Recent Posts

Most Used Categories

Category: Events

You are Here :
Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, ,

Fr. Dr. Walter A. Placek of the PNCC will speak on “God and Science in our Church”

From the Times Leader Sunday Dispatch: The professor who became a priest

Father Walter A. Placek, PhD, will have a 20 minute presentation titled “God and Science in our Church” on Nov. 17 at noon, at the Sermon, Soup and Sandwich event in Holy Mother of Sorrows hall, 212 Wyoming Ave., Dupont.

All are invited for this event free of charge.

When Professor Placek retired from Wilkes University after 40 years of teaching, he was ordained to the priesthood of the Polish National Catholic Church.

The Most Rev. John F. Swantek, Prime Bishop of the Polish National Catholic Church ordained him on May 25, 2002 at Holy Mother of Sorrows Church, Dupont, his home parish.

Dr. Placek celebrated his first Mass at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 26, 2002 in Holy Mother of Sorrows.

Dr. Placek received his theological training at the Savonarola Theological Seminary in Scranton.

He was appointed pastor at Providence of God PNCC Parish in North Scranton in October 2002 and continues to serve that parish. He is also on the faculty of Savonarola Theological Seminary.

Placek has served the PNCC as a member of its Supreme Council, Diocesan Council and currently as a member of the Supreme Council. He continues to teach Physics as a part-time professor at Wilkes University and an adjunct professor at King’s College and Misericordia Universaity.

Placek graduated from West Pittston High School, Class of 1957, received his BS from Wilkes College, M.S. from Penn State University, a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and has done postgraduate work at the University of Vermont, University of Maryland, Colby College and the University of Puerto Rico.

In 1992, while on sabbatical leave, he was a visiting professor at Cornell University.

He was a high school physics teacher for seven years and a professor in the Physics department at Wilkes University for 33 years, retiring in 2002 to become a priest in the PNCC.

Wilkes University Board of Trustees honored Placek with the title of Professor of Physics, Emeritus and he continues to teach part time.

Placek held membership in many academic and scholarly societies, presented numerous papers over the years at state, national and international meetings and has served on the executive boards of several state and national science societies and served on the editorial boards of several state and national science journals.

He was president of the Pennsylvania Science Teachers Association in 1992 and received national recognition for his contributions to science education.

He was elected to the Wyoming Area School Board for two terms, serving from 1975 to 1985 and served as board president of the West Side Area Vocational-Technical School in 1981.

He was appointed by the county commissioners as a trustee of the Luzerne County Community College and served for 1- years on many academic and executive committees.

Rev. Dr. Placek is the son of the late Walter Placek Sr. and Mary Bushinski Placek, of Dupont. He is married to the former Barbara Swantkowski, of Duryea, and they reside in the Mount Zion section of Exeter Township.

They have been married since 1961 and will celebrated their 51st. wedding anniversary this year.

The couple has three children, Allison Knick BSN, a Registered Nurse at Wilkes- Barre General Hospital; David, a chemistry and science teacher at Wyoming Valley West High School; and Adrienne Royster, Director of Human Resources at Oxy Chemical in Houston, Texas.

Dr. and Mrs. Placek have six grandchildren, Katelynn and Rebecca Knick, Amanda and Erin McCamey, Nikolas and Benjamin Placek, and one great-grandchild, Athens Ware.

Current Events, Events, Everything Else, , ,

Prayer and Disaster Preparation Guides

First, let us pray:

Grant calmness and control of thought to those who are facing uncertainty and anxiety; let their hearts stand fast, believing in the Lord. Be Thou all things to all men, knowing each one and his petition, each house and its need. For the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen. – A Prayer in Time of National Anxiety – from A Book of Devotions and Prayers According to the Use of the Polish National Catholic Church, Published by the Mission Fund of the PNCC, 7th edition, May 1, 1984.

Be merciful to us, Spare us O Lord.
Be merciful to us, Graciously hear us O Lord.
From all evil, Deliver us, O Lord.
From lightning and tempest, Deliver us, O Lord.

