The challenge in reporting on such an important celebration is to decide on the way to describe the event. Should the focus of this article be a reporting of the physical happenings or should it be a presentation of the thoughts of the participants including the words of the founder.  Our emphasis is on thoughts of the participants whose words provide guidance and insight not only for the future of the Orchard Lake Schools but for Polonia in its many manifest forms.

        The first reading of the Mass was from the Book of Wisdom and in many ways it represents the tone and the basis for the philosophy of Father Dąbrowski. From the Book of Wisdom we have:” For in her (Wisdom) is spirit intelligence, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, clear, unstained,….. Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity. “This fundamental philosophy is to be understood within expressed within context of Catholicism and the Polish experience in America.   

     Father Timothy Whalen, the Chancellor of the  Orchard Schools, in the publication Orchard Lake Good News, responded to excerpts of three quotes from Father Dąbrowski which were published in the Detroit Free Press on July 22, 1885 at the laying of the cornerstone of the original Seminary. Father Whalen illustrated the deep insight and applicability of the philosophy of Father Dąbrowski today in 2010.  In 1885 Father Dąbrowski said:

          “I have in view the education of Polish Candidates   for the priesthood and the education of others… The better a people is educated, the better they enjoy liberty and the better citizens they become of America”.  A second quotation “I deem the erection of this Seminary more necessary than the building of expensive churches.”  The third quotation “Intelligence makes men free.”

       Let me cite one example of Father Whalen’s response to the thoughts of Father Dąbrowski and suggest that refer you to the Orchard Lake Good News --- summer 2010 for the article detailing the remainder of his thoughts. “ Today, Father Dąbrowski would be extremely proud knowing that many of our seminarians have served as chaplains to the U.S. military, and in the last year  (2009) four of our prep school graduate were accepted into the prestigious armed services institution, the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. This is unprecedented for a school our size! What’s more, they have been joined by three 2010 graduates who have been accepted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Naval and Coast Guard Academies.”

         Father Whalen has every reason to be proud of his leadership within the tradition of Father Dąbrowski’s philosophy which has educated many young men in the Prep School to go on to many fine Universities and great careers. Additionally there is the current education of the many seminarians from Poland who now serve as priests in some Polish as well as many non-Polish speaking parishes throughout the United States.

       In his homily Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron   invoked the thoughts of Karol Wojtyła who as Pope John Paul II presented many ideas which certainly would have resonated with the philosophy of Father Dąbrowski and which would have provided guidance to Polonia and her role within the Church. Archbishop Vigneron who gave a moving sermon at the Orchard Lake Chapel at the time of the recent Smoleńsk plane crash continues to demonstrate a deepening insight into Polonia and the role of the thoughts of John Paul II. Before giving a citation from the Archbishop’s homily, it is beneficial to reflect that prior to becoming Pope; Cardinal Karol Wojtyła spent some vacation time at Orchard Lake where he would have become very familiar with the philosophy of Father Dąbrowski and its successful application. Among the Archbishop’s many insights I would like to cite his view on the role of Polonia because we are in a period of duality in which there are “The two views of the nature of the family,… two views of what it means to succeed and what means to fail” The Archbishop stressed in his remarks that in this environment of duality, the Schools of Orchard Lake will bear witness to the teachings of the gospel. The point being that by being witness to the gospel one will be able to alter the balance within this social duality.  A theme that is consistent with the views of John Paul II and that of Father Dąbrowski.

       At the banquet Cardinal Edmund Szoka presented a most far reaching idea when speaking about Polonia’s mission. Because of the growth in Catholicism in Africa he suggested that Sts. Cyril and Methodius Seminary consider accepting candidates from Africa to be educated to become Priests. This certainly is consistent with the mission of Polonia as expressed by Pope John Paul II in the homily of Archbishop Vigneron. Cardinal Szoka in one fell swoop has presented the idea that Polonia and its Catholic mission can transcend the Polish language without losing its Polish character and values. However, in its trancendence the Catholic mission of Polonia ends up reinforcing and introducing Polish values for millions of the faithful here and throughout the world.  I would argue that rather than diminish the value of Polish it would enhance it as more people would want to understand Polish. It is through the language of a people that we come to understand them at a deeper level, particularly if we are influenced by that peoples’ values.

        As a part of understanding the influence of Father Dąbrowski, we can look to the Polish Mission at Orchard Lake. The Polish Mission under the leadership of Marcin Chumiecki seeks to preserve Polish genealogical and historical documents that are in its possession. Furthermore, in its wisdom they will be digitizing parts of it collection so there can be a greater distribution of Polish military history from the Second World War.  The Polish Mission has secured grants from the Polish Ministry of Culture. In the fall it will be hosting several prominent academics from Poland.  In addition it is seeking confirmation for visits from the Polish Ministry of Culture, the Museum of Polish History, the Museum of Polish Military History, the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising, and the Polish National Archives. Surely, Father Dąbrowski who was a participant of in the 1860 Uprising and barely escaped capture and imprisonment by the Russians would be proud to know that the preservation and transmission of Polish values and history is being so thoroughly taken care of at Orchard Lake. In his letter to Polonians in the summer 2010 edition of the Orchard Lake Good News Mr. Chumiecki echoes the earlier quotation from Father Dąbrowski:

 “We Poles have the right to enjoy complete liberty in this country but liberty cannot be fully enjoyed by uneducated people. The better a people is educated, the better they enjoy liberty and the better citizens they become of America.”

    On Sunday, July 25^th, This writer had the opportunity to speak with Father Tomasz Sielicki SChr. the Secretary General of the Society of Christ whose worldwide mission is to minister to Polonia. Father Sielicki attended the July 22^nd. celebration at Orchard Lake. When he was asked how the mission of the Society of Christ compared with the work of Father Dąbrowski, he replied that there was closeness with the mission of Orchard Lake as conceived by Father Dąbrowski. Their respective missions were to minister to new Polish emigrants and to the evolving nature of Polonia. He then went on to elaborate about the generational transformation of Polonia and other ethnic groups like the Italians, the Irish, and the Albanians etc. within the American experience.  The first generation, in the case of Polonia, spoke primarily Polish; the second generation was bi-lingual in Polish and English. The third for the most part spoke only English and were thoroughly American, while considering themselves as Americans of Polish descent.  This process of assimilation and integration is a natural one which occurs across all ethnic groups. He went on to cite the importance of having an English Mass at the Society of Christ Churches in America for this younger generation. The benefits for this action would be the enhanced preservation of Polonia, Polish values and most importantly the more effective ministering to the spiritual needs of this primarily English speaking generation of Polonia who must confront  the spiritual and material challenges of today’s world.

       In conclusion one can salute the vision of Father Dąbrowski and the Orchard Lake Schools as an example of the persistence of Polish values while experiencing the natural process of generational transformation.