Parish ousts Polish school

Members of a Polish school conducting classes at Wauconda's Transfiguration Parish and School are up in arms after learning they have to find new classroom space next school year.

The Jan Matejko Polish Saturday School's lease is not being extended next year over allegations church classrooms were damaged and disrupted during the weekend sessions.

They are charges school officials vehemently deny.

Polish school Principal Hanna Walas of Barrington said this is the first she's heard of the problem.

"I was surprised," Walas said. "Nobody never mentioned anything."

The school draws 223 students from throughout the Northwest suburbs. Officials are now approaching area public schools for an alternate site for classes.

The Rev. Ronald Gollatz, pastor of Transfiguration Parish, said he decided not to renew the lease after hearing complaints of mishandling of school property.

Every Monday, Gollatz said, the Transfiguration School staff would find classroom setups changed, school items misplaced, teachers' desks disturbed, and computers logged on to various sites, some inappropriate.

"It's been going on for quite a while," he said. "A year ago, I was seriously considering not renewing their contract when I met with the (Transfiguration) principals and their advisers."

Gollatz said he gave the Polish school officials a year to address the concerns, "and I have not seen any improvement."

Parent Bogdan Rzadkowski of North Barrington, whose children attend the Polish school, said church officials never gave them that opportunity.

"Behind closed doors, without our knowledge, the decision was made to not extend our lease for the next school year," he said. "We use about 30 days in a year and we pay almost $10,000."

The Polish school started offering classes for kindergarten through high school grades at the church in September 2003.

Walas said another reason church officials want her school out is they are considering moving religious education classes from Sunday to Saturday.

Gollatz confirmed that is an option for future years.

The Polish school's eviction isn't the only issue that has riled community members. An incident involving the blessing of Easter food baskets during a Polish service last Saturday at the church has left the congregation feeling victimized.

The Polish priest who performed the Easter blessing was told to bless the baskets without holy water, conflicting with a long tradition, which shocked the church's Polish congregation.

"Since then, I am boycotting this parish and going to another church," Rzadkowski said. "It's a Polish and Christian tradition. It's very unfair to this Polish community to make such decisions, especially when it comes to these Christian traditions."

Gollatz said the two issues are entirely separate and he regretted upsetting the Polish community.

He said the reason he ordered the baskets be blessed without holy water was there was none on hand. Two earlier Easter blessings for the English- and Spanish-speaking communities were done the same way.

"I actually feel very badly," Gollatz said. "I don't think my intent or the church's intent is to create a disturbance for so many people."