Volume 94 August 2016 Issue #8
Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky
Prime Bishop
Just a few short weeks ago, I returned from Convo
2016 held within the Eastern Diocese in Manchester,
New Hampshire. It was truly a wonderful time to spend five days with the clergy, youth and chaperones, who were all dedicated to getting to know Jesus better and prepared to spend time with each other in
Christian fellowship. The theme for Convo this year was “I AM,” referring to our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ as the great “I AM.” The presentations during the week and the themes for the Masses celebrated were concerned with getting to know Jesus in the various roles that He refers to in the Gospel of John.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells His followers and us that, “I am the Bread of Life,” “I am the Light of the World,” “I am the Door,” “I am the Resurrection and the Life,” “I am the Way, the Truth and the
Life,” “I am the True Vine,” and “I am the Good
Shepherd.”
Inside this Issue
Renewed and Reverent ........................................................ 1
To Live Radically ................................................................ 4
The Communion Rite ........................................................... 5
P.N.C.C.
Clergy Pension Fund Donation ............................................ 4
The P.N.C.C. Commission on History and Archives ........... 8
Deacon Wunderlich Ordination ......................................... 11
“I AM” - Convo 2016 ........................................................ 12
Diocese
Central Diocese .................................................................. 16
Western Diocese ................................................................ 23
During the week of Convo, the youth of the Church, and all of us who were gathered there, spent some time delving into exactly what these words mean, both at the time they were spoken two thousand years ago and also what they mean for us today. Through all of this we begin to see that Jesus is there for us, in exactly the way we need Him at that moment. These words of strong faith can be a support and comfort to us in all that we must go through in our daily lives.
When we find ourselves hungering for something that we just cannot understand, or as Scripture tells us when we hunger and thirst for holiness, it is then that we know that Jesus is the “Bread of Life,” the sustenance that fulfills our lives. When we are lost, not sure which way to turn, be this in our personal lives, in our work lives, or in our dealing with others, we often feel that we are in the dark. It is at this point that we turn to our Lord; Jesus will show us the way because He is the “Light of the World.”
Knowing that our daily lives can often be places of spiritual danger, where we encounter those who would draw us away from the faith and love of Jesus, here Jesus tells us that He is the “Door.” He is the
One Who encloses us in His loving and care-filled arms to keep us secure. When we are confronted with loss in our lives, especially the loss of a loved one from within our family circle, it is here that Jesus tells us “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” He reminds us that He has passed through death and has risen from the dead. Because of this, if we are united with Him, then we too will be raised to eternal life in
Christ.
(Continued on Page 3.)
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2 God’s Field — August 2016
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Volume 94, Issue No. 8 3
(Renewed and Reverent- Continued from Page 1.)
When we desire to reach out and make a difference in the lives of others or when we want to connect with others in our religious lives, we know that Jesus is the
“True Vine.” We, as branches, must be grounded in the Vine if we are to bring forth good fruit; and apart from this Vine, apart from Jesus, all is meaningless.
Likewise we know, in this regard, that Jesus is “The
Way and the Truth and Life.” He is the way to God and eternal life.
And, in fact, this brings me to what I have been focusing on ever since I have returned from Convo.
Upon returning from this youth event, I am always quite renewed and regenerated. It is truly invigorating to see so many members of the Church, both the youth and adults, laity and clergy, who love our Lord
Jesus and love His people. As you can imagine, much of what a bishop needs to do in the management of the ongoing life of the Church is not all that uplifting, but the time spent at Convo reminds me that I must always try to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus throughout all that I do if I am to be truly reverent and renewed.
This week during Holy Mass on Sunday I was reminded of the attitude that I must have, and hopefully each of us will have, in our encounters with Jesus. In the letter to the Hebrews we read, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” (Heb 12:1-2a)
Convo reminds me that I am surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Not just the well-known individuals in the Old and New Testaments, but also the members of the Church that I know today: the members of the clergy who inspire me by their faith and dedication to serving the Church and her people, those who give of their time and effort in making sure that others can experience the love and knowledge of
Jesus Christ through the programs of the Church, and especially the youth who so love Jesus and wholeheartedly help and guide each other in coming to know and love our Lord as well. All of you are surrounded by this cloud of witnesses as well, if only we have eyes to see the reality that is occurring within our church and within our parishes.
The second point is that we must “rid ourselves of every burden and sin and persevere in running the race.” When we look at this together with the “I Am” statements of Jesus, oftentimes our sins are in ways
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that we deny that Jesus fulfills these roles within our lives. When we go off on our own, going our own way like a lost sheep, then we are denying that Jesus is the Good Shepherd for us. When we seek to be satisfied by goals that are selfish and self-serving, then we are in some ways denying that Jesus is the
Bread of Life, the One Who truly sustains us. We must rid ourselves of these sins so that we can better focus on the race that lies in front of us, that is our life in the pursuit of being people of love and reverence for God.
Lastly this portion of the letter to the Hebrews tells us that we must live “keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” During the last presentation of Convo, I spoke to those assembled about the question of our Lord to His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matt 16:15) Simon Peter gave the answer, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matt 16:16) While this answer is certainly one of the strongest professions of faith within all of the New Testament, we still need to ask what does it mean for us today. It really must mean that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. He is our everything and therefore we must put Him at the center of our lives. The letter to the Hebrews tells us to “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.” This is really the key to living lives that are both joyous and reverent. If we are at Church and our eyes are fixed on Jesus then we will want to worship Him and thank Him for all that we have. We will want to unite ourselves with Him in His Word, in the Eucharist and in the Body of
Christ which is the Church. When we are off at our jobs, if we have our eyes fixed on Jesus we will want to do the best that we possibly can, knowing that through this honest work we are supporting ourselves, those we love and also the good work of the
Church through our donations. If we are eating a meal, no matter how sumptuous or humble, if we have our eyes fixed on Jesus, we will want to acknowledge that Jesus gives us all that we need to sustain us and we will want to say grace to thank our
Lord for His constant care and help. And of course I could go on and on reminding each of us that if we have our eyes fixed on Jesus, then we will look at life in a little different way and we will want to interact then with Jesus in a reverent way.
If we are looking to live a reverent life than what we really must be doing is “keeping our eyes fixed on
Jesus.” This will announce to all the world that Jesus is the leader and perfector of faith, and in fact, our everything.
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4 God’s Field — August 2016
Most. Rev. Anthony A. Mikovsky, Prime Bishop
During Convo 2016 this year, there was a presentation that really has given me much to think about in the weeks since. Fr. Michal Gitner spoke about one of the “I AMs” of Jesus on which Convo focused.
He spoke about Jesus being “The Way.” During this discussion he contrasted much of what is the way of the world, with “Jesus’ Way” that is presented to us in the Scriptures. And in particular he spoke of Jesus as being a radical. As Fr. Michal said we often don’t think of being a radical as a very good thing, and yet if we think about the word as meaning one who is against the predominate culture, then a radical is exactly what Jesus was, and it is exactly what He is calling us to be today.
We certainly can see that much of what the world calls normal really has little to do with the way and cause of Jesus Christ in the world. In fact, as our world becomes more and more technological, this is becoming even more pronounced. As we look more and more to our phones and other screens, and less and less at those who share our world with us, we are all becoming less and less connected to each other as human beings, as created beings of a loving Father.
It is here where the radical life of Jesus enters. It is here that Jesus tells us to go in a different way from the rest of the world.
Jesus lived a life of radical love. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbors and hate your enemies.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matt
5:43:44). He lives a life of radical giving. “To the person who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.” (Luke
6:29-30)
He called all people to a radical discipleship and radical commitment to God. “Jesus said to His disciples,
‘Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matt 16:24-25)
Radical love, radical giving, radical discipleship and radical commitment; these are the hallmarks of a follower of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
For many of us the beginnings of Christian life are often easy. We are surrounded by a great number of people who will support and encourage us in living the Christian way. Most if not all of us have been raised in families and parishes where our Christian life and our Christian faith will be continually strengthened. But for all of us a time will come when we must confront the world, a world which is not supportive of the Christian way, a world that calls us to follow another way, a way that is not Jesus’ way. It may begin in small ways as when others make fun of us for our Christian practices such as daily prayer, or someone casts a disapproving glance when we bow our heads in prayer, but for many it will also escalate where serious decisions must be made. Will we do something dishonest at work, because our supervisor has asked us to? Will we put down another just so that we can get ahead in work, or in school, or any other aspect of our lives? Will we stand by quietly while an innocent person is falsely accused? Will we allow another person to be unfairly hurt, spiritually, emotionally or even physically, when we could do something to stop it? These are the beginnings of the radical choices that must be made. And as Fr. Michal mentioned in his presentation, this can then lead us to live ways of even stronger love, stronger faith and stronger commitment to our Lord.
So as Fr. Michal told all of the participants at Convo, live in a radical way. But let it be the radical love, radical faith, radical discipleship and radical commitment that Jesus has shown us.
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 śp. Loretta and Frank Kotula –
Remembered by Helen Komski
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Volume 94, Issue No. 8 5
THE “OUR FATHER”
The “Our Father,” which became part of the Mass in the fourth century, introduces the faithful to the
Communion Rite in the Liturgy. This prayer is highly revered because it was taught by Jesus to the Apostles. It emphasizes peace, bread and forgiveness. It was believed by many Church Fathers that the bread mentioned in the prayer referred to the Holy Eucharist. St. Augustine (+340), and perhaps many other churchmen, taught that reciting the “Our Father” was a means of forgiveness, which is very appropriate just before receiving Holy Communion. In the Eastern Church, this prayer was sung by the celebrant and the faithful, while in the West the “Our Father” was sung by the celebrant and the congregation responded with: “But deliver us from evil.” Today the
“Lord's Prayer” is sung by the celebrant and the faithful who are present.
In the Early Church, the “Our Father” was taught orally to the catechumens, those who were preparing for Baptism. It was kept secret from the pagans, because it was considered so sacred.
THE EMBOLISM
The embolism, the prayer following the “Our
Father,” continues the same thought as the last article of the prayer. In the Traditional Mass we pray,
“Deliver us Lord, from all evils: past, present and future” and we pray that the Blessed Mother of God,
Peter, Paul, and Andrew will grant us peace, that we may be free from sin and disturbance as we conclude by mentioning the Persons of the Trinity.
The embolism in the Contemporary Mass, although shorter, continues the same thought: “Deliver us Lord from every evil and keep us free from sin as we wait with joyful hope for the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ.” At the end of this prayer, the faithful say,
“For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever.” This acclamation is found in the
Didache, third century, a basic book of instruction for the members of the Church, and it is also mentioned by Eusebius in the 4th century. This acclamation has been used for many centuries in the Byzantine Liturgy as a conclusion to the Lord's Prayer.
THE FRACTURING AND COMMINGLING
At the end of the embolism in the Traditional Liturgy the celebrant breaks the Host in two as he says,
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Most Rev. John F. Swantek, Prime Bishop Emeritus
“through the same Jesus Christ…”and he then breaks a small particle from the left piece of the Host. As the celebrant sings “The peace + of the Lord + be with + you always,” he makes three signs of the cross over the chalice with the small particle of the Host; it is then dropped into the consecrated wine.
In the Contemporary Mass, the celebrant breaks the
Host into two parts as he holds it over the chalice and then from the left part he breaks off a small particle of the Host as he says: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of
Christ? The Bread which we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ?” The faithful respond,
“Because there is one bread we who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”
(I Corinthians 10:16). As we receive Holy Communion, we enter into union with Christ, and through
Him, we enter into union with all who receive the
Eucharist. In receiving the Eucharist, the true Body and Blood of Christ, the Church, which St. Paul states is the Body of Christ becomes a visible reality. In receiving the Holy Eucharist, the Body and Blood of
Christ, we are then the Church, the Body of Christ.
After the Host has been broken, a particle of it is dropped into the chalice with the precious Blood; this act represents the Resurrection of Christ, the rejoining of the Body and Blood that was separated on the cross. Just as the double consecration of the bread and wine represented the death of Christ on the cross, the comingling of the consecrated Bread and Wine symbolizes the Resurrection.
As the celebrant in the contemporary Mass drops the particle of the host into the chalice, he says, “May the union of divinity and humanity in Jesus Christ bring us sanctification and eternal life.” This is taken from the Bishop Hodur Mass.
KISS OR SIGN OF PEACE
We now come to the pre-Communion prayer in which we pray for peace and unity. It is followed by
“May the peace of the Lord be with you always.” The faithful are addressed “Let us offer a sign of peace.”
In the Traditional Mass the first pre-communion prayer is now said.
In the Traditional Mass after the first pre-communion prayer in the Solemn High Mass, the clergy would
(Continued on Page 6.)
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6 God’s Field — August 2016
(The Communion Rite - Continued from Page 5.) exchange the Kiss of Peace among themselves. In the
Mass with no assistants there would be no Kiss of
Peace. The laity did not offer a sign of peace to each other.
In the Contemporary Mass both the clergy and the lay faithful exchange the Kiss or Sign of Peace. In the ancient Church, the Kiss of Peace was looked upon as a preparation for the receiving of Holy Communion. It is a sign that we should all be united in concord and mutual love. This is mentioned in St.
Justin Martyr's description of the Eucharistic Liturgy in 165, by Hippolytus, and in the Didioche. In his
Letter to the Romans, St. Paul writes, “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (16:16).
LAMB OF GOD
The Lamb of God has an interesting history. Before the Church used small hosts for Holy Communion, it used loaves of bread. It would take some time after the Consecration to break the bread into pieces for
Holy Communion. In the seventh century, while the ministers were breaking the consecrated bread, the choir and the faithful would chant the "Lamb of God" until the Eucharist was ready for distribution. When the Church began using hosts in the ninth century, the Lamb of God was then said only three times. As we say the Lamb of God, we strike our breast as a sign of contrition and humility. When Christ approached John the Baptist to be baptized, John said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29) Jesus is the Lamb of God
Who was sacrificed on the cross for the sins of all.
PRE-COMMUNION PRAYERS
In the Tridentine Liturgy, the three Pre-Communion
Prayers are said only by the celebrant. The faithful, however, should follow them in the Mass Book. The first prayer is one emphasizing peace and unity for the faithful and peace within the Church. We pray for faith and unity in the Church. In the Contemporary
Liturgy this prayer is said just before the call to exchange the kiss of peace.
The Second Prayer reminds us that our Lord's sacrifice on the cross has brought life to the world, the receiving of the Holy Eucharist will free us from evil and aid us in being faithful to the teachings of Jesus, that we may never be separated from Him.
To the third prayer from the Latin Missal our Church has added: “My saving Master awaken in me a living faith fervent love, worship, adoration, and a holy
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longing. Through this Communion make me Your willing servant, zealous to fulfill Your holy will. May it at last unite me entirely with You, my Lord and my
God.” In this beautiful prayer we are acknowledging our unworthiness to receive the Blessed Sacrament, and hope that it will be a safeguard and healing remedy for us, that it will increase our faith, love, worship, and adoration, that ultimately we will be joined with God forever. The second and third prayer of the three pre-communion prayers are also found in the
Contemporary Liturgy, but only one is said before
Communion. The celebrant chooses one of the two and the congregation says it with him.
HOLY COMMUNION
We now come to that long-awaited moment when, through this Eucharistic Meal, we are joined with our
Lord Jesus Christ, as well as with the Father and the
Holy Spirit. The celebrant takes the two pieces of the
Host into his left hand and says, “I will take the
Bread of Heaven and call upon the name of the
Lord.” He then strikes his breast while saying, “Lord,
I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed.” As he receives the Eucharist, the celebrant says, “May the Body of our
Lord Jesus Christ bring me to everlasting life.” In the
Contemporary Mass is said, “May the Body of Christ bring me to everlasting life.”
In the Traditional Mass a prayer is said before the receiving of the Blood of Christ, and the celebrant scrapes the corporal with the paten to gather any small particles of the Host that may have fallen on it and he puts them into the chalice. In the sixth chapter of St. John's Gospel, Jesus states, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” (41) while in verse 54
He emphasizes the necessity of receiving Holy Communion: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
After the celebrant has received the Body and Blood of Christ, it is now time for the faithful to commune with our Lord, the most important event of this day for the faithful. They come forward and either kneel at the communion railing or form a line. The celebrant takes the ciborium with the Communion Hosts and says, “Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world” and with the faithful he says,
“Lord. I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed.” As the celebrant takes the Host, he dips it into the Consecrated Wine
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Volume 94, Issue No. 8 7 and he says, “The Body and Blood of Christ,” and the recipient replies, “Amen.”
In the Contemporary Mass, The celebrant holds the
Sacred Host over the ciborium and says, “This is the
Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world,
Happy are those who are called to the table of the
Lord,” or he may choose to say instead, “The gifts of
God for the people of God. Take this in remembrance that Christ died for you and feed on Him in thanksgiving.”
Before the liturgical renewal, Holy Communion was given in the following manner. The priest would open the tabernacle, genuflect, take out the ciborium and turn to the congregation and say: “May the Almighty God be merciful to you, grant you remission of your sins and lead you to life eternal.” He would then raise his right hand and say, “The almighty and merciful God grant you pardon and remission of your sins,” and he would make the sign of the cross over the faithful, as the altar servers and faithful said the
Confiteor. As the minister placed the Sacred Host on the tongue of the person, he said, “May the Body of
Jesus Christ keep your soul unto life everlasting.”
Only the consecrated bread was received.
After the faithful have received Holy Communion, the celebrant takes the ciborium with the Hosts and places it in the tabernacle. If there are no Hosts in the ciborium, it is placed on the altar where it will be cleansed. In the Traditional Mass the altar server will pour a little wine into the chalice to be cleansed.
If there is a ciborium or intinction cup that needs to be cleansed, the celebrant will pour the wine from the chalice into the vessel, swish it around and then pour it back into the chalice and consume it. He will now go to the side of the altar where the altar server will pour wine and water over his fingers in case a small particle of the host has adhered to them and then drinks the ablution. After each ablution there is a beautiful prayer which the celebrant says. In the Contemporary Mass there is only one ablution to cleanse the fingers and the sacred vessel.
The Post Communion Verse is now said in the Traditional Mass, after which the priest greets the faithful with “The Lord be with you.” Returning to the Missal the Post Communion Prayer is chanted or said.
This prayer usually mentions the effects of the Eucharist on the recipient. Immediately following is the greeting, “The Lord be…” Following the greeting is the dismissal: If the Gloria has been said, the dismis-
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sal is “Go, the sacrifice is offered.” If there was no
Gloria as in Advent and Lent, “Let us bless the Lord” is the dismissal. If this is a Requiem Mass, the dismissal is “May they rest in peace.” In the earlier centuries this ended the Mass. After the dismissal, the celebrant now blesses the faithful as they kneel.
In the Contemporary Mass, the celebrant reads the
Post Communion Verse and immediately after the
Communion Prayer is said; the faithful are greeted with, “The Lord be with you.” The blessing of the faithful is now given and it is followed by the dismissal.
For a number of centuries, the Mass liturgy had no blessing of the faithful. The blessing was introduced when the bishop was going to the sacristy; he would bless the faithful as he walked down the aisle. It was not until the 12th century that the bishop began to bless the people from the altar, but it was only the privilege of the bishop. Later on this privilege was given to the priest who at first would use a blessed object, i.e., a crucifix in giving the blessing. The Missal of 1558-1560 even contained a special blessing for Requiem Masses, but it was later discontinued.
The Last Gospel, taken from St. John's Prologue, became a part of the Mass liturgy in the 16th century. It was included in the Mass by the Jesuits in 1558. It is found in the Traditional Mass, but with the liturgical renewal, the celebrant was given the option to say it or not. For quite some time, the Last Gospel would be said by the clergy as they recessed down the aisle to the sacristy after Mass.
The Mass as we celebrate it today is the product of many years of development. Some parts were added by bishops in various sections of the world at different times, and eventually these were incorporated into the Liturgy because the Church, the Body of Christ, is a living organism, it will most likely in the future drop some ceremonies and add new ones until the coming of the Lord. If we were to attend Mass at various times in the two thousand year history of the
Church, we would find it not as exactly as we celebrate it today in our parish churches. The one essential we would find, however, is what came from the
Last Supper, the use of bread and wine and the words said by Jesus over these elements. And every time this was done, Christ's Body and Blood became present on the altar under the appearances of bread and wine.
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8 God’s Field — August 2016
One of the benefits or hazards of cataloguing documents at the Archives is that often one finds oneself reading the document instead of just entering the data about it into a computer file. This slows down your cataloguing efforts but increases your knowledge of church activities. I had such an instance last month while cataloguing Supreme Council Documents.
At the November 6 and 7, 1975 Supreme Council meeting, it was noted that a letter was received from the United States Navy (USN) requesting that the
Polish National Catholic Church (P.N.C.C.) provide a symbol that members of our faith can attach to their dog tags. It was decided to submit our church symbol with the words Polish National Catholic Church embossed on the back.
It was a short paragraph that led to many questions.
Who was the P.N.C.C. recipient of the USN letter?
What did the Symbol of the Church sent to the USN look like; did it include the last line? Was the text in
Polish or English? Who in the USN was the church symbol and P.N.C.C. notation sent to? When was it sent? Did the P.N.C.C. receive another letter saying that it was accepted by the USN? Was it acted upon by the USN? Were medals created? Has anyone seen one? Was the data also sent to the United States Army (USA) or to the United States Air Force (USAF) or to the United States Coast Guard (USCG)? Does anyone have the letter sent by the USN to the
Church? Does anyone have a copy of the letter sent by the Church to the USN? Does anyone have the picture of the Church Symbol sent to the USN? Does anyone have a USN dog tag medal with the church symbol on it that they would be willing to donate to the P.N.C.C. Archives?
When I was in the USN, my dog tag was a single source of information about me which contained, from the top line, my: given first name, middle initial and family name, service number (which I still remember after repeating it more than a thousand times during boot camp), blood type, USN and religious preference. The religious preference was a single letter, P (Protestant), H (Hebrew) or C (Catholic). In my case they entered a C for catholic. This led me to numerous discussions with Roman Catholic Navy
Chaplains about my hometown parish, attendance at
Mass and suitability as an altar boy. I wish that I had had a better knowledge about the beliefs of the
P.N.C.C. at the that time. Most of these Roman Catholic Navy Chaplains had never heard of the P.N.C.C.
My dog tags; there are two of them, one to be given to graves registration by a corpsman or medic or your superior in case of death and one to stay with your body. Dog tags are notched on one end so that they would be available to medics to use an Addressograph Model 70 to transfer the dog tag information to paper for recording a serviceman’s death. This is clearly shown in the photograph below.
An interesting comment by a German WW2 POW, when asked why US Medics were shot at by German troops, was “that they were armed.” The Addressograph Model 70 can indeed look like a pistol when viewed at distance. When this comment was made known to US Medics, many threw their Addressograph Model 70's away. From a distance, the photograph shows that it might be taken for a pistol.
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Volume 94, Issue No. 8 9
The two Dog tags are on a small chain and are to be worn around your neck while you were on active duty. I checked the internet for information on dog tags.
A Wikipedia Internet site shows two examples of religious medals added to dog tags during the Second
World War, a with the text
“Christian Cross” , and a round medal
“Loyalty to Christ and Country.” A third example was for a Lutheran medal, date not stated.
United States Navy regulation MILPERSMN 1000-
070 CH-22, dated 17 Jan 2008, Identification Cards,
Tags, and Badges specifies what was to be put on a dog tag. The paragraphs identify: 1. Purpose, 2.
When Issued, 3. Who Can Issue, 4. Where Stocked,
5. When Worn, 6. ID Tag Specifications, 7. ID Tag
Content and 8. Member’s Death.
Each tag has five lines of type, 18 spaces to the line, and was embossed by a machine provided for that purpose. The following are the contents of each line: a. The First Line was for the name of the member
(family name, first name, and middle initial; e.g.,
DOE, John R). If there is insufficient space on the first line, the first line shall contain the family name only. The first name and middle initial are placed on the second line. b. Third Line: The military service number (at times this was replaced by the social security number). At the 10th space, the letters “USN” were placed, regardless of whether the person was a
Regular or a Reservist. At the 14 th space, the blood type and RH factor were placed. c. Fifth Line: (1)
The religious preference of the member, which shows the religion or faith group designated by the member.
The preference is to be spelled out, if possible. For example: Assembly of God, Baptist, House of David,
Orthodox Jew, Protestant, Roman Catholic, (2) Otherwise, use the following meaningful abbreviations.
The following examples are picked at random for guidance only and may be adapted to fit the preference expressed: Religion or Faith Group Abbreviation (Religion followed by Faith Group Abbreviation): African Methodist Episcopal Church Af Meth
Episcopal , Albanian Orthodox Church in America
Albanian Orthodox , American Evangelical Christian
Church Am Evang Chr , Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of America Armenian Ap Ortho Bohemian and Moravian Brethren Boh Moravian Breth ,
Calvary Pentecostal Church Cal Pentecostal, Christian Unity Baptist Chr Unit Bap , Christ Unity Science Church Christ Unity Sci , Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Latter-day Saints, Church of the
Brethren Ch of Brethren , Church of the Nazarene Ch of Nazarene , Congregational Christian Church Congregational Ch , Conservation Amish Mennonite Con
Amish Mennon , Disciples of Christ Dis of Christ ,
Evangelical and Reformed Church Evang Reformed ,
Evangelical Lutheran Evang Luth , Evangelical United Brethren Evang United Breth , Free Christian Zion
Church of Christ Free Chr Zion , General Church of
New Jerusalem Ch New Jerusalem , General Six-
Principle Baptist Gen Six-Prin Bap , New Congregational Methodist Church New Cong Methodist , North
American Old Roman Catholic Church NA Old Roman Cath , Old German Baptist Brethren Old Ger
Bap Breth , Orthodox Presbyterian Church Ortho
Presbyterian, Pentecostal Holiness Church Pentecos
Holiness , Presbyterian Church, USA Presbyterian
USA , Primitive Adventist Christian Church Prim Adventist Chr, Seventh-day Adventist 7-day Adventist ,
Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Slovak Evang Luth,
United Free Will Baptist Church United Free Bap ,
United Zion Church United Zion . In the event of member’s death, refer to reference (a), Chapter 4.
You will have noticed that the P.N.C.C. is not listed.
Perhaps a specific action must be taken by the
P.N.C.C. to make this a reality.
(Continued on Page 10.)
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

