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Honoring Dr. King in Stratford, Connecticut

From the Stratford Star: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to be honored Sunday

The annual Stratford Community Interfaith Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration will take place Sunday, Jan. 18, at 4 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Bridgeport, 96 Chapel St. in the Putney section of Stratford.

This service is organized by clergy serving congregations in Stratford in an effort to create a service that is respectful to people of all religions. This year’s preacher will be Bishop Anthony Kopka of St. Joseph’s National Catholic Church.

There will be music from two church choirs and a combined choir. All who would like to sing in the combined choir are asked to arrive at the church at 3 p.m. that day for rehearsal.

Each year at this service a collection is taken to support scholarships in King’s name which benefit students at Stratford’s high schools.

Questions can be directed to the host pastor and president of the Stratford Clergy Association, the Rev. Julie-Ann Silberman-Bunn, at 378-1020.

Christian Witness, PNCC,

Helping our brothers and sisters in Christ

From the Scranton Times Tribune: Scranton church gets conditional approval

A fledgling church won city zoning approval Wednesday to stay open, but on the condition that parking requirements are addressed.

The zoning board voted 3-2 to grant Maranatha Ministries Pentecostal Church’s appeal to occupy 1110-1112 Prospect Ave., but the church must provide written confirmation that it has permission to use a nearby church’s parking lot during services.

Zoning officials in October found the property did not meet place-of-worship zoning criteria as the space was less than the 10,000 square-foot minimum in a residential area, parking was inadequate and there was an illegal apartment conversion on one floor and nonpermitted restoration on two abandoned apartments on another.

The board granted variances on all the issues contingent on the parking. Church officials said they have a verbal agreement with the Polish National Catholic Church to use that church’s parking.

…

The board did not give the church a deadline to produce the letter —” technically, the 40-member church cannot operate until it satisfies the parking condition.

—The city will give them a reasonable amount of time,— solicitor Dan Penetar said.

…

The Rev. Benitez moved his parish from another part of Scranton to the Prospect Avenue building in April and said he is confident all issues will be resolved.

—I’m at peace,— the Rev. Benitez said after the vote.

Christian Witness, Poland - Polish - Polonia, , ,

The Great Orchestra

The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity heartToday is the final for the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy, WOŚP), a project that began in Poland in 1993, and to date has collected over $96 million dollars to fund children’s health care. This year’s focus is on early detection of childhood cancers.

If so moved, I encourage you to join in support of this worthy organization. Note that if you wish to donate by credit card you have to use their Polish site. Chose the banner link that says “Wpłata Kartą.” Note that donations are in Polish currency and the current exchange rate is about .33522 dollars per zł, so a 100 złoty donation would be about $33.52. Check out the OANDA Forex converter for details.

A profile of the organization and its history can be found on its website and on Wikipedia. A story covering the organization’s founder, Jerzy Owsiak (you could liken him to Jerry Lewis and the MD telethon), can be found in the Student Operated Press. That article notes that the program is being opposed by some Roman Catholic Church leaders in Poland.

Christian Witness, Perspective, PNCC

The Word empowers us and calls us to action

From Holy Name Parish in South Deerfield, Massachusetts and Fr. Randy Calvo: Not Compliant, But Challenge

January marks the beginning of a brand new year, and it also marks the 100th anniversary year of the declaration of the Word of God Heard and Preached as a sacrament of our church. This unique sacrament of our church, which the diocese will formally celebrate this summer at the Cathedral of the Pines, and which we at Holy Name will honour throughout the centennial year on the pages of our monthly newsletter, heralds in a most profound way that we are called to be a new kind of religious organization. Bp. Hodur set about trying to recreate the organizational structure of the earliest church which dynamically combined the formal structure of office with the equally valid charism of baptismal authority.

The earliest church was judged by the world at large as an enthusiastic sect of Judaism. Enthus-iastic in its original meaning was not comparable to a fan’s support of an athletic team. It is derived from the Greek words en and theos, meaning in God, possessed or inspired by God. The Jewish faith was highly regulated either by Temple authorities, or by legal and/or pious scholars of the religious law. The earliest Christian communities, by contrast, trusted in the immediacy of the Spirit for its legitimacy (cf. 2 Cor. 3:5-6). Consensus was the paradigm. Office holders had leadership authority within the community not above it, and they derived their authority from the community not vice-versa (cf. 1 Cor. 12:27-31 where leadership is listed as the seventh of eight charisms, and the —still more excellent way— is the gift of Christian love expressed poetically in 1 Cor. 13.).

