May 2014 – Volume 92 - Polish National Catholic Church

Volume 92
May 2014
Issue #5
Jesus, the Good Shepherd
Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky
Prime Bishop
The Church celebrates Good Shepherd Sunday on the
Fourth Sunday of the Easter Season, this year held on
Sunday, May 11.
The Church places much
importance in this description of our Lord which can
be seen in the fact that it is the first image that we
turn to after the Resurrection. On Easter Sunday as
well as the two Sundays following, the gospels we
read in church all occur on the day of the
Resurrection. On Easter we hear about the finding of
the empty tomb on the morning of the Resurrection.
On the Second Sunday of Easter we hear about the
visit of Jesus to the disciples gathered in the upper
room on the evening of the Resurrection, as well as
His visit the week after. And on the Third Sunday
we travel with the disciples on the road to Emmaus,
also on the day of Resurrection. Then on the Fourth
Sunday, as the first departure from this day, we turn
to the image of the Good Shepherd.
It is this image that helps to describe exactly what
our Lord has done for us in His crucifixion and His
Resurrection. In John’s Gospel we read: “I am the
Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His
life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the
shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf
coming and leaves the sheep and runs away – and the
wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired
hand runs away because a hired hand does not care
for the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd. I know My
own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows
Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life
for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong
to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will
listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one
shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me,
because I lay down My life in order to take it up
again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of
My own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I
have power to take it up again. I have received this
command from My Father.” (John 10:11-18)
As we delve into this passage so many of the words
and concepts speak very strongly to us. First of all
we need to look at the role of the shepherd in the
Biblical world. The role of the shepherd is one of
long standing history in the Bible. It is the very first
profession mentioned within the Bible. When Adam
and Eve have their children Abel and Cain, Abel is
mentioned first as a keeper of sheep, Cain is a tiller
of the ground. We see here that Abel, the one who
found favor with God was a shepherd, a keeper of
sheep. Already in the first pages of Scripture, the
shepherd is somehow acknowledged as someone
special. Within the Book of Genesis we also hear of
God being described as a shepherd. In Jacob’s last
blessing to his children he mentions that “[Joseph’s]
bow remained taut, and his arms were made agile by
the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the name of
the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.” (Genesis 29:24)
Probably the best known shepherd for the people of
Israel was David, the chosen king. It was David who
the people of Israel thought of when they thought of
the ideal king, and David was first a shepherd. The
people of Israel acknowledged this role when “all the
tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said,
‘Look, we are your bone and flesh. For some time,
while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out
Israel and brought us in. The Lord said to you: It is
you who shall be shepherd of My people Israel, you
who shall be ruler over Israel.” (2 Samuel 4:1-2) Not
(Continued on Page 2.)
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God’s Field — May 2014
Jesus, the Good Shepherd
(Continued from Page 1.)
only does the Lord speak of King David as shepherd,
but the people also acknowledge that his role is to
lead out and bring in as a shepherd does.
Also in the prophetic books we hear of God referred
to in the role of a shepherd to His people. In the
book of the Prophet Ezekiel, we see Ezekiel contrast
the false shepherds with God the true shepherd. We
read: “For thus says the Lord God: I Myself will
search for My sheep, and will seek them out. As
shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among
their scattered sheep, so I will seek out My sheep. I
will rescue them from all the places to which they
have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick
darkness.” (Ezekiel 34:11-12) And further God says
through Ezekiel; “I will set up over them one
shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them:
he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the
Lord, will be their God, and My servant David shall
be prince among them: I the Lord, have
spoken.” (Ezekiel 34:23-24)
We know that later it will be a descendant of the
house of David, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Who will call Himself the Good Shepherd and be
recognized as King of kings and Lord of lords. It is
against this background that we must consider the
words of the Gospel of John regarding Jesus, the
Good Shepherd.
