The Kingdom of Poland: Clergy’s Work for the Welfare of Emigrants

Abstract

Owing to the liberties granted the Church in the Kingdom of Poland after the revolution of 1905-1907, the Catholic clergy could take up social work, including the welfare of emigrants. Two Societies for Protection of Emigrants were founded in the Kingdom. The Warsaw Society was set up due to the efforts of the clergy from the diocese of Kujawy and Kalisz (Fathers Jan Stanisław Żak, Wojciech Helbich, Marian Fulman and Idzi Radziszewski). The Society in Płock acted by the Catholic Union. Father Adolf Szelążek, Rector of the Catholic seminary, seemed the most prominent social worker in the diocese of Płock. Shortage of social workers, particularly priests, and lack of .funds caused certain slackness on the part of the Societies.

Above all they cared for the seasonal emigrants during their winter stays in the native country (religious instruction, talks on legal and economic problems) and kept in touch with them when they moved abroad, mostly by means of correspondence. It was postulated that clergymen should visit emigrants in the countries of their employment. These plans however were never fully realized owing among others to the reluctance of the clergy of Germany where most emigrants went.

Although the majority of parish clergy were not particularly intersted in the welfare of emigrants, central action demanding reports and detailed statements before consistories forced them to take up the problem. Clergymen of two dioceses, Kujawy and Kalisz, and Płock were the most active, but priests from other dioceses also worked for the welfare of emigrants protecting them against exploitation. They paid, though, more attention to religious questions than to economic problems as the soluton of the latter was not within their powers.