The Buffalo – Pittsburgh Diocese is hosting Convo 2024 with the Theme from 1 Corinthians 9:24 “Running the Race.” Convo 2024 will be held at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania from July 22nd through 26th.
You can find information and registration documents as well as other information below and at the Convo 2024 website.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower… Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.“
Welcome on this Solemnity of the Institution. We take a brief break from Lent yet continue in our Lenten theme – struggle. As I mentioned on Ash Wednesday, struggle is in the very motto of our Church.
We consider the stories of struggle engaged in by our forefathers and mothers. Through today’s stories of struggle, we realize that the struggle for righteousness in our lives is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in our Holy Church and in each of us. The Holy Spirit moves to guide and gifts us. Jesus walks with us as we continue in our holy journey toward victory.
In preparation, I reviewed news articles concerning the organization of our Holy Church.
Here, as in Scranton and other places the people wanted a Church where they had a say in the life and matters of the Church; where their voice mattered and where their dignity was protected. The people wanted a Church that was the society Jesus intended to establish, where their lives would be bound together in the one great mission of Christ and where we would be connected one to the other as a rule of life, not just for a Sunday occasion. We have such a Church.
We know our Church was organized on March 14, 1897. Even before that, a September 1896 news articles tells us that a third delegation went to their bishop so their ideas might be heard. They were told to wait. A protest took place subsequent because requests remained unheard (lay representation in parish management, and an end to verbal abuse from the pulpit by their pastor). They were castigated by their bishop, men and women were arrested. Their pastor excommunicated them.
June 1911 – a man shows up at an outdoor Women’s Societies meeting wearing a clown outfit mocking Bishop Hodur and blessing the women with a broom and a pail of dirty water. Other men join him and two woman and two men from the Church had their heads cut open by cobblestones. Bishop Hodur has stones thrown at him. Nineteen-year-old Helen Palinski and three other young women tell the Press. “We would die for him.”
The word Catholic could not be used because of threats. February 1912, lawsuits are used to prevent Bishop Hodur from conducting services. January 1916 George Greizor was shot and killed protecting the church in Dupont. One woman describes three men hanging across a fence dazed by club blows. November 1926, Bishops Hodur and Bonczak are attacked and beaten in Poland. May 1951 Bishop Padewski is martyred in Poland.
We have been pruned, and continue to be, so we might bear much fruit from the struggle and to the victory of the Kingdom in ourselves and in the world. Amen.
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy…
My homily on Christmas was centered on Paul’s letter to Titus, someone we do not encounter very much in the Church year (4 times at most). As I mentioned, Titus was the first Bishop of Crete, that small Mediterranean island that lies between Athens and Rhodes.
On Christmas we focused on the confidence Titus needed because he was charged with developing the Church in Crete, a place Paul had never visited.
As I also mentioned, there is a lot in Paul’s letter to Titus about Church organization, differing groups of people and their roles and responsibilities and how they are to grow in faith, but key to all of that was how the grace and love of God that appeared in Jesus Christ should cause us all to live and act, eager to do what is good.
Indeed, we are to live with the confidence of a people who have been redeemed, saved, delivered, and cleansed; a people belonging to God.
About 86 years before Paul wrote his letter to Titus, Jesus was born, and the first to encounter Him besides Mary and Joseph were the Humble Shepherds of the area.
Like all of us, those Humble Shepherds had not done anything to merit the announcement they heard. They hadn’t even bought a lottery ticket. They weren’t thinking – I’m in it to win it. Yet the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared to them.
God’s coming among us brought about real change and it is change that will last forever. It will last despite the world’s denial, despite any negative thing we could think of, and it will overcome for as Jeremiah proclaimed: I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. That is God’s promise and Jesus’ coming did that!
What can we take away from this encounter with those Humble Shepherds who were so highly blessed?
We can take an attitude of confidence because Jesus saved us despite ourselves. We can develop an active disposition – to get up, go, learn, then witness, and proclaim based on faith alone without any prompting, without fear. We can live as Jesus intends – in gladness and comfort knowing we are His. Come, let us go to the stable.
The Commission On History And Archives of the Polish National Catholic Church is pleased to announce the23rd Scholars’ Conference to be held April 18-19, 2024, in historic Scranton, Pennsylvania. A virtual opportunity will also be available.