First let us examine the words at the very beginning
and also the end of the passage from St. John. Jesus
says, “The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the
sheep.” And “For this reason the Father loves Me,
because I lay down My life in order to take it up
again.” Jesus lays down His life upon the cross for
the sins of His people, His sheep, and yet He does so
in order to take it up again. The Crucifixion and
Resurrection are certainly one great action in our
Lord’s victory over sin and death. It is this action
that re-presented every time we gather for Holy
Mass, the Eucharist. And this one great action is a
part of the love that God the Father has for Jesus and
then by extension for all of us as well.
The Scripture passage also tells us so much more. In
invoking the image of shepherd, Jesus also tells us of
the continued relationship that we are to have with
Him. He says: “I am the Good Shepherd. I know
My own and My own know Me.” We are truly
known fully by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as
not only a part of creation, but also because we are
created in the image of God. Jesus Christ, the Word,
the One through Whom all things were made,
certainly knows us from the first moments of our
own creation Jesus also tells us that we belong to
Him, that He is our owner. When speaking of others
He says, “The hired hand, who is not the shepherd
and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming
and leaves the sheep and runs away.” Here we have
a strong promise of Jesus. Not only does He own us
and care for us, but in fact He will never leave us.
He tells us “and remember, I am with you always, to
the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
This passage also speaks of the unity that we must
have and share as believers. Again Jesus says, “I
have other sheep that do not belong to this fold, I
must bring them also, and they will listen to My
voice. So there will be one flock, one Shepherd.”
Here we see an emphasis on the voice of our Lord.
This is especially important in our recognizing the
preaching and hearing of the Word of God as a
Sacrament. In and through Scripture reading and the
preaching and teaching of the Church, we encounter
our risen Savior. We not only hear His voice, but in
fact as members of the flock, we listen to Jesus,
recognize Him in this powerful word and are united
in the one flock of Jesus Christ.
Certainly much more could be said concerning the
richness of this passage, but let us remember
especially during this Easter season that Jesus, our
Good Shepherd, leads us and guides us as the one
flock. And most importantly that He has laid down
His life upon the cross. He laid it down to wipe
away our sins, but He laid it down in order that He
would take it up again in the glorious Resurrection,
the triumph of our victorious Lord.
Volume 92, Issue No. 5
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Supreme Council, P.N.C.C. Meets
Holy Trinity Cathedral Parish, Manchester, NH
The Supreme Council of the P.N.C.C. met April 29 - 30, 2014 at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Manchester, NH.
Front: Rt. Rev. Paul Sobiechowski, Rt. Rev. John Mack, Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky, Rt. Rev. Stanley Bilinski, Rt. Rev. Bernard Nowicki.
Back: Atty. Ernest J. Gazda, Jr., Kathryn Nemkovich, Ronald DeLuca, Joan Scheuneman, Sally Watson, Diane Hollinsworth,
Rev. Gregory Mludzik, John Andrzejewski, David Petrosky, Sr., Beverly Basinski, Raymond Pieczarka, Jeff Hohn, Michael Mietlicki,
Very Rev. Robert Nemkovich, Jr.
The Archives is Looking for …
This will be an irregular column about documents for
which the Polish National Catholic Church
(P.N.C.C.) Archives is looking. I hope that you can
search for these missing elusive items. Today’s
article is about a Magazine named Wiara I Wiedza
and subtitled Miesięcznik Poświęcony Sprawom
Religijnym Naukowym, Marodowym I Społecznym.
The English translation of the title is “Faith and
Science: Monthly devoted to scientific cases,
religious, national and social.”
Recently, a copy of issue number 1, published in
April 1913, was given to Prime Bishop Mikovsky by
Mrs. Ellen Golembeski. She found the issue among
the documents of the estate of her uncle, Anthony J.
Zychal. This issue is the only one that the P.N.C.C.
Archives has. The P.N.C.C. Archives would like to
have all of the published issues.
The publication was to be monthly, with a
subscription cost of $1.00 per year and 10¢ per issue.
It was ‘A Religious Monthly Magazine’, published
by the P.N.C.C. in Scranton, PA. The editors were Rt.
Rev. Hodur, Rev. Bonczak and Rev. A. Jaskiewicz.
The business editor was Rev. B. Krupski. The back
cover has the address 1002 Pittston Avenue.
