Category: Events

Christian Witness, Current Events, Events, Perspective, Political, , , , , ,

Jobs Crisis March

Are you concerned about the crisis of jobs? If so, join Interfaith Worker Justice at the One Nation Working Together rally in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, October 2.

The rally, at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall from noon to 4 p.m., will have terrific speakers, music and informational tables. Four hours is not too long to make a stand for jobs. Please bring your friends and family. The turnout for the rally will demonstrate the extent of concern about the unemployment crisis. The bigger the turnout, the louder message, which will mean more media coverage and greater political impact.

If you want to meet up before the rally and go together, meet at IWJ’s Capitol Hill townhouse at 404 4th Street, NE at 11 a.m. After the rally, plan on stopping by the townhouse around 4:30 p.m. for some snacks and fellowship. Again, the address is 404 4th Street, NE – a short walk up Massachusetts Avenue from Union Station.

Current Events, Events, Poland - Polish - Polonia, ,

Katyń Massacre Exhibit on display in Buffalo

Katyń Massacre Exhibit at the Buffalo and Erie County Central Library from Wednesday, September 29 at 8:30am through October 18 at 6:00pm. The library is located at 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, New York.

Information on the 70th anniversary of the Katyń Forest massacre will be highlighted with an exhibit at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. There are numerous local connections to the massacre. The exhibit lists two Buffalo-born men who were killed in the massacre. A number of current local residents are descendants of others who were among the 20,000+ murdered and buried in Katyń by the Soviet secret police.

The exhibit was featured earlier this year at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC during the month of April coinciding with the tragic plane crash that killed nearly 100 of Poland’s leadership personnel in Smolensk, Russia. The Buffalo News did a video on Katyń and the exhibit.

The tragedy thrust the story of Katyń onto the front pages of newspapers around the world, spurring interest in this massacre that had been covered up for decades by the Soviets.

The exhibit was prepared by Andrzej Przewoźnik, a Polish historian, for the Council to Preserve the Memory of Combat and Martyrdom and the New York City based Kościuszko Foundation. Ironically Przewoźnik was one of those killed in that plane crash on April 10.

A CIA spokesman, Benjamin Fischer wrote the following about Katyn:

“One of the earliest – and certainly the most famous – mass shootings of prisoners of war during World War II did not occur in the heat of battle but was a cold-blooded act of political murder. The victims were Polish officers, soldiers, and civilians captured by the Red Army after it invaded eastern Poland in September 1939. Strictly speaking, even the Polish servicemen were not POWs.

The USSR had not declared war, and the Polish commander in chief had ordered his troops not to engage Soviet forces. But there was little the Poles could do. On 28 September, the USSR and Nazi Germany, allied since August, partitioned and then dissolved the Polish state. They then began implementing parallel policies of suppressing all resistance and destroying the Polish elite in their respective areas.”

This exhibit is being brought to Buffalo through the efforts of the WNY Division of the Polish American Congress and the Kościuszko Foundation, WNY Chapter and the Polish Legacy Project of Buffalo-WWII.

On Sunday, October 17th at 2pm Andrzej Wajda’s Oscar nominated film “Katyń” will be screened in the library. The film contains English subtitles.

The exhibit is located in the open area on the main floor of the library.

Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, ,

Novena to the Holy Spirit – Day 5

Come, O Spirit of Fortitude, and give courage to
my soul. Make my heart strong in all trials and
in all distress, pouring forth abundantly into it
the gifts of strength, that I may be able to resist
the attacks of the devil. Especially give this gift
of strength to those who shall comprise the
Supreme council of our Holy Church. Allow
them to always be strong within You as they
deliberate for the good of the Church for the
next four years.

Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, ,

Novena to the Holy Spirit – Day 4

Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in
all my ways, that l may always do thy holy will.
Incline my heart to that which is good, turn it
away from all that is evil, and direct me by the
path of Your commandments to the goal of
eternal life. Especially give your counsel within
the composition of our National Commissions.
Allow all those who are chosen to serve to
always depend upon this gift.

Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, ,

Novena to the Holy Spirit – Day 3

Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten
my mind, that l may know and believe all the
mysteries of salvation, and may merit at last to
see the eternal light in Your light; and in the
light of glory to have the clear vision of Thee and
the Father and the Son. Especially give this
spirit of understanding to our General Synod in
the area of tithing and program support. Let us
know and believe that our donations go for the
work of bringing Your kingdom here on earth.
Allow the Synod to have this gift in its
discernment.

Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, ,

Novena to the Holy Spirit – Day 2

Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my
soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their
exceeding greatness, and power, and beauty.
Teach me to love them above and beyond all the
passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Show me
the way by which I may be able to attain to
them, and possess them, and hold them
hereafter, my own forever. Especially reveal the
mysteries of heavenly things within the souls of
those priests who aspire to the office of bishop.
Allow them to partake of these mysteries in
their life.

Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, ,

Novena to the Holy Spirit – Day 1

[To be used in preparation for the 23rd General Synod of the Polish National Catholic Church, upon our Parish, Parish Delegates and on all Delegates attending. This Prayer is to he said from Saturday, September 25 – Sunday, October 3, inclusive.]

Begin with this prayer each day:

O Holy Spirit, my Lord and my God, l adore You and humbly acknowledge here in Your sacred presence that I am nothing, and can do nothing, without Your operation within me. Come, great Paraclete, thou Father of the poor, thou Comforter of the blest, fulfill the promise of our Savior, who would not leave us orphans, and enter my mind and heart as You descended on the day of Pentecost upon the holy Mother of Jesus and upon His first disciples. Grant that I may have a part in those gifts, which You did so prodigally bestow upon them.

Take from my heart all that is not pleasing to You and make of it a worthy dwelling place for Jesus.

Illumine my mind, that l may see and understand the things that are for my eternal welfare.

Inflame my heart with pure love of the Father, that, cleansed from attachment to all unworthy objects, my whole life may be hidden with Jesus in God.

Strengthen my will, that it may be conformable to the will of my Creator and guided by thy holy inspirations.

Aid me to practice the heavenly virtues of humility, poverty, and obedience, which are taught me in the earthly life of Jesus.

Descend upon me, O mighty Spirit, that, inspired and encouraged by You, I may faithfully fulfill the duties of my state in life, carry my daily cross with patience and courage, and accomplish the Father’s will for me more perfectly. Make me, day by day, more holy and give to me that heavenly peace which the world cannot give.

O Holy Spirit, thou Giver of every good and perfect gift, grant to me the intentions of this novena of prayer. May the Father’s will be done in me and through me. And may You, O mighty Spirit of the living God, be praised and glorified for ever and ever. Amen.

Then follows the hymn to the Holy Spirit: Come, Thou Creator

Come, Thou Creator, Spirit blest,
And in our souls take up Thy rest;
Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid,
To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

Great Paraclete, to Thee we cry,
O highest gift of God most high;
O living Fount, O Fire, O Love,
And sweet anointing from above.

The mystic seven-fold gifts are Thine,
Finger of God’s right hand divine,
The Father’s promise sent to teach,
The tongue a rich and heavenly speech.

All glory while the ages run
Be to the Father and the Son,
Who gave us life; the same to Thee,
O Holy Ghost, eternally.
Amen.

Then is said the Our Father and Hail Mary.
Then follows the prayer proper to the day:

Come, O Holy Ghost, the Lord and Life-giver;
take up Your dwelling within my soul, and
make of it Your sacred temple. Make me live by
grace as an adopted child of God. Pervade all
the energies of my soul, and create in me a
fountain of living water springing up into life
everlasting. Especially take up residence within
our General Synod and allow he who shall be
elected to be the next Prime Bishop Your store of
abundant grace. Allow him to feel Your
presence within.

Events, Political, , , ,

Human Service Nonprofits and Government Collaboration

The Urban Institute Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy and the National Center for Charitable Statistics announces the upcoming release of Human Service Nonprofits and Government Collaboration: Findings from the 2010 National Survey of Nonprofit Government Contracting and Grants on Thursday, October 7, 2010 from 9:00 – 10:30 am at The Urban Institute, 2100 M Street NW, 5th Floor, Katharine Graham Conference Facility, Washington, DC 20037

Please join The Urban Institute for the release of findings from the first national survey documenting the extent of government contracting and grants with human service organizations and problems experienced by nonprofits that contract with governments at the local, state and national levels. There will be discussion of the impact of the recession on these nonprofits and the interaction of contracting problems, such as late payments, and the cutbacks organizations have made to keep their programs operating during the recession.

A panel of experts from the nonprofit and public sectors will talk about the realities on the ground, policy implications and the future of nonprofit-government relations. Additional information and a formal invitation from the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy will be forthcoming. Please contact Pho Palmer with questions at (202) 261-5397.

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

Events, today and upcoming

Polka Fest to benefit Holy Spirit Polish National Catholic Church, 1 – 5 p.m. today, Saturday, September 18th, at the East Herkimer Fish & Game Club, Pine Grove Road, East Herkimer. Featuring Bill and Ed’s Polka Band. Admission $8.

Annual Spaghetti Dinner and Basket Raffle 4-7 p.m. September 25th, Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church, 17 Sheridan St., Heights, Wilkes-Barre. Open salad bar, dessert and beverage included. Adults pay $8; $4 for children 12 and younger at the door.