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Day: June 11, 2010

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Poland - Polish - Polonia

An account of the Siberian exile

Roma King recently read from her book, Footsteps in the Snow at Village Books in Pacific Palisades, California.

Footsteps in the Snow was written in memory of Roma King’s father, Romuald “Rom” Michniewicz. It is a love story and the true account of Rom’s amazing quest to find his wife and daughter, and their daring and dangerous journey to escape from Siberia.

As the Russian army swept into Poland during the early months of the Second World War, many Polish families were forcibly relocated to distant parts of Siberia in order to make way for resettlement of Polish lands by Russian nationals, and also to provide manual labor for the kolkhozy (collective farms). Her mother, grandparents, and she were among the hundreds of thousands of Poles who were torn from their homes and transported to Siberia with little hope of ever again seeing their families or native land.

Rom survives imprisonment by the Russians only to find that his family were among those who had disappeared. He devises an ingenious plan to find them and risks it all, undertaking a perilous journey across Siberia, to rescue his wife and child.

Christian Witness, PNCC, , , ,

Valuing children with autism in worship

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: More congregations structure services for children with autism

Some great insights and a shout out to All Saints PNCC in Carnegie, PA.

May 23–Children ran happily up the aisle of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Peters, oblivious to the pastors and teachers who greeted them. The adults weren’t offended, though — they recognized the inability of those on the autism spectrum to recognize social cues.

They had come for Joyful Noise, a service held at 1 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month and designed for families in which someone has autism. The service is short and structured, with traditional prayers and opportunities to play rhythm instruments. No one minds if someone squeals during prayer or walks away during a sermon delivered by animal puppets.

“Our goal is to give them the message that Jesus loves you, and make church a comfortable, welcoming place,” said the Rev. Ann Schmid, senior pastor of Our Redeemer, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

From Joyful Noise to efforts to help synagogues integrate autistic students into Hebrew School, Pittsburgh is home to pioneering efforts at religious outreach to those on the autism spectrum. A Catholic religious-education program developed at one South Hills parish has become a national model.

“Everybody has the right to be part of our faith. We have a responsibility to include everyone,” said Deacon Larry Sutton, a psychologist and manager of the state Bureau of Autism for Western Pennsylvania, who developed the catechism program at Our Lady of Grace in Scott.

People with autism range from those who can’t speak to brilliant, articulate people who are devoid of social skills and obsessed with certain topics. What they have in common, Deacon Sutton said, is difficulty in processing information, sensory stimulation and social cues.

“All that I learned about welcoming children with autism into the congregation, I initially learned from the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh,” said former Pennsylvania first lady Ginny Thornburgh, director of the Interfaith Initiative at the American Association of People with Disabilities in Washington, D.C.

Diocesan advocates taught her to bring those with autism into the worship space when it’s empty, to prepare them for a future service. The diocese published a picture book, “We Go to Mass,” to guide them through worship. Ms. Thornburgh encourages Muslims, Hindus and others to make similar books

She tells all of them that people with autism bring gifts, and should be welcomed as musicians, office helpers and other types of volunteers.

“I gave a speech once and a woman on the autism spectrum said to me, ‘I don’t want to be welcomed. I want to be valued,’ ” Ms. Thornburgh said.

The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh developed a “Best Practices Guide for Including Students with Disabilities,” with a section on autism, and sent it to every parish. Its many recommendations include constructive ways to respond quickly to potentially disruptive behavior.

It takes only one bad experience to drive a family away.

When Tina Brown moved to Scott four years ago with her autistic son, John, then 4, they attended one Mass at nearby SS. Simon & Jude. The loud music made John cry, so she took him to a vestibule. A priest who spoke to them there “told us I should look elsewhere for another parish,” she said.

Four generations of her extended family now attend All Saints Polish National Catholic Church in Carnegie, where she said the priest told them, “If people can’t handle children crying, they don’t belong in my church…”

…

Elliot Frank, chairman of the Advisory Board on Autism and Related Disorders, is always surprised when he hears of difficulties at worship. He believes that some parents are unnecessarily embarrassed by behavior that others are willing to accept.

His son, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, received individualized instruction at Temple Ohav Shalom in McCandless. At 13 he had a normal Bar Mitzvah, where the only sign of his disability was what he said in his Bar Mitzvah speech.

“He talked about how with autism he had to work to communicate with people, and Moses had to work to communicate with God. So he made a connection between himself and Moses,” Mr. Frank said.

