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click on picture to see full size At the Polonaise Ball - (l. to r.) Barbara Lemcha, Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Peter J. Obst

Archbishop Thomas Wenski (born: Oct. 18, 1950) His Excellency Archbishop Thomas Wenski, installed June 1, 2010, as Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Province of Miami, was formerly Bishop of Orlando (2004) and Auxiliary Bishop of Miami (1997). Born in West Palm Beach to Polish parents and educated at the St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach, Fordham University and the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland, he served from 1976 - 1979 at Corpus Christi Church in Miami, a mainly Hispanic parish. After ministering briefly in Haiti, he became Director of the Pierre Toussaint Haitian Catholic Center in Miami. In 1996 he was appointed the Miami Archdiocese's Director, Catholic Charities, which worked for the relief of disasters in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Columbia and elsewhere. He chaired the Committee on Migration of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and served on the Florida Council on Homelessness. His Excellency is a Trustee of the Catholic University of America. Since 1998 he has participated in the annual walking pilgrimage to the American Czestochowa Shrine in Pennsylvania. Archbishop Wenski has always been active in promoting Poland and participating in many activities organized by Polonia including those of The American Institute of Polish Culture in Miami. As Bishop of Orlando, he celebrated annual Pasterka for the Polish community at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Union Park and actively recruited Polish priests to assist with the growing Catholic population. For the past several years, Archbishop Wenski has represented the Roman Catholic Church in biennial dialogues with the schismatic Polish National Catholic Church. His Excellency Robert Kupiecki, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland has graciously awarded our dear friend [Archbishop Thomas Wenski] with a mark of distinction: Amicus Poloniae for outstanding efforts to promote development and cooperation between Poland and the United States. From: 39th Annual Polonaise Ball Program, Miami, FL (Feb. 5, 2011) The American Institute of Polish Culture, Inc.

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Narod Polski, Oct. 9, 1997		Post Eagle, Dec. 10, 1997		Miami Herald, Nov. 11, 2002		Miami Herald, Jul. 2, 2003
Miami Herald, Jul. 6, 2003		Florida Catholic, Jul. 10, 2003		Florida Catholic, Jul. 10, 2003		Narod Polski, Jul. 11, 2003
Narod Polski, Sept. 22, 2003		Zgoda, Nov. 13, 2003		Narod Polski, Jun. 1, 2010		Portrait 2011

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