The size of the magazine was 6 7/8 by 9 3/4. It is
stapled together. This issue has 24 pages and was
comprised of 8 articles. The author (when given) of
each of the articles was Ks. Franciszek Hodur,
Biskup P. N. K. Kościoła. The magazine includes
two illustrations, one being a statue of a man or boy
with a lamb on his shoulder and the other is Jesus
with his hand on the shoulder of a kneeling man with
his hands folded in prayer and with his eyes closed.
The P.N.C.C. Archives is looking for information
about this publication. The questions are many: (1)
How many issues were published? (2) Why was it
published? (3) What was its purpose? (4) Who was
its expected audience? (5) When did it stop being
published? (6) Why did it cease publication? If you
can provide answers to these questions or have
information about this magazine, please send them to
the P.N.C.C. Archives at 1006 Pittston Avenue,
Scranton, PA 18505-4109.
Please search your closets, attics and basements to
find copies of this magazine and consider donating
them to the P.N.C.C. Archives.
Joseph Francis Seliga
Chairman, P.N.C.C. Commission on History and Archives
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God’s Field — May 2014
Dear Prime Bishop, Bishops, Clergy, Y.M.S. of R. Board Members, Y.M.S. of R. Brothers and faithful of the
church:
100 Years of the Y.M.S. of R.…Where do we go from here?
There are a lot of changes happening all around each and every one of us in 2014. Some of us have taken new
jobs, moved to different cities, lost loved ones, had additions to the family, etc. Events such as these are what
life is about - taking what is presented in front of you and making the most of it.
In 1914, Prime Bishop Hodur was faced with a situation in his role as the leader of our Holy Church - how to
get men to come together in the Church and prosper together, as well as support the youth of the Church. His
solution was the Young Men's Society of Resurrection. Life in 1914 was vastly different than it is 100 years later. There was limited technology; travel was possible, but not in the leisurely form we know it to be today. Families stayed in the same area for support, economic reasons, etc. Times change and people move, parishes close,
and life hands us different situations each and every day. However, what didn’t change in the last 100 years is
the organization and our love for the Church to which we are faithful.
When I say that our organization hasn't changed, I mean our purpose. Our purpose was, and still is, to help men
of the Church come together to better prosper faithfully and to be a supportive foundation for the youth in our
Church. Over the last several years our organization has been meeting and discussing new and different ways to
help our youth and at the same time come together as men of our Church.
On our Facebook page it was asked by someone who has a Y.M.S. of R. branch locally, "Other than
fellowship and fundraising, does the Y.M.S. of R. have a purpose?" The simple answer to this is, “YES!” We
always had and always will have a purpose that is more than just fundraising and fellowship. What the Y.M.S.
of R. does locally is different in every parish and under your control. Here are just a few examples:
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Sunday Mass Usher Program
Bowling leagues
Mother’s Day breakfasts for the parish ladies
Family outings to sporting and family events
Supporting a food ministry that feeds the hungry, the poor, and those in need
Encouraging and supporting parish youth to attend the yearly Kurs Encampment in
Waymart, PA and Diocesan and National Church events for youth
Our national board is currently creating a scholarship fund to help those attending college. We are also giving
our continued support to the rotating national bowling tournament. We want these ideas and plans to continue
and prosper. Without the support and backing of the bishops, clergy and men from our parishes we cannot
continue to grow. We made it 100 years, now I am asking you all directly, "How are YOU going to help our
organization grow into its next 100 years?”
In the coming weeks and months you will be receiving updates on our meetings, what we have discussed and
what we have planned. We plan on issuing an appeal in the coming weeks and hopefully announcing details on
possible regional golf tournaments. We want your feedback! This is an exciting time to reorganize, reenergize
and refocus.
Regards,
David Micka
1st Vice President, United Y.M.S. of R.
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unitedymsofr
Volume 92, Issue No. 5
Clergy Pension Fund
Father’s Day Appeal
June 15, 2014
On Father’s Day, be sure to remember our Spiritual Fathers and please make a generous donation to
the Clergy Pension Fund Collection!