Based upon the earliest church, Bp. Hodur had idealistic hopes for the future. He wrote in 1930: —The priesthood of the future will not be a cast of men mercenaries growing rich and fat, but rather it will be a free association of individuals dedicating themselves to higher purposes. It will be a brotherhood of men and women chosen by God, prepared and ordained for this purpose …— (Apocalypse, p. 219) In the meanwhile, he pushed for practical measures that would begin to empower all church members with the ability to participate fully in church life. And a fundamental reform instituted by our church was the elevation of the Word of God Heard and Preached to the dignity of sacrament. The Ordained ministers of the church would teach and advocate so that all in the church would be informed and thus prepared for the decision making responsibility of a church democracy, of restoring the pristine church’s respect for the authority of consensus.

Church, therefore, cannot be a spectator sport. Church demands involvement and participation. During this first month of the year, I fill out my yearly calendar, and as I look at so many of the events listed I am disappointed by the amount of apathy associated with them. Let me ask if I may, will you participate in Mass on New Year’s Day, Epiphany, Feast of the Presentation, Ash Wednesday, Stations of the Cross, our Ecumenical Lenten Discussions, the annual congregational meeting, Holy Week, Ascension Day, May Devotions, Corpus Christi, Memorial Day, Bible study, the Cathedral of the Pines, Feast of the Dormition, All Saints and All Souls Days, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Ecumenical Service, Divine Love, the Advent Penitential Service, even Christmas or the days the follow it? Or count the Sundays you actually attend Mass, the principal gathering and purpose for our parish church. Are you proud of the number? How often is your name listed as a volunteer worker at the church? We have had to discontinue Advent and Lenten retreats for lack of interest. We have canceled Mid-Week Worship for the same reason. Will we continue down this path, or does faith require more not less from us? Does such a church as ours require more not less from us?

As we begin a new year, please do not take this inquiry as complaint, but as a challenge. We are supposed to be a different kind of church, one based on choice and consent. We are not forced or scared into church membership. We are to be sufficiently informed to choose to follow this church and to be capably empowered to affect this church. To be uninvolved, inactive and unconcerned is to be opposed to the direction and hope of our institution, which is to be a —free association— of believers seeking after the —higher purposes— of religion. The Word of God is essential in this quest because it empowers us to act, but all is for naught if we watch church rather than participate in church.

Christian Witness, Perspective, ,

Validation

A short film starring TJ Thyne & Vicki Davis. Writer/Director/Composer: Kurt Kuenne. It runs a little over 16 minutes. All about the magic of looking for the best in people, and about our ability to touch people. This movie has played at 34 film festivals worldwide and won 17 awards.

Christian Witness, Perspective, PNCC,

Practical tips for coming over to the National Catholic Church (PNCC)

Ben Johnson from Western Orthodoxy has a great post for folks who may be considering Western Orthodoxy in Practical Tips for a Move to Western Orthodoxy. As many bloggers (and churchy folks) know, the surest form of flattery is theft. Therefore, with due acknowledgment, the following is my version entitled: Practical tips for coming over to the National Catholic Church (PNCC).

First, I offer this from my perspective. If you are contemplating a move to the PNCC the ultimate source of information and approbation (for groups and entire parishes) is the proper diocesan Bishop and the Prime Bishop (address and contact information at the bottom of the post). These are great and generous men, and each has the Spirit’s gift of discernment. They are not aloof and will open their doors to you and yours, just to talk, just to ask, just to see. If you are coming over as an individual you should inquire of your local pastor.

Second, I know that there are a lot of folks, communities, parishes, and groups out there that may be searching. They may be contemplating a break from the Roman Catholic or Episcopal Church for one or more reasons (all are well known — the Church being too liberal/conservative, too much conflict, too much change, they took my parish/ministry away, they closed my church/ministry, personal reasons, etc.). As someone who has been through each of those, and some more than once, I empathize. I wish someone had written something like this, to inform me, and to welcome me. So this is my effort at providing the thing I needed, to offer some insight and a hand of welcome.

Third, this list will not recount the teachings, documents, and history of the PNCC. The PNCC is in the process of developing an encyclopedia, as part of its vast set of resources, available for that purpose. I couldn’t possibly cover it all, or do it justice, even if I wrote for the rest of my life. If you want more, start with the PNCC tab at the top of my blog, the PNCC website, and the PNCC bookstore. This is really about you, your journey, and what you might expect and experience.

