The jovial crowd is gathered together in Chappell Hill for a festive day of Polish caroling known as Polskie Kolędy. The singers, most of Polish descent, sway as they belt out traditional carols — some sung in English, others in Polish — accompanied by an accordion, violin, clarinet, guitar, and double bass. Some are dressed in traditional folk costumes in red and white — the colors of the Polish flag — while others wear plaid, or dress up as shepherds and angels. They laugh and chat as they leave one farm and stroll to the next, serenading their neighbors and friends with the music of their heritage.
“Kolędy celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, announcing to the world a savior has been born,” says Jim “Dr. Jim” Mazurkiewicz (Mah-zur-kay-veech), a fifth generation Pole, who started the Brazos Valley tradition of Polskie Kolędy 14 years ago along with the Texas Polish fiddler, Brian Marshall. “Caroling officially begins after Christmas. Before Christmas is Advent, and we are preparing our souls for the birth of Jesus Christ.”
This year’s Polskie Kolędy will begin with a free concert for the public at noon on New Year's Day at the St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Chappell Hill, and then caroling from farm to farm will continue throughout the day. The celebration will end with fellowship and a feast of food and drinks provided by the host families. “It’s just a Polish tradition that has continued to honor our immigrant ancestors,” he says.
Many of these Polish descendents who gather for Polskie Kolędy are among the fourth wave of Polish immigrants to have settled in urban Texas, according to Dr. Jim. The first major group of documented Polish immigrants to arrive in the Brazos Valley came in 1867, after the Civil War. They set up 13 settlements along the Brazos Valley River.
In 1873, five Polish families helped to establish the still-operational St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in downtown Bryan. Originally, the church services were most likely conducted in Polish but now are held in English. Displayed outside the church is a statue of Saint Casimir, a Polish prince who was known for his generosity toward the sick and the poor. Notable is that he is holding a Polish flag, Dr. Jim says. “The statue has been outside the church since the 19th century, and nobody knows who it is,” he says. Polish history has largely been forgotten; however, it is in the process of being reconstructed, according to Dr. Jim, in reference to Poland’s complex and tumultuous past that has survived despite political upheavals, World War I and World War II. “In 1850, there wasn't a Poland, but then it got put back on the map with [U.S. President] Woodrow Wilson in 1918 after World War I. Then 20 years later, they lost everything again to the Nazis and then to the Communists,” he says. What followed was the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the Third Polish Republic was formed in 1989. “My ancestors aren't given credit for being ethnic Poles because they were considered German citizens,” he says. Dr. Jim has received an honorary doctorate from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences and a medal from the Polish president, which is the highest honor medal one can receive as a non-Polish citizen. Dr. Jim serves as president of the Polish American Council of Texas and founded the Texas A&M Polish Association (TAMPA) in 2015. For his work in agriculture and connecting Texas to Poland, he also serves as the leadership program director for Texas A&M AgriLife extension. “I’m a Polish cowboy,” he says with a laugh. TAMPA meets once a month and is the only Polish heritage organization on campus. Dr. Jim recently started a chapter at University of Texas at Austin. “If Polonia in Texas is to survive, we must work together as one Polonia — including old and new Polonia — in all activities, events and projects,” he says. In the past, the association has hosted socials for their members at which they cook traditional Polish food, such as pierogi (Polish dumpling) and gołąbki (cabbage roll). “In this way we celebrate Polish culture by informing others about Poland and passing down traditions and the culture,” says this year’s president, Josephine Jaraczewski (Yara-chev-ski). “Our general meetings all have a presentation covering current events in Poland, Polish history, and culture.” Their meetings are open to the public, but the majority of members are students. “Without investing in our youth there is no future of Polonia,” Dr. Jim says.
“I think everyone should be proud of their heritage because if it wasn’t for your ancestors, you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation. And we live in the greatest country in the world and we need to celebrate that,” Dr. Jim says. “People need to discuss their differences and try to understand where they’re coming from,” he says. “You don’t know the other person’s pain and how they got where they are.” “I’m very proud to be an American. I’m damn proud to be a Texan, and I can assure you that I’m proud of my heritage,” he says. “That’s who I am.” IN
For more information about TAMPA, contact Jaraczewski at josephine.2018@tamu.edu. Membership fees are $20 dollars for students and $30 for non-students. To request the Polish Christmas carolers to come sing to your home or farm, contact Dr. Jim at jim.mazurkiewicz@gmail.com or (979) 229-8855. There is no charge to have the carolers come sing, but donations are welcome.