February 2016 – Volume 94 - Polish National Catholic Church

Transcription

Volume 94
February 2016
Issue #2
Lent
Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky — Prime Bishop
Beginning on the day of Ash Wednesday, this year
February 10th, the Church enters into the season of
Great Lent. It is the season of preparation for the great
and holy mystery of the Resurrection of our Lord and
in it we focus on two aspects that concern our religious
life, that which we normally do as an active Catholic
Christians and also the calling of the Church to expand
our attention to the Lenten practices.
To begin with what is familiar, we see that during the
Lenten season a few things change within our parish
churches when we gather for the weekly celebration of
Holy Mass on Sunday. As a start the more festive
colors of white, gold and green of the Christmas and
Epiphany seasons have now given way to the more
somber color of purple. The color purple has come to
represent for Western Catholic Christians the
season of penitential preparation. We are reminded
that, aside from the Sundays and weekdays of Lent,
purple vestments are also worn whenever the
Sacrament of Penance is received, even if outside of
Lent and also during the preparatory parts of the
Sacrament of Baptism. In fact these aspects of
penance and renewal can be considered together
during this season of Great Lent.
While the Sacrament of Penance is offered each and
every time we gather for Holy Mass, it is during the
season of Lent that we pay special attention to it.
Some parishes may include an examination of
conscience as a part of this Lenten penitential
experience during Mass, or the priest may increase the
amount or intensity of the penance that is
assigned. Aside from the penitential part of Holy Mass
many parishes also have separate Penitential Services
that occur during the Lenten season. These services
allow us to focus extra attention on the sinful parts of
our lives and to seek God’s forgiveness and ask for His
strength to move away from sin and to a closer
relationship with Almighty God.
Website of the P.N.C.C.:
pncc.org
If this practice is not a part of your parish experience,
there are certainly other ways in which you can
experience it. Each of us can spend time in prayer on a
Saturday evening in preparation before going to Mass
on Sunday.
An Examination of Conscience is
something that someone can easily obtain on-line but
there are also two wonderful Polish National
Catholic sources. Within the Mass Pew Book, on
pages 1 to 7, there are various prayers for both before
and after Confession as well as an extended
Examination of Conscience. The questions asked
allow us to look into our daily lives and see where we
are not measuring up to the demands of our Lord.
Another excellent source is found within the P.N.C.C.
Prayer Book, on the Sacrament of Penance. From
pages 53 to 70 there is a short catechesis on the
Sacrament of Penance as well as prayers before
Confession and an extended Examination of
Conscience based on the Ten Commandments. These
two examples are wonderful ways in which we can
make Lent a time of spiritual preparation as well as
increased prayer.
This of course brings us to the next portion of the
Lenten experience, the disciplines of Lent. Our Lenten
discipline is to be a time of increased prayer, increased
giving and increased fasting. Notice that I use the
word “increased.” It is certainly hoped that these
disciplines are already a part of your daily life as a
Catholic, but Lent calls us to go a step further.
One aspect of this is the liturgy of the Church.
During the Lenten period, the Church adds services to
allow us to enter more deeply into the passion and
death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to
consider all that He has done for us. The Stations of
the Cross and Bitter Lamentations both serve this
purpose and encourage us, as members of a
congregation to gather together to contemplate this
(Continued on Page 3.)
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1
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God’s Field — February 2016
Email Addresses
for the
P.N.C.C. Offices
The email addresses for the staff of
National Church Center and God’s Field are:
God’s Field — Rola Boża
Publication Information
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]
Questions or concerns? Call us at 570-346-9131 or
570-346-2125.
Identification Statement
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Catholic Church, GOD’S FIELD - ROLA BOŻA, is
published monthly for the U.S. $48.00; Canada $62.00;
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Individual issues of God’s Field are available for purchase from
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GOD’S FIELD
CONTROLLER:
Most Rev. Anthony A. Mikovsky
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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.
NOTICE TO PARISHES
If your parish is in need of financial assistance and you must request subsidies
from the Polish National Catholic Church,
you must follow the procedures as outlined by the XIX General Synod.
All individual parish requests must be sent through
the proper Diocesan Bishop
as soon as possible before March 15, 2016,
along with all of the required supporting financial documentation.
Diocesan Bishops must forward all parish requests to the Office of the Prime Bishop
no later than March 20, 2016.
pncc.org
Volume 94, Issue No. 2
(Lent - Continued from Page 1.)
great mystery of our Lord offering Himself for our
salvation. We must also remember that even if we
cannot be together at the parish church, we can still
benefit greatly from these services. Again both the
Stations of the Cross and Bitter Lamentations are
found within the P.N.C.C. Prayer Book and can be
read individually as a private devotion. For example I
have tried to make it a habit to celebrate each of these
services, one day a week in the chapel at the National
Church Center. I do this by myself and it allows me
to spend some extra time in contemplating on the
readings as a time of spiritual reflection. In this way
it is a different experience than celebrating together
at the church.
Along with celebrating these services, either
congregationally or individually, we should spend a
little more time in private prayer. It is at this point we
can ask the questions.
Do you pray in the
morning upon rising? At night before going to bed?
Before and after meals? Before and after any
important part of your life? Do you pray for your
spouse and children?
For your other family
members and those who are a part of your daily life?
We should all give this some thought. I too can say
that sometimes, I forget to pray in each of these
situations, but what it takes is discipline. Like many
of you I need to remind myself. I try to do this by
keeping my Prayer Book always close at hand where I
can see it. That way even if I don’t use the Prayer
Book while I pray, it acts as a strong reminder to
make prayer a part of everything I do.
The next Lenten discipline is giving. Now I am
certainly sure that most of you are already giving to
your parish as well as to other good causes, but again
Lent asks us to increase our giving. One way to look
at this is together with another Lenten practice of
“giving something up” for Lent. Whatever you might
give up, see what the cost of that item is and then
donate this amount as well. And of course Lent is
also the time for us to consider our giving in accord
with the blessings we have received. We can ask
ourselves, can I sacrifice more to better help my
parish or other good causes?
Our last Lenten discipline is fasting. As many of you
know this usually entails the abstinence from meat on
the Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent as well as the
reduction of food on Ash Wednesday and Good
Friday. We perform the discipline of fasting to
remind ourselves that it is often from our bodily
desires that sin arises. But the discipline of fasting
goes beyond this as well. As we fast from food stuffs,
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we are also reminded that there are other, often much
worse, things in our lives from which we should be
fasting. In this regard, there really isn’t any better
teaching than that from the great fathers of the Church,
St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great. These
fathers remind us that even in their times of great
austerity in the Church, fasting always called us to
something greater.
“For let not the mouth only fast, but also the eye, and
ear, and the feet, and the hands, and all the members of
our bodies. Let the hands fast, by being pure from
violent stealing and greed. Let the feet fast, by
ceasing from running to the unlawful spectacles. Let
the eyes fast, being taught never to fix themselves
rudely upon handsome countenances, or to busy
themselves with strange beauties. For looking is the
food of the eyes, but if this be such as is unlawful or
forbidden, it mars the fast; and upsets the whole
safety of the soul; but if it be lawful and safe, it adorns
fasting. For it would be among things the most absurd
to abstain from lawful food because of the fast, but
with the eyes to touch even what is forbidden. Do you
not eat flesh? Do no feed upon lasciviousness by
means of the eyes. Let the ear fast also. The fasting of
the ear consists in refusing to receive evil speakings
and calumnies.” (St. John Chrysostom, On the
Priesthood)
“Do not however, define the benefit that comes from
fasting solely in terms of abstinence from foods. For
true fasting consists in estrangement from vices.
‘Loose every burden of iniquity.’ Forgive your
neighbor the distress he causes you; forgive him his
debts. ‘Fast not for quarrels and strifes.’ You do not
eat meat, but you devour your brother. You abstain
from wine, but do not restrain yourself from insulting
others. You wait until evening to eat, but waste your
day in law courts. Let us fast an acceptable and very
pleasing fast to the Lord. True fasting is the
estrangement from evil, temperance of tongue,
abstinence from anger, separation from desires,
slander, falsehood and perjury. Privation of these is
true fasting.” (St. Basil the Great, Homily on Fasting)
So these are the practices and disciplines of Lent.
While it may seem like quite a lot, we must remember
the word, “increase.” During this season, let’s let our
faith, our discipline, our prayer, our fasting, our giving,
our piety “increase.” No one should ask how much, or
worry about comparing to others. Let it just all be
“increase,” that on Easter Sunday, the day of
Resurrection, we will be even more ready to meet the
resurrected and glorious Lord.
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The Offertory to the Sanctus
Holy, Holy, Holy
OFFERTORY VERSE - A verse from the Holy
scriptures which introduces the Offertory
"Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the
universe, Who brought forth bread from the earth."
