Volume 92

May 2014

Issue #5

Jesus, the Good Shepherd Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky Prime Bishop The Church celebrates Good Shepherd Sunday on the Fourth Sunday of the Easter Season, this year held on Sunday, May 11. The Church places much importance in this description of our Lord which can be seen in the fact that it is the first image that we turn to after the Resurrection. On Easter Sunday as well as the two Sundays following, the gospels we read in church all occur on the day of the Resurrection. On Easter we hear about the finding of the empty tomb on the morning of the Resurrection. On the Second Sunday of Easter we hear about the visit of Jesus to the disciples gathered in the upper room on the evening of the Resurrection, as well as His visit the week after. And on the Third Sunday we travel with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, also on the day of Resurrection. Then on the Fourth Sunday, as the first departure from this day, we turn to the image of the Good Shepherd. It is this image that helps to describe exactly what our Lord has done for us in His crucifixion and His Resurrection. In John’s Gospel we read: “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away – and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life in order to take it up

again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.” (John 10:11-18) As we delve into this passage so many of the words and concepts speak very strongly to us. First of all we need to look at the role of the shepherd in the Biblical world. The role of the shepherd is one of long standing history in the Bible. It is the very first profession mentioned within the Bible. When Adam and Eve have their children Abel and Cain, Abel is mentioned first as a keeper of sheep, Cain is a tiller of the ground. We see here that Abel, the one who found favor with God was a shepherd, a keeper of sheep. Already in the first pages of Scripture, the shepherd is somehow acknowledged as someone special. Within the Book of Genesis we also hear of God being described as a shepherd. In Jacob’s last blessing to his children he mentions that “[Joseph’s] bow remained taut, and his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.” (Genesis 29:24) Probably the best known shepherd for the people of Israel was David, the chosen king. It was David who the people of Israel thought of when they thought of the ideal king, and David was first a shepherd. The people of Israel acknowledged this role when “all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, ‘Look, we are your bone and flesh. For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought us in. The Lord said to you: It is you who shall be shepherd of My people Israel, you who shall be ruler over Israel.” (2 Samuel 4:1-2) Not (Continued on Page 2.)

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Jesus, the Good Shepherd (Continued from Page 1.)

only does the Lord speak of King David as shepherd, but the people also acknowledge that his role is to lead out and bring in as a shepherd does. Also in the prophetic books we hear of God referred to in the role of a shepherd to His people. In the book of the Prophet Ezekiel, we see Ezekiel contrast the false shepherds with God the true shepherd. We read: “For thus says the Lord God: I Myself will search for My sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out My sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.” (Ezekiel 34:11-12) And further God says through Ezekiel; “I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David shall be prince among them: I the Lord, have spoken.” (Ezekiel 34:23-24) We know that later it will be a descendant of the house of David, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who will call Himself the Good Shepherd and be recognized as King of kings and Lord of lords. It is against this background that we must consider the words of the Gospel of John regarding Jesus, the Good Shepherd. First let us examine the words at the very beginning and also the end of the passage from St. John. Jesus says, “The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” And “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life in order to take it up again.” Jesus lays down His life upon the cross for the sins of His people, His sheep, and yet He does so in order to take it up again. The Crucifixion and Resurrection are certainly one great action in our Lord’s victory over sin and death. It is this action that re-presented every time we gather for Holy Mass, the Eucharist. And this one great action is a part of the love that God the Father has for Jesus and then by extension for all of us as well. The Scripture passage also tells us so much more. In invoking the image of shepherd, Jesus also tells us of the continued relationship that we are to have with Him. He says: “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me.” We are truly

known fully by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as not only a part of creation, but also because we are created in the image of God. Jesus Christ, the Word, the One through Whom all things were made, certainly knows us from the first moments of our own creation Jesus also tells us that we belong to Him, that He is our owner. When speaking of others He says, “The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away.” Here we have a strong promise of Jesus. Not only does He own us and care for us, but in fact He will never leave us. He tells us “and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) This passage also speaks of the unity that we must have and share as believers. Again Jesus says, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold, I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one Shepherd.” Here we see an emphasis on the voice of our Lord. This is especially important in our recognizing the preaching and hearing of the Word of God as a Sacrament. In and through Scripture reading and the preaching and teaching of the Church, we encounter our risen Savior. We not only hear His voice, but in fact as members of the flock, we listen to Jesus, recognize Him in this powerful word and are united in the one flock of Jesus Christ. Certainly much more could be said concerning the richness of this passage, but let us remember especially during this Easter season that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, leads us and guides us as the one flock. And most importantly that He has laid down His life upon the cross. He laid it down to wipe away our sins, but He laid it down in order that He would take it up again in the glorious Resurrection, the triumph of our victorious Lord.

