Lent. Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky Prime Bishop

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1 Volume 94 February 2016 Issue #2 Beginning on the day of Ash Wednesday, this year February 10 th, the Church enters into the season of Great Lent. It is the season of preparation for the great and holy mystery of the Resurrection of our Lord and in it we focus on two aspects that concern our religious life, that which we normally do as an active Catholic Christians and also the calling of the Church to expand our attention to the Lenten practices. To begin with what is familiar, we see that during the Lenten season a few things change within our parish churches when we gather for the weekly celebration of Holy Mass on Sunday. As a start the more festive colors of white, gold and green of the Christmas and Epiphany seasons have now given way to the more somber color of purple. The color purple has come to represent for Western Catholic Christians the season of penitential preparation. We are reminded that, aside from the Sundays and weekdays of Lent, purple vestments are also worn whenever the Sacrament of Penance is received, even if outside of Lent and also during the preparatory parts of the Sacrament of Baptism. In fact these aspects of penance and renewal can be considered together during this season of Great Lent. While the Sacrament of Penance is offered each and every time we gather for Holy Mass, it is during the season of Lent that we pay special attention to it. Some parishes may include an examination of conscience as a part of this Lenten penitential experience during Mass, or the priest may increase the amount or intensity of the penance that is assigned. Aside from the penitential part of Holy Mass many parishes also have separate Penitential Services that occur during the Lenten season. These services allow us to focus extra attention on the sinful parts of our lives and to seek God s forgiveness and ask for His strength to move away from sin and to a closer relationship with Almighty God. Lent Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky Prime Bishop If this practice is not a part of your parish experience, there are certainly other ways in which you can experience it. Each of us can spend time in prayer on a Saturday evening in preparation before going to Mass on Sunday. An Examination of Conscience is something that someone can easily obtain on-line but there are also two wonderful Polish National Catholic sources. Within the Mass Pew Book, on pages 1 to 7, there are various prayers for both before and after Confession as well as an extended Examination of Conscience. The questions asked allow us to look into our daily lives and see where we are not measuring up to the demands of our Lord. Another excellent source is found within the P.N.C.C. Prayer Book, on the Sacrament of Penance. From pages 53 to 70 there is a short catechesis on the Sacrament of Penance as well as prayers before Confession and an extended Examination of Conscience based on the Ten Commandments. These two examples are wonderful ways in which we can make Lent a time of spiritual preparation as well as increased prayer. This of course brings us to the next portion of the Lenten experience, the disciplines of Lent. Our Lenten discipline is to be a time of increased prayer, increased giving and increased fasting. Notice that I use the word increased. It is certainly hoped that these disciplines are already a part of your daily life as a Catholic, but Lent calls us to go a step further. One aspect of this is the liturgy of the Church. During the Lenten period, the Church adds services to allow us to enter more deeply into the passion and death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to consider all that He has done for us. The Stations of the Cross and Bitter Lamentations both serve this purpose and encourage us, as members of a congregation to gather together to contemplate this (Continued on Page 3.)

2 2 God s Field February Addresses for the P.N.C.C. Offices The addresses for the staff of the National Church Center and God s Field are: Prime Bishop Anthony Mikovsky pbmikovsky@pncc.org Secretary to Prime Bishop Julie Orzell secretarytopb@pncc.org P.N.C.C. Treasurer Joan Scheuneman treasurer@pncc.org God s Field - Rola Boża Editor Julie Orzell godsfield@pncc.org Questions or concerns? Call us at or Identification Statement The Official Publication of the Polish National Catholic Church, GOD S FIELD - ROLA BOŻA, is published monthly for the U.S. $48.00; Canada $62.00; Foreign $87.50 per year by Polish National Catholic Church 1006 Pittston Avenue Scranton, PA Individual issues of God s Field are available for purchase from the National Church Center for $2.00 each (pickup) or prepaid $4.00 each (U.S.); $5.25 each (Canada); $7.30 (Foreign). God s Field Rola Boża Publication Information The deadline for article submissions is the 1st of the month; publication date is mid-month. Submissions received after the 1st will be included in the following month s issue. articles and photos to secretarytopb@pncc.org and to godsfield@pncc.org. If your submission was successfully delivered via , you will receive an acknowledgement stating that your submission was received. To ensure clarity of graphics, please send JPEG or TIFF formatted pictures with a resolution of at least 300 pixels per inch. Please identify individuals in photographs or caption photographs. Typewritten articles and photographs may be submitted to: God s Field Polish National Catholic Church 1006 Pittston Avenue Scranton, PA Send payments and address changes to GOD S FIELD 1006 Pittston Avenue Scranton, PA CONTROLLER: Most Rev. Anthony A. Mikovsky 1006 Pittston Avenue Scranton, PA Opinions expressed in various articles published in God s Field do not necessarily reflect the doctrine of the P.N.C.C. NOTICE TO PARISHES If your parish is in need of financial assistance and you must request subsidies from the Polish National Catholic Church, you must follow the procedures as outlined by the XIX General Synod. All individual parish requests must be sent through the proper Diocesan Bishop as soon as possible before March 15, 2016, along with all of the required supporting financial documentation. Diocesan Bishops must forward all parish requests to the Office of the Prime Bishop no later than March 20, 2016.

3 Volume 94, Issue No. 2 3 (Lent - Continued from Page 1.) great mystery of our Lord offering Himself for our salvation. We must also remember that even if we cannot be together at the parish church, we can still benefit greatly from these services. Again both the Stations of the Cross and Bitter Lamentations are found within the P.N.C.C. Prayer Book and can be read individually as a private devotion. For example I have tried to make it a habit to celebrate each of these services, one day a week in the chapel at the National Church Center. I do this by myself and it allows me to spend some extra time in contemplating on the readings as a time of spiritual reflection. In this way it is a different experience than celebrating together at the church. Along with celebrating these services, either congregationally or individually, we should spend a little more time in private prayer. It is at this point we can ask the questions. Do you pray in the morning upon rising? At night before going to bed? Before and after meals? Before and after any important part of your life? Do you pray for your spouse and children? For your other family members and those who are a part of your daily life? We should all give this some thought. I too can say that sometimes, I forget to pray in each of these situations, but what it takes is discipline. Like many of you I need to remind myself. I try to do this by keeping my Prayer Book always close at hand where I can see it. That way even if I don t use the Prayer Book while I pray, it acts as a strong reminder to make prayer a part of everything I do. The next Lenten discipline is giving. Now I am certainly sure that most of you are already giving to your parish as well as to other good causes, but again Lent asks us to increase our giving. One way to look at this is together with another Lenten practice of giving something up for Lent. Whatever you might give up, see what the cost of that item is and then donate this amount as well. And of course Lent is also the time for us to consider our giving in accord with the blessings we have received. We can ask ourselves, can I sacrifice more to better help my parish or other good causes? Our last Lenten discipline is fasting. As many of you know this usually entails the abstinence from meat on the Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent as well as the reduction of food on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. We perform the discipline of fasting to remind ourselves that it is often from our bodily desires that sin arises. But the discipline of fasting goes beyond this as well. As we fast from food stuffs, we are also reminded that there are other, often much worse, things in our lives from which we should be fasting. In this regard, there really isn t any better teaching than that from the great fathers of the Church, St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great. These fathers remind us that even in their times of great austerity in the Church, fasting always called us to something greater. For let not the mouth only fast, but also the eye, and ear, and the feet, and the hands, and all the members of our bodies. Let the hands fast, by being pure from violent stealing and greed. Let the feet fast, by ceasing from running to the unlawful spectacles. Let the eyes fast, being taught never to fix themselves rudely upon handsome countenances, or to busy themselves with strange beauties. For looking is the food of the eyes, but if this be such as is unlawful or forbidden, it mars the fast; and upsets the whole safety of the soul; but if it be lawful and safe, it adorns fasting. For it would be among things the most absurd to abstain from lawful food because of the fast, but with the eyes to touch even what is forbidden. Do you not eat flesh? Do no feed upon lasciviousness by means of the eyes. Let the ear fast also. The fasting of the ear consists in refusing to receive evil speakings and calumnies. (St. John Chrysostom, On the Priesthood) Do not however, define the benefit that comes from fasting solely in terms of abstinence from foods. For true fasting consists in estrangement from vices. Loose every burden of iniquity. Forgive your neighbor the distress he causes you; forgive him his debts. Fast not for quarrels and strifes. You do not eat meat, but you devour your brother. You abstain from wine, but do not restrain yourself from insulting others. You wait until evening to eat, but waste your day in law courts. Let us fast an acceptable and very pleasing fast to the Lord. True fasting is the estrangement from evil, temperance of tongue, abstinence from anger, separation from desires, slander, falsehood and perjury. Privation of these is true fasting. (St. Basil the Great, Homily on Fasting) So these are the practices and disciplines of Lent. While it may seem like quite a lot, we must remember the word, increase. During this season, let s let our faith, our discipline, our prayer, our fasting, our giving, our piety increase. No one should ask how much, or worry about comparing to others. Let it just all be increase, that on Easter Sunday, the day of Resurrection, we will be even more ready to meet the resurrected and glorious Lord.