10 God’s Field — August 2016
(P.N.C.C. Dog Tag Medal - Continued from Page 9.)
The United States Army regulations, AR606-5 Section XII, dated 1976-03-08, had the same requirements.
In addition to religious apparel worn based on faith group requirements, the military ID tag, nicknamed
"dog tag," is the one government-issued uniform item that indicates the religion of military personnel. Two tags, each on a separate chain, are worn around the neck under the uniform, and in the case of death one is removed for record keeping and one is left on the body. While the tag helps to identify the body after loss of consciousness or death, and provides some immediate help to medical personnel (such as blood type), it includes religious affiliation (unless the individual has chosen to have "no religious preference" listed) so that, when possible, a chaplain of that person's faith group could respond, especially when specific religious rituals or ministrations such as "last rites" are indicated. Religious information also aids in decisions regarding care of the body, including arrangements for burial. Individuals can also wear a small religious symbol, such as a cross or Star of David (either personal or government-issue), on the ID chain, for personal reasons or to make speedy religious identification easier. Additionally, some religious groups supply small items for the chain as well, such as the mezuzah supplied to WWII Jewish personnel by the National Jewish Welfare Board.
The practice of having some tag or mark for identification in case of serious injury or death seems to have begun in the Civil War, when Americans first made them themselves and later were able to purchase commercially made tags, when civilian groups realized there might be a "market" for such items. In
1906 the Army made the tags official and required and ten years later, July 6, 1916, changed to the two tag requirement.
During World War II, a dog tag could indicate only one of three religions through the inclusion of one letter: "P" for Protestants, "C" for Catholics, or "H" for Jewish (from the word "Hebrew," for those of the
"Hebrew faith"), or "NO" or "NONE" (or just no religious designation letter) to indicate no religious preference. Army Regulation 606-5 soon included X and
Y in addition to P, C, and H: the X indicating any religion not included in the first three, and the Y indicating either no religion or a choice not to list religion. In 1953, there was an effort to persuade the
White House to have the military add a religious des-
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
ignation for Muslims on military tags, when WWII
Army veteran Abdullah Igram wrote to President
Dwight D. Eisenhower to say that he had tried unsuccessfully to have an "M" (for Muslim) added to his dog tags, and recommending that "M" for "Muslim" or "I" for "Islam" be added to the religious choices for future soldiers. The story of his efforts is retold in an article in the Toledo, Ohio "Toledo Blade," with the headline, "Vet leads U.S. Moslems in fight for recognition." According to Igram's family, the White
House sent a letter thanking him for his suggestion, but Igram's widow confirmed that her late husband's efforts were not successful.
By the time of the Vietnam War, IDs spelled out the broad religious choices such as PROTESTANT and
CATHOLIC, rather than using initials, and also began to show individual denominations such as
"METHODIST" or "BAPTIST." Tags did vary by service, however, such as the use of "CATH," not
"CATHOLIC" on some Navy tags. For those with no religious affiliation and those who chose not to list an affiliation, either the space for religion was left blank or the words "NO PREFERENCE" (or some variation, such as "NO RELIGIOUS PREF") were included.
Today, military personnel can list any religion on their ID tags, and today's tags spell out religions and belief systems such as Wicca that would have fallen under the "X" ("other") category on WWII tags or
"Atheist," that most likely would have been classified as "Y," for "no religious preference." So, for example, Air Force Instructions direct that the ID tags
"show religion or sect designated" by the service member, and the Navy's Military Personnel Manual
(1000-070, dated January 17, 2008), gives direction for the preparation of ID tags as follows:
Some churches, like the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints (LDS), provide information to members entering the military, stressing the importance of listing their religions correctly on ID tags. For LDS members, the Church's "Military Relations Committee" notes that some military representatives might try to record their religion as
"Protestant," but directs that "if anyone tries to list you as 'Protestant,' do not permit it." Members are told to ensure that the church's full name is recorded in their records and that "Latter-Day Saints" is embossed on their ID tags.
Joseph Francis Seliga,
Chair, P.N.C.C. Commission on History and Archives
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