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Supreme Council, P.N.C.C. Meets Holy Trinity Cathedral Parish, Manchester, NH The Supreme Council of the P.N.C.C. met April 29 - 30, 2014 at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Manchester, NH.

Front: Rt. Rev. Paul Sobiechowski, Rt. Rev. John Mack, Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky, Rt. Rev. Stanley Bilinski, Rt. Rev. Bernard Nowicki. Back: Atty. Ernest J. Gazda, Jr., Kathryn Nemkovich, Ronald DeLuca, Joan Scheuneman, Sally Watson, Diane Hollinsworth, Rev. Gregory Mludzik, John Andrzejewski, David Petrosky, Sr., Beverly Basinski, Raymond Pieczarka, Jeff Hohn, Michael Mietlicki, Very Rev. Robert Nemkovich, Jr.

The Archives is Looking for … This will be an irregular column about documents for which the Polish National Catholic Church (P.N.C.C.) Archives is looking. I hope that you can search for these missing elusive items. Today’s article is about a Magazine named Wiara I Wiedza and subtitled Miesięcznik Poświęcony Sprawom Religijnym Naukowym, Marodowym I Społecznym. The English translation of the title is “Faith and Science: Monthly devoted to scientific cases, religious, national and social.” Recently, a copy of issue number 1, published in April 1913, was given to Prime Bishop Mikovsky by Mrs. Ellen Golembeski. She found the issue among the documents of the estate of her uncle, Anthony J. Zychal. This issue is the only one that the P.N.C.C. Archives has. The P.N.C.C. Archives would like to have all of the published issues. The publication was to be monthly, with a subscription cost of $1.00 per year and 10¢ per issue. It was ‘A Religious Monthly Magazine’, published by the P.N.C.C. in Scranton, PA. The editors were Rt. Rev. Hodur, Rev. Bonczak and Rev. A. Jaskiewicz. The business editor was Rev. B. Krupski. The back cover has the address 1002 Pittston Avenue.

The size of the magazine was 6 7/8 by 9 3/4. It is stapled together. This issue has 24 pages and was comprised of 8 articles. The author (when given) of each of the articles was Ks. Franciszek Hodur, Biskup P. N. K. Kościoła. The magazine includes two illustrations, one being a statue of a man or boy with a lamb on his shoulder and the other is Jesus with his hand on the shoulder of a kneeling man with his hands folded in prayer and with his eyes closed. The P.N.C.C. Archives is looking for information about this publication. The questions are many: (1) How many issues were published? (2) Why was it published? (3) What was its purpose? (4) Who was its expected audience? (5) When did it stop being published? (6) Why did it cease publication? If you can provide answers to these questions or have information about this magazine, please send them to the P.N.C.C. Archives at 1006 Pittston Avenue, Scranton, PA 18505-4109. Please search your closets, attics and basements to find copies of this magazine and consider donating them to the P.N.C.C. Archives. Joseph Francis Seliga Chairman, P.N.C.C. Commission on History and Archives

