Polish in Canada

Introduction / History

If it is possible to feel sorry for a nation's geographic position. One has to feel that way for Poland, located on a plain between the often aggressive nations of Germany and Russia. More than once, Germany and Russia have sliced off parts of Poland. The most recent example was in the fall of 1939 when the Nazis and the Soviet Army invaded Poland from opposite directions and conquered the entire country. As late as the early 18th century Poland was a power as part of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. Since that time Poland has frequently been a victim of its powerful neighbors. With the fall of communism in 1990-91, Poland became an independent nation. Today Poland has a rapidly developing economy and is member of NATO and the EU.
There has been a Polish diaspora for centuries. The first significant wave of emigration occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily due to economic and political factors. The largest groups of Poles abroad are in Germany, the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
Today, many Poles continue to emigrate for economic opportunities, and there is also a significant number of Poles who have settled in other countries as students or as a result of family reunification.
There are a fairly large number of people of Polish descent in Canada. The first Polish immigrants came to Canada in the 1770s at a time when Poland was being controlled by hostile neighbors. There were several waves of Polish immigrants coming to Canada. The first one was from the 1850s through the beginning of the 20th century. Another wave came between WWI and WWII. Others came during the communist era as refugees looking for better economic opportunities. Generally speaking, the ones who came before 1930 were rural farmers. After 1930 they were more likely to migrate to urban centers where they began the first Polish-Canadian organizations. Larger numbers of Poles came to Canada after WWII than ever before.

What Are Their Lives Like?

There are now at least 10 Polish-Canadian organizations. Some are ethnically based while others focus on history, education, spiritual matters (Roman Catholic) or the arts and science. Most Polish-Canadians are well-integrated into Canadian society. Almost all speak English and few have Polish as their first language.
People of Polish descent have contributed in many ways to Canadian society. There have been artist, engineers, medical professionals, and politicians.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Polish people are recognized as some of the world's most devout Roman Catholics, though some of the Poles in Canada are Lutheran. The Roman Catholic Church helped the Poles maintain their national identity when they were ruled by foreign powers. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, many Poles have become more interested in their families' material possessions rather than being involved in Roman Catholic Church. Still, a large majority of Poles consider themselves Roman Catholics. They are baptized, married and buried in the Roman church. Polish priests serve the Roman church all over the world.
Evangelicals and Roman Catholics have much in common. Both believe in the deity of Christ, the Trinity and the inspiration of the Scriptures. Evangelicals disagree with Catholics on the primacy of the Bishop of Roman and the practice of praying to Mary and the saints. There is also disagreement regarding the role works play in salvation.

What Are Their Needs?

The Poles need to understand that biblical Christianity is a love relationship with their Creator made known through Jesus Christ. It is more than a religious tradition and a system of morals.

Prayer Points

Ask the Lord to revive the Polish church based on Jesus Christ and his word.
Pray the Lord leads Poles in Canada to listen with open hearts to radio programs and watch TV programs that teach the biblical gospel.
Ask the Lord to save priests and bishops in the Roman Catholic Church so they can lead thousands to Christ-centered living.
Pray for Polish Christ followers to actively take the Lord to those who need his salvation and grace.

Text Source:   Joshua Project