OFFERTORY - One of the principal parts of the
Mass. It is at this time that the celebrant will offer the
gifts of bread and wine to almighty God. These gifts
represent both the celebrant and the faithful who are
present.
The celebrant pours wine into the chalice, mixing it
with a few drops of water, a practice that was found
in Judaism. This is done in both celebrations. When
the few drops of water are mixed with the wine, they
can never be separated. This reminds us that after we
are baptized, we can never be separated from Jesus.
In the Early Church the faithful who had assembled
for worship formed a procession and brought their
offerings to the altar; they were a portion of bread
and a small receptacle of wine, foodstuffs, clothing
and material which would be shared with those in
need. During the procession to the altar the choir
would chant a Psalm antiphonally with the
congregation. A portion of the bread and wine to be
used during the Mass were placed in designated
receptacles. Following the procession the celebrant
washed his hands, which could have been soiled in
receiving the offerings. Following the washing he
would say a prayer of offering, which at that time
was called the Secret.
In today's Mass the celebrant offers up the host, the
bread, on a little plate called a paten. The surface of
the paten on which the bread rests must be plated
with gold or some other precious metal. The
celebrant holds up the paten with the host, and in the
Traditional Mass he says, "Receive, Father, Almighty
and Eternal God, this immaculate host which I, Your
unworthy servant, offer to You, my living and true
God, for my countless offenses and omissions; for all
present here, for our nation, as well as for all faithful
Christians living and dead, and for all of humanity.
May it be for us a means to salvation and everlasting
life."
In the Contemporary Liturgy the celebrant offers up
the bread and says, "Blessed are You, Lord God of
all creation. Through Your goodness we have this
bread to offer; which earth has given and human
hands have made. May it become for us the bread of
life." This prayer is much closer to what Jesus said at
the Last Supper. Zolo Levett, a Jewish convert to
Christianity, wrote that Jesus most likely said,
pncc.org
The celebrant offers up the chalice and says the
designated prayer in both the Traditional and
Contemporary Masses. The interior of the chalice,
like the paten, must be plated with gold or some other
precious metal because the consecrated Blood of
Christ will be in the chalice.
The celebrant washes his fingers while saying the
prayer which is taken from Psalm 25. In the
Contemporary Mass, a shorter prayer is said: "Lord,
wash away my iniquity; cleanse me from my sin."
The liturgical term for the washing of the fingers is
the Lavabo. In the early Church, the washing of the
hands was very practical because the hands could
have been soiled in receiving the gifts from the
faithful. Today the washing of the fingers symbolizes
a purity of spirit that is required in worship.
In the Solemn Celebration of Mass the gifts of bread
and wine are incensed before the cleansing of the
fingers. This signifies that the bread and wine are set
apart for a holy purpose.
In both celebrations a prayer is said to the Holy
Trinity. The celebrant now greets all who are present
showing that the Mass is the offering of both the
celebrant and the faithful. "Pray my brothers and
sisters, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God,
the Almighty Father."
SECRET - PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL - A prayer
reflecting the theme of the Mass which leads into the
Preface
PREFACE - An introduction to the Canon
(Traditional Mass) or Eucharistic Prayer. At one
time it was considered a part of the Canon. It is a
prayer of thanksgiving and praise. We are thankful
that we may participate in this Holy Sacrifice during
which Christ's sacrifice on the cross is made present
in an unbloody manner. The Preface has three
significant sections: 1. Thanksgiving and Praise; 2.
Theme or the reason for thanksgiving; 3. Praise of
the angelic choirs in heaven.
The Preface begins with a dialogue between the
celebrant and the choir or faithful. As stated above it
is a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving and praise for
the privilege of participating in this most holy act of
worship. This is also a prayer of thanksgiving for the
grace of redemption. In the Missal there are prefaces
for the liturgical seasons: Advent, Christmas, Lent,
etc.; for Sacred Events: Epiphany, Easter, Organizing
of the P.N.C.C.; and persons: The Blessed Virgin
Mary, St. Joseph, Holy Apostles.
PREFACE OF EASTER
THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE:
“Father all
powerful and ever living God, we do well always and
everywhere to give You thanks through Jesus Christ
our Lord.”
THEME OR MOTIF: “Especially on this day when
He became our Paschal Sacrifice. He is the true
Lamb Who took away the sins of the world. Through
His death He conquered death for us and by His
wonderful resurrection He restored eternal life to
us.”
ANGELIC PRAISE: “Therefore with the angels and
archangels, with all the saints and the entire Church,
we lift our hymn of praise to Your glory, repeating
unceaselessly.”
The Franks began to say the Preface quietly in the
eighth century, but there are traces of it in the Liturgy
of Hippolytus about 200 and St. Cyprian in 250. The
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Preface introduces and leads us into the Canon or
Eucharistic Prayer.
SANCTUS — “HOLYY, HOLY, HOLY Lord, God of
power and might, Heaven and earth are full of Your
glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the
highest.”
The first part of the Holy, Holy, Holy was added to
the liturgy in the fourth century and the “Blessed is
He” in the sixth century. The “Holy,
Holy, Holy” is taken from the Book of Isaiah (6:3) in
which the author describes a vision of God in the
Temple. “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts;
the whole earth is full of His glory.” It is appropriate
that this introduces the Canon or Eucharistic Prayer.
For in this section of the Liturgy, the bread and wine,
which were offered to God in the Offertory, will
become the Body and Blood of Christ, as the Holy
Spirit acts when the words of Consecration are said
over the gifts by the priest or bishop.
When our Lord Jesus Christ entered the City of
Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, He was greeted
with "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the
one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in
the highest heaven" (Mat. 21:9). In Hebrew, Hosanna
means "Save us, we pray." Just as Jesus rode into
Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday, He will enter the
worshipping community under the appearances of
bread and wine at the time of the Consecration.
It must be noted that the "Holy, Holy, Holy" was also
sung in the Jewish synagogue in the morning office.
It is a logical connection with the angelic praises at
the end of the Preface.
Most Rev. John F. Swantek, Prime Bishop Emeritus
Notice regarding Ramzi Musallam
After receiving several inquiries, this notification is to inform the clergy and faithful of the Polish National
Catholic Church that Ramzi Musallam is a suspended and deposed priest of the P.N.C.C. In accordance with
the Constitution and Laws of the Polish National Catholic Church Ramzi Musallam was suspended and
deposed by Bishop Thaddeus Peplowski on August 20, 2008 with the concurrence of Prime Bishop Robert
Nemkovich.
Ramzi Musallam has sought to purchase church buildings in several areas where Polish National Catholic
parishes are located. The Polish National Catholic Church does not sanction any of the work of Mr. Musallam
and these parishes are in no way connected to the Polish National Catholic Church. Attendance at the services
of these parishes does not fulfill the Holy Mass obligation for Polish National Catholics.
pncc.org
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P.N.C.C. Future Direction
Action Plan for P.N.C.C. Parishes in 2016: Year of Reverence
The Supreme Council Future Direction committee is continuing to build on the work from our Holy Synod and
now presents our Action Plan for 2016: “A Year of Reverence.” A copy of this plan providing more details
has been sent to all parishes and pastors.
Develop a Greater Understanding of Church Solemnities: In 2016 we will focus on the Solemnity of
the Christian Family. There will be a national church celebration of this solemnity. A pamphlet will be
prepared and distributed. On line education will be created for this celebration that will include
Scripture readings, reflections and musical recommendations. Also, an online presentation will be led
by our Prime Bishop on October 5, 2016 discussing this important day in our P.N.C.C. A community
service project should be tied into this effort as well.
Conduct a Lenten Day of Retreat: As in 2015, let us again try to conduct a Lenten Day of Retreat in
parishes or seniorates across our Church. There is no minimum amount of participants required to
spend some time together this Lent in retreat or prayer.
Complete at least three community service projects: One service project would be in conjunction with
the Christian Family in October 2016 and the others selected by the local parish. It is important that
these three projects be done in the local community of the parish so that these efforts will create a
greater presence of the parish in the local community. Various options include, but are not limited to:
Food Drive, serving a free meal for the community, clothing drive for the community, sponsoring a
local family in need, responding to a particular need in the local community, etc.
Implement the Reverence Component: Develop and emphasize this theme through 2016. Please see the
monthly Future Direction emails regarding this effort.
January – Reverence of Prayer
February – Reverence at Mass
March – Reverence of Lent/Holy Week/Easter
April – Reverence in the Family – begins and concludes in October
– create Family Life of Reverence
May – Reverence and the Eucharist
June – Sacred Vocations Month - Reverence in Today’s world
Being reverent to God/Church in today’s world/work/social life/social media
July/August – No vacation from a Reverent Life
September – Reverence in our communities/with your neighbor
October – Clergy Appreciation Month
Reverence in the Family - Conclude
November – Reverence of Advent / Christmas
Implement Lay Ministry Program in P.N.C.C.: Prime Bishop and our Bishops, using the national/
diocesan chaplain model as approved by the 2015 meeting of the Supreme Council, will begin a Lay
Ministry program to enhance, encourage and strengthen the role of the laity within our P.N.C.C.
