Population of Poland
By ethnic origin or nationality:
Polish 37.2 million
Germans 500,000
Ukrainians 300,000
Belarusses 200,000
Lithuanians 20,000
Slovaks 20,000
Czechs 20,000
Jews 15,000
Gypsies 15,000
Armenians 1,500
Karaims (Muslim Tatars) 200
Source: Donosy, 17 September 1992.
American High School Students Invited to Poland
Polish American Cultural Network reports that high school students between the ages of 15 and 18 with an above average academic record and two years of study of a foreign language are eligible to apply to participate in an exchange program to study at a high school in Poland and reside with a Polish family. Also eligible are graduating seniors interested in serving as assistants to English language high school teachers in Poland. Contact Richard Banasikowski, Open Door Student Exchange, P.O. Box 71/250 Fulton Avenue, Hempstead, N.Y. 11551. Tel. 1-800-366-OPEN.
Go to East Central Europe, Middle-Aged Traveller!
As the dollar has plunged against the French franc and the German mark, and $200 meals in Paris became a reality (The NYT C2, August 27, 1992), travel in east central Europe (Poland, Bohemia, Slovakia and Hungary) has become a bargain. Make sure your friends know that.
Poland Receives 1,500 Bosnian Orphans
On October 15, 1992, UPI reported that the Polish government and charitable institutions accepted 1,500 Bosnian children from Bosanski Brod orphaned or made homeless by the ongoing Serbian-Bosnian war. The children and the accompanying personnel arrived in Poland by train and are housed in facilities near Warsaw. They will take instruction in their own language. It is anticipated that when the war is over, those who without relatives in Bosnia will be allowed to remain in Poland.
Croatian Relief Services Welcomes Contributions
The war in the Balkans left destruction in its wake, and Croats need basic supplies. We received a letter stating: "[The city of Mostar] lies in complete ruins. People live in the streets and the shelling takes place on a daily basis. Our friends enter the city at night and leave it at night. They are unable to deliver food during the day. They risk their lives to do so." Send a tax-deductible check to Croatian Relief Services of St. John, 239 Anderson Avenue, Fairview, New Jersey 07022. Tel. 1-800-932-4340, Fax 1-201-945-4890.
Our Lady of Czestochowa Polish Parish in Houston Gets New Pastor
On September 26, 1992, the Rev. Marian Ogorek, S. Ch., was appointed pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa Polish Pastoral Mission, 1731 Blalock, Houston, Texas. The former pastor, the Rev. Edward Traczyk, S.Ch., joined the U.S. Marines as chaplain. Yes Virginia, there is an English Mass on Sunday at 10:00 AM.