4 4 God s Field February 2016 The Offertory to the Sanctus Holy, Holy, Holy OFFERTORY VERSE - A verse from the Holy scriptures which introduces the Offertory OFFERTORY - One of the principal parts of the Mass. It is at this time that the celebrant will offer the gifts of bread and wine to almighty God. These gifts represent both the celebrant and the faithful who are present. In the Early Church the faithful who had assembled for worship formed a procession and brought their offerings to the altar; they were a portion of bread and a small receptacle of wine, foodstuffs, clothing and material which would be shared with those in need. During the procession to the altar the choir would chant a Psalm antiphonally with the congregation. A portion of the bread and wine to be used during the Mass were placed in designated receptacles. Following the procession the celebrant washed his hands, which could have been soiled in receiving the offerings. Following the washing he would say a prayer of offering, which at that time was called the Secret. In today's Mass the celebrant offers up the host, the bread, on a little plate called a paten. The surface of the paten on which the bread rests must be plated with gold or some other precious metal. The celebrant holds up the paten with the host, and in the Traditional Mass he says, "Receive, Father, Almighty and Eternal God, this immaculate host which I, Your unworthy servant, offer to You, my living and true God, for my countless offenses and omissions; for all present here, for our nation, as well as for all faithful Christians living and dead, and for all of humanity. May it be for us a means to salvation and everlasting life." In the Contemporary Liturgy the celebrant offers up the bread and says, "Blessed are You, Lord God of all creation. Through Your goodness we have this bread to offer; which earth has given and human hands have made. May it become for us the bread of life." This prayer is much closer to what Jesus said at the Last Supper. Zolo Levett, a Jewish convert to Christianity, wrote that Jesus most likely said, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who brought forth bread from the earth." The celebrant pours wine into the chalice, mixing it with a few drops of water, a practice that was found in Judaism. This is done in both celebrations. When the few drops of water are mixed with the wine, they can never be separated. This reminds us that after we are baptized, we can never be separated from Jesus. The celebrant offers up the chalice and says the designated prayer in both the Traditional and Contemporary Masses. The interior of the chalice, like the paten, must be plated with gold or some other precious metal because the consecrated Blood of Christ will be in the chalice. The celebrant washes his fingers while saying the prayer which is taken from Psalm 25. In the Contemporary Mass, a shorter prayer is said: "Lord, wash away my iniquity; cleanse me from my sin." The liturgical term for the washing of the fingers is the Lavabo. In the early Church, the washing of the hands was very practical because the hands could have been soiled in receiving the gifts from the faithful. Today the washing of the fingers symbolizes a purity of spirit that is required in worship. In the Solemn Celebration of Mass the gifts of bread and wine are incensed before the cleansing of the fingers. This signifies that the bread and wine are set apart for a holy purpose. In both celebrations a prayer is said to the Holy Trinity. The celebrant now greets all who are present showing that the Mass is the offering of both the celebrant and the faithful. "Pray my brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father." SECRET - PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL - A prayer reflecting the theme of the Mass which leads into the Preface PREFACE - An introduction to the Canon (Traditional Mass) or Eucharistic Prayer. At one time it was considered a part of the Canon. It is a prayer of thanksgiving and praise. We are thankful that we may participate in this Holy Sacrifice during

5 Volume 94, Issue No. 2 5 which Christ's sacrifice on the cross is made present in an unbloody manner. The Preface has three significant sections: 1. Thanksgiving and Praise; 2. Theme or the reason for thanksgiving; 3. Praise of the angelic choirs in heaven. The Preface begins with a dialogue between the celebrant and the choir or faithful. As stated above it is a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving and praise for the privilege of participating in this most holy act of worship. This is also a prayer of thanksgiving for the grace of redemption. In the Missal there are prefaces for the liturgical seasons: Advent, Christmas, Lent, etc.; for Sacred Events: Epiphany, Easter, Organizing of the P.N.C.C.; and persons: The Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, Holy Apostles. PREFACE OF EASTER THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE: Father all powerful and ever living God, we do well always and everywhere to give You thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. THEME OR MOTIF: Especially on this day when He became our Paschal Sacrifice. He is the true Lamb Who took away the sins of the world. Through His death He conquered death for us and by His wonderful resurrection He restored eternal life to us. ANGELIC PRAISE: Therefore with the angels and archangels, with all the saints and the entire Church, we lift our hymn of praise to Your glory, repeating unceaselessly. The Franks began to say the Preface quietly in the eighth century, but there are traces of it in the Liturgy of Hippolytus about 200 and St. Cyprian in 250. The Preface introduces and leads us into the Canon or Eucharistic Prayer. SANCTUS HOLYY, HOLY, HOLY Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. The first part of the Holy, Holy, Holy was added to the liturgy in the fourth century and the Blessed is He in the sixth century. The Holy, Holy, Holy is taken from the Book of Isaiah (6:3) in which the author describes a vision of God in the Temple. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory. It is appropriate that this introduces the Canon or Eucharistic Prayer. For in this section of the Liturgy, the bread and wine, which were offered to God in the Offertory, will become the Body and Blood of Christ, as the Holy Spirit acts when the words of Consecration are said over the gifts by the priest or bishop. When our Lord Jesus Christ entered the City of Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, He was greeted with "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven" (Mat. 21:9). In Hebrew, Hosanna means "Save us, we pray." Just as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday, He will enter the worshipping community under the appearances of bread and wine at the time of the Consecration. It must be noted that the "Holy, Holy, Holy" was also sung in the Jewish synagogue in the morning office. It is a logical connection with the angelic praises at the end of the Preface. Most Rev. John F. Swantek, Prime Bishop Emeritus Notice regarding Ramzi Musallam After receiving several inquiries, this notification is to inform the clergy and faithful of the Polish National Catholic Church that Ramzi Musallam is a suspended and deposed priest of the P.N.C.C. In accordance with the Constitution and Laws of the Polish National Catholic Church Ramzi Musallam was suspended and deposed by Bishop Thaddeus Peplowski on August 20, 2008 with the concurrence of Prime Bishop Robert Nemkovich. Ramzi Musallam has sought to purchase church buildings in several areas where Polish National Catholic parishes are located. The Polish National Catholic Church does not sanction any of the work of Mr. Musallam and these parishes are in no way connected to the Polish National Catholic Church. Attendance at the services of these parishes does not fulfill the Holy Mass obligation for Polish National Catholics.