  1. It is about you. If you are actively involved in a parish and in your Church, or if you have deep and long standing connections to your Church and parish, you may well be going through a period of transition that involves feelings of hurt, anger, resentment, or abandonment. You may be in the midst of an attempt to understand the dichotomy that is Church, something universal yet local, perfect yet filled with imperfection, witnessing yet failing to witness. You may even feel guilt at having questions. If we believe that we are nothing more than random molecules we might come to the conclusion that being buffeted around is just a part of life, random and without meaning. But, we believe something different. The challenges we face are part of a process, motivated by the Holy Spirit, which moves us from complacency, which prompts us to take a negative, a hurt, even anger, and to turn them to good, to God’s use. We know that this is about us. The fruit of this process, and our progress along the path to eternal life in Christ, depends on how we witness during this pivitol time. The PNCC has always taught that each and every person must come freely, and be given the freedom to decide. My personal witness is that my hurt, my despair, the insults, pain, and guilt that I faced, were turned to good within the PNCC. It is, as our Prime Bishop often states, a gem of a Church. It is beautiful and priceless because it reflects a true partnership between God and His people.
  2. It is about being Catholic. Being Catholic is not about the Bishop of Rome (i.e., the Pope). Being Catholic is about something bigger than a single man-made office. It is creedal, conciliar, sacramental, and is foundational. It is over 2,000 years of history, not as history, but as a path of living witness to the truth — of which we are a part. It is about certain core truths being objective truth, and yet great latitude in that which is outside the core. It is about your desire for change, a desire that the Holy Church work with you on your path to eternal life, as teacher, as supporter, as counselor, and as witness. The PNCC is one, holy, catholic, apostolic, and democratic. It doesn’t just rest upon the scripture and the synods of the first millennia, it lives that Catholic faith, that Catholic truth, in its daily witness. My personal witness is that the PNCC is my Catholic home, in all its fullness, in all its truth. The PNCC has opened the path to true conversion and regeneration, working with me in my desire to live as our Lord and Savior asked. The Catholic Church is not about the change I want, it is the road to the change I need.
  3. There are unfortunate realities. When you decide to explore outside of your long-term faith community you have to be prepared to face certain realities, some of which are sad and unfortunate. Recall the passage from the Gospel according to St. Luke (Luke 17:11-19). Jesus heals ten lepers, yet only one returns to give Him thanks. On occasion you may feel like that one in ten. If you are part of a group, not all may make, or choose to make, the transition to the PNCC. How you treat those who stay behind, or make another choice, is vitally important, because we must continue to witness Christian charity, love, and partnership in common cause. Will others be as generous? Reality is that some will shun you. Some will refer to you as a schismatic, a heretic, or a betrayer. You may be faced with a vast lack of understanding as to what the PNCC believes and practices (unfortunately there is a glaring lack of factual information out there) from which flow all sorts of accusations. Your Roman Catholic friends may refer to you as third class, outer ring Catholics. The Roman Church and the Episcopal Church will likely bar you from use of your former parish, even if it is closed. If you attempt to buy the property you supported and built there will be severe restrictions in the deed, which will be enforced. Sadly, some things will have to be left behind, and based on experience, the court fight isn’t worth it because it distracts from what is essential. Your decision may stress family relationships, friendships, and causes that you may value. My personal witness is that Christian love, charity, and a thorough study of what the PNCC believes and teaches is the sure remedy to conflict. In 1904 the First Synod of the PNCC declared: “Referring to other Christian communities, we state that we do not condemn any one of them. We sympathize with every Church whose object is to ennoble and sanctify man and bring the Gospel of Jesus and peace to humanity.” In a nutshell, that statement captures the aim and vision of a member of the PNCC, the desire for unity with and for God, God who lives and works among us in raising up humanity to its ultimate destiny. There will be crosses, hurts, and insults to bear. Expectations will go unfulfilled. This is the most difficult part of the road, and there is no easy answer. Yet, after time, you will find that forgiveness and kindness are the salve for those unfortunate realities.
  4. How do I get there? You have to connect with the reality of the old adage: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The best start is at Holy Mass at a local parish. If you have a group invite a PNCC priest to offer Holy Mass for you. That should be followed with lots of talking, preferably over a plate of food 🙂 . Invite a PNCC priest or deacon to visit with you or your group. A talk with members at a local parish, our clergy, and our Bishops will resolve a few questions, and in all likelihood open lots of other questions. Catholicism in the PNCC is experiential and relational. The full on experience cannot be judged by one encounter, one Holy Mass, one conversation. You need to go to the well quite a few times before you have enough — and surprisingly, there is never enough. The PNCC has always been a teaching Church, and the learning never ends. At some point you will know, this is home. Whether you get there or not, whether you become a member or not, there is no bar or card check. The PNCC welcomes you to share faith in Jesus Christ and to live His Gospel message. That is my witness. I came and I stayed because I was welcome, without cost, without price (Revelation 22:17).
  5. Ok, ok, what should I expect at Holy Mass.
    • If you are Roman Catholic expect Holy Mass that is similar — but not the same — as what you experience every week. If you are High Church Episcopalian/Anglican you will feel very comfortable;