As of January 1, 2007, all pension recipients received an increase of 100% in the amount they were receiving.
(The current pension amount for those retiring now is $600.00 a month. The pension to surviving spouses is
one-half (1/2), $300.00.)
BUT, we are very concerned now because the normal donations have declined from past years, especially in
comparison to the increased individual pension payments.
As a further explanation, even though we have increased the principal amount of the fund from $1 million to
$2 million, we must continue to maintain the yearly donations as we have in the past. Each year these
donations are added to the earnings from the principal amount. This enables us to pay the pension payments
without dipping into the principal. If we do not maintain and increase the yearly donations, we will have to
start to dip into the principal amount and start to erode it.
Increasing the principal amount from $1 million to $2 million is not the total answer, we MUST not only
maintain the yearly donations, but increase them.
We must protect the principal of our pension fund to keep it strong for years to come, so PLEASE continue
your yearly donations and PLEASE consider increasing them. By doing so, we will show our clergy that WE
TRULY SUPPORT THEM!
Clergy Pension Fund Committee
Robert R. Maycan
Treasurer
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God’s Field — May 2014
Women’s Role in the First Christian Community
by Regina Petrunich
Before Acts Chapter 1, in the Book of John, Jesus
had just died and resurrected. In the beginning of the
chapter Jesus ascends into heaven and sends His
disciples to preach the Word of God to the Jews and
to start the first Christian community in Jerusalem.
Acts Chapter 1 takes place between the Ascension
and Pentecost. During this time the church was ready
to receive the Spirit, but until the Spirit was given, its
work could not be done.
The disciples went into the “upper room.” People in
this first Christian community were listed as: the
disciples, a few more men, and “all these people
devoted themselves with one accord to prayer,
together with some women, and Mary the mother of
Jesus, and his brothers.” (Acts 1:14) This tells us that
women played a crucial role in the foundation of
Christianity — they were present in the first Christian
community. They all devoted their lives to Jesus
(both while He was alive and after His ascension).
The book “Women in the Acts of the Apostles” by
Ivoni Richter Reimer says that this part of Acts
Chapter 1, “together with the women, including Mary
the mother of Jesus,” implies that we learn for the
first time that women were also constantly gathered
in the upper room and they constitute the first
Christians.
Also in Acts Chapter 1, Peter spoke to a group of
about 120 persons about Judas’ betrayal and death,
and he said that someone was needed to replace Judas
as Jesus’ 12th disciple. Peter stated that one of the
men who accompanied them the whole time should
take Judas’ place, implying that women should not be
considered apostles. (He suggested only two men,
Justus and Matthias. He did not suggest a woman.)
According to scripture, women were able to receive
discipleship; they witnessed Jesus’ life just as much
as the male disciples; were at His feet when He died,
and were the first to witness the Resurrection. And
women were actually sent out to proclaim that Jesus
was risen. Yet the author of the Acts wrote that Peter
only considered men for the role of Jesus’ 12th
disciple.
In Acts Chapter 2, it is Pentecost – the celebration of
giving of the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. A wind
came, tongues of fire lit up over their heads, they
were filled with the Holy Spirit, and everyone there
began to speak in different languages, though they
were all Jews and spoke the same language. Many of
the people were contemplating a deep meaning of
what had happened, but others insisted they only had
too much wine. Peter stood and told them it was too
early in the morning for them to be considered drunk;
therefore, the incident with the tongues of fire must
have had a deeper meaning; but nobody knew what
that deeper meaning could be.
In his sermon, Peter quotes the prophet Joel who said
“sons and daughters shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:17) By
this statement it meant that women were considered
prophets, and everyone who follows God will be
saved.
Although it may seem that Peter was preaching only
to men, we should assume women were there, also.
The type of language used in the Bible was common
back in those days, so we need to take into account
that women were indeed present for these events. The
book “Women in the Acts of the Apostles” by Ivoni
Richter says that this kind of androcentric language
“functions in the Bible the same way as it does
today…it mentioned women only when women’s
behavior presented a problem or when women were
exceptional individuals.” It would be hard to
imagine that women were not a very integral part of
the first Christian Community.