Rabbi Art Donsky said Temple Ohav Shalom’s previous director of lifelong learning sought assistance from the Agency for Jewish Learning in Squirrel Hill, which offers advocacy and training to help synagogues serve students with special needs. Ohav Shalom also tied into “wrap-around” programs from seven school districts that provide aides to help autistic students outside of school.

…

After class at Our Lady of Grace, Ms. Cicconi takes her sons into the empty church. They have tried to attend Mass from a “quiet room,” but once the music swells, Gus can’t tolerate it.

“At this point we are barely making it through the entrance hymn. We are making tiny, tiny steps. The point for me is to get them into a consistent habit of going to church on Sunday,” she said.

That was why she helped Our Redeemer to start Joyful Noise. Both boys attended the Lutheran church’s Noah’s Ark preschool, which has an 18-year history of welcoming children on the autism spectrum. The 30-minute service averages about 15 worshipers.

A church member made prayer shawls with weights in the hem because it calms some autistic children to be wrapped in something heavy. All have buttons or fringe that the children can twist.

Sheila and Gary Coquet of Peters attend with their sons Chase, 5, who has autism, and Grayson, 3, who doesn’t. They are grateful to worship without worrying what other people think of them.

Chase’s favorite song is “Puff the Magic Dragon.” One Sunday, in the middle of Joyful Noise, he began demanding to hear it.

“He was fixated on it and couldn’t get off of it,” his mother said. Instead of ignoring him or expecting his parents to silence him, music director Mary Helen Barr realized the nature of his obsession and played a verse of “Puff.” That allowed Chase to calm down and focus on the service.

“It’s so nice not to be embarrassed,” Mr. Coquet said.

Joyful Noise is timed so families can also attend their own churches. The bulletin invites participants to follow their own traditions, whether that means crossing themselves or praying with arms raised.

“We’re not doing this so more people become Lutheran,” said the Rev. Steven Broome, the associate pastor. “We’re doing it so people have a place that’s welcoming and safe.”

Homilies, PNCC, , ,

On the Sacrament of the Word

As you may know, the PNCC considers the hearing the the Word of God, and the preaching on it, to be a sacrament. Samuel Giere, Professor of Homiletics at the Wartburg Seminary writes on Preaching as Sacrament of the Word at WorkingPreacher, a project of the Luther Seminary.

Certainly there are a number of important vantages from which to view this question —“ biblical, theological, ecclesial, historical, liturgical, etc. What follows is a swipe at the question from the theological perspective with implications that can inform other perspectives on the whole. In addition, it may impact how we as preachers envisage what we do and what it is that happens Sunday after Sunday, sermon after sermon.

To help crack open the nut of this question, let us explore a few insights from Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1948). In his lectures on preaching, given at the Confessing Church seminary at Finkenwalde (1935-1937), Bonhoeffer rooted his homiletic in the incarnation of the Word. Furthermore, he emphasized the real presence of that same Word in the ordinary words of the preacher. In his own words:

The proclaimed word is the incarnate Christ himself. As little as the incarnation is the outward shape of God, just so little does the proclaimed word present the outward form of a reality; rather, it is the thing itself. The preached Christ is both the Historical One and the Present One… Therefore the proclaimed word is not a medium of expression for something else, something which lies behind it, but rather it is the Christ himself walking through his congregation as the Word…

The question, of course, remains: What is preaching? While not wrapped up neatly with a pretty bow, we can say with respect and confidence “that Christ enters the congregation through those words which [the preacher] proclaims from Scripture.”

A very good source of reference which supports the PNCC’s declaration on the sacramentality of the Word. It would also seem that the PNCC had this down before Bonhoeffer considered the question.

Also see Theology of Preaching by John McClure, Charles G. Finney Professor of Homiletics at the Vanderbilt Divinity School for some insights.

Theologies of preaching ask questions such as: What is God doing during the sermon? What is the nature of the Word of God in preaching? It is important for preachers to consider how to understand preaching as God’s Word.

Recently, the homiletic conversation about the theology of preaching has revolved around the type of theological imagination developed by the preacher. Mary Catherine Hilkert speaks of two basic forms of theological imagination in preaching: a dialectical imagination which locates God’s redemptive work more narrowly in the redemptive actions of God in and through Jesus Christ, and a sacramental imagination which locates God’s Word more widely within the whole of God’s creation…

WorkingPreacher has a lot of great resources on homiletics and some wonderful insights on the art of preaching.