6 6 God s Field February 2016 P.N.C.C. Future Direction Action Plan for P.N.C.C. Parishes in 2016: Year of Reverence The Supreme Council Future Direction committee is continuing to build on the work from our Holy Synod and now presents our Action Plan for 2016: A Year of Reverence. A copy of this plan providing more details has been sent to all parishes and pastors. Develop a Greater Understanding of Church Solemnities: In 2016 we will focus on the Solemnity of the Christian Family. There will be a national church celebration of this solemnity. A pamphlet will be prepared and distributed. On line education will be created for this celebration that will include Scripture readings, reflections and musical recommendations. Also, an online presentation will be led by our Prime Bishop on October 5, 2016 discussing this important day in our P.N.C.C. A community service project should be tied into this effort as well. Conduct a Lenten Day of Retreat: As in 2015, let us again try to conduct a Lenten Day of Retreat in parishes or seniorates across our Church. There is no minimum amount of participants required to spend some time together this Lent in retreat or prayer. Complete at least three community service projects: One service project would be in conjunction with the Christian Family in October 2016 and the others selected by the local parish. It is important that these three projects be done in the local community of the parish so that these efforts will create a greater presence of the parish in the local community. Various options include, but are not limited to: Food Drive, serving a free meal for the community, clothing drive for the community, sponsoring a local family in need, responding to a particular need in the local community, etc. Implement the Reverence Component: Develop and emphasize this theme through Please see the monthly Future Direction s regarding this effort. January Reverence of Prayer February Reverence at Mass March Reverence of Lent/Holy Week/Easter April Reverence in the Family begins and concludes in October create Family Life of Reverence May Reverence and the Eucharist June Sacred Vocations Month - Reverence in Today s world Being reverent to God/Church in today s world/work/social life/social media July/August No vacation from a Reverent Life September Reverence in our communities/with your neighbor October Clergy Appreciation Month Reverence in the Family - Conclude November Reverence of Advent / Christmas Implement Lay Ministry Program in P.N.C.C.: Prime Bishop and our Bishops, using the national/ diocesan chaplain model as approved by the 2015 meeting of the Supreme Council, will begin a Lay Ministry program to enhance, encourage and strengthen the role of the laity within our P.N.C.C. Offer Presentations on Reverence and Future Direction Efforts to Diocesan Synods. Plan for feedback from diocesan synods on Future Direction work to date.

7 Volume 94, Issue No. 2 7 Continue to utilize P.N.C.C. Future Direction You Tube Channel: Various spiritual messaging from our Prime Bishop and Bishops to be continued throughout the year. Develop a Stewardship Component to increase our financial commitment to our parishes, diocese and National Church. Conduct a Church-wide Survey to assess the 2015 Action Plan implementation and what can be improved as we move forward to put into action the work of our Holy Synod. The action plan provides details explaining each of the eight components, suggestions for implementation, as well as templates to use for developing some of the items required. Please work with your Pastor and Parish Committee to implement the parts of this plan in your parishes as we look forward to new and innovative ways of sharing the Gospel and presence of Christ with others through our Polish National Catholic Church. If you already are doing some of these things, that is wonderful. Always keep in mind the five themes the Synod determined for our future direction: Growth and Membership Increase Spirituality Lifelong Learning Sacred Vocations Community Involvement and Presence Please feel free to contact our Subcommittee at FutureDirection@pncc.org should you have any questions, concerns or challenges with this plan. Our Subcommittee is here to help you and we look forward to hearing from you Action Plan: A Year of Reverence January Reverence of Prayer February Reverence at Mass Prepare yourself to participate at Mass by saying the Prayer Before Holy Mass. Do you have a copy of the latest P.N.C.C. Prayer Book (Published in 2010)? They are available from the P.N.C.C. Bookstore (pncc.org). This prayer can be found on page 48. M G F, I Y H S M, I L J C. M J H I H. M I, I I J H I. M H C I, I, I. A.

8 8 God s Field February 2016 During this season of Lent we are all called as Christians to focus our attention on increased prayer as a Lenten discipline. And of course when thinking of the prayer life of Catholic Christians, most certainly Holy Mass must be counted as the most vital and important part. Let s first begin by recognizing that the celebration of Holy Mass should be one of the most important aspects within the life of a Catholic. It is the most important act of Catholic worship and it follows the words of our Savior Who told us to Do this in remembrance of Me. Because of this the Church specifically lists this as the first of the five Commandments of the Church. It tells us to Participate in Holy Mass and hear the Word of God on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. In examining this commandment let s begin at the end. Our Holy Mass attendance should be a weekly part of our discipline. It is a discipline in the true sense of the word. It makes us a disciple, a follower, of Jesus. Again the Prayer book defines for us what the Holy Days of Obligation are under the title of A Christian s Obligation. There it states: The Church requires regular attendance at its central act of worship, the Holy Eucharist the Holy Sacrifice of Mass. The following are recognized as days upon which the faithful are expected, as a matter of Christian duty and obligation, to worship at the Eucharist. 1) Sundays throughout the year. (Each Sunday is the Lord s Day, a recognition of His Resurrection.) 2) Christmas Day December 25 th (The Solemnity of the Nativity of our Lord, in recognition of the beginning of His redemptive work.) 3) The Circumcision of our Lord January 1 st. 4) Ascension Day (In honor of the final glorification of our humanity in Christ s Person.) 5) All Saints Day November 1 st (In honor of Christ s triumph in redeemed humanity) The Year of Reverence Holy Mass Most Rev. Anthony A. Mikovsky As a part of the examination of our conscience during this Lenten period we can begin by asking how we are measuring up against this expectation. The following questions are asked of us in preparation for the Sacrament of Penance at the beginning of Mass on page 3 of the Mass Book. Have I deliberately missed Holy Mass on Sundays? How often? Did I willingly give way to distractions or inattention? Have I laughed and chattered in church? Have I taken part in Mass and in the liturgical life of my parish as much as possible? We can see from these questions that a mere showing up on Sunday is a start, but it s not enough. As a part of the Five Commandments of the Church it states that we should participate at the celebration of Holy Mass and not just attend as a spectator. Being fully engaged during Mass should be an important part of why we are there. Again our Mass Book helps us in bringing this to a reality. In the section entitled, My Intention at Mass there is a prayer to God the Father which helps to draw us into the celebration and moves us from being a mere spectator to a full participant. The prayer reads: Father, I have come into Your Presence to share in offering You the great sacrifice of Your blessed Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to receive the Sacrament of His most sacred Body and Blood. I do so in remembrance of His life, passion, death and resurrection, and in thanksgiving for all the blessings You have bestowed upon Your holy Church and upon me, an unworthy sinner. I wish to offer this Mass with all the love and contrition of which I am capable and in conformity with the sacred intentions of our Savior Who instituted it.

9 Volume 94, Issue No. 2 9 I desire therefore, to offer this Mass and to receive Holy Communion. for Your greater glory. or the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ. to thank You for all the blessings You have given me, especially to ask Your help with a problem I have, namely To ask You to bless all my relatives and friends, especially for those who have died, especially for my special intention, namely Bless the priest through whom I will make this offering. Bless all the people who are here to participate in this glorious action and all who would like to be here. Convert all sinners. Preserve peace and heal the anguish of the world and have mercy on all the faithful departed. All these things I ask in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen. During this Lenten time of increased prayer and discipline, how wonderful it would be if each of us could focus even a bit of time on this prayer in a few minutes before the celebration of Holy Mass. Then our time in celebration at the Eucharist would not be one that is so passive, but would rather become active. We would be actively thanking God for the many blessings He has given us. We would be actively praying for our family and friends. We would be actively praying for all those who have gone before us. We would be actively asking God to help us in our needs and concerns. In all of this we would be taking our Lenten discipline seriously by increasing our daily and weekly prayer life. Another important part of the issue with our attendance and participation at Holy Mass is a realization that Holy Mass is not only a personal activity, but rather the celebration of the entire community of faith. Each group of catholic believers, each parish, is called to celebrate Holy Mass together. If we are not participating in this weekly celebration, then our absence diminishes the totality of the celebration. Not only does God notice our absence, but the community of faith is also somehow diminished. Let us then not only remember this for our own participation, but also that we can make others feel more comfortable in coming to join us and even let others know that they are truly missed at the celebration of Holy Mass and therefore invite them to join us. In this Year of Reverence for the Polish National Catholic Church, I encourage all to give some thought and consideration to the celebration of Holy Mass and your role within it. Let us consider that we do not just fill up a pew at Church, but rather we are an integral part of the work of the Church in giving glory to God and in praying for the people of God. During this Lenten season as we strive to grow in prayer as a Christian discipline, let us not forget the most vital part of our prayer life, the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Save the Date! 2016 National Mission & Evangelism Workshop SS. Peter & Paul Parish th Avenue South Milwaukee, Wisconsin Friday, April 22 - Sunday, April 24, 2016 Information will be ed, mailed and posted to Facebook in the near future.

