Sandro Botticelli – Virgin Adoring Child with Young St. John the Baptist and Two Angels. Tempera on Panel, 98cm x 97 cm. Year:1468. Musée du Louvre, Paris. Source: Public Domain

Wishing you a lot of Joy and Countless Blessings of this very special season – Merry Christmas, Happy, Healthy, Prosperous New Year and  best of luck  in 2025  –  from the Board of Directors of Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc. along with the Global Maintenance Company.

Pogodnych i Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia, szczescia, zdrowia, pomyslnosci  oraz tradycyjnego Dosiego Roku 2025 zyczy calej Polonijnej Wspolnocie Windsor – Essex – Chatham i okolicy Zarzad Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc. wraz z Pracownikami Firmy Global Maintenance.

Image: Public Domain

Text: Maria Wojewnik

On February 7, 2024, the Canadian Parliament approved Motion M-75, establishing May as Polish Heritage Month and May 3rd as Polish Constitution Day in Canada. YEAS 328, NAYS 0. A great success for our current and future generations.

On February 1, 2024, Private Members’ Business on Polish Heritage Month in Canada, Motion M-75, was debated by MPs in the House of Commons. It was a pleasure to hear some impressive opinions about the major contribution of Canadians of Polish heritage, who built a better Canada.

Since 1978 Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc. has been committed to promoting Polish culture and traditions, supporting activities within Polonia and to help make it successful within our Canadian Society. With this year’s distribution, we have awarded over 1.6 million dollars in Donations, Sponsorships and Academic Awards. The GALA OF EXCELLENCE was held on October 15, 2023 and recipients are listed below.

“Polonia” Donations & Sponsorships

Ursuline Sisters of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus $60,000

Polish Canadian Business & Professional Association $10,279

Tatry Song & Dance Ensemble $10,000

Polish Language School at the Holy Trinity R.C. Church in Windsor $5,000

Windsor White Eagles Sports & Recreation $3,500

Polish Canadian Students’ Association of Windsor $2,500

“Polskie Nadzieje” of Windsor $2,500

Catholic Women’s League at Holy Trinity R.C. Church $2,000

Wisla Volleyball Club Windsor $1,200

Polish Varieties Radio – WNZK 680/690 AM $1,000

Windsor Polonia Fishing Club $500

What’s UP Windsor Radio – CJAM 99.1 FM $500

2023 Polonia Centre Donation Recipients – From left to right: Karen Pillon – Leddy Library  University of Windsor, Margaret Holec – What’s UP Windsor Radio, Andrzej Minkiewicz- Wisla Volleyball Club Windsor, Leszek Rudowski -Windsor White Eagles Sports & Recreation, Halina Roznawski – President of Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc., Julia Zalewski – “Polskie Nadzieje” of Windsor, Susie Sawicki – Polish Canadian Students’ Association of Windsor, Halina Skoda – Catholic Women’s League at Holy Trinity R.C. Church in Windsor, Jerry Barycki – Polish Canadian Business & Professional Association, Sister Teresa Sroka – Polish Language School at Holy Trinity R.C. Church in Windsor, Sr. Maria Lange – Ursuline Sisters of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, Fr. Glen Ball – Holy Trinity R.C. Church, Maria Kulesza- Tatry Song & Dance Ensemble, Fr. Stanislaw Izdebski – Holy Trinity R.C. Church, Jerzy Rozalski – Polish Varieties Radio – WNZK 680/690 AM, Jerzy Wnukowski – Windsor Polonia Fishing Club, Steve Polewski – President of the Global Maintenance Board of Directors

Registered Charities

Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church – Music Ministry $40,000

Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church – Building Fund $15,000

Assumption University Polonia Centre Scholarship $20,000

The Hospice of Windsor & Essex County $10,000

Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation – Patient Assistance Fund $ 6,000

Leddy Library at University of Windsor $ 3,000

University of Toronto – Polish Language & Literature Studies $ 2,500

University of Ottawa – Polish Studies $ 2,500

Street Help Homeless Centre of Windsor $ 2,000

Windsor Essex Right to Life $ 2,000

Our Lady of Guadalupe Home of Windsor $ 2,000

NET Canada – sponsorship of Maya Jaglarz (Youth Ministry) $ 2,000

Windsor Public Library $ 1,000

Academic Awards

The Academic Awards Program was established in 1981 to encourage and support students of our Polish Community in their pursuit of higher education. Undergraduate students Vanessa Udron and Madison Uszynski and Graduate student Natalia Glinski shared in a total of $10,000.

Text prepared by: Halina Roznawski, President of Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc

Photo:  Maria Wojewnik – Publisher,  PoloniaWindsor.ca

As a Non-Profit Charitable Corporation in the Province of Ontario, Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc. supports Registered Charities. Assumption University is one of the Registered Charities that we’ve selected this year. A $20,000 donation will facilitate an annual “Polonia Centre Scholarship” to a successful candidate pursuing a course in “Inter-Faith Studies. The use of funds in charitable giving confirms our support of education and is in line with our annual Academic Awards, support of Polish School Windsor and local libraries.

