From WNEP-Scranton: Scranton Bishop to Lead Polish National Catholic Church in U.S.

Parishioners at Saint Stanislaus Polish National Catholic Church are making sure everything is spotless. A new national leader will be installed Sunday and he’s one of their own.

“The enormity of being entrusted, people that trust you to say well we want you to lead our church, that’s a very humbling thing too, that people put that kind of trust in you,” said Prime Bishop-elect Anthony Mikovsky.

He will be in charge of 25,000 members of the Polish National Catholic Church across the United States. He was elected by other church leaders and members last month at a gathering in Canada.

Folks at Saint Stanislaus couldn’t be happier about the decision.

“He brings the spiritual aspects of the gospel to us all the time and we just enjoy listening to him,” said Arlene Swantek of Scranton.

Since the Polish National Catholic Church was founded in Scranton and the new prime bishop is from Scranton, he will be staying in town.

Mikovsky’s goals is to get more people involved.

“A lot of people even of my own age, in their 30s and 40s kind of disengage from the church, to realize that community is necessary in their lives and faith is necessary in their lives,” said Prime Bishop-elect Mikovsky.

Parishioners think he will have no problem getting the job done.

“Because he is so unflappable. I think he will remain calm and make rational decisions,” said Josephine Kwiatkowski of Taylor.

The installation ceremony starts at 3 p.m. Sunday at Saint Stanislaus in south Scranton and is open to the public.

From The Times Tribune: PNCC Prime Bishop Mikovsky prepares for installation Sunday in Scranton

On Sunday, Prime Bishop Anthony Mikovsky will take part in a ceremonial transition of leadership in the Polish National Catholic Church that he has witnessed before, but this time his hand will be on the crozier.

The 44-year-old prelate, who was elected to the Scranton-based church’s highest post in October, will be installed as the seventh prime bishop in a 3 p.m. ceremony and Mass in front of an anticipated crowd of 600 people at St. Stanislaus Cathedral.

The prime bishop, a mathematician, has spent his 13-year priesthood in Scranton, first as an assistant pastor, then as bishop of the Central Diocese, which stretches from Albany, N.Y., to Washington, D.C., but has its seat in the city.

Dual roles

Until February, when Bishop John Mack will arrive to lead the Central Diocese and the pastorate of St. Stanislaus, Prime Bishop Mikovsky will serve his old and new roles simultaneously.

Although he has been an active Polish National Catholic all his life, he joked during an interview in the St. Stanislaus rectory on Thursday that “I pray with a lot more fervor and urgency now.”

“There’s certainly a lot to worry about being in charge of a denomination and being in charge of souls as well.”

The 113-year-old denomination includes about 25,000 members. It is a family that Prime Bishop Mikovsky hopes to grow and invigorate during his tenure.

“The best way to accomplish that goal is to get people to be more actively involved in church,” he said. “That doesn’t just mean showing up on Sunday. That’s part of it. But to get people to think in a religious way, a moral way.”

In recent years, as the population has dwindled in older ethnic communities, the denomination has developed new parishes in places like Texas, especially by welcoming new immigrants whose experiences are not unlike those of the Polish immigrants who founded the church.

The church, which has a democratic constitution and a deep lay involvement in its governance, is also inviting to people who “cherish Catholic belief and Catholic practice but want to participate in that in a way in which they can be more involved,” he said.

Link to the past

Prime Bishop Emeritus Robert Nemkovich, who will preside over the installation on Sunday before he begins his retirement in Florida in December, said the democratic ideals that helped form the denomination in the 1890s are the same ideals that keep it vital, and make it appealing, today.

“In today’s society, it’s right on,” he said.

Prime Bishop Nemkovich, 67, who was too old by church law to run for a second eight-year term as prime bishop, said Prime Bishop Mikovsky is both “young and energetic” and “very capable and qualified” for the position.

“It’s an awesome responsibility, I told him, to serve God and his people as prime bishop,” he said, recounting his advice to his friend and colleague over the last few weeks. “He has to remember that he is the first among equals. He is not infallible. And that he needs to seek the guidance of the Lord every day.”

From WBRE & WYOU: New Prime Bishop in Polish National Catholic Church

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY – It is going to be a big weekend in Lackawanna County. The Polish National Catholic Church, which was founded in Scranton, is getting ready to install its new Prime Bishop.

Anthony Mikovsky will be installed on Sunday afternoon. He’s been a bishop in his church’s Scranton diocese for the last four years. He’s also served as a priest locally for the last 14 years.

“I’m very humbled by this all the way around,” Mikovsky said sitting inside Saint Stanislaus Church Thursday morning.

He will lead more than 25,000 parishoners.

“You have awesome responsibility and it is very humbling that all these people put their trust in you,” Mikovsky said.

Mikovsky was elected as Prime Bishop last month. He says his goals will be to get more young people involved in the church and connect with all parishoners outside of church.

“I think sometimes, especially church leaders, can be a little stand-offish from their congregations and that is unfortunate,” Mikovsky said.

People who know the Prime Bishop-Elect say Mikovsky is the right man for the job. They say he’s smart and has a great preaching ability.

“He has a big booming voice. This is a big cathedral and where I would need a microphone to be heard half-way down, he comes up in the middle of church and he preaches with fire and you can’t fall asleep during his sermons,” Father Jason Soltysiak said.

While Mikovsky’s new role will have him travelling more, he’ll still primarily live in Scranton. He says he’s going to try to get people in the Polish National Catholic Church to work together.

“We have to work together in the church, at this level we need to do it and we need to do it at all levels,” Mikovsky said.

Mikovsky will be formally installed on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 PM. More than 600 people from across the country are expected to attend.