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The
Archives, Libraries, and Museums of Polonia at Orchard Lake
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The
Archives, Libraries, and Museums of Polonia at Orchard Lake
are in a natural way associated with SS.Cyril and Methodius
Seminary at Orchard Lake, which was originally known as
the Polish Seminary. The current facilities were established
in 1885 in Detroit by Fr. Jozef Dabrowski who was given
a papal bull on January 14, 1879 to establish a Polish seminary.
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The
purpose of the seminary was to educate Polish priests for Polish
parishes. Succeeding rectors added St. Mary’s Preparatory
School and St. Mary’s College. During the past thirty years
facilities were added for research centers on pastoral care
and the history of Polonia. In the past twenty years, out of
these centers emerged the Archives, Libraries and Museums of
Polonia. In the active and dynamic growth of the schools, first
in Detroit, and since 1909 in Orchard Lake (20 miles from Detroit),
one finds not only the beginnings of the rich archival collections
but also their continuous expansion and growth. In the history
of the Orchard Lake Schools, manuscripts, old prints, Polonica
books, Polish and Polonia newspapers, photographs, map, coin,
and stamp collections, and collections assembled by individuals
have been gathered.
The first and long-time archivist was Fr. Jozef Swastek (March
10,1913 - September 5, 1977). For the Archives at Orchard Lake
Fr. Swastek remained a priceless master in collecting archival
material. He knew well and, in his lectures, encouraged students
to browse through attics, church basements, rectories, and meeting
places of organizations and to deliver all memorabilia to the
Archives.
He served as archivist for the metropolitan area of Detroit,
was professor of Church history in America and Poland, lectured
on the history of Polonia, and edited Polish American Studies
and Biuletyn. He designed the first short guide to the
Polish American Archives. He was the author of over 200 articles
on the history of American Polonia. Fr. Swastek did not have
enough time to organize and catalog the collections. He originated
some departments, for example, American Polonica Since 1875
to 1900, Autographed Material, Prayerbooks, Jubilee Books of
Polish Parishes and Organizations; and he arranged alphabetically
the newspapers published in Poland and other countries. He started
a newspaper clipping collection of articles on Polonia. He was
given many valuable personal collections, such as the collection
of Fr. Franciszek Bolek who was the publisher of the Encyclopedia
of Polonia, Dr. Antoni Mallek who was a Polonia activist, and
Bishop Stefan Woznicki who was a leader of Polonia. The Archives’
collection expanded along with the growth of the Orchard Lake
Schools.
With the coming of a new director in 1978 the Archives began
a new page in its history and growth.
More
about the Archives . . . Organization of the Archives
More
about Msgr. Dr. Roman Nir, Archivist, Orchard Lake Schools
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