From the left: Steve Polewski of the Polonia Centre Scholarship Committee, Dr. John Cappucci Principal and Vice-Chancellor Assumption University in Windsor, Halina Roznawski – President of Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc. and Dr Barbara Niewitecka of the Polonia Centre Scholarship Committee

Halina Roznawski, President, Dr. Barbara Niewitecka and Steve Polewski, members of the Polonia Centre Scholarship Committee, met with Dr. John Cappucci, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Assumption University on October 18, 2023 to make the presentation.

Text – Courtesy of:  Halina Roznawski, President of Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc.

Image – Courtesy of: Assumption University in Windsor (Facebook account)

80 years ago in Canada…

On October 1st, 2023 one of the oldest Polish-Canadian Organizations in our area – Polish Alliance of Canada – Branch 20th in Windsor  celebrated  its 80-th Anniversary.

Polonia of Windsor Essex would like to extend the best wishes on the occasion of this remarkable 80th Jubilee. We congratulate the Polish Alliance of Canada Branch 20  on all of your great accomplishments, generosity and countless contributions to the community. We thank you and we wish you continued success in the years to come. Cheers! STO LAT!!!

On Sunday, July 30th, 2023 Sister Paula Ryniec received the Golden Cross of Merit –  awarded by the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda. This award was presented by Consul Magdalena Pszczolkowska in recognition of the Ursuline Sisters’ 58-year long contributions to the Polish Community in Canada. The celebration took place on Sunday, after the 12:30 Holy Mass at the Holy Trinity R.C. Church in Windsor Ontario

Dear Sister Paula:

On behalf of the Polonia Centre, we congratulate you wholeheartedly and we want to take this opportunity to thank you, and all your Sisters, for your devotion to the Polish Community and all the good that you spread since your arrival in 1965.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Gerald Koski, President of Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc. for the past 20 years. His funeral was held on June 24, 2023 at Holy Trinity Church.

Following is the tribute presented by Halina Roznawski, Vice President, Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc. during visitation at Windsor Chapel.

My name is Halina Roznawski and tonight I represent the Board of Directors of Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc.

We would like to convey our deepest condolences, to you Carole, and your whole family, and to thank you for allowing me to pay tribute to Gerry, our fellow Board member and President. Our hearts are with you during this difficult time. We, too, feel the loss although in a very different way.

Gerry was a member of the Board of Directors of Polonia Centre Windsor since 1998. For the past 20 years, he served as President, and I as the Vice-President. Although we didn’t know each other prior to joining the Board, we quickly developed a professional relationship, as Gerry was very easy to get to know. Gerry was introduced to Polonia Centre by a Polish friend and joined the Board looking to serve the Polish community and honour his father’s heritage.

Polonia Centre Windsor is a Non-Profit Charitable Corporation committed to the support of activities promoting Polish culture and tradition within our Canadian society.

Unlike most of us on the Board, Gerry had no ties to any other Polish organization in Windsor, therefore, he was neutral. His mannerism was easygoing and straight forward and he had a calming effect on all of us.

During discussion on the many matters before us in the past 20 years, Gerry kept us grounded and focused on serving the best interest of the Polish community. When debates lingered longer than necessary, Gerry would call an intermission. We would then resume our discussion and promptly settle the matter before us.

Gerry’s legal expertise was beneficial to the Board as we looked to meet the mandate of our organization and to grow our wholly owned- subsidiary, Global Maintenance Co, and through the various obstacles experienced over the course of the years.

Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc. annually awards scholarships to graduating students of Polish descent. A ceremony is held every October where we hand out the scholarships and donations to various organizations.

I’ve MC’d the event for the past 20 years and Gerry always had the honour of giving the closing remarks. He expressed his pride in the scholarship recipients’ accomplishments and their goals. He was proud in the success of our organization and our support of the Polish community. And he always did so with genuine pride in his voice. How do I know that? Because at that moment of his closing remarks, he would always get choked up! That’s how passionate Gerry was!

In May 2022, Polish communities across Ontario celebrated the first Polish Heritage Month in Ontario. A committee was formed within the Polish community of Windsor and Gerry and Carol attended many of the events in Windsor, as representatives of Polonia Centre. I know he was proud to do so, regardless that he did not speak Polish.

Gerry was the longest serving President of our organization (as I previously stated – 20 years) and was well respected by the whole Board. We thank him for his friendship, professionalism and devotion to the mandate of our organization. We will do our best to continue our work without his guidance and leadership.

As our organization approaches it’s 50th anniversary, we will have to do so without Gerry at the helm and THAT is our great loss.

Rest in peace, Gerry.