Offer Presentations on Reverence and Future Direction Efforts to Diocesan Synods.
Plan for feedback from diocesan synods on Future Direction work to date.
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Continue to utilize P.N.C.C. Future Direction You Tube Channel: Various spiritual messaging from
our Prime Bishop and Bishops to be continued throughout the year.
Develop a Stewardship Component to increase our financial commitment to our parishes, diocese and
National Church.
Conduct a Church-wide Survey to assess the 2015 Action Plan implementation and what can be
improved as we move forward to put into action the work of our Holy Synod.
The action plan provides details explaining each of the eight components, suggestions for implementation, as
well as templates to use for developing some of the items required. Please work with your Pastor and Parish
Committee to implement the parts of this plan in your parishes as we look forward to new and innovative ways
of sharing the Gospel and presence of Christ with others through our Polish National Catholic Church. If you
already are doing some of these things, that is wonderful.
Always keep in mind the five themes the Synod determined for our future direction:
Growth and Membership
Increase Spirituality
Lifelong Learning
Sacred Vocations
Community Involvement and Presence
Please feel free to contact our Subcommittee at [email protected] should you have any questions,
concerns or challenges with this plan. Our Subcommittee is here to help you and we look forward to hearing
from you.
2016 Action Plan: A Year of Reverence
January – Reverence of Prayer
February – Reverence at Mass
Prepare yourself to participate at Mass by saying the Prayer Before Holy Mass. Do you have a copy of the
latest P.N.C.C. Prayer Book (Published in 2010)? They are available from the P.N.C.C. Bookstore (pncc.org).
This prayer can be found on page 48.
M G F,
I Y H S M, I L
J C. M J H I H .
M I ,
I I J H I . M H C
I , I , I .
A
.
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The Year of Reverence – Holy Mass
Most Rev. Anthony A. Mikovsky
During this season of Lent we are all called as
Christians to focus our attention on increased prayer
as a Lenten discipline. And of course when thinking
of the prayer life of Catholic Christians, most
certainly Holy Mass must be counted as the most
vital and important part. Let’s first begin by
recognizing that the celebration of Holy Mass should
be one of the most important aspects within the life of
a Catholic. It is the most important act of Catholic
worship and it follows the words of our Savior Who
told us to “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Because
of this the Church specifically lists this as the first of
the five Commandments of the Church. It tells us to
“Participate in Holy Mass and hear the Word of God
on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.”
In examining this commandment let’s begin at the
end. Our Holy Mass attendance should be a weekly
part of our discipline. It is a discipline in the true
sense of the word. It makes us a disciple, a follower,
of Jesus. Again the Prayer book defines for us what
the Holy Days of Obligation are under the title of “A
Christian’s Obligation.” There it states: “The Church
requires regular attendance at its central act of
worship, the Holy Eucharist – the Holy Sacrifice of
Mass.” The following are recognized as days upon
which the faithful are expected, as a matter of
Christian duty and obligation, to worship at the
Eucharist. 1) Sundays throughout the year. (Each
Sunday is the Lord’s Day, a recognition of His
Resurrection.) 2) Christmas Day – December 25th
(The Solemnity of the Nativity of our Lord, in
recognition of the beginning of His redemptive
work.) 3) The Circumcision of our Lord – January
1st. 4) Ascension Day (In honor of the final
glorification of our humanity in Christ’s Person.) 5)
All Saints’ Day – November 1st (In honor of Christ’s
triumph in redeemed humanity)
pncc.org
As a part of the examination of our conscience during
this Lenten period we can begin by asking how we
are measuring up against this expectation. The
following questions are asked of us in preparation for
the Sacrament of Penance at the beginning of Mass
on page 3 of the Mass Book.
Have I deliberately missed Holy Mass on Sundays?
How often?
Did I willingly give way to distractions or
inattention?
Have I laughed and chattered in church?
Have I taken part in Mass and in the liturgical life of
my parish as much as possible?
We can see from these questions that a mere showing
up on Sunday is a start, but it’s not enough. As a part
of the Five Commandments of the Church it states
that we should participate at the celebration of Holy
Mass and not just attend as a spectator.
Being fully engaged during Mass should be an
important part of why we are there. Again our Mass
Book helps us in bringing this to a reality. In the
section entitled, “My Intention at Mass” there is a
prayer to God the Father which helps to draw us into
the celebration and moves us from being a mere
spectator to a full participant. The prayer reads:
“Father, I have come into Your Presence to share in
offering You the great sacrifice of Your blessed Son,
our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to receive the Sacrament
of His most sacred Body and Blood. I do so in
remembrance of His life, passion, death and
resurrection, and in thanksgiving for all the blessings
You have bestowed upon Your holy Church and upon
me, an unworthy sinner.”
“I wish to offer this Mass with all the love and
contrition of which I am capable and in conformity
with the sacred intentions of our Savior Who
instituted it.”
“I desire therefore, to offer this Mass and to receive
Holy Communion.
−
for Your greater glory.
−
or the continual remembrance of the sacrifice
of Christ.
−
to thank You for all the blessings You have
given me, especially……
−
to ask Your help with a problem I have,
namely……
−
To ask You to bless all my relatives and
friends, especially……
−
for those who have died, especially ……
−
for my special intention, namely……”
“Bless the priest through whom I will make this
offering. Bless all the people who are here to
participate in this glorious action and all who would
like to be here. Convert all sinners. Preserve peace
and heal the anguish of the world and have mercy on
all the faithful departed. All these things I ask in the
name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
During this Lenten time of increased prayer and
discipline, how wonderful it would be if each of us
could focus even a bit of time on this prayer in a few
minutes before the celebration of Holy Mass. Then
our time in celebration at the Eucharist would not be
one that is so passive, but would rather become
active. We would be actively thanking God for the
many blessings He has given us. We would be
actively praying for our family and friends. We
would be actively praying for all those who have
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gone before us. We would be actively asking God to
help us in our needs and concerns. In all of this we
would be taking our Lenten discipline seriously by
increasing our daily and weekly prayer life.
Another important part of the issue with our
attendance and participation at Holy Mass is a
realization that Holy Mass is not only a personal
activity, but rather the celebration of the entire
community of faith.
Each group of catholic
believers, each parish, is called to celebrate Holy
Mass together. If we are not participating in this
weekly celebration, then our absence diminishes the
totality of the celebration. Not only does God notice
our absence, but the community of faith is also
somehow diminished. Let us then not only remember
this for our own participation, but also that we can
make others feel more comfortable in coming to join
us and even let others know that they are truly missed
at the celebration of Holy Mass and therefore invite
them to join us.
In this Year of Reverence for the Polish National
Catholic Church, I encourage all to give some
thought and consideration to the celebration of Holy
Mass and your role within it. Let us consider that we
do not just fill up a pew at Church, but rather we are
an integral part of the work of the Church in giving
glory to God and in praying for the people of God.
During this Lenten season as we strive to grow in
prayer as a Christian discipline, let us not forget the
most vital part of our prayer life, the celebration of
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Save the Date!
2016 National Mission & Evangelism Workshop
SS. Peter & Paul Parish
1308 15th Avenue
South Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Friday, April 22 - Sunday, April 24, 2016
Information will be emailed, mailed and posted to Facebook in the near future.
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10
CONVO 2016 COMMITTEE
POLISH NATIONAL CATHOLIC CHURCH
C/O BLESSED TRINITY PARISH
37 WINTHROP STREET
FALL RIVER, MA 02721
(508) 672-4854
February 2016
To the Clergy and Parishes of the Polish National Catholic Church:
We are excited to announce that Convo 2016 will be held from July 25 – 29, 2016 at St. Anselm’s College in
Manchester, New Hampshire. The Convo 2016 Committee has been meeting and is planning for an exciting week
of worship, prayer, learning and Christian fellowship.
Due to a successful Convo raffle, six Convo sponsorships and a generous contribution decided upon during the
recent Polish National Union of America Convention, we were able to set the registration fee at $300.00 per
participant.
Registration and health forms must be completed for all Convo participants. Completed registration and health
forms, with payment made payable to Convo 2016 Committee, should be sent prior to May 15, 2016 to:
Convo 2016 Committee
c/o Blessed Trinity Parish,
37 Winthrop Street
Fall River, MA 02721
Registration/health forms can be obtained from your pastor or you may find downloadable forms online at:
The Convo 2016 FB Page
The P.N.C.C. Website at pncc.org
The official Polish National Catholic Church FB page
Please note: Registration after May 15, 2016 is $350.00. No registration forms will be accepted after July 1, 2016.
