- Feb 5, 2002
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In a humble corner of America, two Polish immigrants showed that the greatest treasures are often found in unseen acts of love and gratitude.
‘Crucifix’ (photo: McCarthy's PhotoWorks / Shutterstock)
Many of the blessings we receive in this life often go unnoticed. After I was born, little did I realize that the devoted older couple pushing my pram — in which I was safely ensconced as a toothless, bald baby — would have such an impact on my family’s life.
Mr. and Mrs. Matoga were hard-working farmers who had been employed by a family of Polish aristocrats in eastern Poland, a region the Russians had acquired during the partitions of the 18th century.
Tragedy struck when the Russians confiscated the manor and its lands, forcing the Polish aristocrats into exile. As a parting gift for their loyalty and service, the lady of the manor gave the Matogas a pectoral reliquary crucifix that had once belonged to a Catholic bishop.
Like the aristocrats, Mr. and Mrs. Matoga faced a major decision: Stay in Russian-occupied Poland or join the exodus of poor refugees heading for Germany to book steerage passage to the “Promised Land,” as they called the United States.
Continued below.
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Many of the blessings we receive in this life often go unnoticed. After I was born, little did I realize that the devoted older couple pushing my pram — in which I was safely ensconced as a toothless, bald baby — would have such an impact on my family’s life.
Mr. and Mrs. Matoga were hard-working farmers who had been employed by a family of Polish aristocrats in eastern Poland, a region the Russians had acquired during the partitions of the 18th century.
Tragedy struck when the Russians confiscated the manor and its lands, forcing the Polish aristocrats into exile. As a parting gift for their loyalty and service, the lady of the manor gave the Matogas a pectoral reliquary crucifix that had once belonged to a Catholic bishop.
Like the aristocrats, Mr. and Mrs. Matoga faced a major decision: Stay in Russian-occupied Poland or join the exodus of poor refugees heading for Germany to book steerage passage to the “Promised Land,” as they called the United States.
Continued below.
An Heirloom of Grace: How an Immigrant Couple Repaid Kindness With a Holy Treasure
COMMENTARY: In a humble corner of America, two Polish immigrants showed that the greatest treasures are often found in unseen acts of love and gratitude.
