[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 160 (Tuesday, October 17, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1954-E1955]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMEMORATING THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF DEDICATING THE FATHER JERZY 
                           POPIELUSZKO STATUE

                                 ______


                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 17, 1995

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the fifth 
anniversary of the dedication of the statue honoring Father Jerzy 
Popieluszko, the young, idealistic priest who was brutally slain in 
October of 1984. To honor Father Jerzy and the people who built the 
statue in his honor, a special commemorative mass will be said on 
Sunday, October 22, at the Stanislaus Kostka Church. The people of 
Greenpoint, home of the statue, and the members of the Polish-American 
Congress deserve our support and praise for honoring a man as brave and 
good as Father Popieluszko. Father Popieluszko lived his life as an 
outspoken supporter of solidarity and human rights. Twelve years have 
passed since his death and his name has become a symbol of a heroic 
battle for truth and justice.
  Father Popieluszko's funeral was a mass celebration which drew crowds 
of tens of thousands. His grave is always covered with fresh flowers 
and surrounded by many people--Poles as well as foreigners who visit 
Poland. His memory and his statue remind our community of the impact he 
had on his native Poles and the important message of what he preached 
and the way of life he showed. Many people have been and continue to be 
positively changed by his message of truth, justice, and moral 
strength.
  The fifth anniversary commemoration at his statue between Bedford 
Avenue and Nassau Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn will continue what 
Father Popieluszko did to unify people. His statue and his memory 
continue to teach us his message of forgiveness in the place of hatred 
and the importance of truth and courage.
  Father Popieluszko was born to a poor farming family in 1947, in the 
village of Okopy, 20 miles from the Soviet border. From early childhood 
he was deeply religious: he rose every morning at 5 a.m. and walked 3 
miles to serve as an altar boy before school. He became a priest in 
1972 and worked as a priest for the next 8 years. He was loved by all 
with whom he worked. Mr. Speaker, it is important that we honor and 
remember a man who went wherever he was needed and worked hard, even in 
the face of his own serious illness.
  The circumstances surrounding Father Popieluszko's abduction and 
murder are still unclear. But, the spirit of Father Popieluszko has 
outlived him and is rightfully honored in his statue and the fifth 
anniversary commemoration of its dedication. Mr. Speaker, I hope all 

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of my colleagues will join me in honoring Father Popieluszko, the 
Polish people, and the members of the Polish-American Congress who will 
honor him on Sunday, October 22.

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