guy.
His book is a bestseller
to find out more.
Eddie, a former boxer, is a Canadian sports broadcaster and proud of his Polish heritage. Check out his photo with Mohamad Ali; Eddie was once his bodyguard.
This page features photos of interest to the Polonia community. Come back soon and often. Images are constantly being updated. Most are photos taken by me as I visit various events within driving distance from my home in Rochester, New York.
To view photos of the 2011 Roncesvalles Polish Festival in Toronto
The artwork for my new Christmas CD was done by Dan Haskin of Data Design Group in Bowmansville, New York.
The Polish Community in Canada is thriving.
CLICK HERE to view photos of the Dozynki held in NIagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario.
Photos of Dozynki celebrations held in the Buffalo, NY area are included.
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Congratulations to the Polish American Journal for 100 years of service to Polonia.
to find out more.
Here is a nice photo of ladies checking out the Polish salt lamps on display at the Polish Heritage Festival in Hamburg, New York.
if you are interested in finding out more about Polish salt lamps.
This photo was taken at Holy Trinity Church while attending the annual Zabawa in Erie, PA.
John Gora (and Gorale) was the featured polka band.
to find out more and see Father Tom dance the polka.
These images are links to various pages of interest
on this web site. Go ahead, click on them!
There was a huge turn out November 7, 2011 at Buffalo's Canisius College to view Mary Skinner’s documentary “Irena Sendler–In The Name Of Their Mothers". The director of the film, Mary Skinner, was there to answer questions following a screening of the film which was a more complete version of the PBS version. The film is both inspirational and heart-rending, and should not be missed.
The Zatańczmy Polish Folk Dance Concert is held every two years in Cleveland, Ohio, and is a celebration not to be missed!
CLICK HERE to view photos and videos of the 2011 event.
Select photos of Polish folk dancers are now part of a permanent display in the newly renovated Applebees Restaurant on Walden Ave. in Cheektowaga, N.Y. The photos are a tribute to local dance troupes, especially the Harmony Polish Folk Ensemble and the Polish Heritage Dancers of Western New York, that work so hard to promote our Polish heritage. If you would like to read the Am-Pol Eagle article, CLICK HERE.
Thank you, dancers!
The recently remodeled Applebees Restaurant at 1785 Walden Avenue in Cheektowaga, New York now displays photographs of the Polish Heritage Dancers of WNY and Polish Harmony Folk Ensemble on some of its walls. Dancers from the Lechowia Polish Dance Ensemble from Toronto, Ontario are also featured.
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Pączki Royalty
View more Pączki Day pics HERE
Greg Witul of Buffalo, N.Y. recently published this interesting book abou the beautiful stained glass of Corpus Christi Church. CLICK HERE
I don't know about Lady Gaga and these other people, but I do know that Melody Lane really rocks!
Roxy's Music Store in Batavia, New York is accordion heaven.
Drop in sometime and say hi to Rose.
Polka Chata European Delicatessen in Rochester, N.Y.
Storks will give you good luck at Polka Chata European Delicatessen in Rochester, N.Y.
Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz (born in 1962 in Warsaw, Poland) is a Polish-American historian specializing in East Central European history of the 19th and 20th century. His historical works include: After the Holocaust: Polish-Jewish Relations in the Wake of World War II, and Between Nazis and Soviets: Occupation Politics in Poland. Chodakiewicz lives in the Greater Washington, DC area.
Marek Jan Chodakiewicz earned B.A. degree from the San Francisco State University in 1988, M.Phil. from Columbia University, and Ph.D. with distinction from Columbia University in 2001. His Ph.D. thesis was entitled: Accommodation and Resistance: A Polish County Kraśnik during the Second World War and its Aftermath, 1939-1947. Between 2001 and 2003 Chodakiewicz was an assistant professor at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville as the holder of the Kościuszko Chair in Polish Studies of the Miller Center of Public Affairs. In 2003, Chodakiewicz was appointed Research Professor of History and in 2004 Professor of History at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, DC, where he teaches and conducts research on East Central Europe and Russia.[2] His expert areas include History, Democracy Building, Communism, American Foreign Policy and International Relations. Since 2008, he has also held .
Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz speaking at Canisius College
Lecture title: "Crisis Today: An International Perspective"
the Kościuszko Chair in Polish Studies at IWP. In April 2005, Chodakiewicz was appointed by President George W. Bush for a 5-year term to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.
Chodakiewicz specializes in East Central European history of the 19th and 20th century including the history of Poland, Habsburg and Romanov Empires, Jewish-Polish relations, environmental politics, intellectual conservative tradition, and extremist movements including Communism and Fascism. His special area of interest is World War II and its aftermath. In 2003 Chodakiewicz received the Jozef Mackiewicz Literary Prize in Warsaw for his two-volume book of history entitled Ejszyszki
- From Wiki
Saint Maximilian Kolbe
ABOVE: Select photos of Polish folk dancers are now part of a permanent display in the newly renovated Applebees Restaurant on Walden Ave. in Cheektowaga, N.Y. The photos are a tribute to local dance troupes, especially the Harmony Polish Folk Ensemble and the Polish Heritage Dancers of Western New York, that work so hard to promote our Polish heritage. If you would like to read the Am-Pol Eagle article, CLICK HERE. Thank you, dancers!
CLICK HERE to visit storkcam.
Organ Keyboard - St. Stanislaus Church, Buffalo, N.Y.
Buffalo Dyngus Day
2010
View of St. Stanislaus Church and Buffalo Skyline from Central Terminal
Harmony Polish Folk Ensemble
Performing at the Rediscover Amherst Street Festival
June 19, 2011
Buffalo's North District Common Council Member, Joseph Golombek, Jr., joining in on the fun.
Stanley Pulaski, Sr. and Brian Rusk, president of the General Pulaski Association, posing for Jaroslaw Radomski of the Am-Pol Eagle Newspaper at Pulaski wreath-laying ceremony March 2, 2012
"Push Not The River" was recommended to me by a high school and FB buddy, Mike Ponichtera. I read it, liked it, and now I recommend it to you. "Against a Crimson Sky" is the sequel and it is on my list to read soon. BTW, If you are interested in reading it, be sure to check with your public library before buying. It's fairly popular so they may have it on their shelves; if they do not, they can probably get it for you through interlibrary loan.
A screening of the documentary film "The Officer's Wife: Truth, Justice and a Family Tragedy" by its director Piotr Uzarowicz took place at the Little Theater in Rochester, N.Y. on April 28, 2012 and at Buffalo's Market Arcade Theater on April 29, 2012. Mr. Uzarowicz was in attendance at each of the screenings. A DVD of the film will soon be available from the official web site.
