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Scholars Conference 2025

The History and Archives Commission of the Polish National Catholic Church announces its 2025 Scholars Conference to be held on Saturday, April 26th in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

We extend an invitation to academic scholars specializing in the social sciences and humanities to submit proposals for individual papers. The conference will focus on topics related to the Polish National Catholic Church, its various associations and outreaches, as well as the independent movements that either preceded or developed contemporaneously with the Church. Proposals on related subjects are also welcomed.

In addition to formal paper presentations, we are pleased to introduce an option for poster presentations, offering a flexible alternative for sharing scholarly work. Details regarding submission requirements for both papers and posters are provided below.

Scholars’ Conference Submissions InfoDownload

Students presenters receive all meals provided at no cost. Two $500 stipends are available for graduate student presentations and inclusion in the PNCC Studies Publication.

Participants are encouraged to attend in person. A virtual option will be available as well. Contact us for additional information.

Submission Deadline:

Proposals must be submitted no later than March 1st. Selected papers will be presented at the conference and subsequently published in the PNCC Studies Journal, under the auspices of the PNCC Commission on History and Archives (1031 Cedar Ave., Scranton, PA 18505).

For Submissions and Inquiries:

Please email your proposals or direct any inquiries to Rev. Jim Ploskonka. We look forward to receiving your contributions and thank you for your interest in advancing scholarship on this important topic.

To Register

You may register online or call 570.466.4069.

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

Reflection for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time/Back to Church Sunday 2018

Welcome to true
freedom.

I love the LORD because he has heard my voice in supplication, because he has inclined his ear to me the day I called. For he has freed my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

Psalm 116 – words that cut so true today. They cut through the gloom and pain of isolation and loneliness. They cut away pain and hurt. They cut the entirety of negativity away so we can clearly see what God has in store for us. Yes, each of us!

So often we feel unworthy. How can God love me? Where is He in my life? I feel so alone and abandoned.

These are not just feelings, brief thoughts that pass through our minds and cast a shadow over our hearts. They can be a reality whether we live alone or with 2, 4, 6, or even 10 other people. They exist whether we work or are retired. Young or old, loneliness, despair, and disconnection are on the rise. Seventy-five percent of Americans admit to feeling a deep sense of loneliness. That isn’t a once-in-a-while thing. That is deep despairing loneliness. The number of Americans with no close friends has tripled since 1985.

That is what today, and frankly every Sunday, is about. It is about God’s house, His dwelling place, His family, His body. St. Paul often used the body as an analogy. If one part of the body needs help, we, the church, are to work together to save it.

Sunday is not just a momentary beginning – a few hour head start on the rest of the week. Sunday is the start of continuous action – to plug-in, to connect, to form and live friendships, to end loneliness and separateness.

In our Psalm, David finds God’s rescue. He sings thanksgiving in response to Divine rescue from mortal danger and from near despair. David knows God heard his cry. God freed him and David’s heart was filled with love – he saw and got it. God’s goodness made sense to him – finally. But David does more than sing.

In response to God’s love, David pledged and confessed faith. That is always the start. If you have never done that, pray along with me: Lord, I believe in You. I accept Your salvation and deliverance. I confess that I have sinned and done wrong before You. Cleanse me. I ask You into my life and acknowledge You as my Lord and Savior. You have been truly freed. Jesus will never leave you, nor will His Church, His people. Welcome to church!

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

PIASA Call for Papers

The Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences (PIASA) and the Center for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies at the University of Toronto are pleased to invite proposals for PIASA’s 73rd Annual Conference to be held at the University of Toronto, June 11-13, 2015.

Proposals are solicited for sessions or individual papers dealing with Polish or Polish Diaspora or comparative topical sessions that include a Polish-related presentation along with other groups. Sessions are also encouraged from those whose fields of interest are in business or the sciences. Sessions including presenters from more than one nation are encouraged. Each session is scheduled for 90 minutes to accommodate three papers or about 20 minutes per paper. The conference language is English and all conference rooms will be equipped with AV for the use of PowerPoints and CD/DVD presentations. It is expected that acceptable conference papers will be published in The Polish Review subsequent to the conference.