From the Capital Region Theological Center (CRTC): Are You Prepared?

As we learned last year, preparations for what Mother Nature sometimes brings to our communities is a reality of living in the Northeast. In light of current forecasts and the possibility of power outages and other weather-related challenges, CRTC, in our role as communications outlet, would like to provide several resources for your use.

Hopefully, this will be merely an exercise in planning!

Emergency Preparedness Checklists:

Several resources can provide checklists as you ready yourself for a possible emergency:

Hurricane Preparedness Checklist

Emergency Supply Checklist

Emergency Guide:

What to have in your:
…head – family plans
      …hand – checklists
          …and home – emergency supplies

Household Preparedness Guide

This guide also includes hazard-specific information, emergency reference cards, emotional expectations and utility guidelines. Designed for NYC residents, much of the information can be easily applied to Capital District residents.

Special Circumstances

There are people and pets in your life that may require special considerations in times of emergency:

Preparedness for Seniors and People with Disabilities

Emergency Preparedness for Pets

Emergency Information

For additional information visit NYS Emergency Management.

Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, , ,

Pray for the Holy Synod of the Central Diocese

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 11th, we begin the quadrennial Holy Synod of the Central Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Church. As we review the accomplishments of the last four years and plan for the next four, please join in praying that the Holy Spirit guide the deliberations and grant us His sevenfold gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.

Come Holy Spirit, enkindle the hearts of Thy faithful with the fire of Thy love. Grant Your sevenfold gifts to the Holy Synod of the Central Diocese. Guide us in drawing souls to Your Holy Church. Grant us an increase in vocations. Draw Your community of faith to accord with Your will. Grant that we may set our hearts, minds, and actions to carrying out all that You will. Infuse us with love and fortitude. Renew and energize us by Your ever present grace. Grant safe travel to all participants. Amen.

And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. – Isaiah 11:2-3

Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, , ,

Consecration of our new bishops

See coverage and a video of the consecration of Bishops Nowicki and Bilinski at: New Bishops Installed in Polish National Catholic Church

Scranton, Lackawanna County – Friday, [September 14, 2012] was a big day for the Polish National Catholic Church.

A mass to officially install two new bishops, including the one who will serve northeastern Pennsylvania, got underway late Friday afternoon in Scranton.

The mass began at 3:30 PM at Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr Cathedral in South Scranton.

The two bishops who will now serve their communities are Bishop Stanley Bilinski and Bishop Bernard Nowicki.

“I can’t believe the people who have come around from so far away and old friends from close places are an absolute delight,” Bishop Nowicki said.

Bishop Nowicki will serve the Polish National Catholic Church’s largest diocese, which includes Scranton. It stretches from New York to Washington, D.C.

Bishop Bilinski will be based in Chicago and will serve the church’s western diocese.

“We each bring unique gifts to the table and to understand that we can help the church along in its various needs, especially in this day and age,” Bishop Bilinski said.

Both of the new bishops, who were elected in June, say this is an exciting time for the Polish National Catholic Church. The bishops point to a new Prime Bishop in the church and a lot of new leadership that will drive them forward.

“We have our ideas, we have senses of where we want to go and certainly how we want to work together and that’s already been born out in the last few days,” Bishop Nowicki said…

Art, Events, PNCC, Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , , , ,

Events for September 2012

Pola Negri Stories

The Helena Modjeska Art and Culture Club in Los Angeles is sponsoring a presentation of Kazimierz Braun’s Pola Negri Stories at Magicopolis, 1418 4th Street, Santa Monica, CA on Sunday, September 30th at 5pm.

Pola Negri Stories is a fascinating spectacle about a silent film star, Pola Negri. The play, written by the eminent playwright and director, Kazimierz Braun, follows Pola Negri’s career and presents its highlights, with film excerpts. This rare treat will be in Polish; with Agata Pilitowska as Pola Negri and Maria Nowotarska. The silent-film era costumes will delight the audience, as will the sultry and passionate portrayal of the famous actress.