Regina Petrunich is a member of St. Stanislaus Cathedral,
Scranton, PA. She graduated from St. Stanislaus Elementary
School and Scranton Preparatory School and is currently a
junior studying for her B.A. in Strategic Communication at the
University of Scranton.
‘It will come to pass in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. Indeed, upon my servants and my
handmaids I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy. And I will work wonders in the heavens
above and signs on the earth below: blood, fire, and a cloud of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the great and splendid day of the Lord, and it shall be that everyone shall be saved who calls on the name of the
Lord.’ (Acts 2:17-21)
Volume 92, Issue No. 5
7
The Church v. The US Constitution
by Rachel Quirbach
In April I had the honor of representing the State of
New Hampshire at the National We the People
Competition in Washington, DC. We the People is a
class in which students learn about the U.S.
Constitution and how it relates to historical and
modern-day situations. As part of my two “units,” I
had to answer questions relating to the Civil War,
President Lincoln, habeas corpus, positive and
negative rights, equal protection and equal
opportunity, privacy, and religion. And with that last
subject that I studied, I will now attempt to make a
connection between our Church and our nation’s
history.
“Separation of church and state” is a phrase that
many of us have heard of in the legal and political
world. But how separated are religious beliefs and
the beliefs of our founding fathers? If we take a close
look at history, we see that the two are not quite as
separated as it may seem.
Shortly after being elected as the first President of
the United States, George Washington had the First
Congress blessed. This happened on October 3, 1789
at Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation. In this
speech, he said: “[W]e may then unite in most
humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the
great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to
pardon our national and other transgressions — to
enable us all . . . to perform our several and relative
duties properly and punctually . . . discreetly and
faithfully,” Washington, like many of our founding
fathers, was extremely religious and managed to
bring our nation together under God.
Similarly, President Lincoln weaved his religious
beliefs into his Second Inaugural Address on March
4, 1965. In this speech (which is engraved on a wall
in the Lincoln Memorial), Lincoln made the
argument that slaveholders and abolitionists alike
believed in the same God. He could not understand
how such religious men were willing to kill their own
brothers to determine if a race was to be in chains or
free on our nation’s soil, expressing that: “Both read
the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each
invokes His aid against the other. It may seem
strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's
assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of
other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not
judged. The prayers of both could not be answered.
That of neither has been answered fully.” I found this
portion of Lincoln’s speech to be especially
insightful and moving. It is truly inspiring that our
nation’s most influential president displayed such
strong faith in God.
Today, the First Amendment’s establishment clause
and free exercise clause are at the center of some
heated debates. The balance between our right to act
on our religious beliefs and the government’s
responsibility to protect the entire spectrum of
citizens is a delicate one indeed. A huge issue
currently being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court is
the Affordable Care Act as it pertains to religious
organizations and companies. In Sebelius v. Hobby
Lobby, the Court will decide if companies founded
on religious principles will be required to provide
their employees with healthcare which includes
contraceptives and abortion costs. The decision on
this case is one that I personally look forward to
within the next month.
As you can see, our nation’s history is rich with
religious beliefs. Our nation’s leaders have been
guided by God to help our nation endure its
hardships and to celebrate its prosperity. Today, the
protection of our religious beliefs may be changing
slightly, from expression in schools with the Pledge
of Allegiance cases to the Affordable Care Act cases.
However, even with all of the confusion about the
“separation of church and state,” we can observe our
nation’s connection with God as we simply stroll
around our nation’s wonderful capital.
Rachel Quirbach is Secretary and Eastern Diocese
Representative, NUYA and a member of St. Casimir’s Parish,
Lowell, MA
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God’s Field — May 2014
Volume 92, Issue No. 5
9
Additional information and registration forms can be obtained at:
http://westerndiocesepncc.org/wdyouth_page.htm
Convo 2014 Officers Grace Urban, Secretary; Lauren Bilinski, President; Hannah Bilinski, Vice President; Jakub Nowak, Treasurer
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God’s Field — May 2014
Buffalo-Pittsburgh Diocese
Palm Sunday Celebrations
Holy Family Parish, McKeesport, PA
Palm Sunday is always a joyful event at Holy Family
Parish in McKeesport, PA — from the Liturgy of the
Palm Branch Blessings with procession and Holy
Mass, to the annual Palm Sunday breakfast and
Easter Bunny visit in the parish hall, to the Easter
egg hunt on the parish grounds.
