Pocono News Section

Polish Church Honors Those Lost in Plane Crash

Polish Church Honors Those Lost in Plane Crash - Monday, April 12, 2010 at 04:01AM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Monday April 12 2010
EDWARDSVILLE, LUZERNE COUNTY -Sadness over the tragic plan crash that killed Poland's President and nearly 100 other people is reaching around the globe, even to our area.

The Polish National Catholic Church Resurrection of the Lord Parish in Edwardsville remembered the crash victims Sunday.

Reverend Pawel Filip and his family arrived at church wearing black clothes and black ribbons. They're in mourning for the people of their native Poland.

He led the congregation in a prayer for the families they left behind and for the people of Poland. He said, I think all the polish nation lost the light of the Polish people."

The pastor heard about the crash from a family member in Poland. It was night here. And the terrible phone call woke him up. He recalled,"I couldn't believe that it happened."

He left his home country just two years ago - and still feels strong ties to his homeland - it's people and it's leaders. He sighed,"It's very hard to replace these kinds of people - especially the president."

Even parishioners who never lived in Poland say this tragedy impacts them. Margaret Garvin of Edwardsville said,"It just brings everything right to you. Right to your heart." Her grandparents came to the United States from Poland. She explained,"When it is your family like - polish it really means a lot."

The reverend said the Polish are strong. And they will recover from this tragedy. Thanks in part to strong support from around the world. He said,
"When something like this happens all the nations join together - we have the same spirit - the same thinking - we are very close."