To submit a paper or complete session, please send the name, e-mail address, institutional affiliation, and tentative paper title for all presenters to James Pula, Chair of the Program Committee. The deadline for proposals is April 1, 2015.

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

Stoning of St. Stephen and small ‘t’ tradition

A great story from the Sunday Dispatch below. We honored this tradition at home when I was young. My grandmother (Busha – a Polish term of endearment for grandma) used to wake us up by throwing a few nuts at us. This story brought back those memories. In these small ‘t’ traditions we do a certain kind of catechesis that is experiental.

From the Sunday Dispatch: Stoning of St. Stephen honored in Duryea by throwing walnuts at priest

DURYEA — St. Mary’s Polish National Catholic Church, Duryea, continued the celebration of the sacred holiday season on Friday night with a mass commemorating the feast of St. Stephen, deacon and first martyr of the church. The service included the throwing of walnuts at celebrant Father Carmen G. Bolock.

“Although this week has certainly focused on the birth of Christ,” said Bolock, “it is fitting that we should also focus on the suffering and service that define the life of Christians.”

St. Mary's Polish National Catholic Church pastor, the Rev. Carmen Bolock, gives his homily Friday night. -- Bill Tarutis for the Sunday Dispatch
St. Mary’s Polish National Catholic Church pastor, the Rev. Carmen Bolock, gives his homily Friday night. — Bill Tarutis for the Sunday Dispatch
Amidst beautiful Christmas décor that included carefully lighted trees, poinsettias, and of course, a nativity scene, Bolock reminded those gathered to stand firm in their faith.

He said just as St. Stephen looked up to see Jesus as he was being put to death by stoning, Christians must also “look up” when their faith is being challenged or others avoid them because of their beliefs.

He said just as Jesus prayed for those who persecuted Him, so Stephen also asked God to forgive those who stoned him.

The service also included holiday hymns including “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and “God is Born.”

Bolock said celebration of patron saints’ days throughout the holiday season emphasized the continuing spirituality of faith.

Church members continued their week of commemoration, remembering the feast of St. John the Evangelist on Saturday and the Solemnity of Humble Shepherds on Sunday.

“St. John was the only apostle to die of natural causes,” said Bolock, “even though those who opposed the Gospel tried to kill him by execution and poisoning.”

Bolock said the throwing of walnuts at the priest was both an opportunity to strengthen faith of those attending and to keep a time honored Eastern European tradition alive.

And, although that tradition is certainly a sacred one, Bolock also remembers one such service when he was “beaned” in the head.

“I found out later it was the organist,” he said laughing.

Art, Events, Media, Perspective, Poetry, Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , , , , , , , ,

Fall-Winter Edition of the Cosmopolitan Review

The Fall-Winter edition of the Cosmopolitan Review has been published. Here’s the preview:

Poland has been commemorating anniversaries all year and those of us observing from a distance have shared in the country’s happiness. True, some of those anniversaries mark events that were far from happy, but now they are not only far in the past but also signify a remarkable endurance and resilience.

To share this joy, CR’s own Justine Jablonska put together a photo essay illustrating these significant dates with selected personalities from the arts, letters and politics of this successful country. We also invited Andrew Nagorski to say a few words, which he does with elegance and affection. And we have musicians from Wawel (top left) for a rousing chorus of Sto lat!

But as faithful readers all know, CR’s Poland is wherever there are Poles, and we hope our British friends forgive us if the sun never sets on us for a change. This issue, we write about Poles in Africa from the perspective of people who cherish the memory of their enchanted childhood, complete with an escape from the clutches of a monster. They hold regular reunions in Wrocław. A refugees’ reunion, you ask? It’s a psychological and social phenomenon Amanda Chalupa feels compelled to study.

