[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 127 (Wednesday, August 2, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1589-E1590]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


``STO LAT'' ST. JOSEPH'S SOCIETY OF PALMER ON YOUR 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______


                          HON. RICHARD E. NEAL

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, August 2, 1995
  Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, on August 12, 1995, the St. Joseph's Society 
of Palmer, MA, will celebrate its 100-year anniversary. Located in the 
village of Thorndike, the St. Joseph's Society has served generations 
of Polish-Americans as a social, spiritual, and athletic organization.
  Upon the occasion of its 100-year anniversary, I proudly take this 
opportunity to enter the complete history of the St. Joseph's Society 
into the Congressional Record. May St. Joe's continue to flourish in 
the years to come.
                                History

       The Nineteenth Century found people leaving their 
     respective homelands for many and varied reasons to start 
     life over in the New World. The first Poles to arrive in the 
     Town of Palmer came in 1888.
       In 1891 the Rev. Chalupka of Chicopee was instrumental in 
     getting the Polish settlers of Thorndike and the other three 
     villages of the town of Palmer to unite and form a society. 
     It took nearly four years, and in April of 1895 the St. 
     Joseph's Society was founded; its first purpose was to 
     establish a fund to help the members in case of illness and 
     to help form a Polish-speaking parish for the increasing 
     number of Poles in the area.
       The first governing committee consisted of: President--
     Joseph A. Mijal, Vice-President--Grzegorz Wisnowski, 
     Treasurer--Thomas Kruszyna, Secretary--Stanley Ziemba. The 
     next three years were trying for the society and their 
     meeting places were the homes of the various members. At 
     times, it looked as if the society would break up. Then, in 
     1898, the St. Joseph Society was given new blood by the 
     joining of new members. In that year the society started to 
     flourish under the committee of: President--Stanley Ziemba, 
     Vice-President--Paul Pietryka, Treasurer--Symon Jorczak, 
     Secretary--Michael Pelcarski, Marshall--Frank Salamon.
       During 1898 the society chose Stanley Ziemba, Symon 
     Jorczak, John Bielski, Michael Pelczarski, Frank Salamon, 
     Marian Wlodyka, Albert Kolbusz, and Walter Krolik to explore 
     the possibility of a Polish-speaking church. In the meantime, 
     individuals traveled to Chicopee when their needs 
     necessitated ministry in their native tongue. Occasionally, 
     visiting priests of Polish descent ministered to their 
     spiritual needs.
       The firsts site chosen for the proposed Polish-speaking 
     church was on Main Street in Thorndike, directly across from 
     Four Corners Cemetery. In 1902, Bishop Thomas Daniel Beavar 
     D.D. appointed Rev. Wenceslaus Lenz as the pastor of the 
     first, Polish-speaking, St. Peter and Paul Parish. The site 
     was later changed to a more central location for the town of 
     Palmer--``Four Corners''.
       In 1902 the St. Joseph's Society was incorporated as an 
     Insurance Aid Society in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 
     The membership grew quickly and all the villages were well 
     among the membership of the society. Under the Insurance Aid 
     Society all the members received weekly benefits of three 
     dollars for thirteen weeks when sick.
       In 1908 a lot was purchased by the society on High Street, 
     Thorndike, and the following year a building was bought and 
     moved by members of this lot. This was the first home of the 
     society. In 1912 the society replaced the first home on High 
     Street with a new and larger building, one which had more 
     room for larger Polish gatherings. It was now that the Polish 
     of this area could have a place for dances, weddings, and 
     plays, as well as a central location for its members.
       In 1940 the society purchased the Ducy Home on Commercial 
     Street, Thorndike. After months of remodeling and 
     improvements made to the home and grounds, the society opened 
     the new home on May 10, 1940. This new society quarters 
     maintained a library of Polish books and daily newspapers, a 
     sports room of pool tables, ping pong, plus a bar and lounge 
     for members, guests, and their families.
       In 1952 an addition was added to the society home 
     consisting of two floors. The top floor was to be used as a 
     ballroom for banquets, dances, and society meetings. The 
     lower section was to be used for serving food and 
     refreshments for all affairs held in the new addition. Three 
     air-conditioning units were installed for the new addition, 
     also for the bar and lounge patrons comfort.
       In 1967 the society voted to remodel the interior of the 
     bar and lounge. After several months of improvements the 
     society now had a horseshoe bar for at least eighteen 
     patrons, and a beautiful lounge with a 16 x 16 highly 
     polished dance floor. The buildings old windows were removed 
     in front and replaced by two large picture windows with 
     drapery, colonial style.
       The St. Joseph's Society has been well represented in the 
     sports field. The St. Joseph's Club Ball Teams won the 
     Quaboag Baseball Championships in 1937, 1939, and 1940; 
     softball champions in 1944. The club Bowling Team has also 
     won its share of trophies.
       In 1948 the Self Locking Carton Co., now known as Diamond 
     National Corp., Thorndike, deeded land to the society on 
     Upper Pine Street for the purpose of building a 

