In 1410, united Polish and Lithuanian forces defeated German Teutonic Knights in this battle, which not only secured both kingdoms' continued access to the Baltic Sea, but also signaled the beginning of a period in which Poland became a dominant power in Europe. The three-paneled stained glass window at St. Josaphat, which portrayed this battle, was commissioned by Father Joseph Kocinski, a Polish immigrant, who was pastor of the parish during the 1915-1917 construction of the new church. Years later, Cleveland Bishop Joseph Schrembs, who was of German descent, was reputed to have said to Father Kocinski, after observing this stained glass window, "If I had been bishop at the time, I would have never appointed you pastor of this parish." To which Father Kocinski responded, "If I had been pope at the time, I would never have appointed you bishop!" Years later, in 1998, when the church closed, the three-paneled stained glass window depicting the Battle of Grunwald mysteriously disappeared after it had been removed from the church during the desanctification process. | Source: Raymond PiankaDownload Original File