10 10 God s Field February 2016 CONVO 2016 COMMITTEE POLISH NATIONAL CATHOLIC CHURCH C/O BLESSED TRINITY PARISH 37 WINTHROP STREET FALL RIVER, MA (508) February 2016 To the Clergy and Parishes of the Polish National Catholic Church: We are excited to announce that Convo 2016 will be held from July 25 29, 2016 at St. Anselm s College in Manchester, New Hampshire. The Convo 2016 Committee has been meeting and is planning for an exciting week of worship, prayer, learning and Christian fellowship. Due to a successful Convo raffle, six Convo sponsorships and a generous contribution decided upon during the recent Polish National Union of America Convention, we were able to set the registration fee at $ per participant. Registration and health forms must be completed for all Convo participants. Completed registration and health forms, with payment made payable to Convo 2016 Committee, should be sent prior to May 15, 2016 to: Convo 2016 Committee c/o Blessed Trinity Parish, 37 Winthrop Street Fall River, MA Registration/health forms can be obtained from your pastor or you may find downloadable forms online at: The Convo 2016 FB Page The P.N.C.C. Website at pncc.org The official Polish National Catholic Church FB page Please note: Registration after May 15, 2016 is $ No registration forms will be accepted after July 1, Please use the flier on the facing page to help promote the Convo. Don t forget to check out the P.N.C.C. Convo 2016 YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook at Convo If you have any questions please call or us at: RobNem21@aol.com.We thank you in advance for your prayerful consideration and support of Convo May God bless you and we hope to see you at the Convo. Sincerely yours in Christ, Eric Nemkovich Convo 2016 President Rt. Rev. Paul Sobiechowski Bishop of the Eastern Diocese Very Rev. Robert M. Nemkovich Jr. Convo 2016 Chaplain

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12 12 God s Field February 2016 Publicity for the XI General Synod of the Polish National Catholic Church It is often said that one person can make a difference. But, it s not often that one gets an example Well, here is one. Stanley Chmiel and Joseph Kochan were the Publicity Chairmen for the XI General Synod of the Polish National Catholic Church (P.N.C.C.). Stanley Chmiel prepared a record of the 23 publicity releases that were printed in the three local city newspapers: Scrantonian (Sunday newspaper), Scranton Tribune (morning newspaper), Scrantonian (afternoon newspaper). Nineteen of the articles were written by Stanley Chmiel, two by Joseph Kochan, one in which they collaborated and one by William G. Loftus, Times Staff Writer. Stanley Chmiel glued the newspaper articles onto sheets, annotated them and made a photocopy and bound them with a serlox binder. All but one of the articles identified the name of the newspaper and the day and date of publication. These were the first two articles and were on the same page, so it is possible that both articles were in the same issue of the Scrantonian. The serlox bound copy at the Archives was prepared by Mr. Stanley Chmiel for the use by seminarians. This type of record is an example of what could be done to publicize the P.N.C.C. by highlighting the democratic actions of the P.N.C.C. As you will see from the articles, there are excellent descriptions of how the P.N.C.C. works. Wouldn t it be wonderful if all future Synods had this kind of coverage in local newspapers? Twenty three articles were published by the three Scranton, PA newspapers: Scrantonian - 4, Scrantonian - 13, Scranton Tribune - 6. Seven were published before the Synod. Seventeen articles were published during the Synod. Consequently, newspaper readers in Scranton were kept informed about the P.N.C.C., the XI General Synod and its highlights as it progressed. Some of the information in the articles was repeated in the three newspapers, thus reaching the readers of the evening, afternoon and Sunday editions of the Scranton newspapers, who may have had different readers. The seven published before the Synod began with descriptions of the preparations for the Synod; the first two were in the Scrantonian, on Sunday, July 15, The initial article had a photograph of Vincent Yuskiewicz, identified as the head of the Synodal Committee. The article Polish National Church Plans General Synod continued, naming the synodal executive synod committee members and the lay delegates of St. Stanislaus, who were listed by name. The article said that a pre-synodal meeting to firm up the permanent committee assignments would be held at St. Stanislaus on Monday July 16, The second article Church Synod Set for City listed the 23 St. Stanislaus delegates who were selected out of 43 candidates. It noted that The Church Constitution prescribes that there be one lay delegate for each 50 members comprising the congregation. The article continued by saying that the Synod would be taking place between Oct. 9th through 12th in 1962 and that all religious services would be conducted at St. Stanislaus Cathedral with the sessions held in the Cathedral s auditorium. The Scrantonian August 2, 1962 edition, whose article was titled Polish National Church Group Furthers General Synod Plans, contains a photograph of Prime Bishop Leon Grochowski, members of the St. Stanislaus Parish Committee and the planning committee members gathered for a planning session for the Synod to be held in October. At the end of March, 1963, there were two articles, one in the Scrantonian on Saturday, March 30, 1963 titled 500 Delegates Coming to P.N.C. General Synod - From 170 Churches, and one in the Scrantonian on Sunday, March 31, 1963 titled P.N. Church Synod Called. Both articles included photographs: Prime Bishop Leon Grochowski in the Scrantonian and Vincent Yuskiewicz in the Scrantonian. The Scrantonian article said that the 170 churches throughout the United States and Canada would be represented by 500 delegates, 140 clerical and 333 lay, and that the Synod sessions would take place in the Masonic Temple. The General Synod was subsequently postponed to May 14 through 17, 1963 because of the illness of Prime Bishop Leon Grochowski. It noted that one of the largest delegations, elected at a Parish meeting last year, would be from St. Stanislaus. The names of the delegates were listed in the article. In addition to the notes in the Scrantonian, the Scrantonian article said

13 Volume 94, Issue No that For the first time, parishes in Arizona, California and Florida will be represented. It continued The General Synods of the Church are summoned every four years, under the Constitution of the Church. Their purposes are to enact or repeal laws pertaining to discipline and administration, regulation of all church matters, spiritual and material, the selection of candidates for bishops and the interpretation of religious doctrine for the entire church. The Scrantonian on Sunday April 14, 1963 in its article P.N. Synod Group Headed by Gazda said that Atty. Ernest Gazda was named chairman of the Constitution Commission for the upcoming Synod. It explained that the Commission has the responsibility of proposing changes to the Church Constitution. It included a list of the other members of the Commission. A photograph of Atty. Ernest Gazda was included in the article. The Scrantonian, Tuesday May 7, 1963 edition titled its article Polish Nationals List City Synod - 2 Episcopal Bishops To Be Heard May 14 and included a photograph of Bishop F. J. Warnecke. It said that Bishop Warnecke would represent the National Council of Churches. Bishop Lauriston L. Scaife, head of the Western New York Diocese would represent the Episcopal Church. It was noted that the Episcopal Church is in intercommunion with the P.N.C.C. Other guest speakers would be Mayor William T. Schmidt; Rev. James Link, executive secretary of the United Churches of Lackawanna County (UCLC); Claude Martin, UCLC president; and Stanley Kotula, PNU president. It listed the bishops of the P.N.C.C. as vice chairmen of the sessions. The Scrantonian on Sunday, May 12, 1963 in its article Polish Synod Set Tuesday included a photograph of St. Stanislaus Cathedral. Described were the opening ceremonies, including a 9:00 a.m. procession at the church, a 10:00 a.m. Solemn High Mass celebrated by Prime Bishop Leon Grochowski, including two sermons one in Polish by Prime Bishop Leon Grochowski and one in English by the Bishop of the Western Diocese, Rt. Rev. Francis C. Rowinski. After the Mass, a photograph of the delegates was taken, followed by a bus trip to the cemetery, where a short service was held at the Bishop Hodur Memorial. The delegates then proceeded to the Masonic Temple for lunch and the opening session. It was noted that a concert by the United Choirs Sub-District No. 1 would be held on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. at the Masonic Temple. The Scrantonian article on Monday, May 13, 1963 Polish Nationals List General Synod - Will Get Underway Tomorrow included essentially the same information as the Scrantonian article of May 12th. It added that the street in front of the church would be closed during the procession. It also included the names of the celebrants of the daily Masses during the Synod. It said that the Synod would welcome Metropolitan Maximos of Sardis, a member of the Holy Synod to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul, Turkey, who was a guest of Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Church of North and South America. It noted that Stanley Chmiel and Joseph Kochan were in charge of publicity for the Synod. The Scranton Tribune article, 500 Delegates Set for Synod, published on Tuesday, May 14, 1963 covered the same information as was in the Scrantonian article on Monday, May 13, There were two editions of the Scrantonian published on Tuesday May 14, The first edition had as its title Christian Unity Theme Dominant As Polish National Synod Opens - Sermon by Bishop Grochowski. There were changes between the issue, primarily of quotations of Prime Bishop Grochowski. The Scrantonian article, second edition, published on Tuesday May 14, 1963, titled Christian Unity Theme Dominant As Polish National Synod Opens - Principals at Opening of P.N. Synod, included a photograph of the principal participants in the opening session standing on the porch of the rectory prior to the procession. The theme of the Synod, Christian Unity, was set at the opening Mass by Prime Bishop Grochowski, who said Christian Unity will come about only if the Christian churches return to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church as it was in the time of Christ, as the Polish National Church has always been and will continue to be. The newspaper reported that there were 1,000 people in the procession. Prime Bishop Grochowski s sermon also included the following, The First General Synod of the Church held in Scranton in (Continued on Page 14.)