Christian Witness, , ,

Memory eternal Metropolitan Schott

From the Pittsburgh Tribune: Byzantine archbishop preached unity

A Bishop who saw through divisions to underlying unity. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord.

Many of the people who knew Metropolitan Basil Schott say the trappings that come with heading the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh never diminished his desire to live the simple life of spirituality that drew him to ministry as a young man.

“He was a very humble, unpretentious man who overflowed with warmth and caring for people,” said the Rev. Donald Green, executive director of Christian Associates of Southwestern Pennsylvania. “Even when there were disagreements between us about how various churches viewed things, he always was quick to remind us that we are all brothers and sisters.”

Metropolitan Archbishop Basil Myron Schott died Thursday, June 10, 2010. He was 70. The archbishop was diagnosed with cancer last year, according to the Rev. Dennis Bogda, rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Munhall.

The archeparchy, which is the eastern church’s equivalent of a Roman Catholic archdiocese, is made up of about 58,500 members in 79 parishes across Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

…

Archbishop Schott was born in Freeland in Luzerne County, where he attended St. Mary Byzantine Catholic School. He graduated from St. Gabriel High School in Hazleton. He entered the Byzantine Franciscans Order in 1958 and made a profession of his religious vows a year later. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1965.

The archbishop earned bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and theology from Immaculate Conception College in Troy, N.Y., and master’s degrees in theology and pastoral counseling from St. Mary Seminary in Norwalk, Conn.

The Rev. Schott was ordained a bishop in July 1996 and appointed head of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma (Ohio). In May 2002 he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Pittsburgh by Pope John Paul II.

Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik described the archbishop as a “great and well-loved leader and a good friend not only to me personally, but to the entire Catholic community.”

“All that have been blessed to know him recognized the deep compassion of a Christ-like leader,” Zubik said. “He was always there as a gentle, supportive voice to all that make up our beautiful mosaic of faith — Christian, Jewish and Muslim — and to all of Pittsburgh,” Zubik said.

Green said the archbishop had a unique ability to promote ecumenism.

“He came out of a tradition that lived through all sorts of conflicts in Europe, including persecution during the communist era,” said Green, who visited and prayed with the archbishop on Monday at UPMC Passavant in McCandless. “Because his Christian tradition bridged both east and west, he was especially sensitive to the call for unity…”

Christian Witness, Perspective, PNCC

A student discusses faith in college

From the GW Hatchet: Andrew Pazdon on Being Catholic in college

A former PNCC member talks about his experiences and his faith journey. I wish him well and support his effort at understanding his faith. Of course I do not appreciate his uninformed view of the Church in which he was raised. His limited comments on the PNCC seem to come out of an early 1900’s Roman Catholic diatribe against the PNCC – calling it a sect, and referring to its being a part of the Old Catholic Churches of Utrecht (no longer true since they long left Catholicism and we left them). Perhaps, as a student of international affairs, he should better understand the beliefs of others before labeling them.

As his journey continues, perhaps his views will be softened, and he will not disparage the faith in which he was raised, likely the faith of his parents and grandparents. He may also come to understand that the distinctiveness of the R.C. Church lies solely in claims which are disputed throughout the rest of Catholicism (Orthodoxy, Oriental, and PNCC). It has never been about the R.C. Church’s understanding of Catholicism, to which we all subscribe, but its troubling papal and doctrinal claims. The troubles the R.C. Church is having find their roots in those claims.

My faith has been tested, yet strengthened by my time on campus

Growing up in the woods of New Hampshire, the thought never crossed my adolescent mind that fasting, constructing advent wreathes from moss and pine trees in my backyard, spending hours in Church, and various other Catholic customs (with a hearty dose of Polish folk customs) were not normal.

That didn’t mean I didn’t dread sitting through Mass every week. But now that dread is gone and, in the midst of my 20-something partying years, it’s very likely you will find me every Sunday at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle.

My faith and relationship with the Catholic Church have evolved, been tested and, in the end, been strengthened. Today, I am just as likely to tell people I am Catholic as I am a Polish-American from New Hampshire. I am proud of both my heritage and my faith.

I didn’t grow up in the Roman Catholic Church, but rather in a sect of the Old Catholic Church called the Polish National Catholic Church. Despite this, and now in a time during which Roman Catholic Church pews are being deserted, I have found a reawakening of my relationship with God.

