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Panna Maria Heritage Center
Visitor Experience, #5 in Series
Immigration to Texas/Texas Silesian Settlements 1854-2015
THE FIVE MOCZYGEMBA PRIESTS This painting will be 8 ft. wide and 6 ft. tall. You probably recognize the one in the center is
the famous Father Leopold, founder of Panna Maria and the Patriarch of American Polonia;
the word “Polonia” describes the 12 million Polish people who presently live in our nation. Can
you recognize the other four? The other four Moczygemba Priests will be identified in a
coming newsletter.
Arrival in Texas 1854, Settlers Trek to San Antonio/Panna Maria
The first Silesian settlers arrived in Galveston on December 3, 1854. They wore Silesian
clothing, heavy blue woolen coats, small crowned, wide brimmed hats and wooden shoes.
The men wore heavy wool pants and wool coats. The women wore Silesian peasant
dresses, scandalously short by American standards; the ankle was visible. They brought
their bedding, kitchen utensils, farm equipment and religious articles from home.
When they arrived in Galveston they found people from a variety of different cultures, i.e.,
cowboys, Native Americans, Mexicans, Europeans, Black slaves, and Americans. The
Silesians neither spoke nor understood any English.
Fr. Moczygemba was not there to meet them. They managed to acquire boat transportation
to the port of Indianola, Texas, further down the coast. From there they hired Mexican ox
carts to take them and their belongings overland to San Antonio.
Our Ancestors arrival in Texas; this temporary pencil drawing will be in color in our center.
The caravan of bewildered, beleaguered, extremely tired immigrants, our ancestors, arrived in San
Antonio, Tuesday, December 21st. Father Moczygemba was not there to meet them. He had been
transferred to Castroville in his new appointment as head of the Conventual Franciscans in Texas.
As soon as he found out that they had arrived, he went to meet his brothers, relatives, and kinsmen.
What a reunion!
Father welcomed them, and announced to them that they needed to travel three more days back
towards the Gulf coast. He assured them he had secured land for them at a place where a river (San
Antonio) and a running creek (Cibolo) meet. The land had been surveyed thoroughly previously by
Father Leopold and a prominent real estate agent, John Twohig, who was Catholic. I assume that
some of the members of the group, namely the craftsmen, remained in San Antonio after seeing the
stores, homes, and Catholic Church of San Fernando. Perhaps others decided to also stay in San
Antonio for various reasons. Further historical research is needed.
On Friday, December 24th, they finally arrived at the designated location. At this new place, they
would finally have the opportunity to celebrate and worship freely, live according to their customs
and values, and be able to make a better life for themselves and us their descendants. There was
nothing there except a livery – a small building where horses could be feed and cared for – on the
La Bahia Road, a trail to historic Goliad.
Divine Providence chose that place to reward their strong faith by offering Christmas Midnight
Mass (Pasterka) in thanksgiving under the oak tree that still stands there today. The oak tree
which can live for hundreds of years is a great symbol of their strength of will to endure, and even
welcome the trials, crosses, “ups and downs” of life peacefully, even joyfully. Their devotion and
love of Mary, Mother of God’s son, Jesus, led Father Moczygemba to the place he named Panna
Maria, Virgin Mary in Polish. Thus you have the oldest Polish parish in the USA and the oldest
permanent Polish settlement in the USA – December 24, 1854, Panna Maria, Texas.
Christmas Midnight Mass under the Great Oak tree; this temporary pencil drawing will be in
color in our center, 11 feet wide and 6 feet tall.
WESOŁYCH ŚWIĄT BOŻEGO NARODZENIA
A merry and Holy Christmas to you all from the Panna Maria Heritage Center, its Board of
Directors, Fund Raising Committee, Construction Committee, Consultants, Honorary
Directors, Major Donors, Heritage Circle Members, all of our generous donors, those family
treasures that have been scanned into our abundant archives, our many saintly supporters
– Prayer: the Greatest Power on Earth!