Academic scholars, representing the social sciences, are invited to submit proposals for individual papers related/devoted to the Polish National Catholic Church, its associations, its outreaches, and various independent movements that preceded or are contemporaneous with the Church and related subjects. Selected papers will be presented and subsequently published in the PNCC Studies Journal. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2024.
Additionally, we are pleased to offer an alternative to formal paper presentations with the addition of poster presentations. Details on submission are listed below. Graduate student presenters will be eligible for a $500 stipend/scholarship and free meals.
And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
Once again, we take a break from Ordinary Time to focus on this special Solemnity only celebrated in our Holy Church, the Solemnity of the Christian Family.
While taking this break we, in a very special way, continue to study and commit ourselves to the work of following, witnessing to, and sharing Jesus as His family. That is the essence of family, to be together as one in Jesus.
It may seem strange in our day; families are often separated by time, distance, and priorities.
In this separation, we tend to get caught up in the minutia. Certainly, some things are important like work and school, but when it comes down to it, there are plenty of opportunities to come together and strengthen the family.
We see this when the happy and tragic moments confront us. Someone is in the hospital, a baby or wedding shower, the wedding or christening, a funeral. A flood comes and we need to help our family. At these times you will surely find someone saying: We ought to get together more often, let’s have a reunion, let’s stay in contact. But then… missed opportunities. Strengthening each other requires more than occasional time together.
We heard that people were amazed at Jesus’ understanding and answers. In the various gospels we hear this theme repeated:
Matthew 7:28: …the crowds were astonished. Matthew 22:33: …they were astonished at His teaching. Mark 1:22: The people were astonished at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority. Mark 11:18: …they looked for a way to kill Him. For they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.
This astonishment or amazement is rendered existanto in Greek. People were changed in encountering Jesus, they saw things in a new and previously unheard-of ways.
The same existanto is used for those times people met the first Christians. Those encounters changed their lives and relationships.
Things are different because we, the Christian family, get together to strengthen each other in Christ. Jesus understands our need and gives us this place and each other as strong family, both at home and in the wider Body of Christ, so to live differently because of Him and amaze those we meet.
‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’
Thank you for joining today as we continue our journey focused on listening to, obeying, and witnessing to Jesus.
Our Holy Church drives this listening, obeying, and witnessing home in very particular ways through special Solemnities celebrated throughout the year.
Today listening, obeying, and witnessing is stressed through our call to love. This Solemnity of Brotherly Love was instituted a long time ago, in 1923, when members of our Church were persecuted for their faith.
Yes, our people faced a hatred that resulted in beatings, firings from jobs, homes being foreclosed on, and even murder.
They, the Church, decided they would not respond in-kind, they would not fight back with fists and clubs, but would focus themselves on Jesus’ teaching on love toward all.
Was that the past? It seems many have not listened to Jesus: ‘Go and do likewise.’
Love is harder to find, hate is far easier to see. Sometimes alleged Christians are right up front in fermenting something quite different from Brotherly Love. Let’s use a real-life example. Perhaps you have seen Deuteronomy 28:43-44 quoted in social media: Aliens residing among you shall ascend above you higher and higher, while you shall descend lower and lower. They shall lend to you but you shall not lend to them; they shall be the head and you shall be the tail. Of course, we should fear immigrants.
This scripture was from the listing of curses against Israel if they were unfaithful to God’s law. Everything they would do would fail. They would lose their crops, children, and nation.
All this was set forth in a ceremony to be performed by the entire nation, so that they would understand the gravity of their choice whether to actually walk in the ways of God.
In the blessings and curses God warns in several places related to foreigners (see Exodus 22:21, and 23:9) and most particularly in Leviticus 19:33-34 “‘When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself.”
Brotherly love is a choice, an eternal choice. We must choose to stop for the stranger, to love all people totally, or face God’s consequences. What must I do? Love!
I am deeply saddened by the sudden and unexpected death of the beloved Bishop of the Western Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Church. On behalf of myself and my family we offer prayer for the repose of his soul and for Jesus’ comforting presence among all who grieve — his wife Leslie, the people of the Western Diocese, and all in our Holy Church.
