Choir Officers Sworn In

Transcription

1 June 2018 Rt. Rev. Bernard Nowicki, DD - Pastor Rev. Janusz A. Lucarz - Assistant Pastor Viva el mes de junio! That s Spanish for Long live June, Hurray for June. Hurray, indeed! And welcome to the month of vocations in the Polish National Catholic Church: June is Sacred Vocations month for us. June is the month we focus on our great need for priests, and on the need for significant donations throughout the PNCC to be made to the Clergy Pension Plan. Our need of priests is dire and critical, but I am nonetheless hopeful and optimistic. Even though no Polish National Catholic families have sacrificed even one of their men, young or old, to our altars in the past twelve years, (and it doesn t look like any family will in the near future), I remain optimistic. Even though our seminary has been empty for that period of time, except for the occasional priest from another Church orienting himself there to work as a priest in the PNCC, I have good reason to hope because I have experienced God s providence. Our parish in Denver was declining but was pulled back from the brink of closure by an Hispanic priest from Mexico and 90 people of Mexican heritage who now comprise the great majority of that parish. St Francis, Denver, is growing, and is enthusiastically PNCC, and is flying 18 young people and 6 adults to Convo 2018 here next month. Because Father Alfonso Castillo needs pastoral help there, I enthusiastically agreed to review applications from priest friends of his in Mexico to provide assistance to him, and subsequently serve our American parishes desperate for priests. In our Diocese, two priests, in fine parishes, are retiring next year. I have no one to fill them. A priest in our Diocese is on three parishes in Jersey. Three priests are on two parishes each. And there are ailing and aging priests all over the place! And yet I am hopeful. So I say, Viva México! With the increase in aging clergy comes the need for our Clergy Pension Plan to support them all. We collect for this vital entitlement throughout the year and especially in the month of June. We need more capital to invest, the interest from which the pension payments are made. From age 70, a PNCC priest can look forward to a monthly check in the amount of $600; and his widow, a check in the amount of $300. Please be generous in this drive. And so I say, in my optimism, Viva el Plan de Pensión del Clero! (Hurray for our Clergy Pension plan!) I believe God is showing us a potential direction for the future of our Church; and that pathway seems to be presenting itself from south of the border. For the Methodist Church, that pathway is from South Korea, and for the Roman Catholic Church, from India among other sources. In light of all of this, Bishop Hodur has indeed blessed us with a most optimistic motto for our Church when he penned: A través de la Verdad, el Trabajo y las Dificultades Venceremos! Bishop Bernard Choir Officers Sworn In On Thursday, April 19th, the Cathedral Chorale held its annual meeting after choir rehearsal. The following members were elected for the year: Mary Coloma, chairperson; Leslie Doyle, vice-chair; Lu Ann Kaszuba, secretary/treasurer. All three were sworn in before mass on Mother s Day by Bishop Nowicki. Choir rehearsal will soon take a break for the summer, but if you like to sing or even hum, think of joining the Chorale in the fall.

2 page 2 An Inspiring Tribute to Mothers Mother s Day Mass this year was truly moving. What a better tribute to mom than to have the parish children honor all mothers by taking an active part in all components of the service. The UYA began by distributing carnations to all the moms as they entered the church vestibule. During the Mass, Jacob Stankowski and Matthew Pfohl read the two lessons and Jacob Gerardi read the intercessions. Ryan Notari lent his voice as cantor and the Cathedral Young Choir sang the beautiful Offertory anthem This Is the Day by Natalie Sleethe. The young choir members are Megan Fallon, Ryan Notari, Emma Fallon, Olivia Pfohl, Brielle Read and Celeste Gingerlowski. Absent from the photo was Gianna Conforti. Their angelic voices were touching. Kaitlyn Gingerlowski and Brandon Reed served as collectors, and Ethan and Austin Stankowski were our communion ushers. The St. Stanislaus Bell Choir played With All My Heart by Kathleen Wissinger for Post Communion. To hear these young people ring the bells is heartwarming. It was uplifting to see the younger generation honoring mothers this way. May God bless all mothers as they inspire the next generation in the love of Christ. The YMS of R then treated the mothers and all parishioners to delicious treats for coffee hour following mass.