This is a touring production by Teatr Polski from Toronto, Ontario (Polish Theater of Toronto) and will be presented in Polish. Tickets are open to Modjeska Club members through September 15th. After that tickets will be available to the general public ($35 guests, $20 club members).

Dozynki/Harvest Festival

All are invited to Holy Mother of Sorrows PNCC two day event next Saturday and Sunday, September 8th and 9th starting with a Giant Flea Market from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 8th and then from 11 a.m. to dusk on Sunday, September 9th for the 36th Annual Dozynki/Harvest Festival.

Events will be held on the parish grounds on Wyoming Avenue. In addition to the many vendors under the big tent, the flea market will also have a Country Store of fresh fruits and vegetables and a variety of Polish foods. The Annual Harvest Festival will have a variety of homemade ethnic foods: pierogi, potato pancakes, golubki, kluski, kielbasa, sausage, soups and funnel cakes, etc. as well as American foods of hot dogs and ham burgers. Homemade baked goods, including pies and cakes, will be available.

Live music will be performed by Joe Lastovica and the Polka Punch from 3 to 6 p.m. Other attractions at the Festival are: 50/50 Bingo, Big Raffle, Chinese Auction, Arts and Crafts, Children’s and Youth Stand.

The traditional Blessing of Harvest Wreath Ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. in the church followed by a procession taking the wreath outdoors to the festival grounds for a brief program and where everyone will be greeted as you pass the wreath with a taste of bread, cheese and wine and a small token of good luck, a wheat boutonniere tied with red and white ribbon.

Dożynki, Alfred Wierusz-Kowalski, c. 1910
Events, PNCC, , , ,

4th Annual Block Party at St. Stan’s in Scranton

From the Abington Journal: Cathedral plans fourth annual block party

St. Stanislaus Polish National Catholic Cathedral in South Scranton will hold its fourth annual Block Party from 5 to 10 p.m. August 24 and August 25 at the corner of East Elm Street and Pittston Avenue.

Ethnic foods such as pierogi, halushki, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa and potato pancakes will be offered along with steak n’ cheese and chicken cheese hoagies, French fries, pizza, hot dogs, clams, beer, soda, coffee, pizza frita, homemade cakes and ice cream.

There will also be plenty of children’s games, bingo and basket raffles and other entertainment, including Jerry Sapphire on Friday and Saturday evening from 6 to 8 p.m., the band Blush from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday and the band Crock Pot Abduction from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday.

For more information, Contact St. Stanislaus rectory at 570.343.6017 or parish office at 570.961.9231.

Events, PNCC, , ,

Bishop elect Nowicki takes helm of the Central Diocese

From the Times-Tribune: New bishop to take helm of local Polish National Catholic diocese

The region’s Polish National Catholics will have a new diocesan bishop this fall.

Bishop elect Rev. Bernard NowickiBishop-elect Bernard Nowicki assumed administrative leadership of the Central Diocese on Wednesday and will be consecrated as bishop and officially installed in the new post on Friday, Sept. 14.

The diocese, which stretches from Maryland to New York, is the denomination’s largest. As bishop, the Rev. Nowicki will also be pastor of the denomination’s mother church, St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Cathedral in Scranton.

The Rev. Nowicki was elected bishop at a special synod held in Scranton in June, when he and Bishop-elect Stanley Bilinski were both voted into the office. The Rev. Bilinski will be bishop of the Chicago-based Western Diocese. The Rev. Nowicki assumes the Central Diocese post from Bishop John Mack, who has been bishop of the diocese for the past 18 months and was reassigned to his home Buffalo-Pittsburgh Diocese.

The Rev. Nowicki, a longtime pastor at a church in Bayonne, N.J., studied at Savonarola Theological Seminary in Scranton, and his wife is a native of Dupont.