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Dear Prime Bishop, Bishops, Clergy, Y.M.S. of R. Board Members, Y.M.S. of R. Brothers and faithful of the church: 100 Years of the Y.M.S. of R.…Where do we go from here? There are a lot of changes happening all around each and every one of us in 2014. Some of us have taken new jobs, moved to different cities, lost loved ones, had additions to the family, etc. Events such as these are what life is about - taking what is presented in front of you and making the most of it. In 1914, Prime Bishop Hodur was faced with a situation in his role as the leader of our Holy Church - how to get men to come together in the Church and prosper together, as well as support the youth of the Church. His solution was the Young Men's Society of Resurrection. Life in 1914 was vastly different than it is 100 years later. There was limited technology; travel was possible, but not in the leisurely form we know it to be today. Families stayed in the same area for support, economic reasons, etc. Times change and people move, parishes close, and life hands us different situations each and every day. However, what didn’t change in the last 100 years is the organization and our love for the Church to which we are faithful. When I say that our organization hasn't changed, I mean our purpose. Our purpose was, and still is, to help men of the Church come together to better prosper faithfully and to be a supportive foundation for the youth in our Church. Over the last several years our organization has been meeting and discussing new and different ways to help our youth and at the same time come together as men of our Church. On our Facebook page it was asked by someone who has a Y.M.S. of R. branch locally, "Other than fellowship and fundraising, does the Y.M.S. of R. have a purpose?" The simple answer to this is, “YES!” We always had and always will have a purpose that is more than just fundraising and fellowship. What the Y.M.S. of R. does locally is different in every parish and under your control. Here are just a few examples: • • • • • •

Sunday Mass Usher Program Bowling leagues Mother’s Day breakfasts for the parish ladies Family outings to sporting and family events Supporting a food ministry that feeds the hungry, the poor, and those in need Encouraging and supporting parish youth to attend the yearly Kurs Encampment in Waymart, PA and Diocesan and National Church events for youth

Our national board is currently creating a scholarship fund to help those attending college. We are also giving our continued support to the rotating national bowling tournament. We want these ideas and plans to continue and prosper. Without the support and backing of the bishops, clergy and men from our parishes we cannot continue to grow. We made it 100 years, now I am asking you all directly, "How are YOU going to help our organization grow into its next 100 years?” In the coming weeks and months you will be receiving updates on our meetings, what we have discussed and what we have planned. We plan on issuing an appeal in the coming weeks and hopefully announcing details on possible regional golf tournaments. We want your feedback! This is an exciting time to reorganize, reenergize and refocus. Regards, David Micka 1st Vice President, United Y.M.S. of R. Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unitedymsofr

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Clergy Pension Fund Father’s Day Appeal June 15, 2014 On Father’s Day, be sure to remember our Spiritual Fathers and please make a generous donation to the Clergy Pension Fund Collection! As of January 1, 2007, all pension recipients received an increase of 100% in the amount they were receiving. (The current pension amount for those retiring now is $600.00 a month. The pension to surviving spouses is one-half (1/2), $300.00.) BUT, we are very concerned now because the normal donations have declined from past years, especially in comparison to the increased individual pension payments. As a further explanation, even though we have increased the principal amount of the fund from $1 million to $2 million, we must continue to maintain the yearly donations as we have in the past. Each year these donations are added to the earnings from the principal amount. This enables us to pay the pension payments without dipping into the principal. If we do not maintain and increase the yearly donations, we will have to start to dip into the principal amount and start to erode it. Increasing the principal amount from $1 million to $2 million is not the total answer, we MUST not only maintain the yearly donations, but increase them. We must protect the principal of our pension fund to keep it strong for years to come, so PLEASE continue your yearly donations and PLEASE consider increasing them. By doing so, we will show our clergy that WE TRULY SUPPORT THEM! Clergy Pension Fund Committee

Robert R. Maycan Treasurer

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Women’s Role in the First Christian Community by Regina Petrunich Before Acts Chapter 1, in the Book of John, Jesus had just died and resurrected. In the beginning of the chapter Jesus ascends into heaven and sends His disciples to preach the Word of God to the Jews and to start the first Christian community in Jerusalem. Acts Chapter 1 takes place between the Ascension and Pentecost. During this time the church was ready to receive the Spirit, but until the Spirit was given, its work could not be done. The disciples went into the “upper room.” People in this first Christian community were listed as: the disciples, a few more men, and “all these people devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” (Acts 1:14) This tells us that women played a crucial role in the foundation of Christianity — they were present in the first Christian community. They all devoted their lives to Jesus (both while He was alive and after His ascension). The book “Women in the Acts of the Apostles” by Ivoni Richter Reimer says that this part of Acts Chapter 1, “together with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus,” implies that we learn for the first time that women were also constantly gathered in the upper room and they constitute the first Christians. Also in Acts Chapter 1, Peter spoke to a group of about 120 persons about Judas’ betrayal and death, and he said that someone was needed to replace Judas as Jesus’ 12th disciple. Peter stated that one of the men who accompanied them the whole time should take Judas’ place, implying that women should not be considered apostles. (He suggested only two men, Justus and Matthias. He did not suggest a woman.) According to scripture, women were able to receive discipleship; they witnessed Jesus’ life just as much as the male disciples; were at His feet when He died, and were the first to witness the Resurrection. And women were actually sent out to proclaim that Jesus