Right Reverend Jaroslaw Rafalko, Bishop Ordinary of the Western Diocese, Polish National Catholic Church, Pastor of All Saints Cathedral Polish National Catholic Church. Beloved husband of 33 years to Leslie ‘Wieslawa’; cherished son of the late Wanda and Jan Rafalko; loving brother of Elzbieta (Jozef) Wasilewski and the late Janina (Stanislaw) Serwin; dearest uncle of Anna (Dominik) Dym, Artur (Cortney Johnson), Piotr (Wioletta) Gryko, Michal (Iwona) Gryko and Grzegorz (Beata) Gryko; great-uncle of Aleksander Dym, Damian Johnson Wasilewski and Piotr Gryko; dear son-in-law of Eugenia and the late Stefan Czaban; loved brother-in-law of Barbara Czaban and Alicja (Mikolaj) Gryko. Jaroslaw was ordained to priesthood, June 8, 1980 in Bialystok, Poland. Appointed Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish PNCC in Kewanee, IL in 1990. Appointed Administrative Senior of the Northcentral Seniorate of Western Diocese PNCC in August of 2016. Elected Bishop of the Western Diocese PNCC October 25, 2019. Consecration as Bishop at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Cathedral, Scranton, Pennsylvania on Sept. 14, 2020 and Installed as Bishop at All Saints Cathedral Parish in Chicago, IL on October 3, 2020. Lying in State, Sunday, July 23, 2023 from 3 to 7 p.m., Monday, July 24th from 2 to 8 p.m. with Holy Vespers celebrated at 7 p.m. and Tuesday, July 25th from 9 a.m. until time of Mass, 10:30 a.m., at All Saints Cathedral PNCC 9201 W. Higgins Ave., Chicago, IL 60631. Interment Private. In lieu of flowers, donations will be used to benefit a future scholarship in the Bishop’s name or a donation to the Youth Fund of the Polish National Catholic Church would be appreciated.
Eternal rest grant unto Thy servant O Lord and may the perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.
Wieczny odpoczynek racz im dać, Panie, a światłość wiekuista niechaj im świeci. Niech odpoczywają w pokoju. Amen.
Easter DIY. Do it yourself. Trendy Easter Eggs Composition. Egg name settings and happy easter message, drawn with pen. High Angle View Of Shells On Table. Pastel colors. Love Live Believe Wonder Hope
Lived Victory!
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
Thank you for joining today as we continue in our Easter joy. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
In our Epistle today we hear St. Peter speaking of our new birth, our living hope, and our inheritance that is eternal and indestructible. These words are wonderful, and they mark out how we are set apart.
Consider how last Sunday, on the Solemnity of the Resurrection, we saw Peter and John running to the tomb, encountering the victory of Jesus over death, and a bit confused. Remember that we heard the words: they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.
Now the tone has changed, there is confidence, a surety that this wonderful thing God accomplished was not just for Jesus, but for all of us. The disciples encounter with Jesus gave us a new perspective and a wonderful possession – eternal life that we celebrate today.
Our confidence does not come from mere speculation or wishful thinking. It does not come from the fantasy visions of some religious person. It comes from a lived encounter with the resurrected Jesus.
When Jesus entered the place where the disciples were He offered the simple statement: “Peace be with you.” He established that peace by offering His disciples and us confidence – that as His followers we have entered a new Kingdom reality.
The living Jesus, the victor over death left us something precious, the community of faith described in today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
We often speak of our Holy Church as the full expression of the Pristine Catholic faith.
The truth of that statement lies not just in the way we administer the Church, our democratic tradition (All who believed were together and had all things in common). It lies most importantly in the fact that we receive and live – really live – the teaching of the apostles, the communal life, the breaking of bread, and prayers.
Jesus did not want the disciples to go separate ways, to abandon hope or to doubt and have no confidence. So, He left us powerful grace for our assurance, a communal life centered on Him, and His abiding presence. That allows us to live the resurrected promise of Jesus with vigorous faith because we have nothing to fear, we have nothing to doubt.
Let us then embrace confidence and live the victory we possess in perpetual Easter joy knowing that we fully share in living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
“I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”
On this evening we celebrate the three great sacraments that Jesus left for us. They are Penance (the forgiveness of sins), the Holy Priesthood, and the Eucharist – His very body and blood.
Take a look around. To my left, your right, is the Altar of Repose. It is resplendent isn’t it – or at least as resplendent as our human abilities can muster.
Why?