Volume 94, Issue No. 8 11
Scranton, PA
Deacon Donald Wunderlich will be ordained a priest in the Polish National Catholic Church (P.N.C.C.) on
Saturday, August 27, 2016 at Saint Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Cathedral in Scranton, PA. The
Ordination Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. with
Right Reverend Bernard Nowicki, Diocesan Bishop of the Central Diocese, P.N.C.C. officiating. His first
Mass as a priest will be celebrated at Our Saviour
P.N.C.C. Parish in Lawrenceville, New Jersey at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 28, 2016. Our Saviour
P.N.C.C. is located at 2300 Princeton Pike, Lawrenceville, New Jersey. A reception in the Fellowship
Hall will follow the Mass.
Deacon Wunderlich was born on August 29, 1953 and was baptized into the life and death of Jesus
Christ according to the Rite of the Polish National
Catholic Church at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Homestead, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. His parents influenced his early spiritual development in the church and encouraged him and his brothers to serve as acolytes for many years. He assisted the future Bishop Bernard Nowicki with whom he remained friends ever since.
Deacon Wunderlich began his studies for the
Diaconate in September 1999 and was ordained as a
Sub-deacon by Bishop Peplowski on May 6, 2000.
Over the next few years, Deacon moved to New
Jersey where he continued his studies with then Father Bernard Nowicki. He then worshiped and studied at Saint Joseph’s Parish in Florida under Very
Reverend Paul Sobiechowski, who is now the
Diocesan Bishop of the Eastern Diocese of the
P.N.C.C.
He married his wife, Beverly in October, 1991, and their daughter, Danielle Marie, was born in
December, 1998. In 2004 they moved to
Pennsylvania and settled near Bethlehem and became members of Our Lord’s Ascension Parish P.N.C.C.
His family became involved in parish activities and his daughter’s preparation for her confirmation. In
August 17, 2013 Deacon Wunderlich was ordained as a Deacon by the Right Reverend Bishop Bernard
Nowicki at the Holy Mother of Sorrows Parish in
Dupont, Pennsylvania. Immediately afterward,
Deacon Wunderlich started his ministry of service in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Deacon Donald Wunderlich was assigned by Bishop
Bernard Nowicki to pastor the faithful of Our
Saviour's Parish in Lawrenceville, NJ in 2014.
Prayer for the Clergy
Lord Jesus, Great High Priest and Eternal Shepherd, for the building and expansion of Your Kingdom You have called forth men to apostolic orders to serve in Your Church. By the grace of the Holy Spirit strengthen the Prime Bishop, bishops, priests and deacons. Endue them with the gifts of wisdom, understanding and knowledge; guide them with Your counsel, give them strength to fulfill their ministry. Fill them with the spirit of piety and the fear of the Lord so they can be true witnesses of Your Gospel. When the time should come for them to cross the threshold of life, receive them into Your heavenly Kingdom. Through Jesus Christ, our
Lord. Amen.
For the Increase of Priests
Almighty and Eternal God, in Your plan for our salvation You provide priests as shepherds for Your people.
Inspire men to answer Your call to become priests, because “the harvest is great but the labors are few.” Grant
Your Church an increase of priests and keep them faithful in their love and service to You and the people entrusted to their care. Through their faith and ministry may Your light shine in the world and Your kingdom be built among us. Through Jesus Christ, our High Priest. Amen.
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