Please use the flier on the facing page to help promote the Convo. Don’t forget to check out the P.N.C.C. Convo
2016 YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook at Convo 2016.
If you have any questions please call or email us at: [email protected] thank you in advance for your
prayerful consideration and support of Convo 2016. May God bless you and we hope to see you at the Convo.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Eric Nemkovich
Very Rev. Robert M. Nemkovich Jr.
Convo 2016 President
Convo 2016 Chaplain
Rt. Rev. Paul Sobiechowski
Bishop of the Eastern Diocese
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11
12
Publicity for the XI General Synod of the Polish National Catholic Church
It is often said that one person can make a difference.
But, it’s not often that one gets an example Well,
here is one. Stanley Chmiel and Joseph Kochan were
the Publicity Chairmen for the XI General Synod of
the Polish National Catholic Church (P.N.C.C.).
Stanley Chmiel prepared a record of the 23 publicity
releases that were printed in the three local city
newspapers: Scrantonian (Sunday newspaper),
Scranton Tribune (morning newspaper), Scrantonian
(afternoon newspaper).
Nineteen of the articles were written by Stanley
Chmiel, two by Joseph Kochan, one in which they
collaborated and one by William G. Loftus, Times
Staff Writer. Stanley Chmiel glued the newspaper
articles onto sheets, annotated them and made a
photocopy and bound them with a serlox binder. All
but one of the articles identified the name of the
newspaper and the day and date of publication. These
were the first two articles and were on the same page,
so it is possible that both articles were in the same
issue of the Scrantonian.
The serlox bound copy at the Archives was prepared
by Mr. Stanley Chmiel for the use by seminarians.
This type of record is an example of what could be
done to publicize the P.N.C.C. by highlighting the
democratic actions of the P.N.C.C. As you will see
from the articles, there are excellent descriptions of
how the P.N.C.C. works. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if
all future Synods had this kind of coverage in local
newspapers?
Twenty three articles were published by the three
Scranton, PA newspapers: Scrantonian - 4,
Scrantonian - 13, Scranton Tribune - 6. Seven were
published before the Synod. Seventeen articles were
published during the Synod. Consequently,
newspaper readers in Scranton were kept informed
about the P.N.C.C., the XI General Synod and its
highlights as it progressed. Some of the information
in the articles was repeated in the three newspapers,
thus reaching the readers of the evening, afternoon
and Sunday editions of the Scranton newspapers,
who may have had different readers.
The seven published before the Synod began with
descriptions of the preparations for the Synod; the
first two were in the Scrantonian, on Sunday,
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July 15, 1962. The initial article had a photograph of
Vincent Yuskiewicz, identified as the head of the
Synodal Committee. The article “Polish National
Church Plans General Synod” continued, naming the
synodal executive synod committee members and the
lay delegates of St. Stanislaus, who were listed by
name. The article said that a pre-synodal meeting to
firm up the permanent committee assignments would
be held at St. Stanislaus on Monday July 16, 1962.
The second article “Church Synod Set for City”
listed the 23 St. Stanislaus delegates who were
selected out of 43 candidates. It noted that “The
Church Constitution prescribes that there be one lay
delegate for each 50 members comprising the
congregation.” The article continued by saying that
the Synod would be taking place between Oct. 9th
through 12th in 1962 and that all religious services
would be conducted at St. Stanislaus Cathedral with
the sessions held in the Cathedral’s auditorium.
The Scrantonian August 2, 1962 edition, whose
article was titled “Polish National Church Group
Furthers General Synod Plans,” contains a
photograph of Prime Bishop Leon Grochowski,
members of the St. Stanislaus Parish Committee and
the planning committee members gathered for a
planning session for the Synod to be held in October.
At the end of March, 1963, there were two articles,
one in the Scrantonian on Saturday, March 30, 1963
titled “500 Delegates Coming to P.N.C. General
Synod - From 170 Churches,” and one in the
Scrantonian on Sunday, March 31, 1963 titled “P.N.
Church Synod Called.” Both articles included
photographs: Prime Bishop Leon Grochowski in the
Scrantonian and Vincent Yuskiewicz in the
Scrantonian. The Scrantonian article said that the
170 churches throughout the United States and
Canada would be represented by 500 delegates, 140
clerical and 333 lay, and that the Synod sessions
would take place in the Masonic Temple. The
General Synod was subsequently postponed to May
14 through 17, 1963 because of the illness of Prime
Bishop Leon Grochowski. It noted that one of the
largest delegations, elected at a Parish meeting last
year, would be from St. Stanislaus. The names of the
delegates were listed in the article. In addition to the
notes in the Scrantonian, the Scrantonian article said
that “For the first time, parishes in Arizona,
California and Florida will be represented.” It
continued “The General Synods of the Church are
summoned every four years, under the Constitution
of the Church. Their purposes are to enact or repeal
laws pertaining to discipline and administration,
regulation of all church matters, spiritual and
material, the selection of candidates for bishops and
the interpretation of religious doctrine for the entire
church.”
The Scrantonian on Sunday April 14, 1963 in its
article “P.N. Synod Group Headed by Gazda” said
that Atty. Ernest Gazda was named chairman of the
Constitution Commission for the upcoming Synod. It
explained that the Commission has the responsibility
of proposing changes to the Church Constitution. It
included a list of the other members of the
Commission. A photograph of Atty. Ernest Gazda
was included in the article.
The Scrantonian, Tuesday May 7, 1963 edition titled
its article “Polish Nationals List City Synod - 2
Episcopal Bishops To Be Heard May 14” and
included a photograph of Bishop F. J. Warnecke. It
said that Bishop Warnecke would represent the
National Council of Churches.
Bishop Lauriston L. Scaife, head of the Western New
York Diocese would represent the Episcopal Church.
It was noted that the Episcopal Church is in
intercommunion with the P.N.C.C. Other guest
speakers would be Mayor William T. Schmidt; Rev.
James Link, executive secretary of the United
Churches of Lackawanna County (UCLC); Claude
Martin, UCLC president; and Stanley Kotula, PNU
president. It listed the bishops of the P.N.C.C. as vice
chairmen of the sessions.
The Scrantonian on Sunday, May 12, 1963 in its
article “Polish Synod Set Tuesday” included a
photograph of St. Stanislaus Cathedral. Described
were the opening ceremonies, including a 9:00 a.m.
procession at the church, a 10:00 a.m. Solemn High
Mass celebrated by Prime Bishop Leon Grochowski,
including two sermons — one in Polish by Prime
Bishop Leon Grochowski and one in English by the
Bishop of the Western Diocese, Rt. Rev. Francis C.
Rowinski. After the Mass, a photograph of the
delegates was taken, followed by a bus trip to the
cemetery, where a short service was held at the
Bishop Hodur Memorial. The delegates then
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proceeded to the Masonic Temple for lunch and the
opening session. It was noted that a concert by the
United Choirs Sub-District No. 1 would be held on
Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. at the Masonic Temple.
The Scrantonian article on Monday, May 13, 1963
“Polish Nationals List General Synod - Will Get
Underway Tomorrow” included essentially the same
information as the Scrantonian article of May 12th. It
added that the street in front of the church would be
closed during the procession. It also included the
names of the celebrants of the daily Masses during
the Synod. It said that the Synod would welcome
Metropolitan Maximos of Sardis, a member of the
Holy Synod to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Istanbul, Turkey, who was a guest of Archbishop
Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Church of North and
South America. It noted that Stanley Chmiel and
Joseph Kochan were in charge of publicity for the
Synod.
The Scranton Tribune article, “500 Delegates Set for
Synod,” published on Tuesday, May 14, 1963
covered the same information as was in the
Scrantonian article on Monday, May 13, 1963.
There were two editions of the Scrantonian
published on Tuesday May 14, 1963. The first
edition had as its title “Christian Unity Theme
Dominant As Polish National Synod Opens - Sermon
by Bishop Grochowski.” There were changes
between the issue, primarily of quotations of Prime
Bishop Grochowski.
The Scrantonian article, second edition, published on
Tuesday May 14, 1963, titled “Christian Unity
Theme Dominant As Polish National Synod Opens Principals at Opening of P.N. Synod,” included a
photograph of the principal participants in the
opening session standing on the porch of the rectory
prior to the procession. The theme of the Synod,
Christian Unity, was set at the opening Mass by
Prime Bishop Grochowski, who said “Christian
Unity will come about only if the Christian churches
return to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church
as it was in the time of Christ, as the Polish National
Church has always been and will continue to be.”
The newspaper reported that there were 1,000 people
in the procession. Prime Bishop Grochowski’s
sermon also included the following, “The First
General Synod of the Church held in Scranton in
(Continued on Page 14.)
