Pierogi to Prayer

The story of Father Walter Ciszek, a saint in all butname, is one that has riveted people of faith since he first emerged from the Soviet prison system in the early 1960s. A Jesuit priest descended from Polish immigrants, Father Ciszek shares a unique insight into the nature of sufferingthat is relevant for all those struggling to make sense of it in their lives and the world. Our interview today...

Scores of people around the world marvel at the depth of Polish music and dance traditions. These folk dances contain elements derived from Poland’s history and the influences of her geographic neighbors. The dances showcase Polish culture in arguably the most important manner. This month we sit down with Andrea and Peter Shaefer, two lifelong experts on this wonderful aspect of Poland’s folk trad...

March 19th is the Feast of our patron, St. Joseph. To celebrate this we decided to devote an episode to the long and varied history of St. Joseph’s Polish Church and now the Polish Apostolate here in Camden. We sat down with Dot and Henry Szychulski, lifetime parishioners and the most active members of our community and Apostolate to talk about their memories of the area as well as the history the...

  The crash of thunder, the rush of wind, the howl of wolves in the distance, all are staples of an atmosphere that summons some of our darkest fears. In a rural Poland, these fears could be dangerous realities that preyed on the conscience of our ancestors even more so. Seeking refuge in their unique sense of spirituality and religion, Poland gave birth to the tradition of the Gromnica or Thunder...

In January of 1863, starved for independence, and chaffing under the oppressive rule of foreign occupiers, Poles rose up in the largest and longest uprising in the nation’s history. In this episode, the causes, history, and lessons of this important and sometimes forgotten period of Poland are recounted. In our “Polish Saint of the Month” segment, St. Raphael Kalinowski. Church Tours taking place...

Today on a special Christmas edition of our podcast we welcome Debbie Majka who among other things is the Honorary Polish Consul for Southeastern Pennsylvania and an incredible pillar of the Polish community in the Philadelphia Area. Our wonderful and energetic conversation covers not only her personal experiences and knowledge of Polish Christmas Traditions, but also the ways you can get involved...

Witamy! Welcome to “Pierogi to Prayer!” Today on our very first podcast we will be introducing ourselves and explaining how our Polish heritage is more than just the much loved dumpling known of course as pierogi. Our monthly episodes will feature information about Polish culture and history as well as sharing events that are happening both at St. Joe’s Polish in Camden and throughout our region....