Hundreds Celebrate Polish Heritage Day in Lemont

Hundreds gathered at SS. Cyril and Methodius in Lemont on Sunday to celebrate the parish's eighth annual "Polish Heritage Day."

The all-day event—held in the Parish Hall, 607 Sobieski St.—featured traditional Polish music and dances, as well as guest speakers, historical displays and a hearty buffet courtesy of Celina's Deli. This year's theme, "Krakow: Royal City," paid tribute to one of the oldest and largest cities in Poland. 

During the afternoon ceremony, Lemont Mayor Brian Reaves and the Lemont Polish Heritage Club honored Bolingbrook resident Jan Zoltek as "Pole of the Year" for his "achievements and contributions to the legacy of the Polish heritage."

According to Father Larry Lisowski of SS. Cyril and Methodius, Zoltek was born in Lasek, Poland, in 1949. He traveled to Krakow, but his education was cut short due to an illness brought on by his military service.

In the 1970s, he began work as a village merchant. Ten years later, he was the co-founder and vice president of the factory workers' Solidarity movement. That same year, he married his wife, Anna, with whom he had two children, Krzystof and Teresa.

In the late 1980s, Zoltek created a social committee for providing telephone connections in rural villages. Their work provided connection to five villages, resulting in 400 phone installations and significant growth and progress.

Zoltek moved to the United States with his family in 1993, but he still keeps close contact with his old village in Poland, Father Larry said.

Currently, Zoltek participates in a number of Polish organizations, including the Polish National Alliance, the Alliance of Polish Highlanders in the United States, the Radio Maria Family, the John Paul II Association of Polish Writers in Chicago and the Polish Club of Lemont.

"Jan continues to take great interest in the fate of the church and the Polish and U.S. nations," Father Larry wrote. "He responds to important news towards religion and socio-political occurrences b sharing his voice with the Polish media."

Polish Heritage Day is put on by the Lemont Polish Club, which is made up of more than 100 members whose mission is to "uphold the traditions, customs and language" of their heritage.

There are more than 4,500 residents of Polish descent in the village of Lemont, according to 2009 U.S. Census estimates.