Prime Bishop Anthony Mikovsky said the Rev. Nowicki will likely move to the area in late September or early October.

“He’s a very well-respected priest in the church,” he said. “He has a wonderful education.”

Prime Bishop Mikovsky also said he is excited by the number of new bishops across the church.

“A lot of the church has new leadership,” he said, “and there is a lot of excitement with new leadership.”

Events, Poland - Polish - Polonia,

Polish-American is Living her Olympic Dream

By Raymond Rolak

Maria Michta. Photo courtesy of the USA Track & Field
Maria Mitchta is living her dream. With help, determination and the support of a whole community she is going to London for the 2012 Olympics. Her sport is 20,000 meter Race Walking and she won the U.S. Trials held in Eugene, Oregon.

Maria talks confidently about her support, especially from her high school sweetheart Joey Coffey. She gushes with pride about her Polish-American roots. Her family is paramount to her, especially her mom and dad, Sue and Rich Michta. She brags about her siblings, Ricky, Kristie and Katie and growing up on Long Island, New York. They are all going to London to cheer her on, to help support her excellence.

She is inspired by the stories from her grandfather, Chester, who came from a rural village in Poland.

At the 20-K Race Walk trials at the University of Oregon, her mother went hoarse with the constant yells of encouragement. The former Long Island University-Post cross country and track standout had a finish line time of 1 hour, 34 minutes, 53 seconds at the Olympic Trials.

All the support helps. The real satisfaction comes from her individual perseverance. It has been a long road. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association is one of the few states that have Race Walk in the state Track and Field championships. Mitchta was a three time state champion at Sachem High School in Long Island.

“I played soccer and really enjoyed that,” she said. “My mom and dad really gave us all great opportunities.”

Maria is a constant ambassador for her sport and she has become a world traveler. She has already competed in 11 different countries. She is the first Long Island University-Post student-athlete to ever qualify for an Olympic team.

Most impressive is her focus toward academics. She graduated as Valedictorian in 2008 from Long Island University-Post with a 4.0 GPA. The determined doctoral candidate is working in microbiology, analyzing the Hepatitis-C virus at Manhattan’s Mount Sinai College of Medicine.

Race walking differs from running in that it requires the competitor to maintain contact with the ground and straighten their front knee when the foot makes contact with the ground, keeping it straightened until the knee passes under the body. Judges evaluate the technique of race walkers and report fouls which may lead to disqualification. All decisions are done by the eye of the judge and no outside technology is used in making judging resolutions.

The U.S. Olympic Trials in Track and Field were at the historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene. The Olympic Trials had more than 1,000 qualifiers competing for Olympic berths in their respective events.

Maria said it best in her diary, “The logo of the trials was: Amazing Awaits! And that’s exactly how I came away from that race, amazing awaits, I had 4 years to turn an 8th place non-Olympic Standard performance into a first place victory complete with an Olympic Games Standard. Every day brings me one more step closer to achieving my dream. It’s what motivates me every day to get up on frigid cold or sweltering hot mornings and get out there training, often alone, all in the pursuit of making the 2012 Olympic Team. My motto has always been Dream, Believe, and Become. I’ve had the Dream since 1996, I truly began to believe in myself in 2010, and I am currently training to my fullest until I Become an Olympian!”

Michta has become an Olympian. Maria, along with her USA teammates, is now headed for the Olympic Village in London.

The Race Walk is dominated by Russia’s Olga Kaniskina. Kaniskina won gold in Beijing and since then she also won the 2011 world championship. Other top rivals figure to be Russian teammates Yelena Lashmanova and Anisya Kirdyapkina. China’s Liu Hong and Shenjie Qieyang, along with Italy’s Elisa Rigaudo will be medal contenders. Michta will be the lone American competitor.

NBC will televise 12 hours of live Track and Field events from London. The opening ceremonies will be Friday, July 27th and the women’s 20-K Race Walk finals at the 2012 London Olympics will be August 11.