14 14 God s Field February 2016 (Publicity for the XI General Synod - Continued from Page 13.) September, 1904 adopted a Constitution based on the simple principles of the primitive church; and gave unquestioned support to the ancient concept of apostolic succession,... The Polish National Church possesses a democratic form of government as it existed in the early church. Ultimate and virtually complete authority is handed to the church s legislative body, the general synod, which today is represented by nearly 500 of the laity and clergy. The Scranton Tribune on Wednesday, May 15, 1963, titled, PNC Synod Under Way at Cathedral in City- Bishop Delivers a Sermon, was accompanied by a photograph of the principals of the Synod. The article said that the Synod would start its second day with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Soltysiak. It also spoke about the opening day procession, and said that there would be business sessions after the dinner at the Masonic Temple. On the second day there were numerous speeches: Scranton Mayor William T. Schmidt welcomed the delegates to the city; Claude R. Martin, president of the United Churches of Lackawanna County (UCLC) expressed the necessity of Christian Unity; and Rev. James Link, secretary of UCLC also spoke. President Vincent Yuskiewicz introduced the following Representatives of Church Organizations: Mrs. Mary Cwynar - United Ladies ANS Societies; Mrs. Marie Yuskiewicz - United MK Societies; Miss Anna Pron - Young Women s St. Mary s Sodality; Steven Golembeski - United Choirs of the Church; John Boczar - United Young Men s Societies of Resurrection; Anthony Pron - United Friends of the Polish School; and Stanley Kotula - President of the Polish National Union of America. The Scrantonian issue of Wednesday, May 15, 1963 included a photograph which was titled, Greek Orthodox Prelate Here for Synod. It included Metropolitan Maximos, the Very Rev. Philotheos Karamitsos, Pastor of Greek Hellenic Orthodox Church, Scranton; Bishop Thaddeus Zielinski, Buffalo-Pittsburgh Diocese; Prime Bishop Leon Grochowski; Vincent Yuskiewicz; and William Loftus, Times Staff Writer. The article Turkish Metropolitan in Appeal for Christian Unity at P.N.C. Synod focused on the speech by Metropolitan Maximos. He spoke on the second day. He said that We must never cease working for Christian unity. The precious and holy day must come. It will, sooner or later. Meanwhile, we must never cease working for it. This day is the center of prayers and we hope to see its dawning in the very near future. His talk also spoke of the historical background of developments in relations between Orthodox and Old Catholic denominations. He said that tracing the historical developments, he noted that the Vatican Council of 1870, which enunciated the infallibility of the Pope in ex- cathedra decisions, and was met with immediate and strong disapproval in the West...and finally caused the formation of the movement which eventually brought about the separation from the Roman Church of great numbers of Christians who named themselves Old Catholics. [Note: The document provided by Mr. Chmiel for use by seminarians, included a full copy of the talk by Metropolitan Maximos.] The Scrantonian issue on Wednesday, May 15, 1963 had a separate article entitled Moral, Social Unity Seen as First Step, written by William G. Loftus, a Times Staff Writer. It also had a separate photograph titled Principals at Polish National Synod, which used the same image as in the May 14, 1963 article Christian Unity Theme Dominant As Polish National Synod Opens-Principals at Opening of P.N Synod. The article said A prelate of the Greek Orthodox Church today suggested unification of Christians in solution of moral and social problems as the first step toward ultimate reunification in one church. The Metropolitan said In moral and social problems, Christians should cooperate, as though they constituted one body, without renouncing at the same time their theological convictions and beliefs. The article in the Scranton Tribune on Thursday, May16, 1963 also had a photograph of the clergy, and delegates attending XI Synod of the Polish National Church. This is the photograph taken on the first day of the Synod. The article was titled Polish National Synod Awaits Bishop's Talk - May Stress Protestant Unity. It contained some additional comments by Metropolitan Maximos. Bishop Thaddeus Zielinski discussed some possible liturgical changes. It noted that, on the third day of the Synod, the delegates were treated to a concert under the sponsorship of the United Choir Circle, Sub-District 1. Featured on the program were the Scranton Circle, directed by Michael Augustin; the Frederick Chopin Choir Dupont, directed by Barbara Liberasky. the Lutnia Choir, Dickson City;

15 Volume 94, Issue No the Chopin-Kalina Choir, Scranton; and Liberty Choir, Throop. The Scrantonian article, Bishop Lauds 'Schools' for Vitality in P.N.C., on Thursday, May 16, 1963, was primarily about the report by Prime Bishop Grochowski. Prime Bishop Grochowski said that 10,000 children attended School of Christian Living and attributed their attendance to the growth of spiritual strength and attendance at Masses. He made a stirring appeal to both clergy and lay people to encourage young men to enter the priesthood. Prime Bishop Grochowski noted that substantial aid was being channeled to Poland through Polish National Relief, headquartered in Scranton and said that this agency was the only one officially recognized by the Federal Government. The Scranton Tribune article, published on Friday, May 17, 1963 and titled P.N. Synod Given Five New Recommendations included a photograph of Attorney Ernest Gazda. The text was primarily about the five recommendations of the Administrative Committee: (1) Enlarge the Grand Council by adding one layman from each diocese, (2) Grand Council establish committees on income, missions, schools, and similar facets of administration, (3) Give Canadian parishes their own province and representation on the Grand Council, (4) Elect a primate to take over the duties in the event of death or incapacity of the Prime Bishop, and (5) Set up the program for future synods six months in advance and send all reports to parishes three months before the synod. Prime Bishop Grochowski said that during the existence of Polish National Relief, $3.8 million dollars worth of surplus food was sent to Poland. The Scrantonian, in the Friday May 17, 1963 edition, contained an article entitled Polish National Synod Ups Youth Work Dues - Session to End Today. The title is for the additional 50 cents per parishioner per year that the Synod voted for the work of the Youth Commission. This article included the actions taken on the five recommendations of the administrative committee. Also approved was the recommendation of the finance commission to raise the 4% collected by parishes and paid to the National Church to 6%. The Synod declined to hire a full-time paid secretary for the general church fund and also declined to raise the parishioners dues by $1.00 for the Seminary Fund. Bishop Francis Rowinski offered a prayer which included giving thanks for the successful flight of Astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper. A recording of the prayer was sent to the Cooper family. On Saturday May 18, 1963, the Scranton Tribune had an article entitled Resolution Elevates Rev. Magyar to Bishop-Polish National Synod Takes Action. This article named Polish National Synod Ends included a photograph of the committee taken at the Masonic Temple. This Synod passed a resolution to elevate the Very Rev. Eugene W. Magyar to Bishop of the Slovak National Church. The names of the Supreme Council members were listed in the article. The Synod increased the salary of a pastor from $ to $ and established a requirement that Synod delegates be active in the church for five years before being eligible to be delegate to a Synod or be a Supreme Council member. The Synod established the requirement that the Church conduct a Memorial Mass in honor of Bishop Hodur on the first Sunday after Feb. 16th. The Synod approved a recommendation that the Canadian parishes be moved to the Buffalo- Pittsburgh Diocese with the intent of working towards a Canadian Diocese. The proposal to name a successor to the Prime Bishop in the event of death or incapacity was tabled. The proposal to increase the lay members of the Supreme Council by one per diocese was approved. The Scrantonian article on Saturday May 18, 1963, Polish National Synod Selects New England Area as Parley Site said that the site for the next General Synod in 1967 would be in New England. The Supreme Council members were approved by the delegates. The actions of the Synod as described by the Scranton Tribune article were also included. The approval of Very Rev. Magyar was brought before the Synod because the Slovak Church was among those within the framework of the P.N.C.C. Others were the Lithuanian, Italian and Czech National Churches. The selection of Rev. Magyar marks the first time since 1924 that a bishop had been selected to people of other than Polish descent. Also approved were recommendations of the PNU to reserve a section of the cemetery at Waymart for residents of the Home, set up lots at Thornhurst and offer them for sale to P.N.C.C. members. Joseph Francis Seliga Chairman, P.N.C.C. Commission on History and Archives