This year special acknowledgements go out to
Wendy Blotzer, parish organist; Carol Davelli,
interim choral director; the Chopin Choir and
Annunciation Bell Choir who inspired the parish
with their music selections during the Palm Sunday
Liturgy. Sadly missed was Dr. Donald Mushalko,
Parish choir director, who was hospitalized.
Words of thanks to Rose Mary Pociask and Karen
Bongiorni for coordinating the annual Palm Sunday
Breakfast. Added thanks to Karen for decorating the
Church for Palm Sunday and to Angie Jobes and
Patty Bagshaw who coordinated the annual Easter
egg hunt as well as to Matt Kijowski who was our
Easter Bunny.
Submitted by Rev. Bruce Sleczkowski
Rev. Bruce Sleczkowski, Pastor, blesses the palms.
The faithful process with the blessed palms.
The Easter Bunny paid a visit during breakfast.
Volume 92, Issue No. 5
11
Graduation and 50th Wedding Anniversary
Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish, Mt. Pleasant, PA
For the Yanuck Family, Saturday, April 26th was a
busy day. Two celebrations took place. The first
celebration was the graduation of Jeff Yanuck with a
Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from
the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, PA.
Jeff is employed at Concurrent Technologies
Corporation of Pittsburgh, PA. and serves as an
acolyte in the parish with his sister, Kristen. He sits
on the parish board with his grandfather and father.
Jeff and Kristen Yanuck
After the graduation ceremony, the family hurried
to Transfiguration of our Lord Parish to celebrate the
50th Anniversary blessing of Stanley and Barbara
Yanuck.
The parish family extends their best wishes to Jeff
and to Stanley and Barbara Yanuck on their
special days.
Submitted by Rev. Bruce Sleczkowski
Stanley & Barbara Yanuck renew vows before Fr. Bruce and parish
The Yanuck Family; Jubilarians Stanley & Barbara Yanuck surrounded by son Dave and wife Lori Yanuck
and grandchildren Jeff and Kristen Yanuck with Father Bruce Sleczkowski
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God’s Field — May 2014
Central Diocese
Katyn National Memorial 2014 Ceremony
Baltimore, MD
Here in Baltimore we are very honored to be the
home of the Katyn National Memorial, built in 2000
to memorialize the 20,000+ Polish troops and
intelligentsia brutally murdered by Soviet troops in
1939-1940. For a half-century the murders were
blamed on Nazi Germany by the Soviets and they did
not begin to acknowledge the truth of their own guilt
until 1989.
During this year's ceremony in March, our pastor,
Father Andrzej "Andrew" Bieganowski, was given
the honor of both opening and ending the hour-long
ceremony with a prayer. As he does every year,
Father spoke eloquently and made very proud
the parishioners of Holy Cross, located in the nearby
Fells Point neighborhood just to the east of the
memorial.
On November 19, 2000 the National Katyn Memorial
was officially dedicated in our city and each year
there is a poignant remembrance service held to pay
our respects to those who were killed in the
massacre. A variety of local and national dignitaries
typically attend, including representatives from the
Polish Embassy in Washington, DC.
The National Katyn Memorial is Baltimore's
largest statue and includes in its foundation ground
excavated from the Katyn Forest. For those visiting
the city, it is well-worth the visit, as is our beautiful
parish at nearby 208 South Broadway, where you are
warmly welcomed.
