One of the most profound love stories of the twenty-first century has not been between a woman and a man, but between a woman and her siblings and parents. The entire country followed the story on a daily basis in the newspapers and on the television set.
Terri is dead, but her case survives
8mm
Msgr. remains a great presence in our lives today. At Pinellas Park I sought his guidance and thanked Our Lord for Msgr.'s words each day as he tended to Terri and kept our spirits bolstered with the Faith which can come only from Above.
As all may recall, Msgr. has posted his thoughts on Terri exclusively here in our Terri Dailies last year and I remain in touch with him, having had a wonderful talk with him quite recently. Msgr. played a core role in this epic scene, one for which we may give abundant thanks to Our Lord, for Terri's Legacy.
And need I remind, Msgr. was touched by the passing of our compatriot, T'wit, and offered us his comfort and wisdom.
Deo Gratias.
Boźe, coś Polskę
...................................
STAMFORD - Thaddeus Malanowski has been a brigadier general, missionary and monsignor. Though his duties may have differed for each position, his job has remained the same for the past 60 years. Stamford's Patriotic and Special Events Commission chose Malanowski as grand marshal for today's Veterans Day Parade, which begins at noon in front of Ridgeway Shopping Plaza on Summer Street and ends in Veterans Park at Bank and Atlantic streets.
"My calling is serving God's people," Malanowski said. "That's my primary responsibility, or privilege."
Pat Batinelli, who has spent the past 22 years on the events commission, said about 1,500 people will march, including Malanowski and about 100 veterans from Stamford. Batinelli, 75, served with the U.S. Marines. Malanowski served as grand marshal for the 1977 parade as well.
"He had a great and impeccable record in the military and at the church, and we decided to have him as our man this year," Batinelli said of Malanowski.
The 85-year-old Stamford native, a retired Roman Catholic priest, lives in the rectory at Holy Name of Jesus Church in the South End. He attended parochial elementary school there, growing up in the neighborhood, which then had a large Polish population.
Malanowski was ordained in May 1947 and enlisted in the U.S. Army as a chaplain two years later.
"It's not even like a profession, like a doctor or a lawyer," he said. "It's a commitment and a dedication in serving God's people and God."
During stints in Germany and Korea with the Army, Malanowski rose through the military ranks and was promoted to brigadier general in 1973, serving as the branch's deputy chief of chaplains. He also counseled Elvis Presley while stationed in Germany and led a cheer in President Reagan's honor in Vatican City during a state visit with Pope John Paul II.
As brigadier general, he held the second-highest post among chaplains. After retiring from the Army in 1984, Malanowski worked as a civilian priest in Florida for the St. Petersburg Diocese, where he served as the court-appointed spiritual adviser to Terri Schiavo, whose death in 2005 caused an international controversy.
Schiavo, a comatose woman whose husband wanted to remove her feeding tube because her condition was thought to be irreversible, galvanized supporters and detractors of euthanasia.
Malanowski returned to his hometown in June, leaving behind his experiences with Schiavo, which at times led him into depression, he said.
"I spent some of the best years of my life here in Stamford, as a child growing up and being educated here," he said. "So I'm very, very happy because I got away from that big problem in Florida, with the press and the negativism."
Now a monsignor, Malanowski also served as a missionary over the past 23 years in Haiti, where he helped establish a 24,000-square-foot medical clinic.
In Stamford, Malanowski, who speaks English and Polish, celebrates about 10 Masses a week at Holy Name. The majority of the members of the congregation are Polish immigrants, he said.
So far, he has been a hit among parishioners, including Marta Medyna, who runs the church's "MIKI" program, which teaches about 20 children traditional Polish dances. The dancers also will march in today's parade.
"He is the nicest person you can meet - very warm, humble, smart - and you can talk to him whether you are young or old," she said. "He always finds time to talk to you.
Veterans Day Parade marshal recalls a lifetime of service
8mm