Mayor John Vieau talks about St. Joseph’s Day during the flag raising celebration.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
CHICOPEE — In one of the more well-attended flag raisings of the year, Chicopee hosted a celebration in honor of St. Joseph’s Day on March 19.
As City Assessor Victor Anop said, “The biggest crowd of the year is for the Polish and the Portuguese flag raising, so welcome.”
Community leaders, local dignitaries and members of the public all came together to raise the Polish Flag in recognition of Saint Joseph’s Day.
Fr. Brad Milunski from St. Stanislaus School was at the event along with seventh and eighth grade students.
Saint Joseph’s Day has significant cultural and religious importance, particularly for the Polish community, and is a nationwide celebration of Polish heritage, culture and pride.
Mayor John Vieau said that he is proud of his Polish culture and heritage that was passed down from his late grandfather to his mom and then to him.
“As a young man of Polish descent, I’m really happy to be here today to celebrate St. Joseph’s Day with all of you,” Vieau stated, “It’s a very special holiday in the city of Chicopee as you can just understand that this community, the basis behind it, a lot of it was founded by Polish Americans and really the success of our city dates back many, many years and many polish immigrants call Chicopee home.”
The first group of Polish immigrants came to Chicopee in 1880 and most of them worked in the two textile mills.
Zaneta Grasakis from the Polish National Credit Union in Chicopee was also at the event to acknowledge one of her “favorite celebrations.”
When talking about St. Joseph, she said, “His role is defined solely by his actions. He is also known as a patron saint of immigrants. Having traveled to a foreign land to give his family a better life, as a first-generation polish immigrant, I relate to that journey. It’s important for me to pass down my polish culture and traditions to my children.”
Vieau read the proclamation acknowledging the observance of St. Joseph’s Day in the city of Chicopee and presented it to Grasakis.
Two students from St. Stanislaus School then raised the Polish Flag before the celebration continued with food and beverages.
The Polish flag-raising ceremony aligns with Chicopee’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and celebrating the cultural tapestry of its residents.