    • There are three possible Rites for the Holy Mass (Traditional, Contemporary, and the Bishop Hodur Rite). All services are in English or the predominant language of the people in that parish (Polish, Spanish, French, etc.);
    • Every Holy Mass conveys three sacraments – Penance, the Sacrament of the Word, and the Holy Eucharist;
    • Holy Mass may be preceded by Matins (morning prayer), the Asperges (generally at the week’s principal Holy Mass), and on the first Sunday of each month may conclude with Solemn exposition and benediction.
    • There is a “Hymn to the Holy Spirit” between the Gospel and the homily and there is always a homily because the proclamation and teaching of the Word conveys sacramental grace. Kneel during the hymn — ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you.
    • The Nicene Creed is fully orthodox – we recite “I believe” and that the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father” (not the Father and Son);
    • We do things like — make the sign of the cross, strike our breasts, kneel, and bow — a lot. Bow when the name “Jesus Christ” is said or when we pray the first part of the Doxology “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.” Make the sign of the cross at the end of the Gloria, the Nicene Creed, and during the Sanctus (Holy, holy, holy – at “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord”). Strike your breast during the Confetior and the Lamb of God. We kneel at the words “…and became man.” in the Creed, during the Canon (the Eucharistic Prayer) and before Holy Communion. If you are not used to this, don’t worry, you won’t get criticized, be called on on the carpet, and you won’t be excommunicated. Just be aware that the folks next to you will do it and try your best in following along.
    • All baptized Christians, properly disposed, and having a true faith and belief in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the elements of bread and wine (mixed with water), are welcome to receive the Eucharist. The Eucharist is given by intinction (the Body of Christ is dipped into the Blood of Christ) and is placed on the tongue by the Bishop, priest, or deacon. If you cannot receive the precious blood for health reason, the deacon, priest, or Bishop will place the host on your tongue. Only a deacon, priest, or Bishop may touch the Holy Eucharist and as such, the Holy Eucharist is never placed in a lay person’s hand.
  6. Ok, ok, what should I expect in a PNCC Parish.
    • All parishes are formed in conformity with the Constitution and Laws of the PNCC;
    • The parish building, its assets, and its funds are owed and managed by those who are members of the PNCC. The clergy involves itself in the spiritual welfare of the parish while the parish committee handles its financial and civil welfare. Both work in concord for the betterment of the parish, the spiritual well bring of its adherents, and its evangelism and mission to the world. The parish committee is elected by all members and is required to report to them on all matters concerning the parish, its management, and its finances. Every member has a voice and a vote in the parish. A parish may not be dissolved without the consent of its members (Article VI, Section 3.)
    • Each parish elects members to represent it at Diocesan and Church Synods (Article VII, Section 1(5) et. seq.)
    • Married bishops, priests, and deacons. The vast majority of our clergy are married and have families.
    • Responsiveness – to your needs, spiritual and material. We live as family and are always willing to chip-in and help out. Our sister organization, the PNU, provides support to its members in times of trouble.
    • Roots – the PNCC was founded by emigrants and we value everyones ethnic and cultural roots.
    • A School of Christian Living
    • Various organizations: The YMS of R, the ANS, a PNU Branch, Choir, Youth Organization, Mission and Evangelism committee, Literary Society, and PTO among others. You’ll find some variant from parish to parish. The major societies like the YMS of R, ANS, PNU, and Youth Group are separate organizations with their own constitution, treasury, and membership requirements. They each work to support the parish and their organizational purposes. Organizations like the YMS of R and PNU provide funding so that parish youth can attend national events like Convo, Kurs, and the acolyte retreat. All PNCC members are strongly encouraged to become members of the PNU. The PNU provides college stipends for its youth. The National United Choirs provides music scholarships for the Church’s youth.
  7. Other similarities and differences? There are other similarities and differences, most particularly experienced by those who have a Roman Catholic background.
    • The Church’s understanding of Original Sin, Hell, the Devil, and eternal life is more in line with the Orthodox Church’s theology than with the Roman Catholic Church’s legalistic understanding.
    • We do not recognize Papal infalibility (the Church is only infallible in Council), or the defined dogmas of the Immaculate Conception, or the Assumption of Mary.
    • We do not recognize or accept things like indulgences or purgatory, nor do we recognize relics as something to be sold or trafficked in.
    • We have instituted Solemnities including the Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds, The Christian Family, Of Brotherly Love, and The Institution of the PNCC.
    • Ember Days, Rorate Holy Mass, the Pre-Lenten Season (Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima).
    • The Eucharistic Fast is two hours prior to reception of the Holy Eucharist.
    • Fridays, outside of the Christmas and Easter seasons are days of abstinance (no meat). Wednesdays and Fridays during Lent, including Holy Wednesday through Holy Saturday, are also days of abstinance.
    • The Church has an active, paraliturgical devotional life which includes things like traditional devotions (Litanies, Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Lamentations, Matins and Vespers) as well as Bible Study and programs like the Alpha Course.
    • The Church is ecumenically active in organizations like Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT), The Consultation on Common Texts, and the National Council of Churches. We have on-going discussions with other Churches, such as the Roman Catholic Church, and have agreements with the Roman Church related to sacramental hospitatility (PNCC members may receive the Eucharist, penance, and annointing in a Roman Catholic parish if no PNCC parishes are nearby; as long as we maintain our own discipline).