Submitted by parishioner Tom Flynn, Freelance Journalist
Volume 92, Issue No. 5
13
Eastern Diocese
April Happenings
St. Joseph’s, Westfield, MA
Greetings from St. Joseph's Church in Westfield,
MA. April began with the continuation of Friday
evening Stations of the Cross followed by Lenten
dinners in our social center. The two most popular
dinners were held: a Polish dinner night with cheese
pierogi made by the hard-working parish committee
members and the baked fish dinner attended by over
120 people. Thanks to all who helped with the six
dinners and those who came and enjoyed the dinners.
Palm Sunday arrived and the SOCL held the annual
Easter egg hunt. The Easter Bunny made a special
appearance. The highlight of the month was Easter
Mass where we all realize how important this time of
year is and are in awe of the resurrection of Christ!
Submitted by Kelly Burek
SOCL Children and Friends Pose for a Photo with the Easter Bunny.
Fr. Sr. Joe Soltysiak shakes the Easter Bunny’s paw.
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God’s Field — May 2014
St. Valentine’s Parish Events
Northampton, MA
Zapusty
On March 4, 2014, the eve of Ash Wednesday, our
annual Zapusty celebration took place in our parish
hall. Zapusty is a celebration similar to “Mardi
Gras.” Fifty people from Northampton, Hadley,
Hatfield, Turners Falls, South Deerfield and
Greenfield attended this fun event. It was an evening
of lots of merriment, great food, dancing, singing and
fellowship. The potluck menu included paczki,
chrusciki, kielbasa, chicken, homemade pastries and
much more. Thank you to everyone who prepared
and bought the delicious food. Eddie Jablonski, DJ,
played polkas and obereks for our dancing pleasure.
In addition, Fr. Adam provided song sheets with
Polish party songs which were sung by all. Everyone
had a wonderful time and we are looking forward to
next year’s celebration.
Everyone enjoyed the dance music during the Zapusty.
Spaghetti Dinner
On Saturday, March 15, 2014 at 5 p.m. our annual
spaghetti dinner was held in the parish hall.
The menu consisted of the traditional meat sauce,
meatless sauce, meatballs, garlic bread and fresh
garden salad with a choice of dressings. Two raffles
were held with many wonderful prizes. The many in
attendance enjoyed a nice evening of Italian fare and
fellowship.
Delicious Italian fare was served in March.
Spring Concert
On Sunday, April 13th our parish hosted its second
annual Spring Concert featuring the very talented
Lisa Woods, Mezzo-Soprano; Jerry Noble, Piano
Accompanist; and special guest, Gabriella Toliaferro,
Soprano. Lisa is a soloist in opera, oratorio and
recital with hundreds of performances to her credit.
Jerry is the staff accompanist at Smith College.
Gabriella, a Freshman at Granby High School, is a
regular performing member of the Springfield
Massachusetts Chapter of the Tuesday Morning
Music Club’s Junior Extension Program and she
studies voice with Soprano, Teri LaFleur.
Jerry Noble, Gabriella Toliaferro and Lisa Woods
Our church was filled with many members of the
local community and beyond. The spectacular program consisted of selections from opera, Broadway and The
Great American Songbook. The first half of the concert included “Che farò senza Euridice,” “Sorry Her Lot”
and “Spring Wind.” The second half included “There’s no Business Like Show Business,” “I Got Rhythm,”
“The Sound of Music” and many more. It was an awesome concert! Lisa, Jerry and friends perform regularly
Submitted by Krysia Newman
in our church --- watch for the next concert – it will surely be an enjoyable event .
Volume 92, Issue No. 5
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God’s Field — May 2014
Western Diocese Mass of Chrism
Chicago, IL
The Mass of Chrism was held on Holy Tuesday, April 15, 2014 at All Saints Cathedral Parish in Chicago,
Illinois. Approximately 40 people, both clergy and laity, from throughout the Western Diocese gathered for
this inspirational liturgy.
Clergy gathering around the table of our Lord
First row: Deacon Nazario Salas-Garcia, Very Rev. John Kraus,
Rt. Rev. Stanley Bilinski, Very Rev. Jaroslaw Nowak, Deacon
David Rowinski.
Second row: Rev. Bogumil Czaja, Rev. John Cramer, Rev. Jose
Rojas, Rev. Antulio Arael Alvado-Alvarez
Third row: Rev. John Kowalczyk, Rev. Jason Soltysiak, Rev.