was risen. Yet the author of the Acts wrote that Peter only considered men for the role of Jesus’ 12th disciple. In Acts Chapter 2, it is Pentecost – the celebration of giving of the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. A wind came, tongues of fire lit up over their heads, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and everyone there began to speak in different languages, though they were all Jews and spoke the same language. Many of the people were contemplating a deep meaning of what had happened, but others insisted they only had too much wine. Peter stood and told them it was too early in the morning for them to be considered drunk; therefore, the incident with the tongues of fire must have had a deeper meaning; but nobody knew what that deeper meaning could be. In his sermon, Peter quotes the prophet Joel who said “sons and daughters shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:17) By this statement it meant that women were considered prophets, and everyone who follows God will be saved. Although it may seem that Peter was preaching only to men, we should assume women were there, also. The type of language used in the Bible was common back in those days, so we need to take into account that women were indeed present for these events. The book “Women in the Acts of the Apostles” by Ivoni Richter says that this kind of androcentric language “functions in the Bible the same way as it does today…it mentioned women only when women’s behavior presented a problem or when women were exceptional individuals.” It would be hard to imagine that women were not a very integral part of the first Christian Community. Regina Petrunich is a member of St. Stanislaus Cathedral, Scranton, PA. She graduated from St. Stanislaus Elementary School and Scranton Preparatory School and is currently a junior studying for her B.A. in Strategic Communication at the University of Scranton.

‘It will come to pass in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy. And I will work wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below: blood, fire, and a cloud of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and splendid day of the Lord, and it shall be that everyone shall be saved who calls on the name of the Lord.’ (Acts 2:17-21)

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The Church v. The US Constitution by Rachel Quirbach In April I had the honor of representing the State of New Hampshire at the National We the People Competition in Washington, DC. We the People is a class in which students learn about the U.S. Constitution and how it relates to historical and modern-day situations. As part of my two “units,” I had to answer questions relating to the Civil War, President Lincoln, habeas corpus, positive and negative rights, equal protection and equal opportunity, privacy, and religion. And with that last subject that I studied, I will now attempt to make a connection between our Church and our nation’s history. “Separation of church and state” is a phrase that many of us have heard of in the legal and political world. But how separated are religious beliefs and the beliefs of our founding fathers? If we take a close look at history, we see that the two are not quite as separated as it may seem. Shortly after being elected as the first President of the United States, George Washington had the First Congress blessed. This happened on October 3, 1789 at Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation. In this speech, he said: “[W]e may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions — to enable us all . . . to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually . . . discreetly and faithfully,” Washington, like many of our founding fathers, was extremely religious and managed to bring our nation together under God. Similarly, President Lincoln weaved his religious beliefs into his Second Inaugural Address on March 4, 1965. In this speech (which is engraved on a wall in the Lincoln Memorial), Lincoln made the argument that slaveholders and abolitionists alike believed in the same God. He could not understand how such religious men were willing to kill their own brothers to determine if a race was to be in chains or

free on our nation’s soil, expressing that: “Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully.” I found this portion of Lincoln’s speech to be especially insightful and moving. It is truly inspiring that our nation’s most influential president displayed such strong faith in God. Today, the First Amendment’s establishment clause and free exercise clause are at the center of some heated debates. The balance between our right to act on our religious beliefs and the government’s responsibility to protect the entire spectrum of citizens is a delicate one indeed. A huge issue currently being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court is the Affordable Care Act as it pertains to religious organizations and companies. In Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby, the Court will decide if companies founded on religious principles will be required to provide their employees with healthcare which includes contraceptives and abortion costs. The decision on this case is one that I personally look forward to within the next month. As you can see, our nation’s history is rich with religious beliefs. Our nation’s leaders have been guided by God to help our nation endure its hardships and to celebrate its prosperity. Today, the protection of our religious beliefs may be changing slightly, from expression in schools with the Pledge of Allegiance cases to the Affordable Care Act cases. However, even with all of the confusion about the “separation of church and state,” we can observe our nation’s connection with God as we simply stroll around our nation’s wonderful capital. Rachel Quirbach is Secretary and Eastern Diocese Representative, NUYA and a member of St. Casimir’s Parish, Lowell, MA

