This year PACT is organizing a trip to Hamtramck, Michigan; once a stronghold of Polish immigrants and Polish culture. Hamtramck was originally settled by German farmers, but Polish immigrants flooded into the area when the Dodge Brothers plant opened in 1914. Poles still make up a large proportion of the population. It is sometimes confused with Poletown, a traditional Polish neighborhood, which lies mostly in the city of Detroit and includes a small part of Hamtramck. As of the 2000 census, over 22% of Hamtramck’s population is of Polish origin; in 1970, it was 90%…
Read MoreCategory: Polish History
Independence Day
Gaining back independence by Poland is celebrated on November 11th and is one of the most important national celebrations in Poland. As Poland was partitioned at the end of 18th century, and divided between 3 countries: Austria, Prussia and Russia, it vanished from the map of Europe. The greatness of the nation, that used to be one of the biggest and powerful countries on the continent, started to weaken before the three acts of partition took place. The first (1772) and second (1793)partition decreased the territory of Poland, while the third one (1795) made…
Read MoreGenerl Casimir Pulaski
Casimir Pulaski Born: 7-Mar–1745 Birthplace: Podolia, Poland Died: 11-Oct–1779 Location of death: Savannah, GA Cause of death: War Remains: Buried, Monterey Square, Savannah, GA Gender: Male Religion: Roman Catholic Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Military Nationality: United States Executive summary: Polish General in the American Revolution
Read MoreŚwięto Pamięci Zmarłych – All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day
The celebration of All Saints, known and unknown, on November 1st was introduced into the Church Liturgy by Pope John XI in 835, while All Souls’ Day on November 2nd began more than 100 years later in 998, when the Abbot of the Benedictine Monastery at Cluny ordered the Benedictine congregations to say the mass and prayers in the intention of all the deceased. In Polish tradition (w polskiej tradycji), especially the folk one, both these holidays, All Saints’ Day in particular, are devoted to praying for the souls of the dead…
Read MoreKatyn Exhibit
On Saturday, July 24th, the Katyn exhibit came to Toledo. The presentation was shown at the Rosary Care Center on the campus of Lourdes College in Sylvania, Ohio. Dr. Allen Paul gave a lecture about the events surrounding Katyn in World War II and the background to this historic and tragic event that took the lives of 22,000 Polish army officers, intellectuals, teachers, and government officials by the hands of the Russian Army. This event took place in April of 1940. The event was sponsored by Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (co-chair…
Read MoreWigilia Celebration
The Polish Christmas Eve
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