About the same time that Polish kids frolicked with boa constrictors in Africa, Polish cabaret stars entertained Polish troops serving in the Polish II Corps under General Władysław Anders. Beth Holmgren, who has made interwar cabaret her own, introduces us to some very talented people as The Cabaret Goes to War.

Whatever has been said about the long communist era, artists find a way. Justine Jablonksa reviews Eric Bednarski’s beautiful film about dreamy neon signs created in a system that never delivered the goods that were advertised. A bit surreal? Tune in to the conversation.

Still with films, Małgorzata Dzieduszycka casts a sensitive eye on Jan Komasa’s MIASTO 44 and on Warsaw Uprising. There will never be a last word on this event, nor could it be otherwise.

Ben Paloff muses on the poet laureate of the wartime generation, Krzysztof Baczyński. Is he, as Magda Romańska suggested, “Bob Dylan, William Shakespeare, Pablo Neruda and James Dean rolled into one,” or is he more like Keats, or maybe Marcel Proust?

We move on to the 2nd largest Polish city in the world, Chicago, specifically Stuart Dybek’s Chicago. Agnieszka Tworek explores this gifted writer’s perceptive and sympathetic stories about the gritty immigrant neighborhood of Chicago, and has a few questions for the award-winning author as well.

We are pleased to have another review by the young Toronto-based historian, Michał Kasprzak, whose great writing could upstage the authors under discussion. But with consummate skill, he instead seduces people to read – and maybe even buy! – the book. In this case it is the new history of modern Poland by Brian Porter-Szücs who examined Poland and came up with a startling diagnosis: Poles are normal people, just like everybody else. Some of us have long suspected as much but were waiting for a professional confirmation. Kasprzak will fill you in.

And we end with a fitting finale. Pomp, history, great plans and good feelings fill Martin Grzadka’s account of Canada’s first state visit to Poland. Yes, much business was discussed but the warm bilateral relations were the icing on the cake for a young professional proud to be a citizen of both countries.

Before we go, we invite you to look at our About Us page, where we introduce our stellar cast of Contributing Editors. We look forward to an exciting 2015.

Christian Witness, Homilies, PNCC, , , , ,

Reflection for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time and Heritage Sunday

rendertocaesar

What is it we
worship?

Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

Today our Holy Church calls us to recall and honor the heritage of our members and of all people. It is a celebration of who we are as people — the gifts God has given us. More importantly, the Church calls us to properly order what is most important in our lives.

Whether our ancestors came to this country as immigrants, as indentured servants or involuntarily as slaves – we are called to honor their heritage and innate human dignity. We are to remember the struggles they faced and the battles they fought to grasp the freedom, honor, and dignity they and we are all entitled to. Where we come from is important because it is a part of who we are. Each culture and heritage enriches our common life and we share in each other’s heritage as members of God’s family.

The early Church recognized the gifts the faithful brought to the Church. Most importantly, it recognized that in Jesus Christ we all have equal membership in the one family of faith regardless of background. Heritage is a gift to be shared in the one family of faith. Thus, St. Paul reminded the Church at Galatia: There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

While we honor each person’s heritage, we must remember that in Jesus we are equal members in His family and that we are called to properly order what we worship.

What does that mean? It means that while we honor heritage and the gifts of each nation we must not make heritage or nation an object of worship.

Jesus is reminding the Pharisees of this proper ordering. Our first and foremost obligation is to give to God what is God’s. When we let anything interfere with the proper ordering of our relationship with Him – politics, national affinity, or heritage – when we quibble over this or that being most important, we lose touch with that which must come first in our lives.

Jesus’ response to His questioners offers us a guide to properly ordering our worship. The Roman coin – Caesar’s – referred to him as a god. Jesus reminded them (and us) that we cannot give worship to both God and Caesar. We have to choose our focus of worship and properly order our priorities. We should chose only God as the sole focus of our devotion and worship. By placing Him first we clearly proclaim that He alone is our God.