12 God’s Field — August 2016
St. Anselm’s College – Manchester, NH
Convo 2016 Group Photo at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Manchester, NH
“I AM” was the theme of the 2016 National Youth
Convocation of the Polish National Catholic Church, hosted by the Eastern Diocese of the Polish National
Catholic Church. During the hot summer week of
July 25 through July 29 - more than 140 youth, adults and clergy gathered at the beautiful St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Our registration committee, consisting of Shirley
Mietlicki-Floyd, Joanne Oliveira, Brenda Richard and Mary Tudryn did a great job getting everyone checked in and settled. Following registration and dinner, Convo began with the song and video “I AM” by Eddie James, followed by a prayer offered by
Convo 2016 Chaplain, Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich. Fr.
Sr. Rob spoke about this important year in the
P.N.C.C. – the Year of Reverence and how the Future
Direction committee was focusing on the Solemnity of the Christian family and that all the Convo folks would be playing an important part. He also reminded everyone that this day was the Fifth Anniversary of the beginning of the Union of Scranton. He introduced Convo President – Eric Nemkovich. Eric welcomed the participants and introduced Prime Bishop
Anthony Mikovsky and host bishop of the Eastern
Diocese, Bishop Paul Sobiechowski. Both Bishops addressed the Convo and expressed gratitude for being able to attend, and prayed that this week would increase their faith and knowledge of Christ and His
Holy Church. After we reviewed the Convo schedule and rules, Kathy Nemkovich spoke about the 30-day challenge that the youth would choose to accept and how, later in the week, the youth would share with each other how they would go about working toward the goal of the challenge.
Ice Breakers of the human knot, the I Am _____ and the ball toss helped the youth get to meet and to know each other better. Thanks to Joanne Oliveira for developing our Ice Breakers and to Eric and Cliff Nemkovich, Jacob Nowak, Erin Tudryn and Hannah
Bilinski for leading these groups.
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

