In a quiet Polish village near the Ukrainian border, where thin soil fought to grow crops and families fought to survive forces far beyond their control, a young girl named Kasia learned what resilience looked like. It looked like parents praying before dawn. It looked like trembling hands still working the fields. It looked like generosity that was offered even when there was almost nothing left to give.
Those lessons of courage and compassion would carry her far beyond the borders of the world she knew. Because one day, Kasia Mandziuk chose to leave everything behind—her family, her homeland, even the certainty of ever returning—to chase a freedom she had only imagined. It was a decision born of hope, shaped by faith, and tempered by fear, yet she stepped forward anyway.
Across the ocean, in Detroit, another part of the story was unfolding. Dennis Popiel was growing up in a family where sacrifice was quiet but constant, with a father who worked himself into exhaustion so his family could endure, and a mother who fought her illness with every breath. Dennis would learn, long before adulthood, that love is sometimes measured in responsibility.
And when Kasia and Dennis finally met—by chance, by grace, by something greater—they discovered that their separate histories carried the same threads: perseverance, faith, and a deep desire to build something better than what life had handed them. What followed was more than a marriage. It was a lifelong mission—to care for the abandoned, to lift the weary, to open their doors to those with nowhere else to go. Their lives would cross borders again and again: into refugee camps, government offices, adoption courts, hospitals, and chapels. They would face obstacles that would break most people… and yet somehow, every closed door eventually gave way to another quiet miracle.
This is not a story of ease. It is a story of prayer whispered through tears. A story of doors knocked on until knuckles bruised.
A story of sons fought for, families strengthened, and lives rebuilt through relentless love. This is the Popiel legacy—
a legacy of grace freely given, of faith lived boldly, of love that crosses oceans and outlasts every hardship.
And as you listen, may you be reminded that the most remarkable stories are not measured by the comfort they contain, but by the challenges that are overcome. As you learn about doors that slammed shut, may you reflect on the faith and love it took to keep finding a way to open them. May this story remind you that life is about what you give. It’s about finding the strength to hope, to love, and to forgive.
The podcast for our Popiel (Kasia & mine) “legacy” can be found on the Patriot Dreams App. Anyone who downloads the app, instructions attached, can listen to the story for FREE. PLEASE NOTE: They do not require a subscription to listen to the “Legacy” stories, where our legacy is found. Their hope is that people will enjoy the app enough that they will subscribe so that they can keep their work going.
Once you download the app without paying the subscription fee, click on Legacy under “Choose Your Mode”, and you’ll see our picture (Dennis & Kasia Popiel Legacy Story) to click on to listen. It’s about 30 minutes long.
I accidentally met the author at an event in Ave Maria, Florida. After we got better acquainted, he asked if he could do our legacy story. He did everything – writing, editing, and hiring the professional narrator, at no cost to Kasia and me. He is Blessed with a special talent to summarize our life story in 30 minutes. I truly believe God brought us together, and I hope I can help open another door, this time for Kyle, the author and owner of the American Patriots app. I hope you download and listen to our story. He did reveal to me the following just yesterday:
“Dennis, I left a career in healthcare to focus on this project to help revive patriotism. As such, the app is my only source of income. What I have not disclosed publicly is that I was diagnosed with a slow progressing form of leukemia in May – no cure, only treatment – and as such I consider my work with the app as my personal legacy that I want to leave behind. We hope that a partnership with the White House will allow me to continue focusing on this work. However, given the situation, I may have to return to work after the first of the year.
We have enhancements coming within the next month that will make the sign-up process even easier. We’re adding a “Passport book” to the app that will allow users to “collect stamps” for visiting sites (national parks, Route 66 destinations, etc.). We are doing everything we can to bring people together to appreciate what makes our country great – and we understand you and Kasia for allowing us to add your story to our list of uplifting stories about great Americans!
Anything you can do to help promote the app is much appreciated.”
Feel free to pass this message on to help out Kyle, pray for his health and success, and hear about our amazing story: only through God’s guidance & help were we able to accomplish what He led us to do.
Thank you & God bless you!
Dennis Popiel
Ave Maria, Florida 34142
