In these modern times, many people have forgotten that the traditional Christmas season lasts for 40 days, from Christmas Day until Candlemas or the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. The parishioners of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Chappell Hill Texas were reminded of this tradition on Sunday, January 22, 2012 by a beautiful kolędy concert held in the church. Kolednicy z Houston or Christmas Carolers from Our Lady Of Czestochowa Catholic Church in Houston arrived in Chappell Hill for the 9 am Mass.
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James Smock
Videos From Polish Christmas Carol Concert At St. Stanislaus In Chappell Hill, Texas on January 22, 2012.
It was raining and cold in Texas on the morning of December 26, 2011 but the skies cleared just in time for the annual St. Stephen’s Day Kolędy Polskie in Chappell Hill. At 1 PM, an enthusiastic group of kolednicy or Polish Christmas carolers began singing on the steps of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, a historic parish that was founded in 1889 by early Polish immigrants to Texas. St. Stanislaus’ pastor, Father Jozef Musiol, a native of Poland with a great singing voice helped Mike Addicks, Dr. Jim Mazurkiewicz and Brian Marshall lead the singing group. Two other priests helped with the Polish singing, Washington County native Msgr. Boleslaus Zientek and Houston’s Our Lady Of Czestochowa pastor Fr. Waldemar Matusiak.
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Videos from the Koledy Polskie celebration in Chappell Hill, Texas on December 26, 2011.
This is the time of year that we stop and reflect on the many things that we are thankful for. The Polish Texans website has seen significant growth both in content and traffic over the past few years and we are thankful for the great group of friends and sponsors that has made this possible. What better way to show your appreciation then to support them in their various enterprises. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, will be here soon and it will be time to start buying those special gifts for your loved ones. You can celebrate your culture and heritage by giving gifts that show your love for all things Polish. Here’s a gift guide featuring many wonderful items from our friends.
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The 3rd annual Dożynki Mass and Celebration was held at the historic St. Stanislaus Catholic church in Chappell Hill, Texas on Sunday, November 20, 2011. The dożynki or harvest festival is the Polish equivalent of America’s Thanksgiving holiday, a joyful celebration which dates back to the middle ages in Poland. The heart of the celebration is to bring people together in the spirit of gratitude and appreciation to God for all we have been given.
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Videos from the 2011 Polish dozynki Mass and celebration held in Chappell Hill, Texas on November 20, 2011.
Poland was well represented alongside many other countries on Saturday, November 12, 2011 at the Brazos Valley Worldfest in College Station, Texas. The weather was nice as thousands of people entered the 20 acre Wolf Pen Creek Park for the international heritage celebration. The festival featured cultural displays, demonstrations, international cuisine, performances, children’s crafts, educational competitions and many other activities.
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James Smock has always held an interest in his Polish ancestors and heritage. He is a native Houstonian with Polish roots in Bremond, Marlin and New Waverly, Texas.
James is a past president of the Polish Genealogical Society of Texas and was the founding webmaster of the PGST website. He also served as the Surname Index Coordinator from 1994 - 2000.
In addition to serving as the webmaster and editor of this Polish Texan website, he maintains a number of other websites including;
- St. Mary and St. Joseph Catholic Churches in Plantersville and Stoneham
- On The Way To Texas, The Genealogy of James and Cherry Smock
- Rip Smock Tribute
- Polish Texan Gift Shop
- Polish Heritage Gift Shop
- Polish American Gift Shop
With a lifelong passion for photography, James can often be found with a camera around his neck. In addition to photographing family events and his grandchildren, he is the church photographer for St. Mary Catholic Church in Plantersville and St. Joseph Catholic Church in Stoneham. Many of his photographs can be found on the church website or his photography gallery.
James also designs Polish and Texas heritage apparel and gifts and sells them in his Polish Texan Gift Shop and Polish Heritage Gift Shop and is sometimes referred to as the "t-shirt guy".