Volume 94, Issue No. 8 13
Everyone then enjoyed the Match Game. Cliff Nemkovich (aka Cliff Bar – delicious and nutritious) was our host and our celebrities were Prime Bishop
Mikovsky, Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich, Fr. Jason Soltysiak, Eric Nemkovich, Hannah Bilinski, Ned Kotula,
Sherry Mack and Amy Macaig. Questions such as
“When I was packing for Convo I made sure to pack my ________,” “I hope my roommate _________”;
“What I always have at a parish picnic is _______” and of course “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” We all enjoyed many laughs as Group 2 got the top prize.
Resident celebrity dentist, Ned Kotula reminded the youth several times about the importance of brushing and flossing their teeth.
Match Game excitement at Convo 2016 be the light of the world to others, following Jesus and helping others whenever possible. It concluded with the story of Welles Remy Crowther and his Red
Bandana; about how he spent the last moments of his life on 9/11 saving the lives of many in the South
Tower. What a moving session! Many folks shed a tear or two. All participants received a red bandana and many wore them throughout the rest of the Convo.
Because this is the Year of Reverence in the
P.N.C.C., we took some time to prepare the youth for the celebration of Holy Mass. Kathy Nemkovich provided a special Examination of Conscience for youth to all gathered in the Abbey Church Chapel. It spoke to many issues and pressures teens and young adults face in our culture today, and it prepared them to receive the Body and Blood of Christ.
Prime Bishop Anthony Mikovsky celebrated Mass for Youth, assisted by Convo Chaplain, Fr. Sr. Rob
Nemkovich. Jacob Nowak was the lector for the readings and Eric Nemkovich offered the intercessions. Prime Bishop’s sermon addressed the important role the youth have in the Church today and stressed that we should take the presence of Jesus out into our communities and world. He taught the youth that “I AM” has a plan for them that they may not know now, but will understand later in life, so they need to follow Him.
The first day of Convo came to a conclusion with
Evening Prayer celebrated by Fr. Robert Fredrickson.
Everyone enjoyed each other’s company in the hospitality room provided by 10 parishes of the host
Eastern Diocese. Thanks again to Shirley, Brenda,
Joanne and Mary for taking care of the hospitality room for the week.
Davidson Hall provided a great breakfast to all to begin day two of Convo. We were honored to have the president of St. Anselm College, Dr. Steven
DiSalvo, welcome our Convo to St. A’s. He was happy to see that our Convo Chaplain, Fr. Sr. Rob, graduated from St. A’s all the way back in 1992.
Kathy Nemkovich presented the first session, “I AM the Light of the World.” Kathy spoke about the importance of Christ lighting our way - that there is no darkness but just the absence of light. She spoke about flashlight faith – believing in the light God shows you each day, as He is the light of the world.
Her presentation then focused on how the youth can
Prime Bishop celebrating the Opening Convo Mass
(Continued on Page 14.)
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Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

