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Honoring Dr. King

From the StrtfordStar: Stratford Clergy honors Dr. King

Father Michael Gitner of St. Joseph’s Polish National Catholic Church encouraged people to embrace freedom, justice and to promote love in their everyday lives during a service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on Sunday.

Gitner and other members of the Stratford Clergy Association conducted the service at the Stratford United Methodist Church not only to honor Dr. King, but to promote the spirit of peace and generosity.

Referencing a 1954 Dr. King sermon that was read by Rev. Dr. Bob Genevicz of the Stratford Baptist Church earlier in the service, Gitner mused on Dr. King’s sermon of Rediscovering Lost Values.

“Go back to the basic world values,” Gitner said. “Love our God above all things and love our fellow human beings as we are called upon to love ourselves.”

Sunday’s service included little in the way of extemporaneous speeches or sermons. Rather, a choir sang inspirational music in between readings of some of Dr. Kings many writings.

The Rev. Koonae Lee of the Stratford United Methodist Church offered a formal greeting and welcome to those in attendance and Father Bruce Roby of St. James Church offered an opening prayer.

The Rev. Lesley Hay of Christ Episcopal Church offered a reading of Dr. King’s The Most Durable Power sermon and the Rev. Ed Rawls of First Congregational Church read from Dr. King’s Riverside Church speech selections.

Following the reading of a portion of Dr. King’s Nobel Prize Speech offered by Rev. Meg Williams of the Stratford United Methodist Church, a litany was read before the choir and those gathered sang Let There Be Peace on Earth.

During the call for offering, Father Gitner made his remarks and explained the Stratford Clergy Association’s commitment to the spirit of Dr. King.

“For a number of years, the Stratford Clergy Association has been supporting Stratford and Bunnell high schools with scholarships in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” he said.

Gitner explained how the scholarships at first had been given only to African-American students.

“But then we realized, if we support only African-American students, then perhaps we are not living up to the ideals of Dr. King,” he said. “We have to go beyond that when we talk about equality and when we talk about love in concrete and tangible terms.”

Gitner said that over the years, the scholarships honoring Dr. King have grown to include not only one each for an African-American student per school, but one additional scholarship for ‘any student regardless of race’ per school.

“Hopefully, we the people of Stratford can rediscover lost values, especially the value of love,” he said.

Sunday’s collection will go toward funding the scholarships.

The service closed with the choir and congregation singing We Shall Overcome.

Christian Witness, DNKK, PNCC, , ,

Ś+P Abbot Dom Klaus Schlapps OPR

śp. Abbot Dom Klaus Dieter Schlapps OPR of the Abbey of St. Severin in Kaufbeuren, Germany, which is part of the Christ-Catholic Church in Germany under the auspices of the Nordic Catholic Church, entered into his eternal rest on Sunday, January 20, 2013. śp. Dom Klaus was also the Abbot General of the Order of Port Royal, an Ecumenical Cistercian Congregation of secular professed monks, nuns, and oblates.

śp. Dom Klaus’ passing was sudden and unexpected. He passed in the midst of his brothers in the Abbey. Our thoughts and prayers are with the brothers as well as his family, friends, and all in community of the Order of Port Royal.

Brother Johannes, speaking on behalf of the Abbey of St. Severin recalled śp. Dom Klaus as a candle burning at both ends. “He spread twice as much light, but his life was thus shorter. Dom Klaus helped so many people. He had a deep abiding faith and trust in God. Whenever problems arose he encouraged his brothers, saying: ‘Faith in God, trust in God, it opens up a path, there is a solution.’ God used him as an instrument of his love.”

śp. Abbot Klaus Dieter Schlapps, 9/30/1959 + 1/20/2013
śp. Abbot Klaus Dieter Schlapps, 9/30/1959 + 1/20/2013

The cords of death encompassed me,
the torrents of perdition assailed me;
the cords of Sheol entangled me,
the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
He reached from on high, he took me,
he drew me out of many waters.
He brought me forth into a broad place;
he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For all his ordinances were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from guilt.
Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. (Psalm 18:4-6,16,19-24)

Eternal rest grant unto your servant, priest, and abbot Klaus and may the perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.

Ewige Ruhe schenke ihm, o Herr! Und das ewige Licht leuchte ihm!
Lasse ihn ruhen in Frieden. Amen.

Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, ,

Dr. Jim Ploskonka on “God & Finances”

Holy Mother of Sorrows PNCC, Dupont, PA held the next in its Sermon, Soup & Sandwich series on Saturday, January 12th featuring Dr. Jim Ploskonka speaking on “God & Finances.” Dr. Ploskonka spoke on the subject of personal finances, specifically providing documented insights into how God has provided us means to be at peace with money and its use.

Dr. Ploskonka is a graduate of Mansfield University where in 2012 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame for distinguished educators. He received his master’s degree from Boston Conservatory, his PhD from the University of Kentucky and was the recipient of the Sagan Scholarship for the dissertation of the year. Most recently, Dr. Ploskonka completed studies at Harvard University focusing on critical issues in higher education.

Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, ,

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Rt. Rev. Bernard Nowicki, Bishop Ordinary of the Central Diocese of the PNCC will join with other Christian leaders in celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which is celebrated each year from January 18 to 25. Faith leaders will gather on Thursday, January 24th at 12:10pm for an Ecumenical Celebration of God’s Word at St. Peter’s R.C. Cathedral, Wyoming Ave., Scranton, Pennsylvania. The event will also be televised locally on CTV and will be available online at the Roman Catholic Diocesan website. Bishop Nowicki will be the homilist.

The theme for the 2013 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is “What does God require of us?” The theme comes from the book of the prophet, Micah 6:6-8.

This observance, first organized in 1908 at Graymoor in Garrison, New York, seeks to gather together diverse communities of the Christian faith to express the degree of communion which the churches have already have, and to pray together for greater unity in the one Church of Jesus Christ.

Events, PNCC, ,

Open House at St. Stanislaus Elementary, Scranton, PA

On Sunday, February 17th St. Stanislaus Elementary will hold an open house for prospective students. Anyone interested in learning more is invited to attend.

St. Stanislaus Elementary School offers an exceptional education for children from kindergarten through eighth grade. Features include:

  • A Full-Day Kindergarten
  • Parental Involvement is Encouraged
  • Small Class Size with Individual Attention
  • A Faith-Based Environment
  • Excellence in Math and English with Outstanding Results

Contact (570) 342-2224 for more information and details.

Christian Witness, PNCC, Poland - Polish - Polonia, Saints and Martyrs, ,

Epiphany Home Blessings – A living tradition

From the Sunday Dispatch: Inviting the Lord into their home

Polish National Catholic Church keeps tradition of blessing, visitation alive

It’s an Eastern European tradition this church is keeping alive.

Father Carmen G. Bolock of St. Mary’s Polish National Catholic Church in Duryea visits each home in his parish around the Feast of the Epiphany.

And he stays for coffee and cake.

Bolock visited the home of Guido and Angie Dianese on York Avenue in Duryea Thursday night.

The home blessing was simple. A short prayer, holy water sprinkled in each room and the door frame marked in chalk. The mark above the door read, “20+K+M+B+13,” which represents the year and in between the numbers are in initials of the three kings from the East that visited Jesus Christ after his birth, traditionally Caspar, an Indian scholar; Melchior, a Persian scholar; and Balthazar, an Arabian scholar. Caspar is represented as a K because of Polish translation, Bolock said.

Bolock said the Epiphany of Visitation for Blessing of Homes, according to the Rite of the Polish National Catholic Church, has roots in the Eastern European Tradition, which includes the Poles, Slovaks, Hungarians and those from the Ukraine and Russia.

But the time Bolock spend with his parishioners goes to the heart of the visit.

“As the Kings came to visit Christ, and brought him the gifts, the Kings come to visit our home and bring the gift of Christ,” Bolock said. “The Kings are bringing Christ as a guest in the home.”

He said a blessing will cleanse the home of negative things that may have happened over the past year, such as illness, death, loss or grief.”

“It picks up the spirit of the home and the family,” he said.

He said he always instructs couples that plan to marry they will invite a lot of people into their home.

“But the one person you want to invite into your home to live there is Christ,” he said. “If Christ is in the home, things tend to go better.”

He said the blessing will offer hope for the New Year.

“Plus, it gets me into the homes, to see what’s going on, and give them time to address any concerns or discuss matters of faith.”

The Dianeses offered coffee and fresh cake to the guests.

Angie Dianese said she started having Bolock over for the blessing several years ago.