Panna Maria Heritage Center Foundation P.O. Box 28125
San Antonio, Texas 78228
Naming Opportunities
(#1-4 indicate Newsletter number with description)
#1 Building (Seed money, present and permanent support) Bishop Yanta Trust in memory
of his parents John and Mary Pollok Yanta) ................................................................................ $3,000,000
#3 Rotunda ..................................................................................................................................................... $1,000,000
Rotunda Saints
#3 Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Czestochowa ..................................................................... $750,000
#3 Saints Cyril and Methodius .................................................................................................... $750,000
#3 Saint Hedwig ................................................................................................................................ $500,000
#3 Saint Stanislaus ........................................................................................................................... $500,000
#3 Saint Hyacinth ............................................................................................................................. $500,000
#3 Saint Pope John Paul II ............................................................................................................ $500,000
Multipurpose Room and Temporary Exhibit Space ......................................................................... $500,000
Theater ............................................................................................................................................................. $1,000,000
Library and Genealogy Research Room ................................................................................................. $100,000
(Taken by Father Leopold Moczygemba Foundation)
Entry and Reception ................................................................................................................................... $1,000,000
#2 Lobby ..................................................................................................................................... $100,000 and above
#2 (Heritage Circle (Major) donors will have their names prominently displayed in lobby)
Current Heritage Circle Donors
In loving memory of Sam, Sr. and Faustina Woytasczyk Kotara by her children
The George Kowalik Family, in memory of Melchior & Anna Kowalik and Thomas & Hedwig Czerner Kowalik
In memory of Lambert and Lillian Plasczyk Respondek by Dr. Martha Respondek
Pat and Barbara Moczygemba Hoffmann
In memory of Vincent and Leona Zezula Janysek by children
The Father Leopold Moczygemba Foundation
In memory of our grandparents Louis & Anastasia Janysek Pawelek and Theodore & Eleanora Dragon Labus by Randy & Debbie, Ryan & Rebekah Pawelek
The Andy and Joyce Rives Family in memory of Alvin James Pawelek
In memory of Lambert and Rosalie (Pawelek) Titzman families
In memory of John and Mary Yanta by Joe and Joyce Yanta
In memory of Philip Dziuk and Mary Ann Moczygemba
by great-grandson Bishop John W. Yanta
In memory of John Pollok and Anna Gorzel by great-grandson Bishop John W. Yanta
Kenedy Memorial Foundation
Valero Energy Foundation
In memory of John and Mary Yanta by Ernest Yanta
In memory of John A. and Mary Yanta by Valeria, Ernest, John, †Fabian and Joe
In memory of Fabian Yanta by Anonymous
John A. and Mary Yanta Memorial Trust by Bishop John W. Yanta, Trustee
Heritage Circle Information
The Panna Maria Heritage Circle has been created to celebrate the strong threads that tie the future to the past and honor our most faithful supporters of the Heritage Center. Through the Heritage Circle we honor those who have been shown their strong, early commitment to the Panna Maria Heritage Center. Members of the Heritage Circle will have made major gift commitments of $100,000+. In acknowledgment and appreciation of their support, Heritage Circle Members will receive:
Inclusion on a special permanent fixture in the Main Entry Lobby A naming opportunity in the Heritage Center commensurate with the size of their
gift (members will have first selection of naming opportunities) Invitation to special VIP events throughout the course of the project Participation at a VIP level in the Groundbreaking and the Dedication and Ribbon
Cutting Special listing at the site during construction A special commemorative gift Lifetime membership to the Heritage Center
There are 77 Naming Opportunities for various exhibits, statues, paintings, rooms, areas, etc., to sponsor or remember a loved one in a memorial. Money can be given in many forms: pledges over time, estimates of giving, yearly gifts, in-kind gifts, insurance, royalty, year-end gifts, etc. PMHC is a IRS 501, c, 3 non-profit organization. Your gift is tax deductible. Your CPA can be helpful. If you have any questions, please call 210-263-7270 or contact the Board of Directors and Fundraising Committee: Bishop John Yanta, Msgr. Frank Kurzaj, Fr. Wieslaw Iwaniec, Al Notzon, Pat and Barbara Hoffmann, Sam and Suzy Kotara, Betty and George Kowalik, Loretta and Adrian Niestroy, Al Notzon, Randy Pawelek, Norman Pollok, Cheryl Pruski, Dr. Martha Respondek, Joyce Rives, Lambert and Rosalie Titzman, John Wojtasczyk, and Joe Yanta. Some members of the Heritage Circle have done so by going together as siblings and/ or payments spread out over time. These are good will estimates of giving which might require even more time or consideration due to economic conditions beyond control. The Center is a memorial to our Silesian Polish Immigrant ancestors! God has truly blessed us though them!
