Polish American Congress The Voice of a Million Americans of Polish Heritage in the Garden State ================================================================== The Calendar
1996 – Chicago The idea to build The Christ’s The King Monument was born in Chicago Polonia environment in 1996. Majestic, 180 feet high Christ’s personage was to stand on homeland soil in the millennium year as the world Polonia thanksgiving for 2000 years of Christianity and election of the Pole, Jan Paweł II to the Apostle Capital. The initiative of raising the monument has been taken by The Polish Clubs Union existing for more than 70 years in Chicago.
1996-200 – Kielce
Kielce was the city where The Christ’s The King Monument was to stand first. Unfortunately after several years of effort it proved that investment was not possible to realise also because of not regulated property law in the ground register. At the day of 2000.04.08 the initiators gave up further co-operation and raising The Monument in Kielce with the letter addressed to The St. Brother Albert Foundation, believing to find the ground in Poland where one can settle the monument.
2000.05.14 – Tarnów
Determination for raising the intended work made the initiators to find another place. Tarnów was the city of hope. The invitation to raise The Monument was the result of several meetings with the town authority. Taking a part in negotiations, local businessmen declared the ground purchase and to turn the property over to the raising as their support to this work.
2000.09.06 – Tarnów
In September 20000, the conference took place at the Małopolska Region Government in Tarnów where The President of Polish Clubs Union in Chicago Mr Adam Ocytko announced the decision of raising the monumental personage of Christ’s The King at St. Martin’s Hill. The invited guests: the authorities of Małopolska and Podkarpacie region, church authorities, Chicago Polonia representatives, businessmen and press, radio and tv reporters, were the witnesses of this historical moment. It was decided that Millennium 2000-The Christ’s The King Monument Foundation at Tarnów created by Polish Clubs Union in Chicago would prepare the investment. The forceful activity allowed in short time to put the registration motion at the court. The architectural and sculptural conception of The Christ’s The King Monument and Polonia Centre was also charged.
2000.11.20 – Tarnów
In November 2000 there was signed the contract of renting the local from Municipal Building Management Ltd in Tarnów, where The Millennium 2000 Foundation office was arranged.
2001.01.25-02.01
In January 2001, the millennium celebrations took place in Chicago organised by Polish Clubs Union. The Monument raising was the main theme. Invited by The President of PCU guests from Poland: design conception authors, the authorities of Tarnów and region, The President of Millennium 2000 Foundation, Polish TV representatives and businessmen, participated the meetings. The millennium meeting started with the holy mess at The St. Jack Church, which was celebrated by priest Józef Zuziak from Indiana assisted by priest Jan Mikulski from Tarnów and priest Michał Osuch. After the holy mess, there was the meeting of local Polonia with Tarnów delegation and the representatives from Switzerland and Norway. During the meeting, the architectural design conceptions were presented and it was reported a few months activity for raising The Monument and The Polonia Centre in Tarnów. The millennium celebration members got letters sent by bishop Stanisław Dziwisz from Vatican City and from senator Janina Sagatowska, the chairman of The Senat’s Emigration and Poles Abroad Commission. In Chicago there were undertaken few key decisions, between others: - the financial and material timetable of the investment considered for years 2000-2005 was accepted - the cost calculation was accepted, which encloses with the 15 millions dollars amount - it was decided that accommodations at The Monument basement would fulfil the role of The Polonia Unity Centre
2001.03.06 – Kraków
In March 2001, The Millennium 2000-The Christ’s The King Monument Foundation was registered in Economical Court in Kraków and written down to The Country Court Register with the number KRS 0000002384. The Foundation aim is to build The Monument and its proper arrangement and administration as a structure complex containing serviceable part – The Polonia Unity Centre, running activity pointing to: - popularisation the knowledge about the culture and history of the Polish Nation; - organisation and support of initiatives enforcing the Christian faith; - support and organisation of any economical and organisational activity serving to integrate the Polonia environments with Poland
2001.04.06 – Tarnów
One month later, in the notary office at Bernardyńska Street 19 in Tarnów businessmen Roman Mosio and Stanisław Kosoń transferred the property with the deed executed and authenticated by a notary. Mentioned donation is ten acres parcel at The St. Martin’s Hill predicted to raising The Christ’s The King World Saviour Monument and The Polonia Unity Centre.
