Polish American Congress at VI Worldwide Polonia Council Conference in Warsaw, Poland July 28th- June 2nd.
(VI Zjazd Poloni i Polaków z Zagranicy)
By Małgorzata Margo Schulz, Polish American Congress National Vice President for Media and Publicity.
At the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, the Republic of Poland’s First Lady, Agata Kornhauser-Duda, delivered a speech to the delegates of the VI Worldwide Polonia Council Conference (the Zjazd). The First Lady praised the President of the Polish American Congress, Frank J. Spula, for his leadership in raising funds to help Ukraine.
The final session of the VI Worldwide Polonia Council Conference took place on Sunday, July 2, 2023.
This important Polonia Conference is under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda. The conference took place in Warsaw and Pułtusk. The organizers are: the “Worldwide Polonia Council” and “Wspólnota Polska.” Over 350 representatives of the Polish diaspora from 45 countries and 6 continents came to Poland for the four days’ Zjazd. The first Polonia World Congress was held in 1929.
The 2023 Conference began on Thursday, June 29 at St. John’s Cathedral in Warsaw, with a Holy Mass for the intention of the homeland. Wraths were laid on the graves of Primate Stefan Wyszyński, Primate Józef Glemp and Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Then the delegates were invited to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland. There they were greeted by Deputy Marshal Małgorzata Gosiecka, who read a letter from the Marshal of the Sejm Elżbieta Witek.
Also speaking at the Sejm were Jan Dziedziczak, Government Plenipotentiary for Polonia and Poles Abroad, Jarosław Narkewicz, Chairman of the Council of the Polish Diaspora of the World and Dariusz Bonisławski, President of “Wspólnota Polska.”
In the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, a plenary session of the Polish Community Council of the World “Country – Emigration – Community of Values and Actions” took place, chaired by Minister Jan Dziedziczak, Government Plenipotentiary for Polonia and Poles Abroad. It was attended by, among others, Piotr Wawrzyk, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Przemysław Czarnek, Minister of Education and Science, and Deputy Marshal Małgorzata Gosiewska.
During the session, awards were given to Polonia organizations. Minister Dziedziczak presented decorations to Dariusz Bonisławski, Jarosław Narkiewicz and Teresa Sygnarek.
A key event at the congress was the reception of delegates by the presidential couple in the Presidential Palace. President Andrzej Duda thanked the North American Polish community for their support in the accession of Poland to NATO. The “Mazowsze” national Polish folk-dance group sang at the reception.
Delegates from 44 countries had the opportunity to take photographs with the presidential couple, and their gracious hospitality went far beyond mere performance of duty. The presidential couple emphasized that the Polish diaspora should feel that it is a co-host, and not an outside petitioner.
Dariusz Bonisławski, president of the “Polish Community,” presented Minister Jan Dziedziczak with a badge awarded by the Council of the Polish Diaspora of the World, chaired by Jarosław Narkiewicz, in appreciation of his continuing efforts to build an integrated Polish community and care for the Polish Diaspora.
Poland’s Ambassador, Adam Kwiatkowski, received the Professor Andrzej Stelmachowski Award from the “Wspólnota Polska.”
The convention ended with a Holy Mass in the Temple of Divine Providence.
n the photo from the left: Chris Nowotarski President of the Polish American Congress Charitable Foundation, Małgorzata Margo Schulz the Polish American Congress National Vice President for Media and Publicity, Piotr Bonisławski ,President of the “Wspólnota Polska,” Frank J. Spula the Polish American Congress President, Bożena Kamińska Polish American Congress National Vice President for Polish Affairs, Alicja Kuklińska a National Director of the Polish American Congress and National Secretary of the Polish National Alliance and Andrzej Kamiński, Esq. President of the Polish American Congress New York Division.