“We want our family to start the New Year in good spiritual standing,” she said.

Her husband, Guido, was raised Roman Catholic, but didn’t go to church much until he married Angie.

“We try to go now because of the family,” he said.

The couple has a son, Blake, who is 1.

Bolock said interesting things often happen at home blessings.

When he was stationed at St. Joseph’s Polish National Catholic Church in Middleport, he visited a home with an overzealous 4-year-old.

“When I sprinkled the holy water, some landed on the coffee table,” Bolock said. “He said you’re not supposed to spray water on the coffee table and he came over and wiped it off.”

“Then I went mark the door with chalk, and the kid yelled out, ‘Mommy, he’s writing on the wall!’”

He said his church tries to keep rich and valuable traditions alive.

On the Feast of St. Stephen on Dec. 26, parishioners throw walnuts at him to symbolize the stoning of St. Stephen.

On St. John’s Day, each churchgoer is given an extra cup of wine in commemoration of the failed poisoning attempt of St. John. His wine was poisoned, but the poison turned into a snake and slithered out of the cup.

“In the old days, most houses had a living room and a parlor,” Bolock said. “Nobody came in the parlor unless the pastor came. It was a different time, but I like to keep those old traditions alive as much as possible.”

Art, PNCC, , , , ,

New calendar features Polish Catholic churches of Detroit and Hamtramck

From the Macomb Daily Tribune: New calendar highlights Polish Catholic churches

Certified public accountant Thomas Sosnowski grew up in a heavily populated Polish neighborhood on Detroit’s east side.

As a youngster he remembers going to Mass on Sunday at St. Hyacinth Roman Catholic Church on McDougall Street in Detroit and often riding with his parents in subsequent weeks to the west side to visit some of the other gorgeous churches in predominately Polish neighborhoods.

Sosnowski has published a colorful calendar full of pictures of these beautiful churches along with pertinent information concerning their history. Like thousands of other people, he has fond memories of attending Mass at the churches that were decorated to the hilt, especially during the Christmas and Easter seasons.

He said he hired a couple of photographers to take photographs of the stunning churches because he is proud of his Polish heritage and Roman Catholic religion.

“Catholics who were raised in these predominately Polish neighborhoods appreciate the beauty of these phenomenal churches,” Sosnowski said. “I’m sure people who grew up in Detroit and moved to areas like Macomb County experienced the same feeling I did in going to Mass on Sundays and holy days and now would like their children to see how beautiful these places of worship were back then – even if it is just a photograph.”

Sosnowski said unfortunately some of the churches were sold and a few have been demolished. But he said many of the older Poles belong to parishes outside of Detroit but still go to Mass occasionally at some of the older churches.

“I did the calendar as a labor of love for the Polish community,” Sosnowski said. “These churches were jewels back in the day and the inside of these churches were as gorgeous as the outside.”

The days of the week and months of the year in the calendar are written in both English and Polish. Sosnowski has included images of the oldest 35 churches that were predominately Polish, including Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church and Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church in Hamtramck .

The colorful pictures of the churches are listed in chronological order according to the year they were founded.

Churches listed are Our Lady Queen of Heaven, St. Ladislaus, Transfiguration, St. Florian, Our Lady Queen of Apostles, St. Thomas, Immaculate Conception (Poletown), Resurrection, St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Louis the King, Ascension (Warren), St. Hyacinth, St. Bartholomew, Immaculate Conception, Our Lady Help of Christians and St. Lawrence.

Also, Corpus Christi, Shrine Parish of St. Joseph (Pontiac), St. Albertus, St. Casimir, Sweetest Heart of Mary, St. Josaphat, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Stanislaus B & M, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, St. John Cantius, St. Hedwig, SS. Peter and Paul, St. Barbara, St. Helena, St. Cunegunda, St. John the Baptist, Sweetest Heart of Mary, Our Lady Queen of Angels, St. Andrew, Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church, Our Lady Queen of Angels, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Andrew.

The calendars are $25 each plus another $3 for shipping and handling. For more information, call Mr. Sosnowski at 248-334-7522 or by E-mail.

Events, PNCC, , , , ,

The Evolution of Independent American Catholicism in the PNCC

The Rev. Mark Niznik of St. Paul Catholic Church in Belleview will speak at a Tri-County Interfaith Alliance event at 7 p.m. January 8th on “The Evolution of Independent American Catholicism in the Polish National Catholic Church of America — Its Origins, Faith Tenets, and Aims.”

