by Anita Dolman
The Polish community in Upstate South Carolina, although modest, has grown steadily and become increasingly vibrant over the past three decades.
In the late 1980’s, the Polish-American Club of South Carolina was established, providing a framework for monthly gatherings, picnics, cultural events and English language lessons for the small Polish community and newly arriving immigrants. In 2002, however, as the needs of the community shifted, the club was dissolved. In 2009, Malgorzata and Piotr Zwolski, in an effort to provide the Polish community with a place to worship in their native language, asked Father Theo Trujillo at St. Mary Magdelene Catholic Church in Simpsonville, SC, about the possibility of holding mass in Polish at the church. This September, the Polish community celebrated 16 years of monthly Polish language masses. The church embraced the Polish community and provided a space for its members to gather, and to share their heritage at international festivals and during religious holidays, such as during the Blessing of Easter Baskets on Holy Saturday. Participation in these events grows every year.
The Polish community grew as did job opportunities in the booming automotive, computer and medical sectors in Greenville and surrounding areas, attracting Polish immigrant and Polish American professionals and their families to the area. In turn, older Polish Americans retired in the South to enjoy the mild weather.
In September 2025, Maria-Teresa Palbow, recognizing a growing need to unify and serve the Polish community beyond the church walls, established the Polish American Society of Greenville, SC. This nonprofit organization will serve as the primary social organization for the Polish American community in the area. It will highlight the presence of the Polish community in this region, raise awareness of the contributions of Poles to America’s legacy, organize cultural and educational events, encourage everyone with Polish roots to get involved in the activities of the organization, and celebrate and share our Polish heritage, language, and culture with the public.
Among its first initiatives is a creative campaign providing easily accessible information about Poles who have left a lasting mark on the America’s history and society. This initiative, which will be featured this October, during Polish American Heritage Month, is meant to spark curiosity about Poland among residents and raise awareness about the Polish community in this region.
The newly formed Polish American Society of Greenville, SC will be an exciting new chapter for South Carolina’s Polonia.