Christian Witness, Homilies, PNCC, ,

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Christian Family 2014

2263

God bless our
family.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

In the time of advance technology and information, our families are almost continually confronted by bad influences and polluting information. One of the worst influences is that of so called atheists who claim there is no God, and who reject the salvation He offered to mankind in His Son, Jesus.

An atheist might say that God is nothing more than a mythical figure, made up in our imaginations to allay our fears and insecurities.

In a way they are correct. If we, as Christians, were to understand God as a mythical figure, a distant and powerful being that acts only as an occasional wish-giver, we would be without faith and understanding. We would be worshiping and following a false and fake god. Our God is very much different.

Our God is relational, and our understanding of Him is relational. This is His ultimate reality – the binding together of all of us in relationship to Him and each other.

God’s very character starts in relationship – the inter-relatedness and unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. From that source relationship, He created us as a people desiring relationship – with Him and with each other. In coming to save us, Jesus did not just show up. He was born into family – into relationship, and throughout His life on earth He continued to build relationship.

In rejecting God, people reject the true source of relationship and the understanding that relationships, especially within family are truly blessed, are very good.

As the Creator and Builder, God set forth the family as the first and finest example of relationship. Within the Christian family we learn to love, honor, and respect others and to go on to further build relationship. It is there that our desire for relationship with God is nurtured. It is in the context of family that we become heirs to Jesus’ promises. We are brought into the family of faith, and we receive the promise of everlasting life in relationship with God and each other. In the nurture of family we learn to become like our God Who is defined in relationship.

Within the Christian family, at home and in our Church, we find God’s blessing and true life. We find how connected we are to God and to everyone who is in Him. We are blessed.

Art, Events, Media, Poetry, Poland - Polish - Polonia, Political, , , , , , , , ,

Summer Issue of the Cosmopolitan Review

The summer issue of the Cosmopolitan Review has been published. The authors note:

The arts, in all their variety, are mirrors that reflect a people. We owe so much to artists. They make us laugh, cry, think, and see ourselves in our infinite variety, so no wonder we admire those talented people who create images, words and music that enrich our lives.

This issue, we focus on them, whether we find them working in films, theatre, or galleries, composing music or performing it, writing plays or acting, or writing prose or poetry. You’ll find them all represented here.

Let’s start with the movies. For that we’re grateful to Agnieszka Niezgoda and Jacek Laskus, whose marvelous book, Hollywood.pl, introduces us to some of the most talented people to ever leave Poland – not necessarily forever – and make their mark in the dream capital of the world.

Hollywood has been a talent magnet for a long time and one of the first superstars was Poland’s Pola Negri. Justine Jablonska reviews her story written by Mariusz Kotowski.

Poland’s poets… as once written in the New York Times, “if cash money were on the line…” few critics would bet against Polish poets being the best in the world. With that in mind, Agnieszka Tworek spoke to award-winning translator Joanna Trzeciak about her work – and her friendship – with two of the greats: Wisława Szymborka and Tadeusz Różewicz.

And speaking of poets, Magda Romanska introduces us to a poet and playwright who also happens to be a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, Roald Hoffman. Join them for a discussion about the arts and science, and about Polish roots.

Beth Holmgren revisits prewar Polish cabaret… and its postwar reappearance in Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile, Lara Szypszak has a few suggestions about galleries, performances and generally low cost and easily accessible culture in Warsaw. Join her.

An anthology of modern Polish plays, (A)pollonia, came to our attention via Will Harrington. The eleven plays, some performed in many countries, are set in Poland but deal with universal themes.

Łukasz Wodzyński returns to CR to share his love, and understanding, of modern Polish literature with an essay about the Introduction to Polish Literature by Jarosław Anders and a review of a new edition of Gomrowicz’s Diary, with the great writer’s thoughts on everything from the Catholic Church to Marxism, and the human condition in general.

Finally, there’s that long established and very special art form that, over time, has left us a record of some of the most interesting people in every culture: letter writing. We bring back that most colorful member of the original, 19th century Polish Society of California – not to mention a great American patriot, Rudolf Korwin Piotrowski, in a translation of previously unpublished letters found in the library of Jagiellonian University by the research/writing team, Maureen Mroczek Morris and Lynn Ludlow, who seem to travel between centuries with the greatest of ease.

