A Polish Renaissance in Texas: Poland’s Millennium of Christianity
In 1966, people of Polish heritage around the world celebrated the 1,000th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland, the conversion to Christianity of Prince Mieszko I, ruler of medieval Poland. In the United States, President Lyndon B. Johnson observed Poland’s National and Christian Millennium Day at the White House onMay 3, 1966. President Johnson was presented with a mosaic of Our Lady of Częstochowa. The president asked that the mosaic be taken to Panna Maria to be placed in the historic Immaculate Conception Church. When the icon was brought to Panna Maria, more than 10,000 people attended the event.
A Polish Renaissance in Texas: Preserving Polish Culture
The Polish American Priests Association (PAPA) was formed in 1970. Originally, membership was limited to priests in Texas, PAPA became a national organization in 1990.
Fathers John Yanta and Bernard Goebel, the Polish-born pastor of Panna Maria’s Immaculate Conception Church, both co-founders of PAPA, subsequently campaigned to honor Father Leopold Moczygemba, who was buried in Michigan in 1891, by bringing his remains home to Texas. On October 13, 1974, his remains were reinterred in Panna Maria.
In time, these efforts to promote Texas’ Polish heritage made Panna Maria a must-visit destination for Polish luminaries. The former Polish prime minister and former president of the European Union, Jerzy Buzek, visited in July 1998. In October 2004, Lech Wałęsa, the former president of Poland, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and founder of the Solidarity movement, participated in festivities marking Panna Maria’s 150th anniversary.