Reconnecting, Texans of Polish Descent Return to Poland to Rediscover Their Heritage
In 1971, Father John Yanta received a Kosciuszko Foundation scholarship to study in Kraków. He returned to Poland the next year to attend classes at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. In June 1973, he relied on his improved language skills and local contacts to lead a pilgrimage to Poland for several dozen Texans descended from the early immigrants. Father Yanta led several similar trips over the years, enabling scores of Texans to meet their Polish relatives and learn new details of their family histories. Father Frank Kurzaj succeeded Father Bernard Goebel as pastor of Immaculate Conception in 1988 and began leading the Polish pilgrimages the next year. The Panna Maria Historical Society (which was founded, appropriately, in the Polish millennium year of 1966) was instrumental in organizing and advertising those trips.
The Father Leopold Moczygemba Foundation was formally incorporated in 2002 to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Father Moczygemba’s arrival in Texas. The foundation’s mission is to build relationships through education and exchange programs, in addition to supporting research and preservation efforts.