If you are part of a group or parish considering the establishment of a PNCC parish you should contact:

The Office of the Prime Bishop
Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky
1006 Pittston Avenue
Scranton, Pennsylvania 18505-4109
(570) 346-9131
(570) 346-2125
(570) 346-2188 (fax)

If you are seeking, for yourself and your family, visit your local parish. You are truly welcome in the PNCC.

Christian Witness, Political, ,

Remembering the holodomor, the Ukrainian famine

From the Houston Chronicle: Working to shine a light on a dark period for Ukrainians: Efforts under way to mark man-made famine that left up to 7 million dead

Many Americans have never heard of the holodomor —” the estimated 7 million people who starved to death in the Ukraine when Joseph Stalin turned farms into collectives in the early 1930s.

Even while the famine was ravaging parts of the Ukraine, few in the West knew of it. Journalists such as Walter Duranty of the New York Times, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Soviet Union in 1932, reported there was no evidence of starvation or an artificially created famine, which was the position of the Soviet government.

In Russia, the holodomor, viewed as genocide by many Ukrainians, gets scant or no mention today in some high school history books.
The holodomor
Local Ukrainian-Americans, along with others of Ukrainian heritage worldwide, are rankled that so few know of the mass deaths. During this year, the 75th anniversary of the holodomor, they are holding vigils and working to raise awareness of what happened in the Ukraine in 1932 and 1933.

“The Ukrainian farmers grew the food, but they were not allowed to eat it,” said Larisa Scates, chairwoman of the famine committee at the Ukrainian-American Cultural Club of Houston. “The Soviet government never acknowledged that it was happening. They hid it. The deaths need to be commemorated. Lessons need to be learned, or we’re bound to repeat the past.”

A vigil was held outside City Hall last month to mark the holodomor, which means “death by hunger.” Ukrainian-Americans persuaded the Houston Public Library to put up displays on the tragedy at one of its downtown buildings. One of the displays includes copies of paintings by Houston artist Lydia Bodnar-Balahutrak that were inspired by the deaths…

For more on the holodomor see: The man-made famine of 1933 in Soviet Ukraine: What happened and why by Dr. James E. Mace.

Christian Witness, Saints and Martyrs

To my brother deacons

A happy feast of St. Stephen, Proto-Martyr. May we follow his example in fearlessly proclaiming the truth of the Gospel and witnessing to the reality of heaven.

saint-stephen-the-martyr-08

We give Thee thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to Thy Son Jesus Christ, Who standeth at Thy right hand; where He liveth and reighneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. — Traditional Collect for the Feast of St. Stephen, Book of Common Prayer (1979).

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