Politics & Government
Ceremony Honors Seweryn's Tribute To Courageous Polish Victims Of Massacre
A Polish-born Chicago-area artist was memorialized Sunday in front of his masterpiece. He died near Katyn, where his father was massacred 70 years earlier.
A somber tribute in the rain was held Sunday at noon to remember Niles resident and artist Wojciech Seweryn.
Seweryn designed and created the , located at the entrance to in Niles. In the ceremony Sunday, many noted that the ultimate realization of this work of art was considered his life's dream. He spent years working on it during his time in Niles, where he lived for three decades.
Several community leaders including Mayor Robert Callero and State Representative John D'Amico, who passed House Joint Resolution 25 on May 27 to designate a portion of Milwaukee Avenue to Seweryn, spoke at the memorial. Also speaking were several representatives from Poland, including Tarnow, Poland Mayor Ryszard Scigala, who traveled here just to show their respect for Seweryn. Seweryn was born in Tarnow.
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The ceremony culminated in the dedication of the section of Milwaukee Avenue near St. Adalbert's Cemetery to Seweryn. The section is now called Wojciech M. Seweryn Memorial Road and will be marked with a sign.
By extension, the ceremonial events of the day also honored the memory of all the Polish leaders killed in the and the April 2010 plane crash near the same site, which are deeply significant events for Poles worldwide.
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Seweryn's life was dramatically bookended by both of these events. His father was killed in the massacre, and he himself tragically died in last year's devastating crash.
