A massive memorial grows for the nearly 100 killed in a plane crash, including Poland's president and a number high ranking members of the government.
From today's Detroit News:
Hamtramck to have vigil for Polish plane crash victims
Santiago Esparza / The Detroit News
Hamtramck -- A candlelight vigil and a memorial mass will be held Tuesday in Hamtramck to honor the nearly 100 Polish leaders who died in a plane crash this morning while traveling to Russia.
The vigil will begin at 6 p.m. at Zussman Park across from City Hall, where a wreath will be laid. Then a procession will travel to nearby Queen of Apostles Church.
"It will be quite an affair," said Virginia Skrzwniarz, executive vice president of the Piast Institute in Hamtramck. "This affects so many people."
Russian and Polish officials said there were no survivors in the crash. In all, 97 people -- including the Polish president, his wife, high profile clergy and political and military officials -- were on the flight headed to events marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre in Katyn forest of thousands of Polish officers by Soviet secret police, according to the Associated Press.
The crash killed not only much of the nation's current political leadership, but also people who were to run in the next election, said Thaddeus Radzilowski, president of the institute and a lector in Russian History at the University of Michigan campus in Dearborn.
"The number of people who were killed is just an incredible list," he said Saturday. "The people who were in charge of everything are gone."
Radzilowski said the location where the massacre took place is considered cursed by many Poles. He said the crash will do nothing to dispel that thought.
"The place is really cursed," he said, echoing the sentiment he said many people of Polish descent hold about the region. "They are really going to believe that now."
Continue reading at The Detroit News...
The Holy Father offered condolences (Catholic News Agency)
The Associated Press stooped to a new low by combining this tragic news story with so-called "news" about the pope on recent scandals in the news. This is totally inappropriate and if they really wanted to cover scandal involving the pope, why did they not make a separate entry.
As a Catholic of polish descent on my father's side, I am deeply offended by Nicole Winfield's disgusting combination of unrelated topics. The agenda is clear. Look at the title that AP has put out and will be all over the local papers and other news outlets: Pope offers condolences to Poland, dodges scandal
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