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For those that can attend; there will
be a ceremony and benediction given by Bishop Foley. Following Mass
there will be a dinner held at Polonia Hall. Ladies, please plan to
donate a dish to pass, and at that I only request one thing… that
no meat will be served or eaten on this day in honor of St.
Josaphat, who abstained from meat throughout his life out of
devotion to our Lord. The weekend will include many celebratory
events that the parish social committees are planning. Please stop
in the vestibule after Mass to look over the scheduled events and
sign up to work at one or two functions. With God's blessing it
will be a wonderful occasion. So, as I again thank all of you, let
us ask the blessing of St. Josaphat and our Lord Jesus Christ and
we pray… ."
    After the blessing of the gifts, Joe followed
his parents out of the pew for Communion. He crossed his arms over
his chest as he knelt next to Matka at the altar. This signified to
the priest that he had not received the First Holy Communion
sacrament, so Father Gatowski instead, lay his hand on Joe's head,
giving him a small blessing for the week, and moved down to
distribute a holy wafer on the tongue of Ojciec and the others
kneeling at the altar.
    After Mass, Joe walked as quickly as he could
to the back of the church but not so fast he'd be noticed by one of
the nuns who were always watching. Reaching the vestibule, he saw
the plans for the big festival posted on a large easel. A polka
band would play for a dance on that Friday evening. Joe had never
been to a dance before, and he wondered if he'd be allowed to
attend. On Saturday morning a baseball game for the boys from the
school would be held at a small park near the church. After a
picnic lunch, the men of the parish could join a team that would
play in the afternoon. Later, the parishioners would reconvene at
the church for an evening of song. Tunes from the old county were
to be sung followed by dessert and coffee in the basement. The
festivities would end with a special Mass on Sunday. Proceeds from
a weekend long bake sale would go to buy supplies for the new
school.
    Joe swiftly wrote his name on the signup
sheet for the boys' baseball game. He wanted to make sure he
secured a spot on one of the teams. As he turned to walk away, he
was surprised to see his father signing up for the baseball game on
Saturday afternoon. "Ojciec, have you played baseball before?"
asked Joe.
    "No, Joe but I've wanted to since I first
heard about it when I came to this country. I see you and the
neighborhood boys playing in the street, and I think I could learn
to play. I am not too old, you know. Twenty-eight is not too old of
a man yet, my son. Perhaps you can teach me a couple of the rules
in the backyard this afternoon?"
    "Yes, Ojciec. Sure! That will be fun!" Joe
could hardly believe it. Ojciec had never played a game with him
before. When they'd lived in the Upper Peninsula his father had
always been too tired from working in the mine, and seven months of
snow prohibited much outdoor playing time. Walking home from
church, Joe felt that his family was truly on their way to living
the American dream.

Chapter
Four
    Joe's parents stopped to talk to their friends Mr.
and Mrs. Stanislewski, who were sitting on their front porch. The
Stanislewski's had lived in a village near where Mikołaj and Blanca
had come from in Poland. The couples liked to compare stories and
war reports they heard throughout the week from newspapers and from
new immigrants arriving in Detroit. The Prussian army was heavily
entrenched in the region where they'd lived, and accurate reporting
on the state of their villages was difficult to ascertain. Joe sat
on the porch step for a few minutes until there was a small break
in the conversation.
    "Would you like a sugar cookie, Mrs.
Stanislewski?" Blanca ventured, pulling the sweet smelling treat
from the basket she had taken to church.
    "I'd love one, Mrs. Jopolowski! You do make
the finest sweets on this