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December 10, 2017

New book celebrates Polish heritage

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Julie Beaulieu

 

Author Joseph Carvalho signs a copy of the Republican’s Polish Heritage Book, Saturday, Dec. 9 at St. Stanislaus School.

CHICOPEE – Dozens of local Poles gathered in Chicopee on Saturday, Dec.9 to honor and celebrate their shared heritage with all Polish immigrants who settled in Western Massachusetts. The afternoon began with a book signing by local authors Joseph Carvalho III, Wayne Phaneuf and a panel of segment writers of, Polish Heritage:  A History of a Proud Community in Western Massachusetts, at St. Stanislaus School in Chicopee.

Wayne Phaneuf, executive editor of the Springfield Republican, who is half Polish, founded the heritage book series.

“We started the book series because we wanted to tell an ethnic history of western Massachusetts,” said Phaneuf.

“We actually started with the Irish because they had the biggest population of any, and then we worked our way up through with an Italian book, a French Canadian book, an African American book, a Jewish book and a Hispanic book. The Polish book is the last one in the ethnic series,” explained Phaneuf.

The Polish heritage book is the longest book in the series at 448 pages and had more than 70 contributors.

“It’s a huge story to tell and the Polish community is everywhere. They are in all sorts of jobs and careers. There’s a huge group of Polish people who came here, and were really farmers, but they had to work in the mills until they got enough money to buy a farm. My relatives were the first Polish farmers in Ludlow, in the 1880s,” said Phaneuf.

Phaneuf also discussed the three main waves of Polish immigration to New England, during times of war or famine in Poland, during the 1880’s, the 1950s and the 1980s.

Historian and author Joseph Carvalho is married to a Polish American woman.

“My wife’s family is very, very proud of their Polish heritage. They passed down their history. It’s a very tight family that has stayed connected throughout the generations. They came in the 1890s,” said Carvalho.

“A number of Polish Americans in our area went back to Poland in the 1920s when Poland became a nation again after World War I, and then, of course, World War II happened and many came back. So, we try to tell these stories in the book. It’s a complicated but rich history that shows the strength of the Polish people,” explained Carvalho.

Carvalho added that the Polish Center in Chicopee was a great contributor to this book.

The latter part of the afternoon was a visit to the Polish Center of Discovery and Learning in Chicopee on South Street to view a seasonal crèche exhibit.  

Stas Radosz, the founder and executive director, led attendees of the book signing up the hill to view the beautiful and unique nativity scenes.

“Among these nativity scenes are Krakow creches. Krakow crèches are well known for incorporating, in the making of them, the architecture in the environment of the inhabitants of the city. They are very elaborate, kind of to the point that it’s very hard to find baby Jesus,” said Rodosz.

“Others are more traditional type nativity scenes. Some are very primitive, and because they are so primitive, they are especially attractive,” described Rodosz.

All pieces in the exhibit were donated by the late Bernard Pajewski.

Michael Pise, a member of the board of trustees and  parishioner at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Basilica Parish, attended the book signing and purchased a book.

“It’s nice to come out to support the Polish center and also to support the Polish community. And, also, to get an idea of the importance of the Polish community in the book itself, not only to understand, but also to capture that history for future generations, for my nieces and nephews and for my family,” said Pise, whose family came over from Poland between 1880 and 1900.

Pise plans to view the crèche exhibit this coming week.

The exhibit is free and open to the public every day from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. through Jan. 6, 2018 at 33 South St., Chicopee. For more information log on to polishcenter.net.

The book, Polish Heritage:  A History of a Proud Community in Western Massachusetts, can be ordered online at http:/bit.ly/repubbooks, by phone at 413-735-1634, or in person at 1860 Main St., Springfield for $44.95.

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