It’s been decades since Susan Curren studied basic Polish at Sacred Heart of Jesus School in Irvington, but her memories of those days remain as warm as ever.

“I grew up in a very Polish neighborhood where the heart of life was the Church, the people and the culture,” Curren said. The lessons, in the language of her parents, grandparents and indeed, the elders of the community at large, were key to what she remembers as being a wonderful and close childhood experience.

“We were taught by Felician Franciscan Sisters of Lodi and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, our prayers were all in English. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they were in Polish. I remember our prayer cards with English on one side and Polish on the other.”

As a young adult she enjoyed using the language to, as she recounts, “catch up on what was happening in the neighborhood when I went to the Polish deli or share a cup of tea with an older person who might want to talk.”

Though her skill in Polish faded somewhat after school, she retained enough of the language to share conversations with her mother who enjoyed speaking her native tongue before she died three years ago.

And, she also enjoyed speaking what she refers to as “pigeon Polish” when visiting the friends she grew up with.

Relocating to Bayville a few years ago, however, left her missing not only the language but much about the culture that was a core part of her being. She felt isolated and alone.

A Chance to Reconnect

That sensation came to a happy end for Curren and 12 fellow students last fall when they signed up for an adult class in the language familiar from childhood. The class, conducted at the Polish Supplementary School in Lakewood, met the second Friday of each month at Holy Family School.

There, the adults gathered in a classroom down the hall from dozens of children and teens, who, just like them years ago, were learning the language of their parents.

The older folks got to begin at the beginning with the help of a classic, old Polish elementary school book call Falski Elementarz.

The book was at the heart of the curriculum developed by Kasia Pawka, principal of the Polish Supplementary School – a 16-year-old institution and hub of learning for the large Polish community of the greater Lakewood area.

“We noticed that the community was growing and (the parish) was offering Polish Mass and we wanted to get the kids involved at the school…Many times I met people of Polish background who had studied the language as children but didn’t retain much of it,” Pawka said.

“We thought this could be a good opportunity for family members to learn Polish language, heritage and culture.”

Answer to a Prayer

As it turned out, there definitely was an interest.  Announcements in parish bulletins throughout the area sparked enough of a response to go ahead with the program, Pawka said.

“I was so surprised. More than 30 people called who were interested in the program.”

And 13 of them committed to attending the monthly three hour session. Working with the elementary school book as a template, they covered eight different subjects in conversational Polish in as many months.

The subjects ranged from Christmas and Easter to the four seasons, to cultural and professional terms to sports and the like. Every month, new vocabulary words were introduced.

On May 13, Pawka awarded the class members certificates, holy cards and small religious plaques, while down the hall, the school’s more than 100 young students prepared a gala evening of entertainment for the whole student body.

Reflecting back a few days later, Curren talked about the “amazing bond” that had formed among the students. “I felt like I was home again, that here I was, after all these years, putting down roots again and there was something familiar. I had found a whole group of people like myself.”

Among that group of people was Veronica Wojtowicz, a member of St. Luke Parish, Toms River, who grew up in Jersey City and was also taught by Felician Franciscan Sisters.  She found the class a wonderful way to reconnect with her roots and language in preparation for a pilgrimage to Poland.

“I was thinking, with my parents gone, there was no one to speak to,” she said. “The class helped me reconnect to conversational Polish I learned in school and that makes me feel very proud.”

Fellow student Madelyn Zalewski Campbell, another North Jersey transplant, talked about what a great return it was to the classroom experience.

“There was such a welcoming atmosphere,” said Campbell.  “They made you feel comfortable. It didn’t matter what your skill level was,” said Campbell, a member of Epiphany Parish, Brick. “We are definitely hoping for another round.”