The Polish community of New Jersey is urging the Church of Our Lady of Czestochowa to restart a Polish language mass.

The 100-year-old church, built by immigrants from Poland, discontinued the Polish mass in 2001. The church is listed as a Polish Church on the Web site of the Newark Archdiocese and the priest is apparently of Polish descent.

A festival on September 24th commemorating Our Lady of Czestochowa’s Day served as a platform for the Polish congregation in the neighborhood to express their grievance. The parishioners who gathered on the corner of Sussex and Grant Streets claimed nothing would convince Priest Tomas Iwanowski for restarting Polish mass. "He doesn’t even speak very good Polish. He does not even try!" one of them claimed.

"My grandfather and grandmother attended this church and my parents as well. After so many years they discontinued the Polish service for unknown reasons," said Zofia Kuniewska, vice president of the Society of Polish Culture in New Jersey.

The parishioners were not the only ones upset. “I don’t exactly know why there isn’t a Polish service available, but the problem is really outrageous,” said Anna Jarzabek of Greenpoint.

Several people were unhappy with Priest Iwanowski neglecting the community. The New Jersey priest, born in 1949 in Newark, grew up in North Arlington, allegedly does not want to speak Polish and is unreasonable with the Polish parish members.

“We will show them how many of us there are in this city. The arguments that the demography has changed are ungrounded,” said Leszek Sowol, an organizer of the festival. “We would definitely like to organize such an event again, but probably no sooner than next year. I hope that the atmosphere will be a whole lot different then,” said Sowol.

The unproductive polemics between the Church representatives and the parishioners seem to continue. “Well, usually if you are not sure what the problem is, the problem is money,” one of the pensioners from Jersey City said.

The letters that are being sent to the Archdiocese in Newark are not bringing any results, according to concerned petitioners. Archbishop John J. Myers is not willing to talk about this matter. Zofia Kuniewska wrote a petition demanding an immediate removal of the parish priest and the return of Priest Tadeusz Trela, inclusion of a holy Polish mass into the schedule of the services available, and observance of all Polish religious holidays.

Despite ill feelings the Poles had some good times at the festival. There was great Polish food and music. About 400 people attended the Polish mass that took place on a stage just a few feet away from the church.