14 God’s Field — August 2016
(“I AM” - Convo 2016 - Continued from Page 13.)
“I AM the Good Shepherd” was the second presentation at Convo. Fr. Robert Fredrickson gave a wonderful presentation, teaching the youth about the importance of following our Good Shepherd, Jesus, in our lives. He reminded them how the Good Shepherd went out to find the one that was lost and that we need to beware of many false shepherds that we encounter in our day and age.
Small group sessions followed in which everyone had an opportunity to further discuss the presentations with people within their similar age groups. A big thank you to our small group sessions leaders who did a tremendous job: Maria Hughes, Hannah
Bilinski, Fr. Jason Soltysiak, Dr. Shirley Mietlicki-
Floyd, Fr. Jim Konicki and Bishop Stanley Bilinski who worked with our adults in sessions geared for them. needed items, more than 100 gift cards and hundreds of dollars to Liberty House.
Following a great video on helping others, taken from the Andy Griffith show, our Convo participants broke up into 15 groups; each group made a prayer blanket for the homeless veterans. We began in prayer as
Prime Bishop blessed all of our hands, then when the blanket was finished, each group put their hands on the blanket and offered prayers. When we completed all the blankets, the executive director of Liberty
House, Keith Howard, thanked everyone for their efforts. He spoke about Matthew 25 and the parable of the Sheep and Goats – that what we do to the least of these, we do to Jesus. Keith reminded the youth that the next time they see a homeless person they should remember that s/he is a fellow human being and should be treated with respect and dignity. It was a truly moving moment to see our bishops and the Convo participants with their right hands extended, praying over all the gifts given to Liberty House.
Small group sessions discussed presentations.
One of many highlights of the Convo was the Community Service Project. The Convo committee wanted to have a community service project that would help a local charity in the greater Manchester area.
Bishop Paul and Karen Sobiechowski suggested Liberty House – a place that provides support for Homeless Veterans and others in great need. Convo participants were encouraged to bring toiletries, gift cards for food, and some food items. The response was tremendous. Some diocesan parishes helped in this effort – a special thank you to St. Joseph’s in Westfield, St. Joseph’s in Stratford, Blessed Trinity in Fall
River, Holy Cross in Central Falls, Holy Trinity in
Webster and our Cathedral in Manchester. We collected and gave more than 50 bags and boxes of
Praying over Prayer Blankets and donations for Liberty House
“I AM the Door” was the third presentation of Convo
2016. Our National Youth Chaplain, Bishop Stanley
Bilinski, got the folks moving and cheering with colored dot races. And we needed to get moving, since we all just had enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Bishop Stanley stressed the importance of getting that safe haven, in
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

Volume 94, Issue No. 8 15 which Jesus is the door that protects us and keeps us safe. We viewed some powerful clips of youth finding Christ in their lives. These illustrated how to allow Jesus, the gate for the sheep, to be the center and priority of our lives. Everyone then broke into small groups for a session to discuss the presentation.
Bishop and Cardinal. This presentation was professionally video recorded and will be available on a
YouTube page in the future. (For more information on this and other Convo videos please email: Rob-
Nem21@aol.com
or request to join our Convo 2016
Facebook page.)
Karen Sobiechowski led the Convo in evening prayer with a Taize prayer service which introduced to everyone a different type of a beautiful meditative prayer in chant and song. Following our time in prayer together, everyone again enjoyed the hospitality area.
Humbly prepared in the Name of “I AM”,
Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich – Convo 2016 Chaplain
Bishop Stanley Bilinski in his session on “I AM the Door”
In this year of our Lord, 2016, our P.N.C.C. honors the 150th Anniversary of the birth of our organizer,
Bishop Francis Hodur. As a tribute to this anniversary, Joanne Oliveira, Kathy Nemkovich and Fr. Sr.
Rob Nemkovich prepared a special reenactment of the life of Bishop Francis Hodur using “The History of the P.N.C.C.” materials, prepared by the National
School of Christian Living Commission in 2010. The
30-minute reenactment was both moving and educational because the youth heard the spoken words of
Bishop Hodur and some of those who helped him organize our Holy Polish National Catholic Church.
(Continued in Volume 94, Issue 9, September 2016.
Have you been resting your vocal cords all summer?
Is your singing voice a little off key?
It’s time to buy a P.N.C.C. Hymnal and get your melodic form back in shape for the upcoming choral season!
Reenactment of the life of Bishop Francis Hodur
Thanks to Eric Nemkovich who portrayed Bishop
Hodur; Fr. Jason Soltysiak, Hannah Bilinski, Jacob
Gerardi, Nick Richard, Rebecca Kotula, Mason Martisauskas, Tyler Bagshaw and Alexis Drakulich, who were organizing members of St. Stanislaus Parish on
Locust Street in Scranton; and Charles Vassas as the
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Hard Cover $25.00/each + $3.00/each Shipping
Spiral Bound: $30.00/each + $3.00/each Shipping
Send check or money order in USD, payable to National United Choirs , to:
P. Kazinetz
736 Beechwood Drive
Olyphant, PA 18447
Get one for every singer you know!
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

16 God’s Field — August 2016
Central Diocese
th
BVMC Parish, Latham, NY
The Blessed Virgin Mary of Czestochowa (BVMC)
Parish hosted its 14 th annual PolishFest on June 3-5,
2016. The event drew an estimated record-breaking
6,000 attendees, despite stormy weather on Sunday afternoon. Latham’s PolishFest is the largest Polish cultural event in the Albany, NY region and gives the community a taste of Polish food, music, dance, art and history.
PolishFest ordered 3,000 golabki, 3,000 potato pancakes, 3,000 kielbasa links, 23,000 pierogi, and 100 cases of Polish beer for the event. Almost every dish was sold out by the end of the festival. The pierogi bar offered 10 varieties of Plumpy’s Pierogies and
Plumpy’s owner, Mike Cortazar and his mother,
Kathy Cortazar, had to travel from Scranton, PA during the event to bring more of the varieties that had sold out!
Other Polish National Catholic parishes from the
Mohawk Valley Seniorate participated in PolishFest this year. Schenectady’s Holy Name of Jesus Parish was on site selling delicious home baked desserts.
Sacred Heart of Jesus/Holy Cross Parish, NY Mills,
NY, provided cookbooks that were sold in the vendor hall.
In the main tent, festival goers were entertained by
Tony’s Polka Band and the Rymanowski Brothers
Orchestra. Teens from the BVMC Parish and the greater community put together a Polish folkdance troupe that performed on the Saturday of the event.
St. Adalbert’s Polish Dancers of Schenectady, NY performed on Sunday afternoon. The Capital District
Council for Young Musicians provided a Chopin piano concert by the winners of its 2015 Chopin Piano
Competition. Tania Susi, a Slovak-American professional musician, put together a string concert featuring Polish, Slovak, Czech and Russian pieces. Tania was joined in her performance by her daughter, Sonia
Susi. Another Susi daughter, Eden, provided strolling
Slavic folk violin music in the vendor area.
Cultural events included:
 John Kowalski, chef and professor at the Culinary Institute of America, provided a demonstration on homemade kielbasa.
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Peter and Laura Zeranski, authors of two of the best-selling Polish cookbooks, provided several cooking demonstrations and sold out of their cookbooks during the festival.
Author Donna Urbikas, who wrote My Sister’s
Mother, a memoir of her family’s exile and escape from Siberia during WWII, gave two talks and held a book signing.
Eryk Jadzinski, proprietor of Polish Hussar Supply, displayed medieval Polish armor and weapons and gave several talks on Polish military history.
John Szypulski, genealogist, provided three seminars on tracing Polish roots using public databases.
Katherine Alberti prepared a historical exhibit tracing the progression of Poland through changes in the Polish Eagle. Katherine also curated an exhibit of Jan Styka and Zofia Styka paintings that had been donated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Czestochowa Parish by the family of +Dr.
John Cetnar.
Sonia Susi and Grace Alberti offered two workshops on Pisanki (Polish Easter Egg) decoration and Wycinanki (paper cutting).
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Children’s events included bouncy-houses, facepainting, balloon animals and a magician!
The City of Albany’s Tulip Queen and her Court read Polish fairy tales to children and had a great time at the festival.
Tips from PolishFest totaled $2,425 and were donated to the Colonie Police Benevolent Association for the Noah Roman Fund. Noah is a local teen whose family died in a murder-suicide and fire at his home in February 2016.
BVMC parishioners are riding high on the accomplishment of this year’s PolishFest. George Urciuoli and Regina Pollack co-chaired the event with a team of about a dozen dedicated committee members. Almost 100 parishioners and friends of the parish volunteered before, during and after the event. We wish to extend our deepest gratitude to God, as well as all
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

