Orchard Lake, MI — (November 6, 2025) The Polish Institute of Culture & Research at Orchard Lake (PICROL), in partnership with St. Mary’s Preparatory leads a meaningful Day of Service at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield. The annual event brings together students, faculty, and administrators to care for the graves of the Orchard Lake Schools’ priests, professors, and veterans of General Józef Haller’s “Blue Army”—a group of Polish soldiers who fight valiantly during World War I for Poland’s independence. 

Coordinated by Ania Bieciuk, Associate Director for Polonia Affairs at the Polish Institute of Culture & Research, and joined by Galeria Manager Elijah Majeski, Headmaster Leonard Karschnia, and Vice Chairman of the Orchard Lake Schools Board of Regents Joseph Majcher, along with students from the co-divisional preparatory, the group continues an Orchard Lake tradition of faith, reflection, and service. 

Participants clean gravesites, light votive candles, and lay wreaths, honoring those who build the foundations of the Orchard Lake Schools and contribute to the Polish American legacy. 

“This day gives students a chance to do something truly meaningful—to pray, to serve, and to learn about the remarkable individuals who came before us,” says Bieciuk. “It is both an act of remembrance and a lesson in gratitude.” 

Founded in 1885, the Orchard Lake Schools community remains one of Michigan’s oldest educational institutions, rooted in Catholic values and Polish heritage. The cemetery includes the resting places of distinguished clergy and professors who shape the spiritual and academic life of the Orchard Lake community, as well as members of the Blue Army, whose graves received new headstones and markers in 2023 through the efforts of Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance (IPN). 

The Day of Service coincides with the Catholic observances of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, and the month of November—dedicated to prayer for the deceased. Between November 1–8, Catholics who visit cemeteries and pray for the departed may receive what is known as a plenary indulgence—a special grace of the Church that offers spiritual renewal and forgiveness for oneself or for a soul in purgatory. 

For Polish Catholics, visiting cemeteries and lighting candles for the dead is a cherished tradition—a visible sign of faith, remembrance, and love that connects generations. It is also deeply tied to Orchard Lake’s mission of preserving Polish culture, memory, and spiritual values. 

Through this shared initiative, the Polish Institute and St. Mary’s Preparatory reaffirm their mission to foster education, faith, and service—honoring the past while inspiring the next generation.