And another writer whose letters transcend time and place, Krystyna Wituska, will be remembered in Germany on June 26th with a new book and a monument unveiled by the Memorial Centre in Halle Saale. A young member of the Polish underground, her words about war and peace, friendship and love, hairstyles, fashion, literature and fun, as well as life and death, were written to her parents and also – in what must be a unique prison correspondence – to the daughter of her compassionate German prison guard. Seems Wituska’s letters were written for our troubled times.

Enjoy the summer, read a lot, visit galleries and theatres, go to movies, and tip your hat to the creative people who make all this possible.

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

Motor City Comic-Con Features Polish Artists

25th Anniversary of Motor City Comic-Con to Feature Polish Artists
By Raymond Rolak

comiccon_poster-image2014Popular pop-culture art along with new-media will be just some of the exhibitions presented at the 25th anniversary of the Motor City Comic-Con, May 16-18, at the Novi Suburban Collection Showplace. Located just west of Detroit the event will have a variety of celebrity presenters along with creative poster artists and world class cartoonists.

William Shatner of “Star Trek” fame will be the highlighted attraction. Shatner has a strong body of work in film and television including T.J. Hooker and Rescue 911. Films include The Brothers Karamazov (1958), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Kingdom of the Spiders (1977), The Kidnapping of the President (1980), Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon I (1993) and Miss Congeniality (2000) just to name a few. He also received two Golden Globe Awards for his performance on the long-running hit series Boston Legal.

Chris Claremont, John Barrowman along with famed wrestling personalities Brett Hart and ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan will also be special featured guests. Longtime and nostalgia television performers will include Richard Anderson, Katie Cassidy, Ernie Hudson, Kristanna Loken, Kent McCord, Lindsay Wagner, Billy Zabka and Burt Young of “Rocky” film fame.

Mike-Bocianowski_Profile-photoOne of the popular comic artists to be featured will be Michael Bocianowski of Erie, PA. Bocianowski has developed a mix of cartoon animals and dragon fantasy stories that are playful for both children and adults. His main animation character is a creature called ‘Yet’ who communicates with fantasy dragons and can only say “meep”. He trained at the Art Institute of Pittsburg and Edinboro University. Besides his comic characters, Bocianowski specializes in graphic novels, which run about 100 pages.

Another highlighted comic artist is Agnes Garbowska, who was born in Poland. Fueled by creativity and imagination along with a passion for comics, she went to work for the storied Marvel Comics Publishing Company. She currently has released a well-received illustrated book, “You, Me, and Zombie.”

Bill Sienkiewicz – born Boleslav Felix Robert Sienkiewicz – is descended from the Nobel Prize-winning Polish novelist Henryk Sienkiewicz. He grew up in rural New Jersey, taught himself anatomy to better his sketches and worked construction to put himself through the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts in Newark, New Jersey. He is acclaimed for his graphic novel Stray Toasters, which earned an international reputation and cult status across the industry. He is also well known for his work on the revamping of Marvel Comic’s “Elektra.”

Other featured artists are Carolyn Nowak of Ann Arbor and Karl Slomski who trained at the Kubert School of Cartooning and Graphic Art. and Emily Zelasko is a Metro Detroit based comic book creator and quirky character artist. She has collaborated on the series “Jinx.”

Timothy Zulewski creates whimsical and spooky artwork that has been compared to Tim Burton and Edward Gorey. Zulewski has worked on children’s books, toy packaging, animation, and new media branding. He is well known in the sporting world for his contributions to the Fathead designs.

Saturday will be costume day for this, the 25th anniversary of the show. Guest judges will be Dan Phillips and Alloy Ash. Along with panels, seminars, and workshops with the comic book professionals, there will be previews of upcoming feature films, portfolio review sessions and debuts from video game companies.

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