Volume 94, Issue No. 8 17 of the hard working volunteers and festival goers who made the event so successful.
Save the date for the 15 th Annual Latham PolishFest
– June 2, 3, and 4, 2017! Planning for the 15 th Annual PolishFest starts in January 2017. We welcome other parishes who would like to participate in the planning and the event.
Submitted by Anntonette Alberti
St. Adalbert’s Polish Dancers Many Faces of PolishFest
The City of Albany’s Tulip Queen and her Court with the BVMC Dancers
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18 God’s Field — August 2016
Woodland Park, NJ
The 90th Anniversary of Holy Cross Church and the
25th Anniversary of the Ordination of Fr. Joseph R.
Cyman, the pastor, took place on Sunday June 26,
2016 at the 11:00 a.m. Mass. Before the Mass the blessing of two new chasubles took place followed by a procession from the parish hall to the church.
The Mass was presided by Rt. Rev. Bernard
Nowicki, Bishop of the Central Diocese, with concelebration of Fr. Joseph R. Cyman. His Grace, Most
Reverend Anthony Mikovsky, the Prime Bishop of the Polish National Catholic Church, gave an inspirational sermon. Deacons David Gaydos and William
Gaydos provided the Liturgy of the Word of God and
Distribution of Holy Communion during the Mass.
As Jesus called his disciples and founders of Holy
Cross Church 90 years ago, He is calling each one of us to continue His mission. Organist, Jessica
Muccilli, played the music selection. The soloist presence of Dr. Malgorzata Keller beautified the liturgy. After communion the children of the parish, along with the soloist, clergy and congregation, performed a meaningful song for the occasion, "Lord,
You have come to the seashore." The service was concluded with the hymn, "The Symbol."
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Our celebration continued with the reception at The
Brownstowne, in Paterson, NJ, with the presence of
Prime Bishop Anthony Mikovsky, his wife, Carol;
Bishop Bernard Nowicki; Fr. Senior Gregory
Mludzik and his wife, Tatiana; Fr. Marian
Tarnowski; Fr. Joseph Cyman with his son, Michael.
(Fr. Joseph's wife Renata and their daughter, Natalie, went to visit Renata's seriously ill father, Leon
Bujak, and were unable to attend the celebration.)
Others in attendance were members of Woodland
Park Borough Council, guests from Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish, Wallington, NJ and Holy Cross
Parish parishioners, neighbors and friends.
The invocation prayer was given by Fr. Senior
Gregory Mludzik. City Council President, Mr.
Spinelli, read the proclamation on behalf of Keith
Kazmar, the Mayor of Woodland Park. The main address, addressing the “double joyful celebration,” was given by Right Rev. Bernard Nowicki. Richard
Daum, treasurer and member of the Holy Cross Parish Committee, presented the PowerPoint presentation that was prepared by Fr. Joseph and Rafal
Daniewski. This presentation summarized the most important events of the life of Holy Cross in the past
90 years.
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

Volume 94, Issue No. 8 19
Rev. Joseph Cyman
Rev. Mr. David Gaydos, Rev. Joseph Cyman,
Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky, Rt. Rev. Bernard Nowicki,
Rev. Mr. William Gaydos
A photo booth was available for everyone to enjoy and have the opportunity to take individual and group memorial photos. Father Joseph R. Cyman, in his remarks, thanked all the clergy for their participation, his parish committee members - especially
Lynn Imperiale, Claire Centrella and Penni Lazor - for numerous preparations to organize this event, Adoration Society members for their donation of the new white chasuble, Claire Centrella for the donation of a new green chasuble and Renata Cyman for the new chalice covers.
Special certificates of appreciation were given to two lifelong parishioners who are members of Holy Cross
Church since the parish was established: Mrs.
Sophie Barnes (97 years young) and Helen
Skawinski (94 years young). They both are dedicated to our parish and they have provided us with the legacy of commitment and service to our parish.
Prime Bishop Anthony Mikovsky concluded our joyful celebration with the Benediction. “Tyle Lat -
Through the Years” was sung and concluded our remarkable gathering.
Lifelong parishioners were honored.
May God bless past, present and future members of
Holy Cross Church to continue our mission of serving the Lord and spreading God's Kingdom on earth.
Submitted by Rev. Joseph Cyman
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20 God’s Field — August 2016
The Polish National Catholic Church of Holy Trinity and St. Joseph, Linden, NJ
As part of the parish’s Year of Reverence, the Young
Adult Group of the parish funded, prepared and delivered over 100 lunches to the needy and homeless in Irvington, NJ. The following parish volunteers delivered the lunches on Sunday, July 17th, in downtown Irvington, NJ in collaboration with the Bridges
Outreach Organization in Summit, NJ: Dr. Donald
Kanu, Stanley Kanu, Atty. Michael B. Mietlicki,
Jonah Velasco, Pricilla Velasco, Anna Rehwinkel,
Justin Velasco, Janzen Velasco, Gary Medley, Mary
Ann Gorgol Mietlicki and Michael R. Mietlicki.
The items for the lunches were purchased through the generous donations of the following parish members:
Florence Sibilski, the Velasco family, the Downey family, Barbara Muccia, the Matz family, the Diaz/
Kosc family and the Mietlicki family.
This is the recent mission event sponsored by the
Young Adult Group that was formed by the students of the 2015 Confirmation Class with a mission to take the light of Jesus into the world. Father Jan
Kosc is pastor. Mary Ann Gorgol Mietlicki and
Ann Matz are group mentors.
Submitted by Michael R. Mietlicki
Parish volunteers pause for a photo after loading the Bridges Truck with lunches and prior to their trip to Irvington NJ.
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

Volume 94, Issue No. 8
21
Wallington, NJ
Jocelyn Herrara, who attended the Central Diocese
ANS Convention with her Mother, Kim (kneeling), received a prayer shawl from outgoing President
Kathy Cortazar (standing, background). The convention was held May 7th in Wallington, NJ.
Submitted by MariJane Stankowski
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

