Deacon’s Blog

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Three communities open homes for tours

Western Pennsylvania was settled and built in a time of prosperity, with homes that offered a wealth of flavor and design.

From the historic mansions of Scottdale to the array of designs featured in both the Uniontown and Mt. Pleasant areas, holiday home tours have become a popular draw and this year all three communities will once again open a handful of lovely homes for tours.

…

Mt. Pleasant

Next in line for holiday home tours will be the Mt. Pleasant event, which is sponsored by the Mt. Pleasant Area Historical Society.

The tour will take place from 2 to 8 p.m. Dec. 13 and will feature four homes, one church and the Chestnut Log House.

Featured homes this year will include:

• A 200-year-old farm house that is located in Laurelville. The wonderful old home was once an area stagecoach stop.

• The “Yellow House” on Braddock Road Avenue, one of the area’s older homes, featuring an estate filled with unusual plants and trees.

• A Main Street home where visitors will be treated to an extensive collection of Santas.

• The recently purchased Church Street home of Janis and Monty Gamble, a Victorian style that they are looking forward to showcasing.

“They asked us and I said that I’d be honored,” Janis Gamble said. “I love people and I’m very excited.”

• The Transfiguration of Our Lord, Polish National Catholic Church on Bridgeport Street.

• The Chestnut Log House on Washington Street, along with the Senior Citizens Center that sits adjacent to the home. A raffle featuring many gift baskets will be held at the center.

The tour is self-guided and self-paced and all participating properties will be clearly marked.

Tickets for the event will be $15 and can be purchased at Coke’s Barber Shop, the tax office located in the Borough Building, the Chamber of Commerce offices and also the Historical society offices.

The historical societies of Scottdale and Mt. Pleasant are having a friendly challenge this holiday season, and each are collecting sets of twin sheets to be donated to Christian Layman Society of Greensburg to benefit area children. Ask for details when purchasing tickets.

…

All three tours will take place snow or shine.

PNCC Culture, History, Pennsylvania

Photos from a Holy Mass for the intention of the Fatherland at the Basilica of the Holy Cross, Warsaw, Poland, on the 90th anniversary of Polish independence - November 11, 2008. Photos are by Leszek Szymański/PAP and were originally posted at Interia.

Poland - Polish - Polonia History

(A World War I veteran at work)

Prayer of a Soldier in France
Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918),

My shoulders ache beneath my pack
(Lie easier, Cross, upon His back).
I march with feet that burn and smart
(Tread, Holy Feet, upon my heart).

Men shout at me who may not speak
(They scourged Thy back and smote Thy cheek).

I may not lift a hand to clear
My eyes of salty drops that sear.

(Then shall my fickle soul forget
Thy Agony of Bloody Sweat?)

My rifle hand is stiff and numb
(From Thy pierced palm red rivers come).

Lord, Thou didst suffer more for me
Than all the hosts of land and sea.

So let me render back again
This millionth of Thy gift. Amen.

Christian Witness, Perspective, Poland - Polish - Polonia History, Poetry, Prayer

Kevin Olsen, a chemist on the staff of Montclair State University and a member of Holy Cross PNCC in West Paterson, New Jersey has authored a book on the maritime history of New Jersey’s bays and rivers. A Great Conveniency - A Maritime History of the Passaic River, Hackensack River, and Newark Bay describes the roles these waterways played in the development of riverfront towns. Covering the history of the area from the earliest European explorers, through the boom in growth at the Port of Newark, and current challenges in river revitalization, the book is a ode to and exploration of man’s relationship with the waterways that service, help, and entertain him.

PNCC Books, Culture, History, New Jersey

From the Republican Herald: Tours give glimpse of Frackville churches

FRACKVILLE — Thanks to the efforts of the Frackville Historical Society, those who took part in the Frackville Church Tour on Sunday had a chance to learn about various churches’ doctrines, architecture and the history of the people who built them.

“We thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for the people of the town to see the beautiful, rich history of these religious buildings in Frackville, where people have worshipped for generations and generations,” said Diane M. Berkheiser, president of the historical society.”

“Also, with the rumors of some of the churches closing, we thought it was important to do it this year,” she said.

Participants of the tour first picked up maps at Frackville Borough Hall. They could then visit the churches at their leisure and return to the hall for refreshments and conversation.

…

The golden spires of both St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church and Holy Ascension Russian Orthodox Church indicate they both might come from the Byzantine Catholic tradition. Both share some of the same architectural features with richly symbolic paintings on the altar and stained-glass windows; however, St. Michael follows the Roman Catholic Pope and Holy Ascention [sic] does not.