The meeting will be hosted by the Unitarian/Universalist Fellowship of Marion County, 7280 SE 135th St., Summerfield. The program is free and open to the public. A question-and-answer session will follow the program and refreshments will be served. For details please call: 352-674-9288.

Christian Witness, Homilies, PNCC, ,

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds

Slide1

He called,
they and I answered.

“I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, says the LORD.”

There are several very good reasons for our Church to have established this special Solemnity, that of the Humble Shepherds.

Our initial thoughts go to the remembrance of those men, who kept watch over their flocks by night, to whom the angel first appeared to announce the good news of the Lord’s birth.

Since God deigned to provide first news of His birth to these men, the Holy Church should rightly honor them and their witness to His coming. The community of the Church, each of us, should also take after their example by listening, responding, and taking action.

Next, our thoughts should go to those men around us that God continues to speak to and through. They work among us as leaders. They draw us to the goodness of the Lord. These are the shepherds among us; they are the bishops, priests, and deacons of our Holy Church.

What does it mean to be such a shepherd?

Like the shepherds on that hillside, today’s shepherds must listen. Listening is difficult, especially if the one speaking to you doesn’t use the phone, Facebook, E-mail, texting, or smoke signals. His word comes in very subtle ways, and they seem easy to set aside and ignore. Yet, if we dare to listen, we will hear Him speaking to us, setting forth a vital mission and challenge that we need to take on.

Like those shepherds, today’s responded and went. They left everything they thought they might be behind. They went to be what He wants them to be. Whether drafted, or going voluntarily (even reluctantly sometimes), they still chose to respond. They didn’t sit on the hillside wondering, “What if?” They didn’t miss the chance.

Also like the shepherds that went that night, they took something away with them, the experience of meeting the Lord who challenges us, who supports us, who is our best friend and confidant. They met Him and were changed in that meeting. They then took what they learned, and with the Lord’s help went out on mission, to build the Church, to gather co-workers, and to build family and community.

They lead because they have heard and seen abundantly. They tell others, many of who and astonished and do not accept their word. Those that do hear, who may also be astonished at first, but who then follow by listening, responding and taking action themselves are God’s witnesses in the world.

Christian Witness, Homilies, PNCC,

Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

17707

Because He said it…
believe it!

“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

The Annunciation – that moment where the angel Gabriel told Mary that God had chosen her. The dialog goes on and we hear Mary say yes to God. She says yes to the impossible.

Months before that Zechari’ah was serving in the temple when the Gabriel appeared to him and told him that his elderly wife Elizabeth would have a baby. Zechari’ah didn’t believe that the impossible could happen, even with an angel telling him (a seemingly impossible event in and of itself). Because of this disbelief Zechari’ah was left without speech.

Today, we hear of the confluence of these events. Mary travels to see Elizabeth, to serve her in her pregnancy. As Mary arrives, and sounds her greeting, the seemingly impossible happens. John, still in his mother’s womb leaps for joy. John leapt for joy not just because of the sound of Mary’s voice. He leapt because of the presence of God in her womb. How could this be possible?

Throughout salvation history the impossible has happened. A small tribal people became God’s people. They were saved in miraculous ways. In the fullness of time God came to us through them, and offered Himself for our redemption and salvation. He died and rose from the dead, and from there His word spread throughout the world at the hands of fishermen, tent makers, tax collectors, and others. That word went out and was accepted by new groups of people and nations who all became God’s chosen people.

Consider too that the time of the impossible has not ended. The saints and martyrs – and all who hold and profess our common Christian faith have accomplished the impossible. In the history of our Holy Church, a small group of people worked together, and democratically, to organize a new society of faith, a new Church to carry out the seemingly impossible. Now its work is spreading around the globe.

As with Mary’s example, we must be prepared to believe that there are no barriers in God. With Him, nothing is impossible and conversely, the impossible is nothing to us. God’s grace is powerful and can accomplish everything. We must take up and accept that grace, agreeing to be His allies and His workers in carrying out the impossible.

Walter Cronkite used to say: “And that’s the way it is.” Let us be joyous as Elizabeth and the pre-born John were, that God continues to speak to us, to call us, to accomplish the impossible through us. That is the way it is with God. Because He says it, believe it! We are blessed who believe.

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