3 page 3 The Steeple is Finally Finished After five months of tedious work, unpredictable weather through winter and spring, and unexpected set backs, the Cathedral steeple and bell tower are FINALY completed. CJ Diirner and Sons rolled into St. Stanislaus parking lot on Monday, December 11, 2017 to start the restoration project and five months later on May 17, 2018 the project was complete. The newly refurbished steeple and bell tower, made possible by the generous donation from the estate of Winifred Makowski Chmielewski, has been re-clad in heavy gauge aluminum will last for many, many years. We have not seen the last of Jake Diirner though. He will be back this summer to finish the lower trim and crosses on the front of the church. Because he could not maneuver the large lift to do the work at the lower level, a smaller lift will be brought to do this work later on. If you have not yet seen the steeple and bell tower in person, stop by some day and gaze at the beautiful restoration. Did You Get to See the Bishop Fly? Well if you attended the 9:30 mass on Sunday, May 20th, you did!! Okay, Bishop Nowicki didn t really fly, but vested in full Episcopal regalia, Bishop ascended in the 100 foot lift with Jake Diirner to bless the newly restored steeple and bell tower. After the blessing, Bishop Nowicki and Ed Borek thanked Raymond and Gloria Markowski, the family of Winifred Makowski Chmielewski, for approving the reassignment of the estate donation towards the restoration. They also thanked Jake Diirner for all his hard work and presented him with a gift of collectable items that would have been used in his work many years ago and the final payment. Many thanks to everyone involved for a project well done. Bogu Dzieki! June Birthdays June 1 Jennifer Bogdanski June 3 Dolores Conte June 5 Robert Niedzielski June 7 Judith Snyder June 8 Dylan Hughes June 10 Lorraine Pacheco June 11 James Weaver Shirley Golembeski June Sarnowski June 13 Stacy Zygmunt Michael Matza June 14 Toni Ann Melesky June 18 Cheri Barlow June 19 Bernice Zahorsky Edmund Solosky Raymond Makowski June 20 Timothy Stankowski June 23 Kathy Kotula Karen Nitch Ann Ankerway June 24 Frances Owcarz June 25 Jeannie Lynn Kowalski Kathy Annacarto June 28 Amelia Liska June 30 Stephanie Zigmont

4 page 4 SOCL News The School of Christian Living students have been busy during the Lenten and Easter seasons. For Lent, the students talked about the three aspects of Lent: Prayer, Fasting and Alms Giving. As a culmination of their studies, the students decorated a bulletin board in the Parish Hall to convey this message to all the parishioners. For Easter Jocelyn Herrera and Lucas Stankowski participated in as Easter Egg Hunt word puzzle. On Mother s Day the SOCL had their closing ceremony in church. The students of the School of Christian Living received their certificates of participation for the year. This year s students were Jocelyn Herrera, Lucas Stankowski, Ethan Stankowski, Austin Stankowski, Payton Cocodrilli, Brailyn Reed and Craig Kowalski (absent from photo). We would like to thank their teacher, Miss Jessica Notari and her mom, Mrs. Tera Notari, who was Jessica s assistant, for the wonderful job they did with the children this year. Cathedral UYA Officers Are Elected The Cathedral United Youth Association held their annual meeting on March 29th. At this meeting the following were elected for the year: President Elizabeth Pfohl; Vice Presidents Kaitlyn Gingerlowski and Jacob Gerardi (absent from photo); Secretary Brandon Reed; Treasurer Jacob Stankowski. The officers were sworn in at Sunday Mass on April 15th, by Father Janusz Lucarz. Please support the Cathedral UYA as they prepare for the upcoming Youth Convo scheduled in July. It is an excellent experience for the young people of our Church.

5 page 5 Chicken BBQ See you ON THE CORNER! Our first of the season Chicken BBQ was a tremendous success. We sold out in record time...35 minutes! The pre-order response was incredible orders. It included the list in the lower church hall, as well as numerous phone calls received from previous customers. We also received calls from those who saw our Times-Tribune Clipboard announcement and the posters we placed in all the local Gerrity s Markets and National Bakery. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our incredible, hard working volunteers, as well as parishioners who continue to make this fund raising, outreach and visible event very successful. Without their dedication and support during the past three years, we would not be able to continue. Our next event will be held on Saturday, June 16th from noon till sold out. Because of our success and to be assured of a scrumptious dinner, we suggest ordering in advance by signing the list in the lower church hall, or by calling Paul and Sylvia The Flags Are Waving! Memorial Day this year was celebrated at St. Stanislaus Cathedral Cemetery on Monday, May 28th with Holy Mass at the Grotto. The Cathedral Chorale added to the service with their selections of patriotic music. Decoration Day, as Memorial Day was first called, began officially on May 30, 1868 to remember those who died in the Civil war. The graves of the fallen Civil War soldiers were to be decorated with flowers. Now the Veteran s of Foreign Wars and the Boy Scouts made sure that the graves of every veteran in our cemetery were decorated with a new American Flag. Old flags are collected and disposed of at a solemn ceremony. May we always remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