2001.04.15 – Tarnów
At The Foundation there was appointed The Social Program Council, which is an advisory and consultative organ for the management. The Council members are the representatives of local authorities and businessmen, who help with their knowledge and experience to take important decisions during investment. The Program Council meetings take place once a month in The Foundation office.
2001.03.27-05.14 – Tarnów
The archaeological rescue explorations at the early medieval colony (the area of investment location) started in March 27 2001 year and finished in May 2001. In meantime the initial geological expert’s report was prepared. At the same time the architecture and sculpture design contracts were continued to prepare For The Monument and The Polonia Unity Centre.
2001.05.06. – Chicago
In May 2001 about quarter million people took a part in the parade organised by Chicago Polonia to celebrate 210th anniversary of resolution The 3rd May Constitution. The parade motto attached to the enterprise started by Polonia : “Polonia with Christ The King in the new millennium”. On the first chariot there was carried ca 20 feet high Christ’s personage. The Parade’s Great Marshall was Stanley Jędrzejec – The Vice President of the Polish National Union. In the parade’s marshalls of honour group there were between others: Tarnów Diocese Ordinary – bishop Wiktor Skworc, The President of The Millennium 2000 Foundation – Bożena Malaga-Wrona, Vice Governor of the Illinois State – Corinne Woods, Chicago Mayor – Richard Daley. In the Schiller Park, the holy mess was celebrated by priest Wojciech Kwiecień the St. James parish-priest, in the intention of Polonia and The Christ’s The King Monument raising. 2001.05.08 – Chicago
“The Program of Gaining the Funds for The Christ’s The King Monument And Polonia Unity Centre Raising” was accepted for the realisation. This program foresees to found The Raising Committees among Polonia circles all over the world. The Millennium 2000 Foundation the link for all environments, where Committees work and also supports any tools necessary to this activity – letters of procuratory, shares in common enterprise, statuettes.
2001.06.27. – Tarnów
In June 2001 in The Mirror Hall in Foundation Tarnów, the first meeting of Tarnów Town Council and The Foundation Management took place. The President of the Polish Clubs Union in Chicago Adam Ocytko and Swiss Polonia representative Jan Pyszko took a part in the meeting too. The investment realisation program was presented to the Tarnów councillors, gathered in The Mirror Hall, and also initial architectural and sculptural design conception as well as methods of gaining the funds. Polonia representatives assured that the Polonia environments would cover the whole investment.
2001.07.19. – Tarnów
The Australian Polonia representative Benedykt Bajorek visited Tarnów in July 2001. Being of Tarnów origin and living for over 40 years in far Sydney he declared, during the meeting with The Foundation Management and the town authority, to transfer 1000 dollars for The Monument raising and to help to organise the fund collection among Poles living in Australia.
2001.08.07 – Tarnów
The land developing has begun for The Christ’s The King Monument and The Polonia Unity Centre raising. Tarnów community, which is the administrator and investor of the water pipelines in the neighbourhood of The St. Martin’s Hill, regarded enlarged needs for future raising in its development plans, after negotiations between The Foundation 2000 Management and the company “Tarnów Water Pipelines”. “Tarnów Water Pipelines” company will cover the difference of costs.
2001.08.25 – Tarnów
The contracts for Christ’s The King World Saviour sculpture design and The Polonia Unity Centre architectural design were signed by arts professor Czesław Dźwigaj, architect Zbigniew Jasak and The Millennium 2000 Foundation. Contracts contain precise cost calculations and timetables of following stages of realisation.
