Assemblyman Lentol Honors Fallen Polish President Lech Kaczynski at St. Stanislaus Church
Consul General of the Republic of Poland to the New York Region attends
and accepts honor on behalf of all of Poland
Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol (D-North Brooklyn) spoke before a crowd of over 150 Polish residents of Greenpoint this past
Saturday at a special evening mass at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. The mass was dedicated to remembering Polish President
Lech Alexander Kaczynski and 95 of Poland's other top government officials and military leaders who died in a plane crash on
April 10, 2010.
"I personally want to express my deepest and sincerest sorrow at their untimely deaths," Lentol stated. "I have lived in
Greenpoint my whole life and I feel a strong connection to this community. My heart goes out to all of you for your loss."
The Assemblyman presented a Resolution from the New York State Assembly honoring President Kaczynski and the other victims
of the plane crash to Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, the Consul General of the Republic of Poland to the New York region. Junczyk-Ziomecka
is a former aide to President Kaczynski and would have been on the doomed plane herself if she had not accepted her current
position of Consul General just three weeks prior to the accident.
"No longer than a year and a half ago, the very same pew at St. Stanislaus's in which Assamblyman Lentol is sitting now, was
occupied by the late President, the First Lady and me among the presidential entourage," said the Consul General. "I would
like to stress that Poland is deeply grateful for the solidarity of the American people and Polonia that has been felt since
the day of the tragic crash."
Lentol also spoke of the courage and fortitude that the Polish people displayed in the wake of such a devastating national
tragedy.
"It is a testament to the strength of the Polish people and their government that despite the incalculable loss of top
government and military officials the remaining elected officials and emergency plans that went into effect were able to
carry on the business of government with strength and dignity" Lentol remarked.
The Assemblyman hopes that this ceremony provides a measure of closure for a community still in mourning. He thanks Consul
General Junczyk-Ziomecka, Father Jarek Lawrenz who conducted the mass, St. Stanislaus for hosting, and the people of the
Polish community for attending the mass and paying their respects.