6 page 6 The Holy Spirit Descends On Pentecost Sunday, the parishioners of St. Stanislaus had the privilege of witnessing four young people affirming their faith. The confirmands completed their two year catechetical instructions with Bishop Nowicki and on May 20th, Olivia Faith Pfohl, Celeste Rose Gingerlowski, Brielle Elizabeth Reed and Ryan George Notari, with their sponsors standing behind them, received the sacrament of Confirmation. Bishop Nowicki confirmed Brielle and Ryan, and Prime Bishop Emeritus Swantek confirmed his two granddaughters Olivia and Celeste. Prime Bishop Mikovsky was seated in the sanctuary. Inspiring the confirmands and congregation with their music, the St. Stanislaus Bell Choir resounded the Cathedral with Spirit of God and Blessed Trinity both by Ron Mallory. The Cathedral Chorale added to the festivities with Breathe on Me, Breath of God by David S. Harris, invoking God to fill the newly confirmed and everyone with the Holy Spirit to live a life as a true Christian filled with love. Congratulations to the newly confirmed young people as they affirm their faith in Christ. Life Line Screening St. Stanislaus is pleased to offer a preventive health event. Life Line Screening, a leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, will host their affordable, non-invasive and painless health screenings on June 20th, in our Youth Center. Five screenings will be offered that scan for potential health problems related to: blocked arteries which is a leading cause of stroke; abdominal aortic aneurysms which can lead to ruptured aorta; hardening of the arteries in the legs which is a strong prdictor of heart disease; atrial fibrillation or irregular heart beat which is closely ties to stroke risk,and bone density screening for men and women, used to assess the risk of osteoporosis. Swingin In NEPA Swingin in NEPA will be back in our Youth Center on Saturday, June 30th with live music by Swing Fever Dance Band. They loved our facility, had a great time and want to return again. For more information or to purchase tickets in advance call , visit www. nepaswing.com or Swingin in NEPA on Facebook. Put on your glad rags on join them in a swingin good time! Register for a Wellness Package which includes 4 vascular tests and osteoporosis screening from $149 ($124 with member discount). All five screenings take minutes to complete. In order to register for this event and to receive a $25 discount you must call or visit You can also text the word circle to

7 Mark Your Calendars! Here are some of the upcoming events, so mark your calendars to keep them in mind. June 2nd One Hot Meal 1:00 to 3:00 pm in the Church Hall. Come enjoy a meal or be a volunteer June 5th-7th National Mission and Evangelism Commission Meeting in Scranton June 8th to June 10th 73rd Annual YMS of R/PNCC Bowling Tournament June 10th First Holy Communion at the Cathedral June 16th 2nd Chicken Barbeque on the corner of June 17th Father s Day Mass in the Grass at 9:00 am out of doors in the pavilion that will be set up on our corner property at Pittston and Elm. June 24th Youth Sunday Honoring 2018 Graduates. The parish would like to acknowledge and honor all high school and college graduates during the 9:30am Youth Mass. To have your or your graduate(s) included in this recognition, please submit all names to the parish office by Sunday, June 17. You can call or office@saintstanislauspncc.org with the graduate s name, school from which he/she is graduating, and any future plans. We would also ask each graduate, to be present on June 24th. We are looking forward to wishing so many of our young adults well in their future endeavors. Brief congregational meeting to elect delegates to our Church s national General Synod. We are entitled to a few more. Please submit your name for this purpose to the Parish Office. June 30th to July 7th Kurs Encampment, Bishop Hodur Retreat Center, Waymart July 7th One Hot Meal 1:00 to 3:00pm in the Youth Center. Come enjoy a meal or be a volunteer July 8th Church Picnic for our Parishioners at the YMS of R Park. Refreshments will be provided by POSH. July 14th 3rd Chicken Barbeque on the corner of July 23rd to 27th Youth Convocation to be held at the University of Scranton. The Cathedral is the host parish. July 30th to Aug. 23rd Preparation for the Annual Flea Market. We will need volunteers to help with the set up of the items and to prepare the food. Check your calendars to see if you can help. August 4th One Hot Meal 1:00 to 3:00pm in the Church Hall. Come enjoy a meal or be a volunteer August 11th 4th Chicken Barbeque on the corner of Aug. 24th-26th Annual Flea Market, Youth Center As you do your spring cleaning consider saving those old but usable items for donation. We can arrange to pick up large items such as furniture. Donations qualify as tax deductible. Sept. 1st One Hot Meal 1:00 to 3:00pm in the Youth Center. Come enjoy a meal or be a volunteer! Sept. 8th 5th Chicken Barbeque on the corner of OUR SPEAKER SERIES BEGINS 1st in a series of programs at our Youth Center Topic: Rejuvenating Your Religion October 1st-3rd National Synod at Our Lady of the Snows in Belleview, Illinois. October 13th 6th Chicken Barbeque on the corner of October 21st ANS Dinner June Anniversaries June 2 Richard & Mary Berezinsky June 4 Michael & Darlene Fick June 6 Paul & Donna Gorgol June 11 John & Kathy Kotula June 15 Joseph & Teresa Rothka Lorne & Tera Jean Notari June 19 Bp. Bernard & Barbara Nowicki Edward & Christina Thomas June 22 Edward & Janet Meleski June 27 Frank & Marianne Adams June 28 Arthur & Carol Schmidt