Through much of high school I was, religiously, a lamb that had wandered astray from the herd. I challenged my childhood religion. I considered my options, including agnosticism, Islam and other Christian denominations. But I knew something was ultimately missing from my religious and spiritual life. It wasn’t until I actually left home and came to D.C. that my faith really felt reaffirmed.

I didn’t think my faith would be strengthened in college. When I thought of college, I thought Sunday morning was for nursing headaches, not for Mass. I do not know for certain what changed inside of me. But perhaps it was the everyday freedom that allows for sleeping in and drinking that allowed me to feel on my own, in a no-pressure venue, the comfort of faith. Yeah, I’d like to sleep in sometimes, but I feel better when I act on my faith instead.

I’ve even found I’m not the only GW student who gets up early on the weekend to spend some time with Jesus Christ. There are a number of fellow Catholics I have come across who are also deeply religious, yet manage to lead normal college lives filled with partying, college hook-ups and hours spent Facebook-stalking instead of deep in prayer.

I found that faith of any kind does not have to be forsaken in college, even in a bastion of liberalism and free thinking that is GW. If anything, being at GW and college in general has taught me that my faith doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I can be a Democrat and a Catholic. And I can party as hearty as anyone else and still be Catholic. I can lead a normal life, enjoying the pleasures the world has to offer, while simultaneously fulfilling a spiritual and religious yearning.

It’s not an easy time to be a Catholic. The strength of the church has been tested at the same time the strength of my faith has. Back home, the clergy abuse scandal is local and hard-hitting. Many of the early allegations, settlements and incarcerations happened in New England towns not far or different from mine. These unimaginably horrible actions caused many of my hometown friends and their families to vacate the church. I certainly don’t blame them. But as an original outsider who came back into the flock, I have looked past these heinous acts and missteps by the church to find comfort and joy.

This disease of abuse by clergy and the subsequent cover-ups has now spread to infect the church’s communicants all over the world. But this situation does not spell out the fall of the church. Rather, the church is now forced to seriously, unequivocally and firmly address structural problems. The current tenuous situation can become an opportunity for the church and its leaders to refocus on tending to the herd, so that everyone who wants to can find same comfort that I have found.

Life is full of ups and downs, but that is an integral part of the journey. My questioning of my own faith before and during college has helped to cement my commitment to it. I have faith too that my church will heal and many will once again heed the trumpet call.

Christian Witness, PNCC

Former PNCC member with a balanced view

From Abel Pharmboy: Congratulations to Chris Mooney on his Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellowship in Science & Religion

I’ve highlighted this writer’s work in at least one prior blog post. To me, the views he expresses represent a very balanced view of Christianity. I appreciate that he takes the time to express this view, which as he notes, is not popular in academia or the scientific community. This type of reasoning, in fact common sense, is something I’ve commonly encountered among current and former PNCC folk. Further, his views are what we as Christians encounter among those who either do not know the Church or have left. They are not against us, but may not fully understand some aspects, and may not know what to do with some of the hypocrisy and failings common among the people of the Church (we are after-all sinful). In terms of his understanding of PNCC views, he is off on the issue of abortion, and some of the other nuances of what makes the Church Catholic, but otherwise not bad.

By-the-way, I would happily encourage him and his family to attend next year’s YMSofR bowling tournament. We could use his talents.

Great news came across my RSS reader the other day that author and journalist, Chris Mooney, was among twelve journalists selected by the John Templeton Foundation for an intensive two-month fellowship on the relationship between science and religion. The Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellowships in Science & Religion provide financial support for scholars to study at their home institution and engage with US and European scholars at the University of Cambridge UK to “promote a deeper understanding and more informed public discussion of this complex and rapidly evolving area of inquiry.”

As one might suspect, the vast majority of the 239 comments at Chris’s blog post contain vitriol and bile that Chris would take such tainted money as that from the Templeton Foundation because the organization is partisan and this will forever constitute a conflict of interest, that Chris has formally left science, how dare he still call himself a journalist…blah-dee-blah.

As my colleague PhysioProf is wont to say: Bring out the fainting couch and some vapors.

I think all of us in the biomedical sciences know investigators who have taken funding from the tobacco industry before it was fashionable not to and very few of them have tied down friends and neighbors and forced them to smoke cigarettes.

And wait. How is it that 2% of the US population and 0.25% of the world population is Jewish yet 27% and 28% of Nobel laureates in Physiology/Medicine or Chemistry, respectively, are Jewish? Seems more consistent, although not causal, that a little religion helps your science.

