President Karol Nawrocki is setting out on his second trip to the United States. It will begin in Pennsylvania with a visit to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, known as the American Czestochowa. On Sunday, a solemn Mass is planned there, along with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque dedicated to the late Prime Minister Jan Olszewski and a meeting with the Polish community.
“A record-breaking number of members of the Polish diaspora from the East Coast, as well as from Chicago, Florida, and Detroit, are planning to attend. It will be a kind of first greeting between President Nawrocki and the patriotic, pro-independence diaspora, which is extremely proud of the new president,”
said Tadeusz Antoniak, Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army Veterans’ Association of America (SWAP) and head of the Gazeta Polska Club in Philadelphia, in an interview with Niezależna.pl.
On Sunday, the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki and his wife will begin their second visit to the United States. Its main highlight will be Tuesday’s address at the general debate of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Bilateral meetings are also scheduled with, among others, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the leaders of the Baltic States, South Korea, and Montenegro. President Nawrocki will also attend the welcome reception hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, participate in the UN Security Council’s high-level debate on artificial intelligence and international peace and security, as well as in the 5th Summit of the International Crimea Platform.
Before that, however, President Nawrocki will arrive Sunday in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, home to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, known as the American Czestochowa. It is one of the most important religious sites for the Polish diaspora in the United States. Past visitors have included President Andrzej Duda and various prime ministers.
On Sunday, Mass for the Polish community will be celebrated at the Shrine by Bishop Witold Mroziewicz. A special ceremony is also planned – the unveiling of a commemorative plaque dedicated to the late Prime Minister Jan Olszewski. Following these events, a meeting between the President and the Polish community will take place.
“The Polish diaspora is proud of the President”
On the atmosphere among the American Polish community ahead of the visit and meeting with President Karol Nawrocki, Niezależna.pl spoke with Tadeusz Antoniak, head of the Gazeta Polska Club in Philadelphia and Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army Veterans’ Association (SWAP).
“The mood among the Polish community is full of joy and enthusiasm. This is largely due to the fact that a very large number of Poles living in the United States cast their votes for Karol Nawrocki in the recent elections. We are proud of the new president,”
Antoniak told Niezależna.pl.
“A record-breaking group of Polish Americans from the East Coast, as well as from Chicago, Florida, and Detroit, is heading to the American Czestochowa. It will be a symbolic first meeting of President Nawrocki with the patriotic and pro-independence diaspora,”
Antoniak stressed.
The main event of the visit to the spiritual capital of Polish Americans will be the unveiling of a plaque dedicated to Prime Minister Jan Olszewski. It was created through the cooperation of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) Committee and the Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union. The President will be accompanied at the unveiling by his wife, Marta, as well as by former ministers from Jan Olszewski’s government: Antoni Macierewicz and Jan Parys.
“After the solemn Mass, an open-air meeting of the President with the diaspora is planned, along with Karol Nawrocki’s speech and the presentation of gifts from the Polish community,”
Antoniak added.
He emphasised that the Polish community in the U.S. closely follows developments in Poland, as well as the actions taken so far by President Nawrocki.
“The American Polish community is deeply impressed by the energy of the President’s term so far. The first example is his visit to Washington and the recent meeting with President Donald Trump. Never before in history has a U.S. leader invited the President of Poland for talks so soon after assuming office. This speaks to Poland’s role in the region and within the Three Seas Initiative. It is also especially important in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine,”
Antoniak noted.
“Another issue is the fulfilment of campaign promises. This was evident during the recent visit to Germany and talks with the German president and chancellor, during which President Nawrocki firmly demanded reparations from Germany for the damages and losses inflicted during World War II. He has also vetoed resolutions harmful to Poland,”
he added.
“We also view the President’s actions in the field of security policy positively. These are the very issues that were discussed with President Trump, including the increase in the number of U.S. troops stationed in Poland,” Antoniak continued.
He also pointed out that the U.S. Polish community closely followed reports about Russian drones entering Polish airspace.
“We were deeply impressed by President Nawrocki’s swift reaction to the recent Russian drone attacks on Poland. Here in the U.S., we also express concern over such actions by Russia. We, too, have our role, to lobby American politicians on strengthening the Polish-U.S. alliance and reviving the idea of the Three Seas Initiative. What troubles us greatly is Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s policy, which serves German interests more than Poland’s. The Mercosur agreement is another clear example. It is evident that Poland faces a choice: Mitteleuropa under Berlin’s dominance, or Intermarium. The diaspora is firmly in favour of the latter. Together with President Nawrocki, we are playing on the same Polish team,”
Antoniak concluded.