MORE NAMING OPPORTUNITIES
Interactive Display of Polish Family Names, and Texas Silesian Polish Settlements ........ $250,000
Arched Mural (Family Prayer and 12 Monitors) ............................................................................... $250,000
Conference Room ............................................................................................................................................ $100,000
Concession Area ............................................................................................................................................... $250,000
Computer Room/Genealogy Video Room ............................................................................................. $250,000
Historic Fireplace ............................................................................................................................................ $150,000
Exhibit Niches Panna Maria Pastors (Taken by Barbara and Patrick Hoffmann) ............................... $100,000
A listing of all the priests who have served in Panna Maria
Texas Silesian Polish Priests (not a Panna Maria Pastor) ............................................... $100,000
Texas Polish Silesian with Religious Vocations ................................................................... $100,000
A listing of Texas Polish Silesian nuns, sisters, and brothers
Offices (2 available) each ............................................................................................................................. $100,000
Main Exhibit Hall ......................................................................................................................................... $2,000,000
Archive (Taken by Bishop Yanta in memory of his parents) ........................................................... $500,000
Gallery .................................................................................................................................................................. $250,000
Work Room ........................................................................................................................................................ $100,000
Area 3, Early Poland and Silesia, 996 to 1854
#4 Early Poland and Quote by John Paul II .......................................................................................... $150,000
#4 Jagiellonian Dynasty, Nicolaus Copernicus ................................................................................... $150,000
#4 Gothic Period in Poland ........................................................................................................................... $50,000
#4 Royal Republics, King Jan III Sobieski .............................................................................................. $150,000
#4 Renaissance Period in Poland ............................................................................................................... $50,000
#4 Tadeusz Kosciuszko ................................................................................................................................. $150,000
#4 Baroque Period in Poland, St. Peter and St. Paul Church, Krakow ...................................... $150,000
#4 Partitions of Poland ................................................................................................................................. $200,000
#4 A Letter from Fr. Moczygemba ........................................................................................................... $150,000
#4 Folk Architecture in Poland, Wooden Country Style Church .................................................. $50,000
#4 Silesia, the Homeland Left Behind ..................................................................................................... $200,000
#4 Ocean Voyage to Texas ........................................................................................................................... $250,000
#4 Baroque Ceiling Painting ....................................................................................................................... $150,000
#2 Accordion Graphic of all Silesian Polish Families that came to Texas (1854-1870) ... $150,000
Area 4, Immigration to Texas/Silesian Settlements 1854 to Present
Arrival to Texas/Trek to San Antonio .................................................................................................... $500,000
Midnight Mass, Christmas Eve, 1854 ...................................................................................................... $500,000
Getting Started/The Early Years ............................................................................................................... $250,000
Civil War/Peter Kiolbassa ........................................................................................................................... $150,000
The Resurrectionist Fathers ....................................................................................................................... $150,000
The Blue Sisters, Education in the Texas Silesian Communities ................................................. $150,000
Expansion, White Deer and McCook ....................................................................................................... $200,000
Ranching, Farming, Family, Community, and Church...................................................................... $300,000
(Taken by Sam and Susie Kotara and sister, Mary Ann)
Panna Maria, an Image of Polish Texas .................................................................................................. $300,000
Area 5, Texas Silesian Parishes
Large (6’x3’) electronically illumined graphic appearing to be beautiful stained
glass window.