John Dabrowski contributed

Events, Poland - Polish - Polonia,

VII – Championship Football Game in Poland to feature Jaworski

By Raymond Rolak

Ron Jaworski, currently an ESPN football analyst was center stage for the Polish League of American Football championship game and all the festivities surrounding Super-Finals VII. The game was played in the National Stadium in Warsaw and was televised throughout Poland for the second time.

According to Commissioner Jędrzej Stęszewski, the area around the National Stadium became a ‘football city’. There were activities, contests, bands and of course tailgating. The American pregame tradition has become part of the football experience in Poland. Showcasing American football as a destination event was the goal. The nearby banks of the Vistula River and adjacent stadium grounds transformed to a fan friendly festival.

Jaworski, who was inducted into the National Polish-American Hall of Fame in 1991, added sizzle to the event. Besides being a regular on Monday Night Football telecasts he was the NFL Player of the Year in 1980 for the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Playing the Super-Final at the National Stadium is our breakthrough for the League,” said Stęszewski. “The success of this event will bring football in Poland to the next level.”
Overall, the 2012 PLFA season had 27 teams from 21 cities compete in three senior divisions.

The Gdynia Seahawks and the Warsaw Eagles will squared off in the title game the weekend of July 14th. Seahawk quarterback Kyle McMahon, played at both Eastern Michigan and Grand Valley State. Over 20,000 were expected and LOT Polish Airlines conducted a contest for the inaugural DreamLiner flight.

The National Stadium recently hosted five soccer matches during Euro-2012, including the semifinal between Germany and Italy. Super-Final VII was the first non-soccer sporting event to be held in the stadium. United States Ambassador to Poland, Lee A. Feinstein, presented post-game awards.

American football is also played in Germany and in the Czech Republic.

Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, , , , , , ,

PNCC Parish unites an entire community

New York Mills Bell Festival began when Sacred Heart of Jesus/Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church donated a bell from one of the former mills to the village. The bell is now part of a monument in the park, inscribed: “To the mill workers, with gratitude.”

View the history of New York Mills bell from the New York Mills Public Library and the work of Sacred Heart of Jesus/Holy Cross Parish in making the bell a treasure for the entire community.

From the Utica Observer Dispatch: NY Mills Bell Festival connects community, families

NEW YORK MILLS — Sisters Reneta Benenati, 84, and Josephine Krawczyk, 75, don’t live in the New York Mills area anymore.

The sisters left the area to attend college and become teachers, however each year they return for the village’s annual Bell Festival.

“It’s become sort of sentimental for us,” Benenati said, adding they visit “old haunts” and where they used to live.

Having grown up in Yorkville — a neighboring village — the sisters said their parents were Polish immigrants who used to work in the mills.

The annual event pays homage to those very mill workers who lived rigid lives dictated by the ring of a bell — 6 a.m. wakeup call and a 9 p.m. curfew call.

The two-day event, which began Friday, features rides, games, a parade, garage sales, fireworks and food. The festivities attract hundreds of people, young and old, to Pulaski Park on Main Street where the historic bell is on display.

“It’s nice to remember where things came from and how things used to be,” said Paul Dudajek, president of the village historical society. “I think (the event) is good because it brings the community together.”

Village resident Julie Brych said she’s been coming to the festival with her sons for about three years.

“We like to support New York Mills. It’s a good cause,” she said. “The kids like the rides, and I like the food.”

For the last 12 years the Sacred Heart of Jesus Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church hosts a fish fry on Friday and polish food on Saturday strictly for the festival.

Debbie Vivacqua, church member and co-chair of the Bell Festival Committee, said it was unbelievable people came out despite the heat.

“It’s a nice family oriented (event) we’ve had in the village,” she said. “The people love it.”

Benenati and Krawczyk chatted over their fish fry, having the chance to connect during their time-honored visit for the festival.

“It means a lot to us,” Benenati said.

“And we’re together,” Krawczyk added.

All Right Reserved © 2005 - 2023