Donald Malinowski
Encyclopedia
Donald Marto Malinowski, CM
(March 14, 1924 in Poland
– May 16, 2003) was a Catholic
priest and politician
in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served as a New Democratic
member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
from 1969 to 1986.
During World War II
, Malinowski fought against the Nazis
in the Armia Krajowa
, who supported Poland's government-in-exile in London
. He was wounded on three occasions, and was sentenced to death for refusing to sign an oath of allegiance to the communist government that came to power at the war's end. He escaped from his prison to Sweden
, where he remained for three years, gaining an appreciation for its principles of social democracy. He came to Canada in 1950.
In 1952, Malinowski entered a Polish National Catholic Church
seminary in Scranton, Pennsylvania
. He was later ordained as a priest, and married a nurse named Anna Glazer (the PNCC is a separate rite from the Roman Catholic church, and does not require priestly celibacy). The couple worked in New York State before moving to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1959.
Malinowski served as a chaplain at the Royal Canadian Legion
, and was named the parish priest at St. Mary's National Catholic Church in north-end Winnipeg. By 1972, he had been given authority over all churches in western Canada. In addition to his religious work, he was involved in developing a number of housing projects in north-end Winnipeg.
He first ran for the legislature in the provincial election of 1966
, but finished a distant third in the riding of Winnipeg Centre. In the 1969 election
, he won an easy victory in the north-end Winnipeg riding of Point Douglas, and became a backbench supporter of the NDP government of Edward Schreyer
.
In the provincial election of 1973
, Malinowski faced an unusual challenge from independent candidate Joseph Borowski, who had served in Schreyer's cabinet before leaving the NDP in 1972. Borowski ran as a social conservative, criticizing the NDP government's toleration of abortion
services and suggesting that Malinowski was guilty of hypocrisy in this regard. Notwithstanding these attacks, Malinowski scored a fairly easily victory, defeating Borowski by over 2,500 votes. He was re-elected again by a greater margin in the 1977 election
.
Malinowski supported Howard Pawley
's successful bid to become the NDP's interim leader in early 1979, following Schreyer's resignation. In the provincial election of 1981
, he was re-elected in the redistributed riding of St. Johns. He retired from the legislature in 1986. Despite his long tenure, he was never appointed to cabinet (he once joked, "cabinet ministers come and go, but I am always a minister").
A social democrat by conviction, Malinowski was an opponent of communism for his entire life. During the 1980s, Malinowski provided aid to Lech Wałęsa
's Solidarity movement in Poland via the Polish Relief Program, and also provided financial support to Polish refugees living in Austria
. In 1988, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada
for being "instrumental in organizing the Polish Relief Fund during the early 1980s".
He died in Calgary
in 2003. The Manitoba legislature held a moment of silence in his honour in 2003.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(March 14, 1924 in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
– May 16, 2003) was a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served as a New Democratic
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
from 1969 to 1986.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Malinowski fought against the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
in the Armia Krajowa
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
, who supported Poland's government-in-exile in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was wounded on three occasions, and was sentenced to death for refusing to sign an oath of allegiance to the communist government that came to power at the war's end. He escaped from his prison to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, where he remained for three years, gaining an appreciation for its principles of social democracy. He came to Canada in 1950.
In 1952, Malinowski entered a Polish National Catholic Church
Polish National Catholic Church
The Polish National Catholic Church is a Christian church founded and based in the United States by Polish-Americans who were Roman Catholic. The PNCC is a breakaway Catholic Church in dialogue with the Catholic Church; it seeks full communion with the Holy See although it differs theologically...
seminary in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
. He was later ordained as a priest, and married a nurse named Anna Glazer (the PNCC is a separate rite from the Roman Catholic church, and does not require priestly celibacy). The couple worked in New York State before moving to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1959.
Malinowski served as a chaplain at the Royal Canadian Legion
Royal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of...
, and was named the parish priest at St. Mary's National Catholic Church in north-end Winnipeg. By 1972, he had been given authority over all churches in western Canada. In addition to his religious work, he was involved in developing a number of housing projects in north-end Winnipeg.
He first ran for the legislature in the provincial election of 1966
Manitoba general election, 1966
The Manitoba general election held on June 23, 1966, was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a third consecutive majority win for the Progressive Conservative Party led by Dufferin Roblin...
, but finished a distant third in the riding of Winnipeg Centre. In the 1969 election
Manitoba general election, 1969
The Manitoba General Election of June 25, 1969 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was a watershed moment in the province's political history. The social-democratic New Democratic Party emerged for the first time as the largest party in...
, he won an easy victory in the north-end Winnipeg riding of Point Douglas, and became a backbench supporter of the NDP government of Edward Schreyer
Edward Schreyer
Edward Richard Schreyer , commonly known as Ed Schreyer, is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 22nd since Canadian Confederation....
.
In the provincial election of 1973
Manitoba general election, 1973
The Manitoba General Election of June 28, 1973 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the social-democratic New Democratic Party, which took 31 of 57 seats...
, Malinowski faced an unusual challenge from independent candidate Joseph Borowski, who had served in Schreyer's cabinet before leaving the NDP in 1972. Borowski ran as a social conservative, criticizing the NDP government's toleration of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
services and suggesting that Malinowski was guilty of hypocrisy in this regard. Notwithstanding these attacks, Malinowski scored a fairly easily victory, defeating Borowski by over 2,500 votes. He was re-elected again by a greater margin in the 1977 election
Manitoba general election, 1977
The Manitoba general election of October 11, 1977 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, which took 33 seats out of 57...
.
Malinowski supported Howard Pawley
Howard Pawley
Howard Russell Pawley, PC, OC, OM is a Canadian politician and professor who was the 18th Premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988.-Personal life:...
's successful bid to become the NDP's interim leader in early 1979, following Schreyer's resignation. In the provincial election of 1981
Manitoba general election, 1981
The Manitoba general election of November 17, 1981 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the opposition New Democratic Party, which took 34 of 57 seats. The governing Progressive Conservative Party took the remaining 23, while the...
, he was re-elected in the redistributed riding of St. Johns. He retired from the legislature in 1986. Despite his long tenure, he was never appointed to cabinet (he once joked, "cabinet ministers come and go, but I am always a minister").
A social democrat by conviction, Malinowski was an opponent of communism for his entire life. During the 1980s, Malinowski provided aid to Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
's Solidarity movement in Poland via the Polish Relief Program, and also provided financial support to Polish refugees living in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. In 1988, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
for being "instrumental in organizing the Polish Relief Fund during the early 1980s".
He died in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
in 2003. The Manitoba legislature held a moment of silence in his honour in 2003.