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Additional information and registration forms can be obtained at: http://westerndiocesepncc.org/wdyouth_page.htm

Convo 2014 Officers Grace Urban, Secretary; Lauren Bilinski, President; Hannah Bilinski, Vice President; Jakub Nowak, Treasurer

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Buffalo-Pittsburgh Diocese

Palm Sunday Celebrations Holy Family Parish, McKeesport, PA Palm Sunday is always a joyful event at Holy Family Parish in McKeesport, PA — from the Liturgy of the Palm Branch Blessings with procession and Holy Mass, to the annual Palm Sunday breakfast and Easter Bunny visit in the parish hall, to the Easter egg hunt on the parish grounds. This year special acknowledgements go out to Wendy Blotzer, parish organist; Carol Davelli, interim choral director; the Chopin Choir and Annunciation Bell Choir who inspired the parish

with their music selections during the Palm Sunday Liturgy. Sadly missed was Dr. Donald Mushalko, Parish choir director, who was hospitalized. Words of thanks to Rose Mary Pociask and Karen Bongiorni for coordinating the annual Palm Sunday Breakfast. Added thanks to Karen for decorating the Church for Palm Sunday and to Angie Jobes and Patty Bagshaw who coordinated the annual Easter egg hunt as well as to Matt Kijowski who was our Easter Bunny. Submitted by Rev. Bruce Sleczkowski

Rev. Bruce Sleczkowski, Pastor, blesses the palms.

The faithful process with the blessed palms.

The Easter Bunny paid a visit during breakfast.

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Graduation and 50th Wedding Anniversary Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish, Mt. Pleasant, PA For the Yanuck Family, Saturday, April 26th was a busy day. Two celebrations took place. The first celebration was the graduation of Jeff Yanuck with a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, PA. Jeff is employed at Concurrent Technologies Corporation of Pittsburgh, PA. and serves as an acolyte in the parish with his sister, Kristen. He sits on the parish board with his grandfather and father.

Jeff and Kristen Yanuck

After the graduation ceremony, the family hurried to Transfiguration of our Lord Parish to celebrate the 50th Anniversary blessing of Stanley and Barbara Yanuck. The parish family extends their best wishes to Jeff and to Stanley and Barbara Yanuck on their special days. Submitted by Rev. Bruce Sleczkowski

Stanley & Barbara Yanuck renew vows before Fr. Bruce and parish

The Yanuck Family; Jubilarians Stanley & Barbara Yanuck surrounded by son Dave and wife Lori Yanuck and grandchildren Jeff and Kristen Yanuck with Father Bruce Sleczkowski

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Central Diocese

Katyn National Memorial 2014 Ceremony Baltimore, MD Here in Baltimore we are very honored to be the home of the Katyn National Memorial, built in 2000 to memorialize the 20,000+ Polish troops and intelligentsia brutally murdered by Soviet troops in 1939-1940. For a half-century the murders were blamed on Nazi Germany by the Soviets and they did not begin to acknowledge the truth of their own guilt until 1989.

During this year's ceremony in March, our pastor, Father Andrzej "Andrew" Bieganowski, was given the honor of both opening and ending the hour-long ceremony with a prayer. As he does every year, Father spoke eloquently and made very proud the parishioners of Holy Cross, located in the nearby Fells Point neighborhood just to the east of the memorial.

On November 19, 2000 the National Katyn Memorial was officially dedicated in our city and each year there is a poignant remembrance service held to pay our respects to those who were killed in the massacre. A variety of local and national dignitaries typically attend, including representatives from the Polish Embassy in Washington, DC.

