WARSAW — Spend much time in the Knights of Columbus hall in Warsaw on Christmas Day and you are likely to hear one line repeated over and over again.
“I haven’t seen you in ages.”
kAm%92E :D <:?5 @7 H92E E96 2??F2= z?:89ED 4@>>F?:EJ r9C:DE>2D >62= :D 2== 23@FE 244@C5:?8 E@ y:> 2?5 y@p?? %9@>AD@?[ @7 (2CD2H]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D ;FDE 2 52J E@ 36 E@86E96C 2?5 D66 @=5 7C:6?5D[” y@p?? D2:5 2D 2 DE625J 7=@H @7 E96:C 7C:6?5D 2?5 ?6:893@CD DE@AA65 3J E@ D2J 96==@ 2?5 @776C 2 “|6CCJ r9C:DE>2D]”k^Am
kAm%96 4@FA=6 5:?65 @? D>@<65 EFC<6J[ >2D965 A@E2E@6D 2?5 2 9@DE @7 @E96C 9@=:52J >62= EC62ED @? %F6D52J 5FC:?8 E96 2??F2= 4@>>F?:EJ 6G6?E[ H9:49 @C82?:K6CD D2J 765 23@FE b__ A6@A=6 3J 62C=J %F6D52J 27E6C?@@?]k^Am
kAmy:>[ 2 C6E:C65 z2?D2D r:EJ 7:C6>2?[ 2?5 y@p??[ 2 C6E:C65 7@@5 D6CG:46 H@C<6C H:E9 E96 }@CE9 z2?D2D r:EJ $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ 92G6 G@=F?E66C65 2E E96 6G6?E 367@C6[ 3FE E9:D J62C[ y:> D2:5[ “H6 2C6 ;FDE D:EE:?8 96C6 2?5 6?;@J:?8 :E]”k^Am
kAm%96 z?:89ED >2<6 E96 >62= @A6? E@ 2?J@?6[ 7@C 2?J C62D@?] ~7 E96 b__ E92E EFC?65 @FE @? %F6D52J[ D@>6 H6C6 ?665J :?5:G:5F2=D @C 72>:=:6D =@@<:?8 7@C 2 9@E >62=] ~E96CD H6C6 C6E:C65 D?@H3:C5D =:<6 E96 %9@>AD@?D[ H9@ 46=63C2E65 r9C:DE>2D H:E9 E96:C 72>:=:6D =2DE H66<]k^Am
kAm“%92E H@C<D @FE 7:?6[” y:> D2:5] “%92E >62?D E@52J H6 42? 6?;@J 36:?8 H:E9 @FC 7C:6?5D] (6 92G6 8@@5 7@@5 2?5 8@@5 7C:6?5D] |@DE=J :E’D C62==J 23@FE E96 A6@A=6]”k^Am
kAmy@p?? 3C28865 23@FE 96C 25@AE:G6 9@>6E@H?[ D2J:?8 E96 4@>>F?:EJ DA:C:E 6I9:3:E65 :? E96 92== @? %F6D52J :D “;FDE 9@H A6@A=6 2C6 96C6]”k^Am
kAm“%96 E9:?8 23@FE (2CD2H :D[ ?@ >2EE6C H9@ J@F 2C6[ H96? D@>6@?6 :? E9:D 4@>>F?:EJ ?665D D@>6E9:?8[ 6G6CJ@?6 DE6AD FA E@ 96=A @FE[” y@p?? D2:5] “x E9:?< :E :D 8C62E E92E E96J 86E 369:?5 E9:D >62= 2?5 <66A :E 8@:?8 J62C E@ J62C]”k^Am
kAm%96 @C:8:?D @7 E96 >62= D66> 2 =:EE=6 7@88J[ A@DD:3=J 2C:D:?8 :? E96 `hg_D 2D 2 '6E6C2?D @7 u@C6:8? (2CD @C p>6C:42? {68:@? 6G6?E] %96 z?:89ED E@@< @G6C 9@DE:?8 E96 >62= :? E96 >:5\`hh_D[ 2?5 92G6 D66? E96 4C@H5 8C@H DE625:=J 7C@> 2C@F?5 d_ E@ E96 b__ @C D@ E92E 92G6 D9@H? FA :? C646?E J62CD]k^Am
kAmtG6? :7 E96 9:DE@CJ :D G28F6[ E96 5FEJ @7 42CCJ:?8 @? E96 EC25:E:@? :D 2? :>A@CE2?E @?6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ #:492C5 w2C>D[ E96 92==’D vC2?5 z?:89E]k^Am
kAm“xE 4@DED 2 =@E @7 >@?6J E@ 92G6 2 3:8 r9C:DE>2D 5:??6C 2?5 D@>6 72>:=:6D ;FDE 5@?’E 92G6 :E[” w2C>D D2:5] “p?5[ H6 92G6 2 =@E @7 C6E:C65 A6@A=6 H9@D6 72>:=:6D 2C6?’E 96C6 7@C r9C:DE>2D @C A6@A=6 E92E ;FDE 5@?’E 92G6 2?JH96C6 E@ 8@ E92E 5@?’E H2?E E@ 36 9@>6 2=@?6] xE’D D@>6E9:?8 E92E C62==J 96=AD A6@A=6 @FE]”k^Am
kAm%92E D6?E:>6?E H2D 649@65 3J >6>36CD w@H2C5 $F==6?EC@A 2?5 |:<6 $9@CE:?@[ H9@ 2C6 A2CE @7 E96 425C6 @7 z?:89ED[ 2?5 E96:C H:G6D[ H9@ D9@H FA 2E E96 92== 6G6CJ r9C:DE>2D 2E g 2]>] E@ 42CG6 EFC<6JD[ >2D9 A@E2E@6D 2?5 AC6A2C6 2? :>AC6DD:G6 E23=6 7F== @7 9@>6>256 56DD6CED]k^Am
kAm“(6 6?;@J 5@:?8 :E[” $F==6?EC@A D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%96C6’D ?@E C62==J 2?J A=246 H6 H@F=5 C2E96C 36 @? r9C:DE>2D >@C?:?8[” $9@CE:?@ 25565] “p?5 :E :D 2=H2JD 8C62E=J 2AAC64:2E65]”k^Am
