Polish Heritage Center at Panna Maria Foundation

Polish Heritage Center at Panna Maria, Texas was established to recognize and celebrate the first permanent Polish settlement in the United States at Panna Maria in 1854 and the Polish immigrations that followed.

The first 100 families came from the area called Upper Silesia. They came at the invitation of a young Polish missionary priest, Father Leopold Moczygemba, who was ministering to German-speaking Catholics in Texas at the time, and to escape Prussian oppression and economic hard times.

They arrived on Christmas Eve, 1854, and Father Moczygemba celebrated their first Midnight Mass under a large oak tree which still stands today. They named their settlement Panna Maria (Virgin Mary in Polish) and established Immaculate Conception Church, the first Polish parish in the United States. They quickly spread out, and accompanied by other Polish immigrants, established communities and parishes in nearby Bandera, Cestohowa, Kosciusko, St. Hedwig, Falls City, Yorktown, San Antonio, Meyersville, Las Gallinas, White Deer, and McCook.

Bishop Emeritus John W. Yanta, a descendant of those first settlers, established the Polish Heritage Center Foundation in 2011. His vision was to have a heritage center that would recognize the trials and triumphs experienced by his ancestors. Construction began in 2016.

The Center relates the immigrants’ stories, built on bedrock values of faith, family, and community, against a backdrop of the 1,000-plus year history of Poland.

Our Mission

The mission of the Polish Heritage Center at Panna Maria is to retain for posterity, and keep vibrant and relevant, the history, values, beliefs, customs and traditions of the Polish settlers and their descendants at this first and oldest permanent Polish settlement in America, and to inspire, engage, and educate our visitors.

Educate and Inspire

The Center will educate and inspire visitors by preserving the history of the first Polish settlers in Texas, by promoting Polish culture across the nation, and by providing curated material and exhibits to inspire Polish Americans today.

“The sacred memories of generations; let’s memorialize our ancestors, we have to preserve our inherit values, share them with new generations of our family, and with pride and thanksgiving, share them with the whole world.”
    — Bishop Emeritus John W. Yanta