16 16 God s Field February 2016 Central Diocese Y.M.S. of R. Branch 2 Installation Meeting and Dinner Dupont, PA Y.M.S. of R. (Young Men s Society of Resurrection) Branch #2 held its Annual Installation Meeting and Dinner at Holy Mother of Sorrows, Dupont, PA on January 19, The following officers were elected: John Wall Jr. - President; Anthony Shumlas - Vice-President, Andrew Shumlas - Treasurer; Carl Cwikla - Financial Secretary and Nick Kazinetz - Recording Secretary Seated: David Petrosky, Arnold Borc, Very Rev. Zbigniew Dawid, Anthony Shumlas, John Bondurich, Jr., Eugene Jendrey, David Fritz, Sr.; Second row: Carl Cwikla, Paul Kazinetz, Jr., Paul Kaspriskie, Jr., Angelo Conforti, Sr., Jan Cwikla; Third row: John Bondurich, III, Andrew Shumlas, Gary Bondurich, Angelo Conforti, Jr., Nick Kazinetz, David Fritz, Jr. Save The Date The 71 st Annual P.N.C.C./Y.M.S. of R. Bowling Tournament is June 3-5, 2016 at Cherry Hill Lanes, Dearborn Heights, MI. Hosted by Our Savior & Holy Cross Parishes More details in the coming months!

17 Volume 94, Issue No Edwardsville, PA Churches Gather to Celebrate the Season in Song By Geri Gibbons, Times Leader (Northeastern Pennsylvania) Area faithful took time to celebrate the season Sunday (December 21, 2015) amidst trees, lights, decorations and a spirit of community. At a service which many attendees hope will become tradition, St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church hosted two other Edwardsville churches (Resurrection of the Lord) Polish National (Catholic) Church and Immanuel Baptist Church for a nativity concert which filled the pews of the church and the hearts of those gathered. The Rev. James Quinn, of Immanuel Baptist Church, said the service provided opportunity for members of the Edwardsville churches to gather and enjoy traditional and contemporary songs. Someone expressed surprise to me today that all three churches would conduct such a service together, said Quinn. But we all serve the same Lord during this holy season. Quinn appreciated the variety of music presented at the concert, which included Russian and Polish favorites. Joyce Walsh, of Larksville, a member of St. John s, said she enjoyed coming out to the event that highlighted the spiritual aspects of the season. Its [sic] important to remind people of the reason for the season, said Walsh, who was accompanied by her husband and grandson. Joe Kaucher, of Hunlock Creek, a member of St. John s parish growth and outreach committee, said the church hopes to continue to unite Edwardsville churches in future events, bringing members of the community together. The Rev. George Volkovinsky, pastor of St. John the Baptist Church, said when the idea was originally presented to him, he thought perhaps the pews might be empty. Looking out over about 100 people, he said, I am so happy to see that didn t happen. So many people turned out to celebrate this event. The Rev. Lucian Urbaniak, of (Resurrection of the Lord) Polish National (Catholic) Church, whose choir offered seasonal music, including Lullaby Jesus and Let Us Hasten to Bethlehem, said he thought the service was a wonderful opportunity for churches, all from Zerby Avenue, to prepare spiritually for the Christmas season. The event was not without a bit of levity, as Quinn made his way to the podium, reminding attendees his church doesn t have a choir. Grabbing a Christmas song book and encouraging attendees to join him in song, Quinn enticed many of those gathered from all three churches to their way to the front of the church to assist him in leading the group in song. Attendees enthusiastically in such favorites as Joy to the World and O Come all Ye Faithful. Smiling, Volkovinsky said, The Baptists have united us. Quinn concluded the song portion of the service with Let There be Peach [sic] on Earth. With everything that s going on in the world, I think it s great that song reminds us about the importance of peace, he said. Attendees had opportunity to gather for a time of fellowship following the event, taking time from the demands of the holiday to share refreshments before they headed off for a busy week. Reach Geri Gibbons at or on Posted: December 21st, 2015 at timesleader.com/news Note: Good Shepherd Parish parishioners from Plymouth, PA also participated in this event.

18 18 God s Field February 2016 Christmas Celebration Includes a Dinner, Play and a Wedding Anniversary The P.N.C.C. of Holy Trinity and St. Joseph, Linden, NJ Sunday, January 10th proved to be a memorable day in the life of the Polish National Catholic Parish of Holy Trinity and St. Joseph. During the 9:00 a.m. Mass on this day the parish joined with Jonathon and Liza Velasco to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. During the 9:00 a.m. liturgy Father Kosc imparted special blessings on Jonathon and Liza and their family. The Velasco family is totally involved in both the spiritual and mission work of the parish. Daughters, Pricilla and Jonah are teachers in the SOCL, lectors at Mass and members of the recently organized young adult organization. Sons, Justin and Janzen are acolytes and are also members of the young adult organization. Following the 11:00 a.m. Mass the Parish Council and members of the Adoration Society hosted the annual parish Christmas dinner. The executive chiefs in the kitchen were Wladyslawa Kosc and Maria Rejterada. Parish members donated all of the food necessary for the dinner. Following the dinner members of the School of Christian Living and the Young Adult Group presented their annual Christmas Play. The play was written by Jonah Velasco and directed by Jonah, Gloria Pierce, the parish SOCL Superintendent and Pricilla Velasco. The following parish youth participated in the play: Priscilla Velasco, Stanley Kanu Janzen Velasco, Abby Buratti, Mackie Buratti, Olivia Steele, Justin Velasco, and Steven Podczerwinski. Father Jan Kosc is Pastor of the Polish National Catholic Church of Holy Trinity and St. Joseph. Kenneth E. Matz is Chairman of the Parish Council. Submitted by Michael R. Mietlicki Jonathan and Liza Velasco, daughters, Pricilla and Jonah, sons, Justin and Janzen pose with Father Kosc following the blessing liturgy on the occasion of their 25th wedding anniversary. The actors gather at the traditional manger scene. Abigail Buratti, Mackenzie Buratti and Olivia Steele are the Channel 3 News Anchors.

19 Volume 94, Issue No Mackenzie Buratti, Nicole Kanu and Angelica Diaz, lead the audience in the singing of Christmas Carols. Field Reporter, Stanley Kanu, interviews a local witness, Janzen Velasco, regarding the miracles performed by Jesus many years following his birth. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton hosted an Ecumenical Celebration of God s Word on January 25, 2015 in the R.C. Cathedral of Saint Peter, Scranton, PA, culminating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This annual worldwide observance seeks to gather together diverse communities of the Christian faith to express the degree of communion which the churches have already received, and to pray together for the full visible unity of the one Church of Jesus Christ. R.C. Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph C. Bambera presided, and Bishop Jeremiah Park, Resident Bishop Harrisburg Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, gave the homily. Clergy and representatives from various Christian traditions and ecumenical agencies participated, including Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky, Prime Bishop of the Polish National Catholic Church; Rt. Rev. Bernard J. Nowicki, Bishop of the Central Diocese, P.N.C.C. and pastor of St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr, Cathedral, Scranton, PA; Very Rev. Zbigniew Dawid, pastor of Holy Mother of Sorrows P.N.C.C. Parish, Dupont, PA; Very Rev. Thaddeus Dymkowski, pastor of Holy Cross Parish, Wilkes-Barre, PA; Rev. Bogdan Janiec, pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish, Hazleton, PA Ecumenical Celebration Scranton, PA and administrator of SS Peter & Paul Parish, McAdoo, PA; and Rev. Lucian Urbaniak, administrator of Good Shepherd Parish, Plymouth, PA and Resurrection of the Lord Parish, Edwardsville, PA. The theme for the 2016 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was Called to proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord (1 Peter 2:9). Front row: Most Rev. Anthony A. Mikovsky; Rt. Rev. Bernard J. Nowicki; Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera; Bishop Jeremiah J. Park; Middle row: Msgr. Vincent J. Grimalia; Msgr. Thomas M. Muldowney; Rev. Martin L. Cox, Jr.; Top row: Rev. Dave Twiss; Rev. Peter Kuritz; Rev. Canon Maria Tjeltveit; unidentified

