Boston Poles mourn late president

BOSTON -- A crowd packed a South Boston church Sunday to remember the Polish president and 96 others killed in a plane crash.

Names of those who died in Saturday's crash were read aloud at a special memorial service held at Our Lady of Czestochowa Church.

“We are Polish people, we all live together and we’re basically here to be together for the good of our nation,” Andrew Olszewski said.

The loss was even harder for those who knew Polish President Lech Kaczynski personally.

“It’s not just a person that is taken away from you, but it’s a blow to the entire country. It’s incredible, it’s unbelievable,” Maciek Wojdakowski said.

At the crash site in western Russia, the black box from the plane was recovered. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said determining the cause of the crash is a top priority.

“We need together to do everything possible to find out the reason for the tragedy in the shortest time possible,” Putin said.

Mourners left flowers and ribbons at the site of the disaster.

Those attending the memorial service at Our Lady of Czestochowa vowed not to forget the tragedy.

“It seems like the Polish people, they fall down, they pick themselves up and they become even greater people than they were the day before,” said former Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn.

Many people wore black or black ribbons at the service. Monday has been declared a day of mourning.

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