14
(Publicity for the XI General Synod - Continued from Page 13.)
September, 1904 adopted a Constitution based on the
simple principles of the primitive church; and gave
unquestioned support to the ancient concept of
apostolic succession, ... The Polish National Church
possesses a democratic form of government as it
existed in the early church. Ultimate and virtually
complete authority is handed to the church’s
legislative body, the general synod, which today is
represented by nearly 500 of the laity and clergy.”
The Scranton Tribune on Wednesday, May 15, 1963,
titled, “PNC Synod Under Way at Cathedral in CityBishop Delivers a Sermon,” was accompanied by a
photograph of the principals of the Synod. The article
said that the Synod would start its second day with a
Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Soltysiak. It also
spoke about the opening day procession, and said
that there would be business sessions after the dinner
at the Masonic Temple. On the second day there
were numerous speeches: Scranton Mayor
William T. Schmidt welcomed the delegates to the
city; Claude R. Martin, president of the United
Churches of Lackawanna County (UCLC) expressed
the necessity of Christian Unity; and Rev. James
Link, secretary of UCLC also spoke. President
Vincent Yuskiewicz introduced the following
Representatives of Church Organizations: Mrs. Mary
Cwynar - United Ladies ANS Societies; Mrs. Marie
Yuskiewicz - United MK Societies; Miss Anna Pron
- Young Women’s St. Mary’s Sodality; Steven
Golembeski - United Choirs of the Church; John
Boczar - United Young Men’s Societies of
Resurrection; Anthony Pron - United Friends of the
Polish School; and Stanley Kotula - President of the
Polish National Union of America.
The Scrantonian issue of Wednesday, May 15, 1963
included a photograph which was titled, “Greek
Orthodox Prelate Here for Synod.” It included
Metropolitan Maximos, the Very Rev. Philotheos
Karamitsos, Pastor of Greek Hellenic Orthodox
Church, Scranton; Bishop Thaddeus Zielinski,
Buffalo-Pittsburgh Diocese; Prime Bishop Leon
Grochowski; Vincent Yuskiewicz; and William
Loftus, Times Staff Writer. The article “Turkish
Metropolitan in Appeal for Christian Unity at P.N.C.
Synod” focused on the speech by Metropolitan
Maximos. He spoke on the second day. He said that
“We must never cease working for Christian unity.
The precious and holy day must come. It will, sooner
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or later. Meanwhile, we must never cease working
for it. This day is the center of prayers and we hope
to see its dawning in the very near future.” His talk
also spoke of the historical background of
developments in relations between Orthodox and Old
Catholic denominations. He said that tracing the
historical developments, he noted that the Vatican
Council of 1870, which enunciated the infallibility of
the Pope in ex- cathedra decisions, and was met with
immediate and strong disapproval in the West...and
finally caused the formation of the movement which
eventually brought about the separation from the
Roman Church of great numbers of Christians who
named themselves Old Catholics. [Note: The
document provided by Mr. Chmiel for use by
seminarians, included a full copy of the talk by
Metropolitan Maximos.]
The Scrantonian issue on Wednesday, May 15, 1963
had a separate article entitled “Moral, Social Unity
Seen as First Step,” written by William G. Loftus, a
Times Staff Writer. It also had a separate photograph
titled “Principals at Polish National Synod,” which
used the same image as in the May 14, 1963 article
“Christian Unity Theme Dominant As Polish
National Synod Opens-Principals at Opening of P.N
Synod.” The article said “A prelate of the Greek
Orthodox Church today suggested unification of
Christians in solution of moral and social problems
as the first step toward ultimate reunification in one
church.” The Metropolitan said “In moral and social
problems, Christians should cooperate, as though
they constituted one body, without renouncing at the
same time their theological convictions and beliefs.”
The article in the Scranton Tribune on Thursday,
May16, 1963 also had a photograph of the clergy,
and delegates attending XI Synod of the Polish National Church. This is the photograph taken on the
first day of the Synod. The article was titled “Polish
National Synod Awaits Bishop's Talk - May Stress
Protestant Unity.” It contained some additional
comments by Metropolitan Maximos. Bishop
Thaddeus Zielinski discussed some possible
liturgical changes. It noted that, on the third day of
the Synod, the delegates were treated to a concert
under the sponsorship of the United Choir Circle,
Sub-District 1. Featured on the program were the
Scranton Circle, directed by Michael Augustin; the
Frederick Chopin Choir Dupont, directed by
Barbara Liberasky. the Lutnia Choir, Dickson City;
the Chopin-Kalina Choir, Scranton; and Liberty
Choir, Throop.
The Scrantonian article, “Bishop Lauds 'Schools' for
Vitality in P.N.C.,” on Thursday, May 16, 1963, was
primarily
about
the
report
by
Prime
Bishop Grochowski. Prime Bishop Grochowski said
that 10,000 children attended School of Christian
Living and attributed their attendance to the growth
of spiritual strength and attendance at Masses. He
made a stirring appeal to both clergy and lay people
to encourage young men to enter the
priesthood. Prime Bishop Grochowski noted that
substantial aid was being channeled to Poland
through Polish National Relief, headquartered in
Scranton and said that this agency was the only one
officially recognized by the Federal Government.
The Scranton Tribune article, published on Friday,
May 17, 1963 and titled “P.N. Synod Given Five
New Recommendations” included a photograph of
Attorney Ernest Gazda. The text was primarily about
the five recommendations of the Administrative
Committee: (1) Enlarge the Grand Council by adding
one layman from each diocese, (2) Grand Council
establish committees on income, missions, schools,
and similar facets of administration, (3) Give
Canadian parishes their own province and
representation on the Grand Council, (4) Elect a
primate to take over the duties in the event of death
or incapacity of the Prime Bishop, and (5) Set up the
program for future synods six months in advance and
send all reports to parishes three months
before the synod. Prime Bishop Grochowski said that
during the existence of Polish National Relief, $3.8
million dollars worth of surplus food was sent to
Poland.
The Scrantonian, in the Friday May 17, 1963
edition, contained an article entitled “Polish National
Synod Ups Youth Work Dues - Session to End
Today.” The title is for the additional 50 cents per
parishioner per year that the Synod voted for the
work of the Youth Commission. This article included
the actions taken on the five recommendations of the
administrative committee. Also approved was the
recommendation of the finance commission to raise
the 4% collected by parishes and paid to the National
Church to 6%. The Synod declined to hire a full-time
paid secretary for the general church fund and also
declined to raise the parishioners dues by $1.00 for
the Seminary Fund. Bishop Francis Rowinski offered
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15
a prayer which included giving thanks for the
successful flight of Astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper.
A recording of the prayer was sent to the Cooper
family.
On Saturday May 18, 1963, the Scranton Tribune
had an article entitled “Resolution Elevates Rev.
Magyar to Bishop-Polish National Synod Takes
Action.” This article named “Polish National Synod
Ends” included a photograph of the committee taken
at the Masonic Temple. This Synod passed a
resolution to elevate the Very Rev. Eugene W.
Magyar to Bishop of the Slovak National Church.
The names of the Supreme Council members were
listed in the article. The Synod increased the salary of
a pastor from $200.00 to $250.00 and established a
requirement that Synod delegates be active in the
church for five years before being eligible to be
delegate to a Synod or be a Supreme Council
member. The Synod established the requirement that
the Church conduct a Memorial Mass in honor of
Bishop Hodur on the first Sunday after Feb. 16th.
The Synod approved a recommendation that the
Canadian parishes be moved to the BuffaloPittsburgh Diocese with the intent of working
towards a Canadian Diocese. The proposal to name a
successor to the Prime Bishop in the event of death
or incapacity was tabled. The proposal to increase the
lay members of the Supreme Council by one per
diocese was approved.
The Scrantonian article on Saturday May 18, 1963,
“Polish National Synod Selects New England Area
as Parley Site” said that the site for the next General
Synod in 1967 would be in New England. The
Supreme Council members were approved by the
delegates. The actions of the Synod as described by
the Scranton Tribune article were also included. The
approval of Very Rev. Magyar was brought before
the Synod because the Slovak Church was among
those within the framework of the P.N.C.C. Others
were the Lithuanian, Italian and Czech National
Churches. The selection of Rev. Magyar marks the
first time since 1924 that a bishop had been selected
to people of other than Polish descent. Also approved
were recommendations of the PNU to reserve a
section of the cemetery at Waymart for residents of
the Home, set up lots at Thornhurst and offer them
for sale to P.N.C.C. members.
Joseph Francis Seliga
Chairman, P.N.C.C. Commission on History and Archives
16
Central Diocese
Y.M.S. of R. Branch 2 Installation Meeting and Dinner
Dupont, PA
Y.M.S. of R. (Young Men’s Society of Resurrection)
Branch #2 held its Annual Installation Meeting and
Dinner at Holy Mother of Sorrows, Dupont, PA on
January 19, 2016.
