10/3/2005 - New York’s Polish American community will continue its observance of the 25th anniversary of Poland’s SOLIDARITY
with special ceremonies on Sunday, October 16 in Brooklyn. The events are being organized and coordinated by the
Downstate New York Division of the Polish American Congress. In 1980, with the fiery Lech Walesa as their spokesman, the
striking workers of the Gdansk shipyard prompted workers in other parts of the country to join them and organize their own
strikes and protests. These eventually forced the Soviet-imposed Communist regime in Warsaw to sign an agreement establishing SOLIDARITY as the first free-trade and self-governing union behind the Iron Curtain. The Polish American Congress selected October 16 to mark this historic event in order to coincide it with the PAC’s
annual commemoration of the 1984 murder of Father Jerzy Popieluszko. Adding to the religious overtones of the day
is the fact that John Paul II became Pope on October 16, 1978.
Although the Communist rulers did sign the Gdansk pact, they declared martial law in Poland a little over a year later. Father
Popieluszko repeatedly and fearlessly spoke out against the repression from his pulpit in St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in
Warsaw. Despite numerous threats on his life, he kept defending the human rights and dignity of the Polish people. Unable to silence him with their intimidation, the authorities could no longer tolerate the priest’s inspirational message and ordered him killed. His death only served to reinforce the determination of the Polish people to continue their struggle against the Communist tyranny encouraged by the words of John Paul the Great, “Be Not Afraid.”
A memorial mass for Father Popieluszko is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at Greenpoint’s St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. Following that, participants will march from the church to
Popieluszko Square at McCarren Park on Bedford Avenue where additional services will be conducted. At 3:00 p.m., the Polish American Congress will hold its
“Salute to SOLIDARITY” banquet at the Polonaise Terrace, 150 Greenpoint Avenue. For information to attend the banquet, call (718) 383-3700. This past July, the United States Senate passed Resolution
No. 198 which paid special tribute to SOLIDARITY on its 25th anniversary declaring “…the SOLIDARITY Movement
ended Communism in Poland without bloodshed and inspired Hungary, Czechoslovakia and other nations to do
the same, and the activities of its leaders and members were part of the historic series of events that led to the fall of the
Berlin Wall…”