After several visits to Poland by Father Breza and large groups of Winona area visitors, it was discovered that the City of Bytow was not just of comparable size to Winona, but also was a central point in the Kashubian region from which many Poles migrated and came to settle in the Winona area. In Poland, only about 20 miles in diameter, with Bytow in the NW corner was the epicenter from which the vast majority of Winona’s Poles came. Coincidentally, the area in which they originally settled here is the United States (previous to the secondary migrations) was only about 20 miles in diameter.

After Father Breza discovered that three of his four grandparents claimed that city as home, and after discovery of living relatives by so many visitors to Bytow, he thought that Bytow should be designated as “Mother City” to Winona. Winona alderman, Tim Breza, stepped in after his tour of Poland, to set in motion the process for Sister City status – a national organization governing the process. Since then mayors and dignitaries of both cities have recognized and approved the designation. None of this could have occured without the help of Jarek Schroeder, Irek Gospodarek, Piotr Dziekanowski – Bytow ambassadors – who first welcomed the English speaking priest to his fatherland. Edyta Jasinska, Slawek Lach, Stanley Frymark, Jagoda Dabek and Asia Pawelska facilitated the many following visits by Winonans to Kashubia