2001.11.22. – Tarnów
The design conception and the model of The Polonia Unity Centre with The Christ’s The King World Saviour Monument was presented at The Foundation office in November 2001. Presented at this time Christ’s personage was the 6th proposition made by the author. Previous personages performed at former Foundation Program Council meetings were discussed with full particulars in iconographical and sculptural meanings and then accepted suggestions helped the author to create the next proposition. Presented in November conception of The Monument and Centre gained full acceptation of The Foundation and was shown to the Municipal Government and Town Council of Tarnów in January 2002.
2002.01.09. – Tarnów
In January it was motioned to the Municipal Government and Town Council to make necessary change in the town-planning scheme of Tarnów city in the region of planned investment. Meanwhile, the project of geological expert’s report was put for approval at the Environment Protection Division of the Municipal Government.
2002.04.03. – USA, Canada
In April 2002 the next stage has started according the promotion of the raising The Christ’s The King Monument and The Polonia Unity Centre among Polonia circles all around the world and organising The Raising Committees. First presentations have taken place in USA and Canada and the next in Australia and other countries of the world.
The Millennium 2000-The Christ’s The King Monument
The raising of the monumental Christ’s The King personage and The Polonia Unity Centre is the great challenge that Polonia environments have undertaken. To realise this work the Initiators created in Tarnów The Foundation, which is engaged with arrangement the raising and finally will be the object’s administrator and the co-ordinator of all events in The Centre. The Millennium 2000 Foundation has its personality at law and statutes, which guarantee safety and readability of spends for the investment. The Foundation’s organs are: Foundation Management, Foundation Council and Social Program Council. The Foundation runs full book-keeping considered by the law. The book-keeping and law service is supplied by the PRO-FIS office in Tarnów. Every month the income-tax return is delivered to the First Tax Department in Tarnów and at the end of the year the balance sheet is delivered to the Economical Court in Kraków. This makes also the part of the annual report of the Management, which is represented to the Foundation Council. Funds for the Foundation’s activity are collected at two bank accounts in Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności Bank Polski S.A. in Tarnów. Foreign funds come to the foreign currency account and are bought by the bank, by the charge of the Foundation President, according to the day course and then put to the home currency account. All Foundation payments are done from home currency account to cover necessary spends. Funds gathered for The Monument and The Centre raising at the Foundation accounts are sent by The Raising Committees that act on the base of the Foundation’s letters of procuratory. The Raising Committees era organised under the rule: one country – one committee, and one committee – one state of USA. In some reasonable cases there exists possibility to create larger amount of committees that organise the collection of funds according to the established rules and with the help of delivered by the Foundation tools like: payment voucher, shares in common enterprise, certificates, statuettes. The names of all Donators are evidenced and will be exposed in The Polonia Unity Centre under considered rules.
The Foundation ManagementThe President – Bożena Malaga-Wrona The Vice President – Stanisław Kosoń
The Foundation CouncilAdam Ocytko Zofia Oskwarek Roman Mosio Bolesław Łączyński
The Foundation Social Program Council Bogdan Kwiatek Andrzej SasakKrzysztof Madej Wiesław Frys Eligiusz Dworaczyński Kazimierz Tęczar
Seat of the Foundation: 33-100 Tarnów, ul. Bernardyńska 24 Contact: phone/fax +48 14 627 35 32 e-mail: fundacja@polonia.org.pl
The Foundation account number: 52 19204955 1106614871 PKO BP S.A. I Oddział w TarnowieS.W.I.F.T. BPPKO PL PW
100 $ donation - payment voucher 200 $ donation - bronze share 500 $ donation - silver share 1 000 $ donation - golden share 2 000 $ donation - bronze statuette 5 000 $ donation - silver statuette 10 000 $ donation - golden statuette
The Donators who will transfer over 10 000 $ amount will gain the title The Founder Of Honour and may take a place in the Foundation Council.
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