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Adam Joseph Cardinal Maida
born: 1930
Cardinal, Roman Catholic

One of the founding fathers of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C.

Born 1930 in the Pittsburgh suburb of East Vandergrift into a family of Polish immigrants, Cardinal Maida grew up surrounded by the Roman Catholic faith of his community. After serving in the diocese of Pittsburgh, he became a bishop in the Green Bay diocese in Wisconsin. In 1990 Pope John Paul II named him the Archbishop of Detroit and four years later proclaimed him a cardinal.

Cardinal Maida became one of the founding fathers of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. It opened in 2001 in a grand ceremony with President George W. Bush, guests from the Vatican, U.S. Congressmen as well as Blanka Rosenstiel - one of the Center's initiators and Cardinal Maida's long time friend.

In April 2005, following the Pope's death, he traveled to the Vatican to participate in the papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. Cardinal Maida has remained in touch with his roots by traveling to Poland.

In June 2006 he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination. With a long list of academic titles - Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, degrees in theology and canon law, and a doctorate in civil law - Cardinal Maida is first and foremost a servant of God: "Even in a dream I couldn't imagine the experiences that I've had as a priest" - he told The Michigan Catholic in 2006 - "just doing every day what I thought was God's will, responding to God's call. There were many happy moments, but also many challenging moments."

From: Good News 2005 - 2006. A publication of the American Institute of Polish Culture of Miami, Florida.

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