I recall in my much younger days working in church alongside the Felician sisters as they decorated. The side altar decked out in white and gold, tons of lilies around it, very glorious.
I asked them, and probably my mom too, the very same question:
Why?
Let’s take a little detour to Christmas. It wasn’t that long ago. In the very same spot, we had the Szopka, a castle like structure similarly of gold and light. People ask me quite frequently:
Why?
You don’t really “get” the Szopka until you study it closely. If you look inside it, right in the center, is the poverty of the manger. That poverty is not hidden from us at all, yet it is surrounded by glory. Those who came to that poor manger on the night of Jesus’ birth understood the glory of God as well – they could perceive it despite the exigent circumstances.
The same tonight. We receive Jesus’ great gifts, and in a short time His body is taken and placed in the Altar of Repose. The why is exactly as in the Szopka. Jesus was pulled and dragged all around after His arrest. He was hurt and insulted, spat upon, and finally thrown into prison. This altar represents that prison in spite of its exigent circumstances.
Don’t misunderstand, prison for Jesus and in that day was not the Schenectady County Jail, nor even Attica or Sing-Sing. It was a pit, cold, damp, filled with human waste. It was crowded and Jesus likely stood all night in pain, His wounds becoming infected, His sacred head pounding from the blows. The jailers – masters of cruelty. they had their sport with Jesus too.
Yet!
Yet amid all this, as in the midst of the poverty of the manger, Jesus’ light shone. His glory was all around.
The glory of Jesus’ light constantly showed. It showed to the teachers in the Temple. It showed as He opened the eyes of the blind to see – both physically and metaphorically. It showed as He opened the ears of the deaf to hear. It showed in His feeding of the crowds. His light shone as led all in prison to freedom. It shines from the Altar and from the cross. People who encounter Jesus receive and perceive the light of His glory!
We, a people who were once in darkness now live in the light of Jesus’ glory. We who were once not a people at all are now bound together in the great family of Christ. In that dark and hopeless place where Jesus was to spend the night – light entered.
Sadly, those with and around Jesus on that night failed to see His light. They would not open their eyes and they would not hear. They stayed in a far worse prison constructed of anger and hatred. But we, we have encountered Jesus’ light, and we live in it. His light beams in and from us.
As we have received His great gift of forgiveness and the Word, and as we will receive the magnificent gift of His body and blood as His apostles did this very night, let us recognize the glorious light that fills us and surrounds us. Then, as we place His most sacred body into the Altar of Repose let us realize that no external thing can ever suppress Jesus’ light and glory.
“My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.”
Thank you for joining as we have arrived together to Holy Week.
In this week we go from the highs of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem to that night in the upper room. where they gathered in fellowship and bonding, a time where an eternal promise of Jesus’ abiding with us is given, to the garden where Jesus plunges into deep prayer and pleading, where the vision of what is to come crushes everything in Him except His dedication to His Father’s will, and as we heard throughout the Passion narrative His arrest, trial, cruel murder, and burial.
“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.”
You will notice throughout all this, as in each part of the gospel’s proclamation, Jesus faces what we face, experiences all we experience, celebrates and cries, feels anger and compassion.
Not only that, but Jesus faced multiple levels of temptation attacking at every moment and seeking that He give up, quit, go home. We face that too, the push to give up, to walk away.
Like Jesus, sometimes we fall to our knees and cry out:
“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.”
Use Holy Week as an opportunity to consider our view of all this, its meaning for us.
Some may view Jesus’ Holy Week journey as disinterested observers, standing at a distance. Yeah, sure I know what happened, and it did me some kind of good, let’s move on.
Some may see Holy Week’s events as theologians might, trying very hard to explain the mystery, to delve into theories and to place what happened into neat compartments of cause and effect. Figuring it out as best as they can they say: It did people some kind of good, let’s move on.
Holy Week is shared experience. If these moments bring intimacy with Jesus, if we stand with Him, and watch with Him, we come to see ourselves in Jesus’ life and how He shared life and death with us. Our moments, whether joyful and glorious or painful and sad take on new dimension and we now face them differently.
As we bind ourselves to Him in great love, we finally realize that Jesus did not come as God distant and apart, but as God with us. Yes, Jesus did me eternal good and I will not move on, but I will remain with Him Who faced this too, Who understands and offers me strength. We remember how far His love goes and are ever thankful to overcome in Him.