The National Katyn Memorial is Baltimore's largest statue and includes in its foundation ground excavated from the Katyn Forest. For those visiting the city, it is well-worth the visit, as is our beautiful parish at nearby 208 South Broadway, where you are warmly welcomed. Submitted by parishioner Tom Flynn, Freelance Journalist

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Eastern Diocese

April Happenings St. Joseph’s, Westfield, MA Greetings from St. Joseph's Church in Westfield, MA. April began with the continuation of Friday evening Stations of the Cross followed by Lenten dinners in our social center. The two most popular dinners were held: a Polish dinner night with cheese pierogi made by the hard-working parish committee members and the baked fish dinner attended by over

120 people. Thanks to all who helped with the six dinners and those who came and enjoyed the dinners. Palm Sunday arrived and the SOCL held the annual Easter egg hunt. The Easter Bunny made a special appearance. The highlight of the month was Easter Mass where we all realize how important this time of year is and are in awe of the resurrection of Christ! Submitted by Kelly Burek

SOCL Children and Friends Pose for a Photo with the Easter Bunny.

Fr. Sr. Joe Soltysiak shakes the Easter Bunny’s paw.

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St. Valentine’s Parish Events Northampton, MA Zapusty On March 4, 2014, the eve of Ash Wednesday, our annual Zapusty celebration took place in our parish hall. Zapusty is a celebration similar to “Mardi Gras.” Fifty people from Northampton, Hadley, Hatfield, Turners Falls, South Deerfield and Greenfield attended this fun event. It was an evening of lots of merriment, great food, dancing, singing and fellowship. The potluck menu included paczki, chrusciki, kielbasa, chicken, homemade pastries and much more. Thank you to everyone who prepared and bought the delicious food. Eddie Jablonski, DJ, played polkas and obereks for our dancing pleasure. In addition, Fr. Adam provided song sheets with Polish party songs which were sung by all. Everyone had a wonderful time and we are looking forward to next year’s celebration.

Everyone enjoyed the dance music during the Zapusty.

Spaghetti Dinner On Saturday, March 15, 2014 at 5 p.m. our annual spaghetti dinner was held in the parish hall. The menu consisted of the traditional meat sauce, meatless sauce, meatballs, garlic bread and fresh garden salad with a choice of dressings. Two raffles were held with many wonderful prizes. The many in attendance enjoyed a nice evening of Italian fare and fellowship.

Delicious Italian fare was served in March.

Spring Concert On Sunday, April 13th our parish hosted its second annual Spring Concert featuring the very talented Lisa Woods, Mezzo-Soprano; Jerry Noble, Piano Accompanist; and special guest, Gabriella Toliaferro, Soprano. Lisa is a soloist in opera, oratorio and recital with hundreds of performances to her credit. Jerry is the staff accompanist at Smith College. Gabriella, a Freshman at Granby High School, is a regular performing member of the Springfield Massachusetts Chapter of the Tuesday Morning Music Club’s Junior Extension Program and she studies voice with Soprano, Teri LaFleur. Jerry Noble, Gabriella Toliaferro and Lisa Woods

Our church was filled with many members of the local community and beyond. The spectacular program consisted of selections from opera, Broadway and The Great American Songbook. The first half of the concert included “Che farò senza Euridice,” “Sorry Her Lot” and “Spring Wind.” The second half included “There’s no Business Like Show Business,” “I Got Rhythm,” “The Sound of Music” and many more. It was an awesome concert! Lisa, Jerry and friends perform regularly Submitted by Krysia Newman in our church --- watch for the next concert – it will surely be an enjoyable event .

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Western Diocese Mass of Chrism Chicago, IL The Mass of Chrism was held on Holy Tuesday, April 15, 2014 at All Saints Cathedral Parish in Chicago, Illinois. Approximately 40 people, both clergy and laity, from throughout the Western Diocese gathered for this inspirational liturgy.

Clergy gathering around the table of our Lord

First row: Deacon Nazario Salas-Garcia, Very Rev. John Kraus, Rt. Rev. Stanley Bilinski, Very Rev. Jaroslaw Nowak, Deacon David Rowinski. Second row: Rev. Bogumil Czaja, Rev. John Cramer, Rev. Jose Rojas, Rev. Antulio Arael Alvado-Alvarez Third row: Rev. John Kowalczyk, Rev. Jason Soltysiak, Rev. Charles Zawistowski, Rev. Raymond Drada, Rev. Adam Wsul, Rev. Jaroslaw Rafalko & Rev. Frank Rowinski

Behold the Holy Chrism!