[[Page E1590]]
     baseball park and a park for children. Through the efforts of the Self 
     Locking Carton Co. and society members hard work, a wonderful 
     and beautiful park/playground was realized. A shelter for 
     picnics and dancing was built on the grounds. Today, just 
     about everyone uses the St. Joseph's Ball Park; Palmer High 
     School, jay-vees, local elementary leagues, the Sandlot team, 
     pee-wees, and the St. Joseph's A.A. Baseball team. The Palmer 
     Lion's Club has a big field day every Labor Day at the park.
       In 1966, under the guidance of William Buck Hurley, the St. 
     Joseph's Club Baseball Team finished second in standings in 
     the Tri-County League of Springfield. Many fine college boys 
     from the surrounding towns played hard for the St. Joseph's 
     Ball Team. Pete Beynor, pitcher from Palmer for the St. 
     Joseph's Ball Team, won the most valuable player award for 
     the 1966 Tri-County League. A great honor for Pete Beynor and 
     the St. Joseph's Ball Team.
       On October 22, 1972, the society's chaplain, Rev. A.A. 
     Skoniecki, retired and was replaced by Rev. Robert J. 
     Ceckowski.
       In October of 1975 Society members participated in a ``Week 
     of Remembrance'' in commemoration of Poles annihilated during 
     World War II. Activities of the week included: a parade, 
     memorial mass, and the dedication of a wooden shrine which 
     stood outside of St. Peter and Paul Parish.
       On May 2, 1976, the society actively participated in the 
     Town of Palmer's Bicentennial Parade.
       On October 16, 1978, Poles throughout the world were elated 
     and honored when Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, Archbishop of 
     Krakow, Poland, was elected as the Vicar of Christ to become 
     Pope John Paul II.
       To commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the 
     dedication of St. Peter and Paul Parish, the society 
     purchased a hand carved, wooden statue of the Resurrected 
     Christ. This statue is carried by society members during the 
     Easter Resurrection Mass at St. Peter and Paul Parish.
       The society continues its athletic association by 
     supporting its A.A. Baseball team as part of the Tri-County 
     League. To commemorate the one hundredth anniversary, the 
     society has financed the erection of a lighting system for 
     night baseball and football at St. Joseph's Field on Pine 
     Street. This coming season, Pathfinder Regional Vocational 
     Technical High School will use St. Joseph's as its home 
     field.
       Several years ago, the last member of the first immigration 
     to this area from Poland died. Today, the society consists of 
     Polish-Americans from the first, second, third, and even the 
     fourth generation. The constitution, which was written 
     entirely in the Polish language, has been re-written into 
     English. Still, many of the original Polish traditions are 
     observed by the society such as, taking part in the Corpus 
     Christi Procession and the blessing of food for the Easter 
     Sunday breakfast after Resurrection Mass.
       For the past twenty-five years the society has been under 
     the capable leadership of Fred S. Tyburski. Longtime 
     treasurer Alphonse Lasota has been the guardian of the 
     society's treasury. The society still maintains a sick 
     benefit and a death benefit. Throughout all the years of its 
     existence the society has made charitable contributions to a 
     number of worthy causes.
       St. Joseph's Society, 1885-1995, 100 YEARS!
       ``STO LAT.''
       

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