While telling of the determination of early Frackville residents, the Rev. Archpriest John M. Fields, pastor of St. Michael, drew visitors’ attention to a brown thee-barred Eastern metal crucifix prominently displayed near the altar. Fields said he discovered the cross in storage in 2004 when he first arrived to serve the parish.

“This is an important historical object that should not be hidden away … If you see any of old photos of the church or any activities, this cross is in the photo. It is the cross that was used in the dedication of our church in 1921,” he said.

Other churches on the tour were St. John the Baptist Polish National Catholic Church and St. Peter’s United Church of Christ.

Some of the folks I knew back in my Buffalo days do this on Buffalo’s East Side both on Holy Thursday and at other times of the year. I also know that this has been recreated in other immigrant cities like Hamtramck, sometimes tying it in with the Holy Thursday visitation of seven churches.

History and cultural awareness are more than textbook issues, they are the components upon which our lives have been built. I applaud these efforts. Get out there and see the neighborhoods and churches. Find inspiration so that we can reclaim, at least in part, the culture of neighborhood and community. If you are a pastor or parish committee, get your parish on the tour. What better audience then people who are there because they are interested in matters of faith and how faith is represented.

Poland - Polish - Polonia community, Culture, History, YouTube

Also from Miguel José Ernst-Sandoval at Philadelphia Roamin’ Catholic: The Decline of the German National Parish.

It is a testament to the multi-cultural history of these United States that there are national parishes in many of the American dioceses. National parishes serve the spiritual needs of any ethnic group not belonging to the local culture or speaking the local language. Of course there are many national parishes in Rome for the multitudes of pilgrims, but there is also a multitude of them in North America due to the many waves of immigrants that sailed to our shores. Wikipedia defines a national parish as such:

National parishes are Catholic parishes that serve particular ethnic communities. They are distinguished from the other type of parish, the territorial parish, which serve a geographic area of a diocese. National parishes have existed in North America since the late eighteenth century, when they were established to meet the needs of immigrants not speaking the language of the majority population. The first national parish was Holy Trinity German National Parish founded in 1788 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the eastern United States the territorial parish is where the Irish-American, and the small number of English (or Anglo-) American, Catholics worship. In California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, and Louisiana, the territorial parish is often Spanish-American, Mexican-American or French Cajun. The first national parish in the United States, however, served the many German immigrants coming to Pennsylvania…

Not to be confused with National Catholic parishes, i.e., PNCC parishes, the article presents an illustrated history of the parishes built by German Roman Catholics. It also provides a glimmer of hope for the future of these magnificent edifices in light of the proliferation of church closings.

As I noted on my post Reflections on national, cultural, and religious identity, Bishop Hodur taught that each person, nation, and culture has specific gifts and insights which add to the totality of the Christian experience. In part this article supports that, for instance in pointing to the contributions of German Catholics in the areas of music and architecture. This is not a bygone philosophy, but a philosophy that supports the gifts of God that exist within every person, nation, and culture. The National Catholic movement embraces that idea - in its democratic component, in its life. The Church supports each man and woman in expressing their gifts, supports each culture in offering its gifts - all for the building up of God’s Kingdom.

Those efforts, imperfect though they may be, look to the totality of the human experience and our encounter with Emmanuel, God with us.

PNCC, Perspective Culture, History

From Dr. Hostel: Krakow Tourist Information Guide.

Krakow is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland, Situated on the Vistula river in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. It was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1596, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Krakow from 1846 to 1918, and the capital of Krakow Voivodeship from the 14th century to 1999. It is now the capital of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship.

Krakow has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish scientific, cultural and artistic life. As the former national capital with a history encompassing more than a thousand years, the city remains the spiritual heart of Poland. It is a major attraction for local and international tourists, attracting seven million visitors annually…

An excellent overview and travelogue for anyone planning a trip to Kraków or for anyone interested in Polish history and culture. All of their guides are well put together and avoid chauvinistic effusiveness. They give a clear introduction to various destinations.

In addition to Krakow site also covers Zakopane, Gdansk, Łódz, Poznań, Toruń, Warsawa, and Wrocław.

Check it out.

Poland - Polish - Polonia Culture, History, Travel

From DuluthCommunityNews: Left out in the cold: The story of Polish Catholics in Duluth.

An interesting article that provides a historic overview of the emergence of the PNCC in Duluth. The piece was produced by the Duluth Community News, a project run by journalism students at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Their project tells the stories of Duluth neighborhoods, exploring different communities and issues throughout the city of Duluth.

