Jola T.

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

I really loved the quote I found in "Archdiocese: A History" on page 307 where they talk about the Polish immigrants transplanted from one culture to another. It states "...people, like trees, take root more rapidly when their roots are protected by some native soil." I think this quote expresses the challenge of the Polish community, and that without St. Anthony's Parish they would not have done as well.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

I have learned that there is more to St. Anthony's than just Sunday masses. It was originally Archbishop McGuigan's idea to start the Thirteen Tuesday Devotions to St. Anthony, the wonder worker. Though the church has been updated since their first mass, it continues to carry the same traditions.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

I have it very easy compared to the Polish people who lived in the 1930s. Knowing very little English, it was hard for them to get a job during the Great Depression. Now-a-days if we want something we usually pay for it or back down and don't get it. Back then, not having money just meant they would work harder to get what they needed.