I applaud Chris for devoting time to exploring science and religion with leading experts in the field. A journalist with another 40 or 50 years of writing ahead of him is wise to avail himself to all opportunities for inquiry and learning, especially on such a topic that is ubercontroversial to some and of obvious resonance to others.

My family and I don’t belong to any organized religion but I was raised in a Protestant-like offshoot of the Roman Catholic Church called The Polish National Catholic Church (our priests could get married, have families, birth control was ok, abortion was ok but not encouraged). One of the most critical skills I learned in the Polish church was how to bowl, laying the foundation for my future glory as an undergrad when my team won the intramural bowling title during my senior year.

But spending a third of my life in the southern US has opened my eyes as to the role that religion plays in the lives of good people who are otherwise highly-critical thinkers. Understanding religious faith in my community has been important in helping to convince African-American men of the need for prostate cancer screening and women for breast cancer screening. I have dozens of students who have chosen to pursue careers in nursing or the laboratory sciences because they feel it is a service to their community that is consistent with their faith. And yes, they know how to conduct well-controlled experiments and think that my belief in a PCR fairy is ridiculous.

I don’t support the tax-exempt status for religious organizations with huge properties and hordes of vehicles nicer than those I drive but, like it or not, religion that is not at the extremes does serve the public good. Yes, at the extremes religious differences are at the heart of the 30 or so wars going on in the world right now. Religion is used by some to attack, devalue, or deny science. Mindless religious belief can lead to sloppy thinking in other areas of one’s life.

In many cases, religion is a threat to science. Religion is often used as a shield for racism and other discriminatory behaviors. I hate this part of religion. I see it here in the southern US. It is ugly. I’m even mystified how the faith that sustained the ancestors of some of my colleagues through slavery is now used to justify discrimination against my other colleagues who are gay and lesbian. These are problems – a big problems that we must fight.

But in other cases, religion drives people to become excellent scientists and live meaningful lives of service, generosity, and altruism. Yes, one doesn’t have to be religious to live this way. But why is that? Why can some great scientists also be religious pillars of their respective communities?

So that is why I’m happy that Chris is doing this fellowship. He’s a great writer who recognizes the need for lifelong personal and professional development. I’ll be very interested to read his writing that comes out of this fellowship.

Congratulations, Chris, on being awarded this fellowship. Best of luck in your journey!

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

Upcoming Capital Region events

This weekend: 2010 Annual Armenian Festival at St. Peter’s Armenian Apostolic Church, 100 Troy-Schenectady Road, Watervliet, New York on Saturday, June 12, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 13, 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.

This year’s Festival will again be held for two days on the church grounds of St. Peter Armenian Church located on a majestic hilltop overlooking the city of Troy. Join our Saturday night Tavloo (Backgammon) Tournament: 4:30 P.M. $15 Registration Fee. Sunday afternoon free Armenian dance lessons will be offered. A local DJ will provide Armenian and Middle-Eastern music for dancing and listening enjoyment. Amusement rides as well as pony rides and games will be available for the children. Dinner & Ala Carte Menu (subject to change) including Kebab Medley Dinner: $15; Lamb Kebab Dinner: $13; Chicken Kebab Dinner: $11; Kid’s Meal: $5 (includes one hot dog, pilaf and tossed salad); Lahmejune: $3.00 each; Pilaf: $3.00 serving; and Cheese Beoreg: $3.00 serving.

The bakery will offer an array of Armenian pastries and homemade baked goods including paklava, cheoreg, simit, kadayif, boorma, kurabia as well as a variety of cookies, brownies, cakes and pies all sold at ala carte prices.

For more information, contact the St. Peter Church Office at (518) 274-3673.

At the Polish Community Center, 225 Washington Ave Ext, Albany NY

Friday, June 11: Polish-American buffet 4-8pm
Sunday, June 13: Jimmy Sturr Annual Polka Ball 3-7pm. Polish-American kitchen open as well as cash bar with variety of imported Polish beers!
Sunday, June 20: USA Ballroom Dance 6pm
Saturday, June 26: Mystery Dinner Theater 6pm

For more information, please contact the PCC at 518-456-3995.

Saturday, July 3, 2010: Bus trip to a Yankees Game! NY Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays. Leaving the PCC at 8:15 am, returning directly after the game (1:05 pm game time). Cost is $85 for PCC members, $90 for non-members. Price includes game ticket and round trip charter bus service. Seats in section 207 (main level). Contact Susan Matala at 518-355-7981 or by E-mail.

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