20 20 God s Field February 2016 Eastern Diocese Eastern Diocese Mini Mission Workshop Fall River, MA Saturday, January 16, 2016 saw 35 clergy and faithful from 13 parishes of the Eastern Diocese gather at Blessed Trinity Parish in Fall River, MA for a mini mission workshop to encourage and enhance sharing our faith throughout the diocese in this year of our Lord Bishop Paul Sobiechowski began the workshop by leading morning prayer. Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich gave a presentation on Evangelism 101- reminding the folks gathered that Evangelism, literally meaning Good News or Gospel, is simply taking advantage of the opportunities to share what you know about Jesus with others. Evangelism is sharing and speaking to others about our experience with Jesus for the purpose of leading them into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Those present were reminded that one of the greatest things we can do for people is bring them to Christ who died for them. Fr. Sr. Rob reminded them that true Evangelism means discipleship - it is a life that is changed from going my way to going Christ s way - for our Lord tells us that He is the way, the truth and the life. The participants were given numerous examples of how they could evangelize - from using community events for Evangelism to sharing ideas from a past National Mission Workshop of Steven Sjogren and Servant Evangelism with random acts of kindness. In the end the most important thing we can do is share the good news of Jesus using our experiences and our story to lead others to the One Who leads us - to take advantage of the opportunities to share God s message of salvation. Our Christian Catholic Spirituality was the second presentation of the workshop. Kathy Nemkovich spoke using Matthew Kelly s Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality. The importance of these pillars will help us come to better understand the abundant life that Jesus calls us to experience. Kathy spoke about each of the pillars and how they can become a solid foundation for living a genuine spiritual life. The Pillars are: Confession, Daily Prayer, The Mass, The Bible, Fasting, Spiritual Reading and The Rosary. She used experiences from her life and how these pillars have helped her grow in her faith and the ability to better share the good news of Jesus Christ. She ended by giving everyone seeds to plant at home!

21 Volume 94, Issue No Knowing our Faith was the final presentation of the morning. Bishop Paul spoke to the participants about the importance of being prepared for Evangelism by knowing the faith. We can t share what we don t know. Bishop used various examples to make his point from the preparation of food to the Pre-Lenten and Lenten journeys to properly celebrate the Solemnity of our Lord s Resurrection. The purpose of the Pre-Lenten season was explained to the people as our Church prepares for this season so they are better prepared and have a better understanding of their faith and Church. Following lunch Karen Sobiechowski, the chair of the Eastern Diocese Mission and Evangelism commission, gave a presentation on the Prayer of Mission and Evangelism. Karen spoke about why we pray and the fruits of prayer. She gave many examples of what we can be praying for today from our Church, neighborhood and world. Lighthouse prayers were shared with the group; Mom s in Prayer was encouraged for the Moms present. Prayer Walking was explained. This was done at the first National Mission Workshop in Michigan many years ago. Karen also gave examples of prayers for your parish, Church, clergy and others. It is hoped that an online prayer group will be established within the diocese as is currently being done in the Western Diocese. Karen and Kathy will be working to establish such a group for our diocese. The groups then saw and heard presentations from diocesan parishes and their mission, out-reach and evangelization efforts. Kathy Nemkovich presented a PowerPoint presentation about parishes that had submitted pictures and listed their activities, such as Our Savior s Parish in Woonsocket, RI; St. Casimir s Parish in Lowell, MA; and Blessed Trinity Parish in Fall River, MA. Other parishes also shared their mission and outreach efforts from Webster to Stratford to Norwich to Central Falls to Manchester. It was great to see these important efforts to share the goods news of Jesus Christ with others. Some of these efforts were: Clothing Drives, Food Drives, Prayer Shawl/Blanket Ministry, Veterans Support Drives, Homeless Support, Soup Kitchen Efforts, Operation Christmas Child, Souper Bowl of Caring, free community car washes, Adopt a Family Program, Crop Walk, Drug Return Program, Community Bible Studies, cooperation with local Neighborhood Watch groups, Suicide Loss Group Support, Pay it Forward, AA and NA support and more. A presentation was given on the P.N.C.C. Future Direction efforts begun by our last General Synod. Almost all participants are receiving the Future Direction monthly s and are excited about the Year of Reverence that is just beginning. Fr. Adam Czarnecki, the diocesan lay ministry chaplain, spoke about this program that is being developed and that will be a part of our diocesan efforts. Fr. Sr. Rob reminded everyone about the 2016 action plan and what is needed for this to be implemented. Bishop Paul Sobiechowski led a closing Prayer Service Go, You are Sent. After receiving his blessing the clergy and faithful returned to their home parishes inspired to share the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in more effective ways. We thank the 11 clergy of the diocese who made the effort to attend and participate in this important workshop: Bishop Paul Sobiechowski, Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich, Fr. Adam Czarnecki, Fr. Robert Fredrickson, Fr. Michal Gitner, Fr. Zbigniew Kaszubski, Fr. Robert Koerber, Fr. Kris Rogalski, Fr. Henry Smolinski, Fr. Andrzej Tenus and Fr. Henryk Wos. Also thanks to the Eastern Diocese Mission and Evangelism Commission for planning this beautiful and uplifting time to help us in fulfilling the Great Commission of making disciples. Prepared by, Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich

22 22 God s Field February 2016 Convo 2016 Committee Meets at Holy Trinity Parish in Webster, MA The Convo 2016 Committee held its fifth planning meeting at Holy Trinity Parish in Webster, MA on Saturday, December 12, The committee set the registration fee for the Convo and continued its work with the Convo schedule, sessions and activities. A trip is planned to Holy Trinity Cathedral and Canobie Lake Park. The committee is very appreciative of the Convo sponsorships received, the success of the Convo raffle and the generous donation from the PNU Convention at Sea collection and matching PNU donation The next Convo planning meeting is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 5, 2016 at Our Savior s Parish in Woonsocket, RI. Thanks to Fr. Fredrickson and the folks at Holy Trinity for their warm hospitality. The Convo will be held from July 25-29, 2016 at St. Anselm s College in Manchester, NH. We hope you will join us. Don t forget to follow us on Facebook: Convo 2016 and check us out on YouTube at Convo 2016! Submitted by Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich

23 Volume 94, Issue No Happenings at Blessed Trinity Parish Fall River, MA The past couple of months have been full of activities at Blessed Trinity Parish in Fall River. Our Living Nativity was held on Sunday, December 13, and our parish youth did a tremendous job in bringing God's Word to life. Thanks to Kathy Nemkovich, our coordinator and director. Our Advent Food drive was again very successful with more than 50 bags and boxes of food donated and several hundred dollars in supermarket gift cards. This drive was concluded with our annual Birthday Party for Jesus on December 20 that was enjoyed by all. Our final stained glass windows were blessed by our pastor, Fr. Sr. Rob. The Nativity window, donated by the Myslivy and Kieron families, was blessed on the Solemnity of Humble Shepherds, December 27, 2015, and the Baptism window, donated by the Maslanka family, was blessed on the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord on January 10, With the installation of the P.N.C.C. Symbol sandblasted window in our parish entryway, the building project has at long last come to a conclusion after ten and half years since the first Mass was celebrated on May 1, Our Bristol County District Attorney Tom Quinn was at Blessed Trinity parish on Monday, January 18, to discuss the work of his office, fighting and prosecuting crime in the region and to answer questions from local residents. Our annual scholarship committee pancake breakfast was held on Sunday, January 24. Thanks to the DeTemple family for some great pancakes and delicious sausage. It was wonderful to see so many past as well as future scholarship recipients with us for this annual breakfast. The parish was excited to again take part in the Souper Bowl of Caring on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7th. Several bags of canned soup were donated and given to our local Citizens for Citizens Food Pantry. We thank all who supported our Pączki Sale, too (using the famous recipe of Marie Gorgol), and look forward to another Lenten journey. We remind all that during the Lenten Season we will again have our Friday evening Lenten Suppers at 6 p.m., followed by Lenten Services at 6:30. Submitted by Very Rev. Robert M. Nemkovich

24 24 God s Field February 2016 Holy Cross Parish News Central Falls, RI Our annual Candlelight Service and Birthday Party for Jesus was held on Sunday, December 20, 2015 and we had another great turnout. Clergy and faithful from across the Northeast Seniorate gathered at Holy Cross Parish to spend time in prayer, worship, reflection and fellowship as we prepared to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich celebrated this service and preached God s Word. Our Birthday Party for Jesus followed and special thanks to Jackie Mendrzychowski for making the beautiful and delicious birthday cake. We also thank the ladies society for providing soup and sandwiches. The youth also enjoyed a visit from jolly old St. Nick. During December our parish held their annual Winter Clothing Drive more than 40 jackets, hats and gloves were collected. These items were handed out to children who needed them at the Central Falls Holiday Party the weekend before Christmas. Submitted by Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich Clergy of the Northeast Seniorate gathered for the annual Candlelight Service Everyone gathered around the birthday cake to celebrate. The annual winter coat drive was a success.