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Easter at All Saints Cathedral Parish Chicago, IL Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!

Bishop Bilinski in the Easter Resurrection Procession

At the foot of the altar: Michael, Nicholas, Joey , James, Thaeddeus & Mr. Marty

Bishop Bilinski and acolytes Doug Scott and Myles Urban join their voices in song and praise.

The SOCL children with special visitor, the Easter Bunny

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Our Savior Participates in National Day of Prayer Dearborn Heights, MI

Participants in the National Day of Prayer

At 12:10 PM on May 1, 2014 the cities of Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, MI sponsored a National Day of Prayer Service hosted by the Dearborn Area Interfaith Network (DAIN) at the Dearborn City Hall. In his opening remarks, Mayor John O’Reilly of Dearborn outlined the history of the National Day of Prayer in the city. In the past, an organization of evangelical Christians held an event which excluded most other Christian and all Jewish and Muslim people of faith. This is the first time that the Dearborn area had a fully inclusive National Day of Prayer event. Also speaking was Mayor Dan Paletko of Dearborn Heights. Leading the prayers were members of the Dearborn Police and Fire Departments and Administrators of the Dearborn Public Schools. The closing prayer, a 3-part prayer reflecting Jewish, Christian and Muslim prayer styles, was given by Pastor Deborah Satterwhite of St.John’s AME Zion Church, Rev. Mike Ewert of the Dearborn Free Methodist Church and Imam Eliahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom.

The event was organized by a sub-committee of the Dearborn Area Interfaith Network which included the Pastor of Our Savior, Rev. John Cramer. Other members were Rev. Mike Ewert, Lila Amen of the Islamic Center of America and Dearborn Public Schools, Rev. Tracey Huffman of the First United Methodist Church of Dearborn and Imam Eliahi. Included in the attendance of the crowd were Our Savior Parishioners Eugene Krysztof, Deacon Candidate Richard Kasprzak and Nan Cramer. This event was a way to show how, in communities as diverse as Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, MI, every person of faith can come together and pray as one as a community. We thank all of those who organized and participated in this event. Our Savior participated in this as part of their Mission and Evangelization movement to introduce more and more people to the Polish National Catholic Church in Southeastern Michigan. Submitted by Rev. John Cramer. Photos by Nan Cramer

Imam Mohammed Eliahi, Rev. Mike Ewert and Rev. John Cramer of Our Savior P.N.C.C.

Volume 92, Issue No. 5

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God’s Field — May 2014

Email Addresses for the P.N.C.C. Offices

God’s Field — Rola Boża Publication Information

The email addresses for the staff of National Church Center and God’s Field are:

the

Prime Bishop Anthony Mikovsky [email protected] Secretary to Prime Bishop — Julie Orzell [email protected] P.N.C.C. Treasurer — Joan Scheuneman [email protected] God’s Field - Rola Boża Editor — Julie Orzell [email protected] Questions or concerns? Call us at 570-346-9131 or 570-346-2125.

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. Email articles and photos to [email protected]. 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 18505-4109

God’s Field — Rola Boża Purchase Information Individual issues of God’s Field are available for purchase from the National Church Center for $2.00 each (pickup) or prepaid $3.85 each (shipped within the U.S.). Please contact [email protected] or 570.346.9131 to request a specific issue of a God’s Field or send a check or money order, payable to God’s Field to God’s Field Polish National Catholic Church 1006 Pittston Avenue Scranton, PA 18505-4109 Please note: Annual subscriptions from parishes and individuals are not being accepted at this time. Payments from parishes and individuals have not been collected since 2011.

Identification Statement The Official Publication of the Polish National Catholic Church, Polish-English, ROLA BOŻA (GOD’S FIELD) (ISSN 1046-5030), is published monthly by: Polish National Catholic Church 1006 Pittston Avenue Scranton, PA 18505-4109

Send address change to ROLA BOŻA (GOD’S FIELD), 1006 Pittston Avenue Scranton, PA 18505-4109 CONTROLLER: Most Rev. Anthony A. Mikovsky 1006 Pittston Avenue Scranton, PA 18505 Opinions expressed in various articles published in God’s Field do not necessarily reflect the doctrine of the P.N.C.C.