Local Polish-Americans mourn death of President Lech Kaczynski

SOUTH BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - The reality of Saturday's tragedy sunk in for members of the Polish-American community here in Boston. While many found comfort in going to church, others gathered in popular Polish meeting places.

Polish-American parishioners gathered at Our Lady of Czestochowa in South Boston to remember Polish President Lech Kaczynski.

President Kaczynski and some of the country's highest military and civilian leaders died on Saturday when the presidential plane crashed as it came in for a landing in thick fog in western Russia, killing 97, officials said.

Russian and Polish officials said there were no survivors on the 26-year-old Tupolev, which was taking the president, his wife and staff to events marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre of thousands of Polish officers by Soviet secret police.

At a mass on Saturday, Father Andrew Urbaniak asked parishioners to pray for the 97 men and women who died and to rely on their faith to lead the way - a principle that he says president Kaczynski held dear.

Services were held throughout the day on Saturday at Our lady of Czestochowa, but church leaders say a special service to remember the victims will be held at 7p.m. Sunday night.