25 Volume 94, Issue No St. Valentine s Happenings Northampton, MA St. Valentine s Parish and the Polish Heritage Committee of Northampton, MA celebrated the Christmas season with a festival of Polish Carols. The event was held January 10, 2016 at St. Valentine s Church, hosted by Rev. Adam Czarnecki, Pastor and its parishioners. With 30 lead singers and over 200 guests, the Annual Polskie Kolędy Sing Along featured 22 traditional Polish Christmas Carols and Pastoralki. The lead singers were comprised of choir members from area churches throughout the Pioneer Valley. The organist for the event was Jean Gromacki and the choir director was Fran Moro. In addition, the program included a live Nativity scene portrayed by students from the Polish Language Class of St. Valentine s Church, taught by Rev. Czarnecki, parishioners and Lucy Kaivera (angel). Also, this year, special guest musicians were invited to participate Joseph Dziok and Angelina Huber. Joseph, a graduate of the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, hails from Chicopee, MA. He is an accomplished musician who has been entertaining locally for the past 12 years on accordion, piano and organ. Angelina is an accomplished violinist who also hails from Chicopee, MA. Rev. Czarnecki opened the event with prayer asking God to open our hearts to praise Him and give glory by singing the beautiful Polish Carols which are about his miraculous birth. During the intermission Rev. Czarnecki blessed incense and chalk for distribution to all in attendance; he also articulated a brief description of the Polish tradition of marking the entrance door and lentil of homes with the initials 20+K+M+B+16. Other clergy in attendance included: Rt. Rev. Paul Sobiechowski, Bishop of the Eastern Diocese, and his wife Karen; Very Rev. Joseph Soltysiak, pastor of St. Joseph s Parish, Westfield, MA; Rev. Randolph Calvo, pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Polish Parish, South Deerfield, MA; Rev. Robert Koerber, Chicopee, MA (Reserve Clergy, P.N.C.C.); and Very Rev. Fryderyk Banas, pastor of Holy Cross Parish, Ware, MA; and Rev. Francis Riley, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church. Very Rev. Banas offered a closing prayer and noted that the event was beautiful and the carols described what Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus. It was very heartwarming to see so many guests in attendance. Many of the guests noted that the concert of carols reminded them of many wonderful memories of years past. The event culminated with a reception and fellowship in the Church hall. To celebrate the New Year, St. Valentine s Parish held its Annual Potluck Brunch on Sunday, January 3rd after Holy Mass. Before the brunch began, we all shared the traditional Opłatek, wishing each other good health, happiness i wszystkiego najlepszego for the New Year. A nice assortment of delicious food was shared by all fruit, danish, lazy pierogi, chicken salad, crackers, sausage and scrambled eggs, muffins, coffeecake, orange juice and coffee. It was a perfect morning worship, fellowship and delicious food. Everyone had a great time. Submitted by Krysia Newman

26 26 God s Field February 2016 Western Diocese All Saints Cathedral Parish Serves Sunday Suppers at St. Luke s Chicago/Park Ridge, IL When the Mission Committee of All Saints Cathedral Parish set out to find more ways to serve our local community, committee member Barb Bratkowski brought St. Luke s Lutheran Church s Sunday Suppers to our attention. For many years, St. Luke s in neighboring Park Ridge, has provided a free hot meal every Sunday evening from September through May. They engage other churches and organizations to provide and serve the meal, while offering their facilities, supplies and volunteers. As many as 100 guests are served on any given Sunday. All Saints Cathedral Parish, blessed with talented cooks and so many caring people always willing to work, is an ideal partner for Sunday Suppers. We provided the meal on October 11 th (a turkey dinner with all the trimmings) and on January 24 th (meatballs, pasta, veggies, salad, fruit and cookies). The head cook for both meals was Karl Wilke, and his food got rave reviews! We thank Karl, Barb and all the volunteers for their time and hard work. Sunday Suppers is a great example of people of faith combining their talents and treasure to provide for people in need. We look forward to our next Sunday Supper event on April 14 th, and to continuing this partnership with St. Luke s for years to come. Submitted by Judie Szydlowski Judie Szydlowski, Rudy Smolka, Michael Lindenmuth, Rev. Frank Rowinski, Nancy Jensen, Cindi Smolka, Barb Bratkowski, Elaine Rowinski, Cindy Nytko, Julia Jensen Smolka, Jill Lindenmuth, Jean Kurzynski, Gary Kurzynski. Absent from photo: Karl Wilke, Rev. Mr. David Rowinski To order a 2016 Liturgical Reference Calendar (Ordo), please fill out the order form, below, and make check or money order payable to The Polish National Catholic Church LRC and send to: The Polish National Catholic Church L R C Attn: Secretary to Prime Bishop 1006 Pittston Avenue Scranton, PA ORDO Quantity Cost/Ordo Total 2016 Liturgical Calendar (Ordo) - $15.25 U.S.; $18.60 Canada TOTAL ENCLOSED Shipping Name and Address:

27 Volume 94, Issue No Lenten Meditation with Mikołaj Sęp Szarzyński (c c. 1581) [PIEŚŃ] IV. PSALMU CXXX PARAPHRASIS De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine W grzechach srogich ponurzony, Ze wnętrzności serca mego Wołam, Boże niezmierzony! Mego głosu rzewliwego Racz słyszeć prośby płaczliwe, A z miłosierdzia Twojego Nakłoń ucho lutościwe! Będzieszli chciał nasze złości Ważyć, Ojcze dobrotliwy, Wagą twej sprawiedliwości - I któż tak będzie szczęśliwy, Kto tak w cnotach utwierdzony, Gdy przyjdzie na sąd prawdziwy, By nie miał być potępiony? Ale Ty, sędzia łaskawy, Nie według szczerej srogości Karzesz nasze błędne sprawy. Zakon Twój pełen lutości I wierne Twe słowa, Panie, Że mię wyrwiesz z tej ciężkości, Czynią mi pewne ufanie. Przeto, choć zorza różana Promienne słońce przywodzi, Choć mgłą ciemną przyodziana Noc z ciemnościami przychodzi, Narodowi wybranemu Niech wątpienie nie przeszkodzi? Śmiele ufać Panu swemu. Bowiem skarb jest nieprzebrany Wieczne miłosierdzie Jego: On nie leniw zgoić rany I poddźwignąć upadłego; On, prócz wszelkiego wątpienia, Nie zapomni ludu swego, Przywiedzie go do zbawienia. [SONG] IV. PARAPHRASIS OF PSALM CXXX De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine Downcast midst vile sins, From my innermost heart I cry out, God unbounded! Hear the mournful plaints Of my grievous voice, And in Thy compassion Lend an ear of mercy! Wouldst Thou our evils Weigh, kind Father, On Thine own justice's scale, Who'd know such fortune, Who in virtues be so firm, That coming for true judgment, Would not be condemned? But Thou, gracious judge, Punish not our erring ways With deserved severity; Thy law, with mercy filled, And Thy faithful words, O Lord, That wouldst pluck me from this ill, Inspire in me certain trust. 'Tis why, whether roseal dawn Brings forth a beaming sun, Or night, arrayed in darkening clouds, In darkness doth lead on, Let doubt not dissuade Those people so chosen From resolute trust in their Lord. For a treasure inexhaustible Is His eternal compassion; He'll idle not in healing wounds Or raising one who's stumbled; He, past all measure of doubt, Shall forget not His own people, And to salvation shall lead them. Translated by Richard Sokoloski

28 28 God s Field February rd Anniversary of the Death of śp. Prime Bishop Francis Hodur February 16, 1953 February 16, 2016