Immaculate Conception, Panna Maria ....................................................................................... $75,000
(Taken by Andy and Joyce Rives)
Annunciation of BVM, St. Hedwig ................................................................................................ $75,000
Nativity of BVM, Czestochowa....................................................................................................... $75,000
(Taken by Lambert and Rosalie Titzman)
Immaculate Conception, McCook ................................................................................................. $50,000
Sacred Heart, White Deer ................................................................................................................ $50,000
Holy Cross, Yorktown........................................................................................................................ $50,000
(Taken by Dr. Martha Respondek)
St. Stanislaus, Bandera ...................................................................................................................... $50,000
Holy Trinity, Falls City ...................................................................................................................... $50,000
(Taken by Barbara Moczygemba Hoffmann and 3 brothers)
St. Ann, Kosciuszko ............................................................................................................................ $50,000
(Taken by Mark Hoffmann)
St. Peter and St. Paul Cemetery, Meyersville ........................................................................... $25,000
(Taken by Dr. Martha Respondek)
St. Joseph Cemetery, Inez ................................................................................................................ $25,000
St. Joseph Cemetery, Las Gallinas ................................................................................................. $25,000
St. Michael’s Cemetery, San Antonio ........................................................................................... $25,000
Fr. Moczygemba Sculpture ............................................................................................................................ $50,000
Fr. Moczygemba Accomplishments, Moczygemba Priests, Moczygemba Legacy ............... $150,000
Display Case for Rotating Exhibits (e.g., Historic Prayer Books, Wedding and First
Communion Certificates, etc.). .................................................................................................... $100,000
Area 6, Twentieth Century Poland
WW I, Poland Regains Independence ..................................................................................................... $150,000
WW II, Poland Invaded by Germans and Soviets, Allied Victory ................................................ $150,000
Communist Poland 1945-1989 ................................................................................................................. $150,000
A Polish Pope, Bishop Karol Wojtyla Becomes Pope in 1978 ...................................................... $150,000
Solidarity Succeeds, Collapse of Communism, the Berlin Wall Falls ......................................... $150,000
Section of the Berlin Wall ............................................................................................................................... $50,000
Area 7, Polish Renaissance in Texas
Poland’s Millennium of Christianity ........................................................................................................ $250,000
Polish American Priests Association Established in Texas, the Vanguard of the Polish
Renaissance in Texas ................................................................................................................................ $150,000
Bishop John W. Yanta, the first Bishop from the Polish Immigration of 1854...................... $200,000
The Polish Pope, John Paul II visits San Antonio ............................................................................... $250,000
Silesians Texans Return to Poland, Fr. Leopold Moczygemba Foundation, Panna Maria
Historical Society, Silesian Profiles .................................................................................................... $250,000
Area 8
Water Well & Pump donated by Thomas Moy & Sons Water Well Drilling, Inc.
Book collection of autho, Hon. Robert Thonhoff
Survey work by Pollok Surveyors
*** If you wish to receive these newsletters regularly by e-mail or U.S. mail, simply send us your information to our e-mail or U.S. mail address below. Prayer, the greatest power on earth. May God Bless You and Yours, and have a Merry & Holy Christmas
Retired Bishop John W. Yanta, President; Panna Maria Heritage Center P.O. Box 28125; San Antonio, Texas 78228; Tel.: 210.263.7270
Please visit our web site, www.pannamariacenter.org, and follow the progress of the project, Panna Maria Heritage Center, on Facebook.