The following officers were elected: John Wall Jr. President; Anthony Shumlas - Vice-President,
Andrew Shumlas - Treasurer; Carl Cwikla - Financial
Secretary and Nick Kazinetz - Recording Secretary
Seated: David Petrosky, Arnold Borc, Very Rev. Zbigniew Dawid, Anthony Shumlas, John Bondurich, Jr., Eugene Jendrey, David
Fritz, Sr.; Second row: Carl Cwikla, Paul Kazinetz, Jr., Paul Kaspriskie, Jr., Angelo Conforti, Sr., Jan Cwikla; Third row: John
Bondurich, III, Andrew Shumlas, Gary Bondurich, Angelo Conforti, Jr., Nick Kazinetz, David Fritz, Jr.
Save The Date
The 71st Annual P.N.C.C./Y.M.S. of R. Bowling Tournament
is June 3-5, 2016 at Cherry Hill Lanes, Dearborn Heights, MI.
Hosted by Our Savior & Holy Cross Parishes
More details in the coming months!
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Edwardsville, PA Churches Gather to Celebrate the Season in Song
By Geri Gibbons, Times Leader (Northeastern Pennsylvania)
Area faithful took time to celebrate the season
Sunday (December 21, 2015) amidst trees, lights,
decorations and a spirit of community.
Looking out over about 100 people, he said, “I am so
happy to see that didn’t happen. So many people
turned out to celebrate this event.”
At a service which many attendees hope will become
tradition, St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church
hosted two other Edwardsville churches —
(Resurrection of the Lord) Polish National (Catholic)
Church and Immanuel Baptist Church — for a
nativity concert which filled the pews of the church
and the hearts of those gathered.
The Rev. Lucian Urbaniak, of (Resurrection of the
Lord) Polish National (Catholic) Church, whose
choir offered seasonal music, including” Lullaby
Jesus” and “Let Us Hasten to Bethlehem,” said he
thought the service was a wonderful opportunity for
churches, all from Zerby Avenue, to prepare
spiritually for the Christmas season.
The Rev. James Quinn, of Immanuel Baptist Church,
said the service provided opportunity for members of
the Edwardsville churches to gather and enjoy
traditional and contemporary songs.
The event was not without a bit of levity, as Quinn
made his way to the podium, reminding attendees his
church doesn’t have a choir.
“Someone expressed surprise to me today that all
three churches would conduct such a service
together,” said Quinn. “But we all serve the same
Lord during this holy season.”
Quinn appreciated the variety of music presented at
the concert, which included Russian and Polish
favorites.
Joyce Walsh, of Larksville, a member of St. John’s,
said she enjoyed coming out to the event
that highlighted the spiritual aspects of the season.
Grabbing a Christmas song book and encouraging
attendees to join him in song, Quinn enticed many of
those gathered from all three churches to their way to
the front of the church to assist him in leading the
group in song.
Attendees enthusiastically in such favorites as “Joy
to the World” and “O Come all Ye Faithful.”
Smiling, Volkovinsky said, “The Baptists have
united us.”
Quinn concluded the song portion of the service with
“Let There be Peach [sic] on Earth.”
“Its [sic] important to remind people of the reason
for the season,” said Walsh, who was accompanied
by her husband and grandson.
“With everything that’s going on in the world, I think
it’s great that song reminds us about the importance
of peace,” he said.
Joe Kaucher, of Hunlock Creek, a member of St.
John’s parish growth and outreach committee, said
the church hopes to continue to unite Edwardsville
churches in future events, bringing members of the
community together.
Attendees had opportunity to gather for a time of
fellowship following the event, taking time from the
demands of the holiday to share refreshments before
they headed off for a busy week.
The Rev. George Volkovinsky, pastor of St. John the
Baptist Church, said when the idea was originally
presented to him, he thought perhaps the pews might
be empty.
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Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter
@TLGGibbons
Posted: December 21st, 2015 at timesleader.com/news
Note: Good Shepherd Parish parishioners from
Plymouth, PA also participated in this event.
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Christmas Celebration Includes a Dinner, Play and a Wedding Anniversary
The P.N.C.C. of Holy Trinity and St. Joseph, Linden, NJ
Sunday, January 10th proved to be a memorable day
in the life of the Polish National Catholic Parish of
Holy Trinity and St. Joseph.
During the 9:00 a.m. Mass on this day the parish
joined with Jonathon and Liza Velasco to celebrate
their 25th wedding anniversary. During the 9:00
a.m. liturgy Father Kosc imparted special blessings
on Jonathon and Liza and their family. The Velasco
family is totally involved in both the spiritual and
mission work of the parish. Daughters, Pricilla and
Jonah are teachers in the SOCL, lectors at Mass and
members of the recently organized young adult
organization. Sons, Justin and Janzen are acolytes
and are also members of the young adult
organization.
Following the 11:00 a.m. Mass the Parish Council
and members of the Adoration Society hosted the
annual parish Christmas dinner.
The executive
chiefs in the kitchen were Wladyslawa Kosc and
Maria Rejterada. Parish members donated all of the
food necessary for the dinner.
Following the dinner members of the School of
Christian Living and the Young Adult Group
presented their annual Christmas Play. The play was
written by Jonah Velasco and directed by Jonah,
Gloria Pierce, the parish SOCL Superintendent and
Pricilla Velasco.
The following parish youth participated in the play:
Priscilla Velasco, Stanley Kanu Janzen Velasco,
Abby Buratti, Mackie Buratti, Olivia Steele, Justin
Velasco, and Steven Podczerwinski.
Father Jan Kosc is Pastor of the Polish National
Catholic Church of Holy Trinity and St. Joseph.
Kenneth E. Matz is Chairman of the Parish Council.
Submitted by Michael R. Mietlicki
Jonathan and Liza Velasco, daughters, Pricilla and Jonah, sons,
Justin and Janzen pose with Father Kosc following the blessing
liturgy on the occasion of their 25th wedding anniversary.
The actors gather at the traditional manger scene.
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Abigail Buratti, Mackenzie Buratti and Olivia Steele are the
Channel 3 News Anchors.
Mackenzie Buratti, Nicole Kanu and Angelica Diaz, lead the
audience in the singing of Christmas Carols.
19
Field Reporter, Stanley Kanu, interviews a local witness, Janzen
Velasco, regarding the miracles performed by Jesus many years
following his birth.
Ecumenical Celebration
Scranton, PA
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton hosted an
Ecumenical Celebration of God’s Word on January
25, 2015 in the R.C. Cathedral of Saint Peter,
Scranton, PA, culminating the Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity. This annual worldwide observance
seeks to gather together diverse communities of the
Christian faith to express the degree of communion
which the churches have already received, and to
pray together for the full visible unity of the one
Church of Jesus Christ.
R.C. Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph C. Bambera
presided, and Bishop Jeremiah Park, Resident Bishop
Harrisburg Episcopal Area, United Methodist
Church, gave the homily. Clergy and representatives
from various Christian traditions and ecumenical
agencies participated, including Most Rev. Anthony
Mikovsky, Prime Bishop of the Polish National
Catholic Church; Rt. Rev. Bernard J. Nowicki,
Bishop of the Central Diocese, P.N.C.C. and pastor
of St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr, Cathedral,
Scranton, PA; Very Rev. Zbigniew Dawid, pastor of
Holy Mother of Sorrows P.N.C.C. Parish, Dupont,
PA; Very Rev. Thaddeus Dymkowski, pastor of Holy
Cross Parish, Wilkes-Barre, PA; Rev. Bogdan Janiec,
pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish, Hazleton, PA
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and administrator of SS Peter & Paul Parish,
McAdoo, PA; and Rev. Lucian Urbaniak,
administrator of Good Shepherd Parish, Plymouth,
PA and Resurrection of the Lord Parish,
Edwardsville, PA.
The theme for the 2016 Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity was “Called to proclaim the mighty acts of the
Lord” (1 Peter 2:9).
Front row: Most Rev. Anthony A. Mikovsky; Rt. Rev. Bernard J.
Nowicki; Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera; Bishop Jeremiah J.
Park; Middle row: Msgr. Vincent J. Grimalia; Msgr. Thomas M.
Muldowney; Rev. Martin L. Cox, Jr.; Top row: Rev. Dave Twiss;
Rev. Peter Kuritz; Rev. Canon Maria Tjeltveit; unidentified
20
Eastern Diocese
Eastern Diocese Mini Mission Workshop
Fall River, MA
Saturday, January 16, 2016 saw 35 clergy and
faithful from 13 parishes of the Eastern Diocese
gather at Blessed Trinity Parish in Fall River, MA for
a mini mission workshop to encourage and enhance
sharing our faith throughout the diocese in this year
of our Lord 2016. Bishop Paul Sobiechowski began
the workshop by leading morning prayer.
Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich gave a presentation on
Evangelism 101- reminding the folks gathered that
Evangelism, literally meaning “Good News” or
“Gospel,” is simply taking advantage of the
opportunities to share what you know about Jesus
with others. Evangelism is sharing and speaking to
others about our experience with Jesus for the
purpose of leading them into a relationship with
Jesus Christ. Those present were reminded that one
of the greatest things we can do for people is bring
them to Christ who died for them. Fr. Sr. Rob
reminded them that true Evangelism means discipleship - it is a life that is changed from “going my
way” to “going Christ’s way” - for our Lord tells us
that He is the way, the truth and the life. The
participants were given numerous examples of how
they could evangelize - from using community
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events for Evangelism to sharing ideas from a past
National Mission Workshop of Steven Sjogren and
Servant Evangelism with random acts of kindness. In
the end the most important thing we can do is share
the good news of Jesus using our experiences and our
story to lead others to the One Who leads us - to take
advantage of the opportunities to share God’s
message of salvation.
Our Christian Catholic Spirituality was the second
presentation of the workshop. Kathy Nemkovich
spoke using Matthew Kelly’s Seven Pillars of
Catholic Spirituality. The importance of these pillars
will help us come to better understand the abundant
life that Jesus calls us to experience. Kathy spoke
about each of the pillars and how they can become a
solid foundation for living a genuine spiritual life.
The Pillars are: Confession, Daily Prayer, The Mass,
The Bible, Fasting, Spiritual Reading and The
Rosary. She used experiences from her life and how
these pillars have helped her grow in her faith and the
ability to better share the good news of Jesus Christ.
She ended by giving everyone seeds to plant at
home!
21
Knowing our Faith was the final presentation of the
morning. Bishop Paul spoke to the participants about
the importance of being prepared for Evangelism —
by knowing the faith. We can’t share what we don’t
know. Bishop used various examples to make his
point — from the preparation of food to the
Pre-Lenten and Lenten journeys to properly celebrate
the Solemnity of our Lord’s Resurrection. The
purpose of the Pre-Lenten season was explained to
the people as our Church prepares for this season so
they are better prepared and have a better
understanding of their faith and Church.
It was great to see these important efforts to share the
goods news of Jesus Christ with others. Some of
these efforts were: Clothing Drives, Food Drives,
Prayer Shawl/Blanket Ministry, Veterans Support
Drives, Homeless Support, Soup Kitchen Efforts,
Operation Christmas Child, Souper Bowl of Caring,
free community car washes, Adopt a Family
Program, Crop Walk, Drug Return Program,
Community Bible Studies, cooperation with local
Neighborhood Watch groups, Suicide Loss Group
Support, Pay it Forward, AA and NA support and
more.
Following lunch Karen Sobiechowski, the chair of
the Eastern Diocese Mission and Evangelism
commission, gave a presentation on the Prayer of
Mission and Evangelism. Karen spoke about why we
pray and the fruits of prayer. She gave many
examples of what we can be praying for today from
our Church, neighborhood and world. Lighthouse
prayers were shared with the group; Mom’s in
Prayer was encouraged for the Moms present. Prayer
Walking was explained. This was done at the first
National Mission Workshop in Michigan many years
ago. Karen also gave examples of prayers for your
parish, Church, clergy and others. It is hoped that an
online prayer group will be established within the
diocese as is currently being done in the Western
Diocese. Karen and Kathy will be working to
establish such a group for our diocese.
A presentation was given on the P.N.C.C. Future
Direction efforts begun by our last General Synod.
Almost all participants are receiving the Future
Direction monthly emails and are excited about the
Year of Reverence that is just beginning. Fr. Adam
Czarnecki, the diocesan lay ministry chaplain, spoke
about this program that is being developed and that
will be a part of our diocesan efforts. Fr. Sr. Rob
reminded everyone about the 2016 action plan and
what is needed for this to be implemented.
The groups then saw and heard presentations from
diocesan parishes and their mission, out-reach and
evangelization efforts. Kathy Nemkovich presented a
PowerPoint presentation about parishes that had
submitted pictures and listed their activities, such as
Our Savior’s Parish in Woonsocket, RI; St. Casimir’s
Parish in Lowell, MA; and Blessed Trinity Parish in
Fall River, MA. Other parishes also shared their
mission and outreach efforts from Webster to
Stratford to Norwich to Central Falls to Manchester.
pncc.org
Bishop Paul Sobiechowski led a closing Prayer
Service “Go, You are Sent.” After receiving his
blessing the clergy and faithful returned to their
home parishes inspired to share the Gospel of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in more effective
ways. We thank the 11 clergy of the diocese who
made the effort to attend and participate in this
important workshop: Bishop Paul Sobiechowski, Fr.
Sr. Rob Nemkovich, Fr. Adam Czarnecki, Fr. Robert
Fredrickson, Fr. Michal Gitner, Fr. Zbigniew
Kaszubski, Fr. Robert Koerber, Fr. Kris Rogalski, Fr.
Henry Smolinski, Fr. Andrzej Tenus and Fr. Henryk
Wos. Also thanks to the Eastern Diocese Mission
and Evangelism Commission for planning this
beautiful and uplifting time to help us in fulfilling the
Great Commission of making disciples.
Prepared by, Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich
22
Convo 2016 Committee Meets
at Holy Trinity Parish in Webster, MA
The Convo 2016 Committee held its fifth planning meeting at Holy Trinity Parish in Webster, MA on
Saturday, December 12, 2015. The committee set the registration fee for the Convo and continued its work
with the Convo schedule, sessions and activities. A trip is planned to Holy Trinity Cathedral and Canobie
Lake Park.
The committee is very appreciative of the Convo sponsorships received, the success of the Convo raffle and
the generous donation from the PNU Convention at Sea collection and matching PNU donation The next
Convo planning meeting is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 5, 2016 at Our Savior’s Parish in
Woonsocket, RI. Thanks to Fr. Fredrickson and the folks at Holy Trinity for their warm hospitality.
The Convo will be held from July 25-29, 2016 at St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, NH. We hope you will
join us. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook: Convo 2016 and check us out on YouTube at Convo 2016!
Submitted by Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich
pncc.org
23
Happenings at Blessed Trinity Parish
Fall River, MA
The past couple of months have been full of activities
at Blessed Trinity Parish in Fall River. Our Living
Nativity was held on Sunday, December 13, and our
parish youth did a tremendous job in bringing God's
Word to life. Thanks to Kathy Nemkovich, our
coordinator and director. Our Advent Food drive
was again very successful with more than 50 bags
and boxes of food donated and several hundred
dollars in supermarket gift cards. This drive was
concluded with our annual Birthday Party for Jesus
on December 20 that was enjoyed by all.
Our final stained glass windows were blessed by our
pastor, Fr. Sr. Rob. The Nativity window, donated
by the Myslivy and Kieron families, was blessed on
the Solemnity of Humble Shepherds, December 27,
2015, and the Baptism window, donated by the
Maslanka family, was blessed on the Solemnity of
the Baptism of the Lord on January 10, 2016. With
the installation of the P.N.C.C. Symbol sandblasted
window in our parish entryway, the building project
has at long last come to a conclusion after ten and
half years since the first Mass was celebrated on May
1 , 2005.
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Our Bristol County District Attorney Tom Quinn was
at Blessed Trinity parish on Monday, January 18, to
discuss the work of his office, fighting and
prosecuting crime in the region and to answer
questions from local residents.
Our annual scholarship committee pancake breakfast
was held on Sunday, January 24. Thanks to the
DeTemple family for some great pancakes and
delicious sausage. It was wonderful to see so many
past as well as future scholarship recipients with us
for this annual breakfast.
The parish was excited to again take part in the
Souper Bowl of Caring on Super Bowl Sunday,
February 7th. Several bags of canned soup were
donated and given to our local Citizens for Citizens
Food Pantry.
We thank all who supported our
Pączki Sale, too (using the famous recipe of Marie
Gorgol), and look forward to another Lenten journey.
We remind all that during the Lenten Season we will
again have our Friday evening Lenten Suppers at 6
p.m., followed by Lenten Services at 6:30.
Submitted by Very Rev. Robert M. Nemkovich
24
Holy Cross Parish News
Central Falls, RI
Our annual Candlelight Service and Birthday Party
for Jesus was held on Sunday, December 20, 2015
and we had another great turnout. Clergy and
faithful from across the Northeast Seniorate gathered
at Holy Cross Parish to spend time in prayer,
worship, reflection and fellowship as we prepared to
celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich celebrated this
service and preached God’s Word.
Our Birthday Party for Jesus followed and special
thanks to Jackie Mendrzychowski for making the
beautiful and delicious birthday cake. We also thank
the ladies society for providing soup and sandwiches.
The youth also enjoyed a visit from jolly old St.
Nick.
During December our parish held their annual Winter
Clothing Drive – more than 40 jackets, hats and
gloves were collected. These items were handed out
to children who needed them at the Central Falls
Holiday Party the weekend before Christmas.
Submitted by Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich
Clergy of the Northeast Seniorate gathered for the annual Candlelight Service
Everyone gathered around the birthday cake to celebrate.
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The annual winter coat drive was a success.
25
St. Valentine’s Happenings
Northampton, MA
St. Valentine’s Parish and the Polish Heritage Committee of Northampton, MA celebrated the Christmas
season with a festival of Polish Carols. The event
was held January 10, 2016 at St. Valentine’s Church,
hosted by Rev. Adam Czarnecki, Pastor and its
parishioners.
With 30 lead singers and over 200 guests, the Annual
Polskie Kolędy Sing Along featured 22 traditional
Polish Christmas Carols and Pastoralki. The lead
singers were comprised of choir members from area
churches throughout the Pioneer Valley. The organist
for the event was Jean Gromacki and the choir
director was Fran Moro. In addition, the program
included a live Nativity scene portrayed by students
from the Polish Language Class of St. Valentine’s
Church, taught by Rev. Czarnecki, parishioners and
Lucy Kaivera (angel).
Also, this year, special guest musicians were invited
to participate – Joseph Dziok and Angelina Huber.
Joseph, a graduate of the Hartt School of Music at
the University of Hartford, hails from Chicopee, MA.
He is an accomplished musician who has been
entertaining locally for the past 12 years on
accordion, piano and organ. Angelina is an
accomplished violinist who also hails from Chicopee,
MA.
Rev. Czarnecki opened the event with prayer asking
God to open our hearts to praise Him and give glory
by singing the beautiful Polish Carols which are
about his miraculous birth. During the intermission
Rev. Czarnecki blessed incense and chalk for
distribution to all in attendance; he also articulated a
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brief description of the Polish tradition of marking
the entrance door and lentil of homes with the initials
20+K+M+B+16.
Other clergy in attendance included: Rt. Rev. Paul
Sobiechowski, Bishop of the Eastern Diocese, and his
wife Karen; Very Rev. Joseph Soltysiak, pastor of St.
Joseph’s Parish, Westfield, MA; Rev. Randolph
Calvo, pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Polish Parish,
South Deerfield, MA; Rev. Robert Koerber,
Chicopee, MA (Reserve Clergy, P.N.C.C.); and Very
Rev. Fryderyk Banas, pastor of Holy Cross Parish,
Ware, MA; and Rev. Francis Riley, St. Elizabeth
Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church. Very Rev. Banas
offered a closing prayer and noted that the event was
beautiful and the carols described what Christmas is
all about – the birth of Jesus. It was very
heartwarming to see so many guests in attendance.
Many of the guests noted that the concert of carols
reminded them of many wonderful memories of years
past. The event culminated with a reception and
fellowship in the Church hall.
To celebrate the New Year, St. Valentine’s Parish
held its Annual Potluck Brunch on Sunday, January
3rd after Holy Mass. Before the brunch began, we all
shared the traditional Opłatek, wishing each other
good health, happiness “i wszystkiego najlepszego”
for the New Year. A nice assortment of delicious
food was shared by all – fruit, danish, lazy pierogi,
chicken salad, crackers, sausage and scrambled eggs,
muffins, coffeecake, orange juice and coffee. It was a
perfect morning – worship, fellowship and delicious
food. Everyone had a great time.
Submitted by Krysia Newman
26
Western Diocese
All Saints Cathedral Parish Serves Sunday Suppers at St. Luke’s
Chicago/Park Ridge, IL
When the Mission Committee of All Saints Cathedral
Parish set out to find more ways to serve our local
community, committee member Barb Bratkowski
brought St. Luke’s Lutheran Church’s “Sunday
Suppers” to our attention.
For many years, St. Luke’s in neighboring Park
Ridge, has provided a free hot meal every Sunday
evening from September through May. They engage
other churches and organizations to provide and serve
the meal, while offering their facilities, supplies and
volunteers. As many as 100 guests are served on any
given Sunday.
All Saints Cathedral Parish, blessed with talented
cooks and so many caring people always willing to
work, is an ideal partner for Sunday Suppers. We
provided the meal on October 11th (a turkey dinner
with all the trimmings) and on January 24th
(meatballs, pasta, veggies, salad, fruit and cookies).
The head cook for both meals was Karl Wilke, and
his food got rave reviews! We thank Karl, Barb and
all the volunteers for their time and hard work.
Sunday Suppers is a great example of people of faith
combining their talents and treasure to provide for
people in need. We look forward to our next Sunday
Supper event on April 14th, and to continuing this
partnership with St. Luke’s for years to come.
Submitted by Judie Szydlowski
Judie Szydlowski, Rudy Smolka, Michael Lindenmuth, Rev. Frank Rowinski, Nancy Jensen, Cindi Smolka, Barb Bratkowski,
Elaine Rowinski, Cindy Nytko, Julia Jensen Smolka, Jill Lindenmuth, Jean Kurzynski, Gary Kurzynski.
Absent from photo: Karl Wilke, Rev. Mr. David Rowinski
To order a 2016 Liturgical Reference Calendar (Ordo), please fill out the order form, below, and make check or money order
payable to The Polish National Catholic Church – LRC and send to:
The Polish National Catholic Church – L R C
Attn: Secretary to Prime Bishop
2016 ORDO
Quantity
Cost/Ordo
Total
2016 Liturgical Calendar (Ordo) - $15.25 U.S.; $18.60 Canada
TOTAL
ENCLOSED
Shipping Name and Address:
Thank you for your order.
pncc.org
27
Lenten Meditation with
Mikołaj Sęp Szarzyński (c. 1550 - c. 1581)
[PIEŚŃ] IV. PSALMU CXXX PARAPHRASIS
De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine
[SONG] IV. PARAPHRASIS OF PSALM CXXX
De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine
W grzechach srogich ponurzony,
Ze wnętrzności serca mego
Wołam, Boże niezmierzony!
Mego głosu rzewliwego
Racz słyszeć prośby płaczliwe,
A z miłosierdzia Twojego
Nakłoń ucho lutościwe!
Downcast midst vile sins,
From my innermost heart
I cry out, God unbounded!
Hear the mournful plaints
Of my grievous voice,
And in Thy compassion
Lend an ear of mercy!
Będzieszli chciał nasze złości
Ważyć, Ojcze dobrotliwy,
Wagą twej sprawiedliwości I któż tak będzie szczęśliwy,
Kto tak w cnotach utwierdzony,
Gdy przyjdzie na sąd prawdziwy,
By nie miał być potępiony?
Wouldst Thou our evils
Weigh, kind Father,
On Thine own justice's scale,
Who'd know such fortune,
Who in virtues be so firm,
That coming for true judgment,
Would not be condemned?
Ale Ty, sędzia łaskawy,
Nie według szczerej srogości
Karzesz nasze błędne sprawy.
Zakon Twój pełen lutości
I wierne Twe słowa, Panie,
Że mię wyrwiesz z tej ciężkości,
Czynią mi pewne ufanie.
But Thou, gracious judge,
Punish not our erring ways
With deserved severity;
Thy law, with mercy filled,
And Thy faithful words, O Lord,
That wouldst pluck me from this ill,
Inspire in me certain trust.
Przeto, choć zorza różana
Promienne słońce przywodzi,
Choć mgłą ciemną przyodziana
Noc z ciemnościami przychodzi,
Narodowi wybranemu
Niech wątpienie nie przeszkodzi?
Śmiele ufać Panu swemu.
'Tis why, whether roseal dawn
Brings forth a beaming sun,
Or night, arrayed in darkening clouds,
In darkness doth lead on,
Let doubt not dissuade
Those people so chosen
From resolute trust in their Lord.
Bowiem skarb jest nieprzebrany
Wieczne miłosierdzie Jego:
On nie leniw zgoić rany
I poddźwignąć upadłego;
On, prócz wszelkiego wątpienia,
Nie zapomni ludu swego,
Przywiedzie go do zbawienia.
For a treasure inexhaustible
Is His eternal compassion;
He'll idle not in healing wounds
Or raising one who's stumbled;
He, past all measure of doubt,
Shall forget not His own people,
And to salvation shall lead them.
Translated by Richard Sokoloski
pncc.org
28
63rd Anniversary of the Death of
śp. Prime Bishop Francis Hodur
February 16, 1953 — February 16, 2016
pncc.org

February 2016 – Volume 94 - Polish National Catholic Church

Transcription

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