Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Waclaw "Adam" Adamczyk, of Warsaw, met Pope John Paul II when the latter was Bishop Karol Wojtyla of Krakow, Poland. He met him in 1972 at the bishop's residence in Krakow as part of an invited group of representatives of Polish colleges and universities. Adamczyk was a student at Akademia Rolnicza in Krakowie.
Adamczyk said of the man who would become pope, "He listened more than he talked, and when he said something, it always was worthwhile."
At that time, Poland was still a Communist country and under Russian domination. Adamczyk recalls that, although the governmant tolerated the Catholic religion, participating in religious events was not widely advertised. He still lived in Poland when the bishop was selected to be Pope John Paul II. The selection came as somewhat of a surprise and publicity was limited. However, "everybody went to church that night. It was a wonderful night, with all the church bells ringing."
Adamczyk saw the Pope a second time in Auschwitz, Poland, on John Paul's first visit to Poland after becoming Pope. "People weren't supposed to take vacation or days off to see the pope, but 2 million people showed up. He communicated the same with everybody. He was the 'people's pope' as much as the Catholic pope - he was the first pope to visit a mosque and a Jewish synagogue." Adamczyk credits the pope with freeing Poland and other countries from Communism and Russian influence.
Adamczyk came to Warsaw in 1980 as a 4-H international exchange student. He worked for Creighton Brothers and lived with John and Juanita Frederich for one year before returning to Poland. John Frederich gave him the nickname "Adam" as soon as he met him at the airport. He said "nobody would remember his full name." He has been called Adam ever since.
Adamczyk stayed in Poland for six months until he decided to return to the United States. His wife, Maria, and two daughters were born in Auschwitz, and he had to leave them there when he returned. "The immigration process was very slow, and they didn't come here until 1987." He proudly adds, "We're all U.S. citizens now."
Adamczyk is an ink formulator in the laboratory with Flint Ink, and Maria works in the laboratory at Kosciusko Community Hospital. Both daughters are graduates of Indiana University; one lives in Minnesota, and one is at Purdue. Adamczyk and his wife now attend Sacred Heart, although to him "it's a small church (compared to the churches in Poland)." He said, "Warsaw is a nice place to live."