PNCC, Poland - Polish - Polonia Culture, History

Via Poland in the Rockies, Wanda Koscia’s film, Battle for Warsaw will be shown in the following locations starting October 19th:

• Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 19, 2:30pm, Mississauga Central Library, Noel Ryan Auditorium, 301 Burnhamthorpe Road
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 20, 6:30pm, University of Toronto, Emmanuel College, 75 Queen’s Park Crescent, Room 001
• Chicago, October 22, 7:00pm, The Chopin Theater, 1543 W Division St., Chicago, IL 60642
• Montreal, Quebec, Canada, October 26, 2:00pm, De Sève Cinema, Concordia University, 1400 de Maisonneuve West

Born in London of Polish parents, Wanda Koscia is a Producer/Director specializing in history and current affairs for the BBC. For over two decades she worked extensively across the former Soviet bloc on a number of major television series, including: The Struggles for Poland (1985), The Other Europe (1988), The Hand of Stalin. Leningrad (1989), The Walls Came Tumbling Down (1990), Death of Yugoslavia (1995), Tourists of the Revolution (1998). Other credits include Intelligence to Please part of Discovery series Why Intelligence Fails (2004) and several years on the BBC flagship history program, Timewatch. Also at the BBC she made over three hours of documentary films to accompany Dunkirk, a major factual drama. Her interviews were then made into an award winning documentary: The Soldiers Story. In 2005 she made a film about the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 (featuring an interview with her own mother who was a participant aged 16). The Battle of Warsaw was shown on Discovery Europe and the BBC. In the mid 1980s, Wanda spent a year at Radio Free Europe working in the Research Department’s Underground Publications Unit. During the 1980s she was active in the Solidarity support group in London.

Poland - Polish - Polonia Announcements, Film, History

This article: Diocese’s recommended consolidations reflect move away from ethnic parishes, which appeared in The Citizens Voice was such a propaganda piece that I just had to comment.

The article attempts to give a history of Roman Catholic parishes in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania:

More than a century ago, a congregation of people of German heritage decided to start St. Boniface Parish in Wilkes-Barre. Parishioners previously had to travel down to the German parish, St. Nicholas on Washington Street, or go to one of the territorial parishes for Mass and school.

“Children had to cross railroad tracks to get to school; it was dangerous,” Brother DePorres Stilp said. “So they tried to make a new church here in the neighborhood.”

Stilp’s grandfather was one of the founding members, and for years the parish, which celebrated Mass in German and English¹, was a center for the German Catholic community in the area.

Many of the national parishes in Luzerne County that are historically attended by people and practice traditions from one ethnic background grew up in this manner, according to the Rev. Hugh McGroarty, senior priest at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Pittston.

Fair enough. Then the article goes on to say:

The first immigrants to the area were mostly Irish, and they built Catholic parishes. However, when immigrants from other areas of Europe came, many lived in the same communities and wanted to worship with people who spoke their languages and shared their culture…

Are they saying that Irish = Catholic? That sets the tone for this:

So the Catholic Church gave many of these groups of immigrants national parishes, and made the parishes built by the Irish territorial so anyone in the area could attend.

“There’s no Irish church,” McGroarty said. “There was one church in the area, and so the Polish made their own. And the Slovaks came in, and so on. The other church, which they called Irish, was for everyone.”

The problem of course was that the area church was Irish - right Fr. McGroarty. You had to fit in or get out. They didn’t want the Poles, or Slovaks, or Ukrainians, or Italians. You wore green, spoke English, and worshiped St. Patrick like a good “Catholic” or you got out.

I like the way he implies that these other nationalities were “given” parishes while the Irish parish was the Catholic one. Does that mean that the Poles, etc. had a slightly less than Catholic parish, and the the only truly Catholic parish was the Irish one? Is that because Irish = universal?

What a bad retelling of history. These industrial and mining towns didn’t have homogeneous R.C. parishes. You either fit with the crowd in the Irish parish or you did not. The Poles wouldn’t give in, and wouldn’t turn their assets over the the local [Irish] R.C. bishop as demanded of them (no one was “given” a church) thus in part the genesis for the PNCC.

Later in the article Fr. McGroarty says:

Many parishes held on to their roots, but, McGroarty said, there aren’t nearly as many traditions and ethnic bonds as in the past.

“There isn’t that much,” he said. “The tradition is with the old people.”

I guess you ought to cancel the St. Patrick’s Day parade Father, and dump the corn beef and cabbage down the Susquehanna — it’s only for the old folks anyway. Tradition is only for the old? Kind of like the all that funny old Catholic stuff like devotions, the Traditional form of the Holy Mass, etc.? Sorry Father but those are all things the PNCC hasn’t had to rediscover (à la Benedict XVI) because we retained them - because we listened to the people. The Church’s Tradition is universal, consistent, and is for all people.

PNCC, Perspective, Poland - Polish - Polonia Culture, Democratic Church, Ethnicity, History