March 4, 10:00 AM

Our producer, Paul Hensler,
in the streets of Old Town Warsa

 It has been a very interesting three days, during which we have completed seven interviews and shot a lot of beautiful footage.  We met with Janusz Kotanski in the Old Town section of Warsaw.  He was in his early twenties working the anti-communist underground when Father Jerzy was giving his Masses for the Homeland.  Recently he worked at the Institute of National Remembrance, an independent organization founded in 1998 by the Polish government in order to set the story straight about what happened in Poland from 1939 to 1989.  He wrote a book about Father Jerzy and had a lot of interesting things to say.  So interesting, in fact, that we scheduled to interview him again this week.

Tony and Caitlyn shooting
the Ronald Reagan statue.  He
is a hero in Poland for fighting
against Communism.

On August 31, 1980, a few days after the strike began at the Huta Warszawa steel mill, the striker's requested that a priest come to say a Mass for them.  Being a Sunday most of the priests were busy, but a skinny priest from a church in the Zoliborz district said he would go.  When Father Jerzy Popieluszko approached the steel mill he saw the gates surrounded by the families and friends of the striking workers.  They were there to bring food, news, love, and to act as a barrier in case the militia wanted to storm the mill. 

Tony and Caitlyn shooting on the
streets of Warsaw. 

No priest had set foot inside Huta.  It was a Communist-run industry and priests were not allowed.  As Father Jerzy approached the gate it was opened and the strikers inside began applauding.  Jerzy thought it must be for someone else.  It was for him.  That day he gave a Mass and listened to confessions in the yard.  That day put him on the path with Solidarity.

Tony shooting the cavernous
Huta Warszawa steel mill.

 And there I stood.  In the same yard where the Mass was held, where the confessions were taken.  Huta was privatized some years ago, and the new mill sits nearby, emitting unearthly groans and bangs.  We were able to get inside the doors of the old mill and shoot.  It's about the size of a football field inside.  A very large football field.  

Outside the old mill.

While at Huta we sat down with Karol Szadurski and Jacek Lipinski, two retired mill workers, Solidarity members, and close friends of Father Jerzy's.  These men protected their friend when it became clear that the Communist government saw him as a threat.  We've also interviewed two other people who knew Father Jerzy very well.  One had a very chilling story to tell about the secret police's attempts to track him around the country.  I'll save that one for the documentary.  
Tomorrow we head to Czestachowa and on to Krakow for more interviews.  Thanks for reading and wish us luck!