Area priests to be honored at Kennywood
The Polish Cultural Council of Pittsburgh will honor two priests with local ties during Polish Day at Kennywood on Tuesday. They are the Rev. Dennis Bogusz, chaplain to Highlands Hospital in Connellsville and the Ivrea Sisters in Mount Pleasant, and the Rev. Canon Joseph L. Sredzinski, a Uniontown native who is national chaplain to the Polish Falcons of America and chaplain at St. Emma Monastery, State Correctional Institution at Greensburg and the Westmoreland Manor, all in Greensburg.
The two priests are being honored for their work in Polonia, which means the Polish people outside of Poland.
Bogusz conducts a radio program called “Echoes of Poland’ on WEDO-810 AM that is broadcast from 3 to 4 p.m. Sundays and is repeated the following Saturday from 5 to 6 p.m. He also does various devotional programs for the station and creates a special edition of “Echoes of Poland,’ which airs at noon on holidays.
“I’ve been doing this for 18 years,’ said Bogusz, who wanted to go into radio when he was in high school but instead felt the call to become a priest.
In 1990, Bogusz was at St. Hyacinth in Monessen, which was later merged into the Church of the Epiphany, and called WEDO to promote a Polish polka dance. Station manager John James asked if he could be of any other help, and Bogusz expressed his interest in doing a radio show. He’s been doing it since June 1, 1990.
“It features music that Polish Americans like, words of inspiration, a homily, religious hymns, cultural news and events and I talk about customs and traditions. The music includes polkas, obereks and waltzes,’ Bogusz said.
The priest said he likes working in radio.
“I enjoy reaching out to the community because it’s not only a cultural program but a way to evangelize and lead others closer to Christ,’ Bogusz said.
A Cleveland, Ohio, native, Bogusz studied at St. Mary’s College in Orchard Lake, Mich., and at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe. He was ordained in 1979.
On receiving the award, he said, “I’m very honored. I’m looking forward to celebrating and a number of people from Connellsville are coming to the celebration.’
Sredzinski prepares and airs the weekly “That You May Believe’ on WMBS-590 AM in Uniontown at 6:05 p.m. Sundays.
In addition, he’s taken planeloads of people to Poland, taught Polish at St. Joseph Parish in Uniontown for 10 years and served as national chaplain to the Polish Falcons since 1981, served as secretary-general and national vice president of the Polish American Priests Association. Sredzinski also wrote a book called “They Came, They Gave’ about Polish parishes in western Pennsylvania that was published in 1998. And he has been involved with the annual Catholic youth retreat at Mount St. Macrina in Uniontown.
He said this work is important to him.
Sredzinski said, “My family had certain values that I saw as positive and I wanted to promote them as well as what the Church taught me and my Polish heritage with its customs and traditions.’
A Uniontown native, Sredzinski attended St. Joseph School in Uniontown for eight years, St. Mary’s College in Orchard Lake, Mich., and Ss. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake. He was ordained in 1970.
About this award, Sredzinski said, “I’m excited with lots of gratitude because of my family background, Polish background, and Catholic background. I feel honored and deeply grateful.’
Members of the Polish Heritage Club in Uniontown will attend.
Polish Day at Kennywood is expected to attract hundreds of people from the tri-state area with a special program, concelebrated Mass, dance ensembles, a Polish kitchen and dancing to a local Polish band in one of the pavilions. Sredzinski said he will be the main celebrant for the 4 p.m. Mass.