Wacław Kruszka

Kruszka's brother Simon, a Catholic priest, had been imprisoned during Otto Von Bismarck's Kulturkampf for protesting restrictions placed on the church and Polish culture.

Michael Kruszka was the editor of a successful Milwaukee newspaper, the Kuryer Polski, which was the first Polish language daily in the United States.

Kruszka was suddenly transferred by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to a small parish in Ripon, Wisconsin, after allegations were made that he had fathered an illegitimate child with his housekeeper.

Messmer attempted to further placate the Polish community by appointing a Polish-speaking Bohemian, Joseph Maria Koudelka, as auxiliary bishop in Milwaukee.

While visiting St. Casimir's Parish in Kenosha, Kruszka declared that Bishop Koudelka would have to "walk over my corpse" to enter St. Adalbert's church for Mass.

Father Edward Kozlowski had been born on November 21, 1860, in Tarnów, in the Austrian occupied part of Poland, and previously defused similar situations with angry Polish parishioners in Michigan.

His focus went back to his mission of ministering to Milwaukee's Polish community and he went on to serve the St. Adalbert's parish for many years, which grew and prospered.

At his funeral service, Cardinal Samuel Stritch went on the record saying: The deceased had two aims in his life: Catholicism and Poland, and for these two goals, he worked unceasingly.Sources: