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Day: October 1, 2008

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News from the Kosciuszko Foundation

Kosciuszko Foundation Marching In 71st Annual Pulaski Day Parade

The Kosciuszko Foundation will be joining the New York Polish-American community in the 71st Annual Pułaski Day Parade, and we invite members, their families, and friends, to join us. It gives us a chance to join thousands of Poles and Polish Americans in celebrating our heritage. Since this year is also the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first Poles in America, in Jamestown, it is especially significant.

The Parade is Sunday, October 5, beginning at 12:30 PM.

New York’s Pułaski parade is a huge event for Poles and Polish-Americans. Check it out if you are in the New York Metropolitan area.

Rafał Olbinski Art Show opening Thursday, October 9th

Rafal Olbinski, the renowned Polish artist, will have a show of his works at the Rotunda Gallery of the Kosciuszko Foundation in October. The exhibition will open with a presentation by Olbinski on Thursday, October 9, at 7 PM, and continue through Sunday, October 26. The Foundation is located at 15 East 65th Street, between Fifth and Madison Avenues. Visitors can see the show during office hours Monday-Friday, 9-5 PM, and on Saturdays, October 11, 18, and 25, from 3 —“ 7 PM. Since other events take place at the Foundation, it is best to call ahead of time. Office phone is (212) 734-2130.

Olbinski is an architect by professional training, as well as painter, poster artist, graphic designer, and illustrator, and has lived in New York since 1981. His illustrations regularly appear in the press, including Time, Newsweek, Der Spiegel, Business Week, and other newspapers and magazines. For many years he has been creating opera posters, including commissions for the New York Metropolitan Opera and City Opera. In 2002 Olbinski designed stage settings for the Philadelphia Opera Company’s production of ”Don Giovanni” He also created a famous poster after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Since 1995, he has taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

Rafal Olbinski’s posters are a synthesis of surrealistic mood and, from the other side, symbolism, characteristic of the Polish school of poster design. He has received more than 100 awards for his work, including Gold and Silver Medals from the Society of Illustrators and Art Directors Club of New York. In 1994 he was awarded the International Oscar for the World’s Most Memorable Poster, “Prix Savignac 1994” in Paris. In 1995 his poster was chosen as the official New York City “Capital of the World” Poster in an invitational competition, by a jury led by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. In the following year he won the award for the best painting in the annual exhibition of the Society of Illustrators.

Olbinski was born in city of Kielce, Poland, and graduated from the Architectural Department of Warsaw Polytechnic School. In 1981 he emigrated to the US, where he soon established himself as a prominent painter, illustrator and designer.

The Mariacki Altarpiece, Its theft by Nazi Germany, and its complicated post-war return

Mariacki Altarpiece
Mariacki Altarpiece

Agata Wolska, archivist of the Mariacki Cathedral, the oldest and richest archive in Poland, will give an illustrated talk on the Cathedral’s magnificent altarpiece, stolen during World War Two and only returned more than a decade after the war ended. The talk is on THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, at 7 PM. The talk is open to the public and no ticket is required; donations are welcome.

Krakow, Poland’s ancient capital is blessed with world-class art and architecture. Wit Stwosz (German Viet Stoss, ca. 1440-1533) one of the greatest Gothic sculptors lived and worked there for 19 years. For twelve years he worked on his masterpiece; the 3-story-high altarpiece in the Mariacki (Basilica of the Virgin Mary) on the city’s central Rynek Glowny (Grand Square). The altarpiece is the largest Gothic sculpture in the world, 42 feet high and 36 foot-wide. It consists of some 200 fine limewood sculptures treated with color and gold foil.

It is a Flugelaltar (German style “wing altar”) with two wings framing the center. The central part, with huge lifelike statues of the saints, depicts dramatically the Virgin Mary’s Dormition, surrounded by the Apostles. Looking upwards one sees the Ascension of Our Lady and Lord. At the top there is the Madonna’s Heavenly Coronation by the Trinity. The wings are covered with relief scenes from the life of the Holy Family. The huge structure is ceremonially opened at noon each day, and closed at night.

During the Nazi occupation of Poland, the altar was dismantled and taken to Germany. Its rescue and return by the Americans is a thrilling story.

Agata Wolska studied art history at Krakow’s ancient Jagiellonian University, and received further training in archival maintenance and computerization. She has received a grant from the Kosciuszko Foundation to do research in the Library of Congress and U.S. National Archives in connection with the altar’s return. Ms. Wolska is in charge of the Mariacki archives, and is preparing a book on the altar’s troubled wartime history.

Dorian Wind Quintet featurning Grazyna Bacewicz will open Chamber Music Season

The Dorian Wind Quintet, recognized worldwide for its uniquely polished and passionate performances, returns to inaugurate the 2008-2009 Chamber Music Series on Sunday, October 26, at 3 PM, at the Kosciuszko Foundation. The program includes works of Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz (1909 – 1969) as well as Darius Milhaud, Anton Reicha, and Lalo Schifrin. Tickets are $40 ($30 KF members), including a reception with the musicians, and can be reserved by calling the Foundation Office at (212) 734-2130.

Since its formation at Tanglewood in 1961, the Dorian Wind Quintet has performed repertoire ranging from the Baroque to Pulitzer Prize winning commissions, in the world’s most renowned concert halls. The Quintet has literally been around the world, concertizing in 49 of the 50 states and Canada, touring Europe eighteen times, and playing throughout the Middle East, India, Africa and Asia. The Dorian made history as the first wind quintet to appear at Carnegie Hall in1981.

The Dorian Wind Quintet collaborates often with well-known artists, and has appeared at numerous festivals including the American and international festivals. It has served as the resident ensemble for many institutions including the Mannes College of Music, Brooklyn College and the State University of New York System,and for over 10 years, at the Festival Institute at Round Top, Texas. Dorian currently serves as Ensemble-in- Residence at Hunter College in New York City. It has recorded on the Vox, CRI, Serenus, New World, and Summit Records labels.

Every member of the Dorian is a virtuoso in his or her own right, as well as a dedicated chamber player. Each has been associated with the most prominent performing ensembles, venues and musical institutions in the world and has joined the Dorian Wind Quintet out of passion for the repertoire and the joy of its performance.

The current members of Dorian are Gretchen Pusch, flute; Gerard Reuter, oboe; Jerry Kirkbride, clarinet; John Hunt, bassoon; and Karl Kramer-Johansen, horn.

PNCC, , , , ,

Fact checking, clarification, orders – who’s got orders

The Young Fogey pointed to a discussion board conversation dealing with Anglican Apostolic Succession at the Byzantine Forum.

Typical of such discussions is the back and forth about who has “valid orders,” what Rome thinks of such in opposition to Orthodoxy, and does the Dutch TouchJohn Hunwicke’s article on this issue can be found here. fix everything.

What tends to surprise me is the lack of understanding exhibited in regard to the status of the Polish National Catholic Church and Utrecht.

This is an attempt to clarify some of the statements in the forum.

  1. The PNCC is not part of the Union of Utrecht period.
  2. Whether the PNCC left Utrecht or was thrown out is merely quibbling. The PNCC could not, regardless, accept the innovations the majority of the Utechian Churches have accepted (homosexual ‘marriage’ blessings and female clergy). For more on this see Poles apart by Laurence J Orzell.
  3. To be a member of the Union of Utrecht you must be a Church admitted to the International Bishops Conference (IBC), Utrecht’s governing authority.
  4. If you are not an admitted Church, but seek to be admitted in the future, you are placed under the supervision of one of the IBC Churches. These candidates are referred to as “Dependent churches and municipalities under the jurisdiction of the IBC.“
  5. Obviously the PNCC is not a member of the IBC nor are we under their jurisdiction.
  6. The Declaration of Scranton is the successor to the Declaration of Utrecht. See the commentary I republished for additional details.
  7. The PNCC maintains a relationship with the Polish Catholic Church (a member of Urecht) because the PNCC considers the Polish Church to be a Sister Church (a statement in this regard can be found here). — From my perspective I cannot see the reason for the Polish Catholic Church’s continued affiliation with Utrecht. They are as far apart from Utrecht on core theological and doctrinal issues as the PNCC is. We’ll see how that plays out.
  8. The Nordic Catholic Church is under the supervision of the PNCC. The Bishop of the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Diocese exercises Episcopal oversight.
  9. The alleged Polish-Catholic Church of Canada (the Kozar group) is simply a priest and a small group of parishioners who illegally seized the PNCC Cathedral property in Toronto, Canada. One of the basis for the breakaway was the group’s desire for a continued relationship with Utrecht. While Utrecht still shows them as under the supervision of the Bishop of the Diocese of Utrecht on one web page, recent statements (here) indicate that Utrecht has cut them looseThe IBC in fact is no longer interested in establishing IBC affiliated Churches or candidate groups in North America, leaving supervision of such groups to the Episcopal Church.. The breakaway group is no longer recognized as representative of the PNCC by the Canadian Council of Churches. There is on-going litigation to recover the Cathedral property.
  10. The PNCC has no relationship with the Slovak Catholic Church. The Slovak “Bishop” obtained orders through the Duarte Costa line (vagante) and is trying to set up his own international body.

Ok, now everything is as clear as mud. Really though, I do encourage all who wish to study the PNCC to do so. We publish a lot, and are great on full disclosure. The minutes of Supreme Council meetings and Synods are available both in book form and in the pages of God’s Field. Buy a book, get a subscription, or just ask. It will go a long way in getting the facts straight.

Fathers, PNCC

October 1 – St. Cyril of Jerusalem from the Catechetical Lectures

If you have anything against any man, forgive it: you come here to receive forgiveness of sins, and thou also must forgive him that has sinned against you. Else with what face will you say to the Lord, Forgive me my many sins, if you have not yourself forgiven your fellow-servant even his little sins. Attend diligently the Church assemblies; not only now when diligent attendance is required of you by the Clergy, but also after you have received the grace. For if, before you have received it, the practice is good, is it not also good after the bestowal? If before thou be grafted in, it is a safe course to be watered and tended, is it not far better after the planting? Wrestle for your own soul, especially in such days as these. Nourish your soul with sacred readings; for the Lord has prepared for you a spiritual table; therefore say thou also after the Psalmist, The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall lack nothing: in a place of grass, there has He made me rest; He has fed me beside the waters of comfort, He has converted my soul: —” that Angels also may share your joy, and Christ Himself the great High Priest, having accepted your resolve, may present you all to the Father, saying, Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me. May He keep you all well-pleasing in His sight! To whom be the glory, and the power unto the endless ages of eternity. Amen. — Lecture 1. An Introductory Lecture to those who had come forward for Baptism.

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