Charles Zawistowski, Rev. Raymond Drada, Rev. Adam Wsul,
Rev. Jaroslaw Rafalko & Rev. Frank Rowinski
Behold the Holy Chrism!
Volume 92, Issue No. 5
Easter at All Saints Cathedral Parish
Chicago, IL
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!
Bishop Bilinski in the Easter Resurrection Procession
At the foot of the altar: Michael, Nicholas, Joey , James,
Thaeddeus & Mr. Marty
Bishop Bilinski and acolytes Doug Scott and Myles Urban
join their voices in song and praise.
The SOCL children with special visitor, the Easter Bunny
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God’s Field — May 2014
Our Savior Participates in National Day of Prayer
Dearborn Heights, MI
Participants in the National Day of Prayer
At 12:10 PM on May 1, 2014 the cities of Dearborn
and Dearborn Heights, MI sponsored a National Day
of Prayer Service hosted by the Dearborn Area
Interfaith Network (DAIN) at the Dearborn City
Hall. In his opening remarks, Mayor John O’Reilly
of Dearborn outlined the history of the National Day
of Prayer in the city. In the past, an organization of
evangelical Christians held an event which excluded
most other Christian and all Jewish and Muslim
people of faith. This is the first time that the
Dearborn area had a fully inclusive National Day of
Prayer event. Also speaking was Mayor Dan Paletko
of Dearborn Heights. Leading the prayers were
members of the Dearborn Police and Fire
Departments and Administrators of the Dearborn
Public Schools. The closing prayer, a 3-part prayer
reflecting Jewish, Christian and Muslim prayer
styles, was given by Pastor Deborah Satterwhite of
St.John’s AME Zion Church, Rev. Mike Ewert of the
Dearborn Free Methodist Church and Imam Eliahi of
the Islamic House of Wisdom.
The event was organized by a sub-committee of the
Dearborn Area Interfaith Network which included
the Pastor of Our Savior, Rev. John Cramer. Other
members were Rev. Mike Ewert, Lila Amen of the
Islamic Center of America and Dearborn Public
Schools, Rev. Tracey Huffman of the First United
Methodist Church of Dearborn and Imam Eliahi.
Included in the attendance of the crowd were Our
Savior Parishioners Eugene Krysztof, Deacon
Candidate Richard Kasprzak and Nan Cramer.
This event was a way to show how, in communities
as diverse as Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, MI,
every person of faith can come together and pray as
one as a community. We thank all of those who
organized and participated in this event. Our Savior
participated in this as part of their Mission and
Evangelization movement to introduce more and
more people to the Polish National Catholic Church
in Southeastern Michigan.
Submitted by Rev. John Cramer. Photos by Nan Cramer
Imam Mohammed Eliahi, Rev. Mike Ewert and Rev. John Cramer of Our Savior P.N.C.C.
Volume 92, Issue No. 5
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God’s Field — May 2014
Email Addresses
for the
P.N.C.C. Offices
God’s Field — Rola Boża
Publication Information
The email addresses for the staff of
National Church Center and God’s Field are:
the
Prime Bishop Anthony Mikovsky
[email protected]
Secretary to Prime Bishop — Julie Orzell
[email protected]
P.N.C.C. Treasurer — Joan Scheuneman
[email protected]
God’s Field - Rola Boża Editor — Julie Orzell
[email protected]
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570-346-2125.
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God’s Field
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God’s Field — Rola Boża
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Please note: Annual subscriptions from parishes and individuals are not being accepted at this time.
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Identification Statement
The Official Publication of the Polish National
Catholic Church, Polish-English, ROLA BOŻA
(GOD’S FIELD) (ISSN 1046-5030), is published
monthly by:
Polish National Catholic Church
1006 Pittston Avenue
Scranton, PA 18505-4109
Send address change to
ROLA BOŻA (GOD’S FIELD),
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Opinions expressed in various articles published in
God’s Field do not necessarily reflect the doctrine of the
P.N.C.C.