NEWS from THE POLISH AMERICAN CONGRESS
DOWNSTATE NEW YORK DIVISION
177 Kent St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11222 – (516) 352-7128
____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 4, 2012
NY PAC TO HONOR PASTOR OF
LONG ISLAND’S ST. HYACINTH
Photo by Polish American Congress
Glen Head, N.Y. .. One of the first Polish Americans the Downstate New York Division of the
Polish American Congress chose to honor at its approaching 2012 Awards Banquet was
Rev. Msgr. Richard Kopinski (right), pastor of St.Hyacinth’s Roman Catholic Church in Glen
Head, N.Y.
Shown here with Msgr. Kopinski is Frank Milewski, president of the Downstate Congress, who
personally visited St. Hyacinth’s Church to congratulate the Monsignor for being selected for the
special designation.
Msgr. .Kopinski has been pastor of St. .Hyacinth’s for the past twenty years and will be
celebrating the 50th anniversary of his priesthood just two years from now.
In choosing him for the honor, the Downstate Congress will also be paying tribute to his entire
Parish “for the powerful spirit of Polish American patriotism that prevails there and sets an
example for all of us.”
That spirit was particularly evident during the 1980’s when Lech Walesa and the striking workers
of Poland’s first free trade union Solidarnosc (Solidarity) were in the midst of their fight against
the Communists who ruled the country at that time. St. Hyacinth’s supported the efforts to bring
freedom and democracy to Poland by displaying a huge and highly visible Solidarnosc banner
across the parish grounds.
It was seen by thousands of motorists every day they drove along the adjacent Route 107. The
banner stayed there for many years and removed only after Solidarity had won its battle with
the Communist regime.
It was also the members of St. Hyacinth’s who played an important role in influencing the City
of Glen Cove to dedicate a section of its public property in support of Solidarity and designating
it as “Lech Walesa Square.”
“I was proud to attend the ceremonies dedicating the square and to witness just how much the
determination and political awareness of these patriotic Polish Americans was able to accomplish,”
said Milewski.
Msgr,.Kopinski is a native Long Islander born and raised in Greenlawn. After completing his
studies at Notre Dame University and then for the priesthood, he devoted himself to Long Island
as a teacher in high school and then at the seminary itself.
Assigned to parish duties afterwards, he spent eight years at Our Lady of Ostrabrama in
Cutchogue before coming to St. Hyacinth’s in 1992.
The Polish American Congress Awards Banquet will be held at Brooklyn’s Polonaise Terrace
on Sunday, October 14th at 4:00 p.m.
Contact: Frank Milewski
(516) 352-7125
Note to Editor: Attachment with this
release is above photo
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