22 God’s Field — August 2016
Scranton, PA
St. Stanislaus Polish National Catholic Elementary
School, 530 East Elm Street, Scranton will host a concert by acclaimed Serbian accordionist Petar
Marić on Tuesday, September 13 at 7:00 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public. A freewill offering will be accepted.
Born in Belgrade, Serbia in 1990, Petar Marić was first introduced to the accordion at the age of five. He began his studies at the Dr. Vojislav Vučković music school under professor Aleksandar Nikolić and has since studied with professors Frederic Deschamps and Franck Angelis in Paris. A winner of numerous musical and cultural awards including four world champion titles in international accordion competitions, the young virtuoso is currently completing his education in Bratislava, Slovakia under eminent professor Tibor Racz.
In addition to classical music and eclectic variété compositions, Petar is a pioneer in the performance of electronic accordion music. He is a player and official promoter of the Scandalli-Extreme, Hohner-Fun
Flash and Roland-Fr7xb accordions.
Petar’s visit to Northeastern Pennsylvania is made possible by World Artists Experiences, Washington,
DC and the cooperative efforts of the First Catholic
Slovak Ladies Association, First Presbyterian
Church, Wilkes-Barre, Good Shepherd Academy,
Kingston, Polish Union USA/Ameripol, Slovak Heritage Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania, St.
George’s Orthodox Church, Taylor, St. Stanislaus
Polish National Catholic Elementary School, Scranton, St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church, Wilkes-
Barre, and the Wilkes University Polish Room.
For more information, contact Raphael Micca at
570-301-9253 or rdmicca@aol.com
or Michael
Stretanski at 570-287-6554.
Submitted by Raphael Micca
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

Western Diocese
Volume 94, Issue No. 8
Nashotah, WI
23
From Monday, May 16 through Wednesday, May 18,
2016, the clergy of the Western Diocese traveled to
Nashotah, WI for a retreat and conference at the
Nashotah House, a theological seminary near
Milwaukee.
The retreat was led by Father Thomas Holtzen, who spoke on “our” priesthood and the priesthood of
Jesus Christ.
Parma, OH
St. Mary’s sent a delegation to the 71st Annual
P.N.C.C./Y.M.S. of R. Bowling tournament, this year held in the Detroit area by Our Savior Parish in
Dearborn Heights and Holy Cross Parish in
Hamtramck.
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
The St. Mary’s team proved to be the overall winners, receiving the “Big” trophy to take back to
Parma. After some attempts at its theft, the big trophy did make it back, making it official that they are the champs.
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

24 God’s Field — August 2016
St. Mary Parish, South Bend, IN
Matthew Zawistowski, son of Rev. Charles and
Susan Zawistowski, graduated from Washington
High School on Saturday, June 4, during ceremonies held at the Century Center downtown. The award ceremony was held on June 2 and he received the following recognition: Summa Cum Laude; Technical Honors diploma; CTE Outstanding Student – top school corporation student; USA President’s
Award for Academic Excellence; Early College certificate; State of Indiana Proclamation – House of
Representatives; Top 10 Student – class rank 5; ASE
Student Certificates in Auto Tech, Engine Repair,
Engine Performance, and Electrical / Electronic Systems. On March 3, Matthew was inducted to the National Technical Honor Society, and on May 7 he graduated Cum Laude from Ivy Tech Community
College with a Technical Certificate.
As a dual credit student he simultaneously attended
Washington High School and Ivy Tech Community
College full time and attained 34 college credits by the time he graduated from High School. He has enrolled at Ivy Tech this Fall to complete his Associates degree. We congratulate Matthew on his accomplishments!
Submitted by Rev. Charles Zawistowski
Andrew Zawistowski, Grandfather Gordon Bialasik, Matthew, Grandmother Patricia Bialaski, Susan Zawistowski
2010 P.N.C.C. Prayer Book
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

Volume 94, Issue No. 8
Chicago, IL
For 50 years, parishioners, guests and curious folk crossed the threshold of the All Saints Memorial
Chapel, now named All Saints Cathedral. For 50 years, pastors, assistant pastors, Sunday School students and teachers, musicians and choristers, and organization and committee members all worked to bring the mission and ministry of All Saints Cathedral Parish to our community.
After extensive research, it was determined that the exterior and interior of the Chapel had been dedicated, but not consecrated. What better way to honor our mission and ministry than to consecrate our building to God! Sunday, May 29th was a day of celebrating our past, our present, and our future.
Excerpt from Bishop Bilinski’s Homily
“I just want to say a word about the ritual that we took part in, and I thank you for your participation. Ultimately, and bottom line what that service did, was telling you and showing you and proving to you that you no longer own this place. You don’t.
We’ve turned it over to God. We’ve used the Holy Chrism that is used in baptism and confirmation to mark the walls and we put the crosses over them so that spot will never be touched. But by chrismation it is an election that whatever we chrismate is turned over to God.”
25
Bishop Stan sprinkles Gregorian water
(water, salt, wine and ashes) assisted by Douglas Scott.
The Rite of Consecration for a Cathedral is an involved ceremony with deep spiritual and eternal significance. Of particular poignancy was the placing of
Holy Chrism upon the walls. The mounting of gold crosses on top of the places of chrismation was done by Bob Maycan (who was a member of the building committee in 1965-66), Gary Kurzynski (our current
Parish Chair), and representing the youth of our parish, Grace Urban and Joey Scott.
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Joey Scott mounts the gold cross on one of the places of chrismation blessed by Bishop Stan.
(Continued on Page 26.)
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

26 God’s Field — August 2016
(Celebration Day at All Saints - Continued from Page 25.)
This same day we also celebrated the end of the school year for our School of Christian Living students. What a wonderful combination of events to celebrate! Bishop Bilinski congratulated and presented certificates to each student as their names were read by SOCL Superintendent, Margaret Rowinski.
We thank Margaret and all of the dedicated teachers for their ministry.
To top off the celebration, we had a wonderful pot puck lunch…a tradition in many parishes, but somewhat new to All Saints. Elaine Rowinski did a fabulous job coordinating the event. The centerpieces for the tables – made from photos of people and events throughout the years – were created by Debbie Bilinski. All of the food was delicious, and many of the dishes were created from our PTO cookbooks!
Thank you to everyone who participated in this wonderful Celebration Day!
Submitted by Judie Szydlowski
School of Christian Living Graduation
Each table was adorned with centerpieces made from photos of the people and events from our history.
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Just one of the many fabulous items at the
Celebration Day Pot Luck Lunch
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

Volume 94, Issue No. 8 27
Our Savior Parish, Dearborn Heights, MI
On July 17, 2016, our own Richard Kasprzak was ordained to the Order of Deacon by Rt. Rev. Stanley
Bilinski at the 10:30 a.m. Mass. This is the culmination of 3 years of study by Rev. Mr. Kasprzak, and he is now a Deacon in the Holy Polish National Catholic
Church.
As a Deacon he will have some new responsibilities.
One of those will be proclaiming the Gospel at Mass.
Coupled with this he has the faculty to preach the
Word of God in a homily, which he is anticipated to do on a fairly regular basis. Additional Mass duties are preparing the Chalice for consecration at the altar, inviting the congregation to the sign of peace and the dismissal from the Mass. Outside of Mass, he has the ability to baptize, perform funeral rites (outside of
Mass) and bring the Eucharist to the sick and homebound. He also will be able to bless homes during the
Epiphany House Blessing time. He also can perform communion services.
Deacon Kasprzak is under the direct jurisdiction of the Bishop Ordinary of the Western Diocese and has been assigned to Our Savior Parish to help out. He also can be called by the Bishop to assist at other parishes in the Diocese, as need arises.
We congratulate Deacon Richard on his new ministry and thank him for his service to our Holy Polish
National Catholic Church and Our Savior Parish!
Submitted by Rev. John Cramer
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Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1

28 God’s Field — August 2016
The Solemnity of Brotherly Love is Sunday, September 11, 2016. A full color brochure describing this unique feast of the Polish National Catholic Church is available for purchase from the Office of the Prime Bishop.
This brochure was created to help us understand and commemorate this Solemnity, and we hope that all parishes will help to spread the awareness of the Solemnity of Brotherly
Love by sharing this information with all parishioners.
25 brochures: $8.50
50 brochures: $15.00
75 brochures: $21.50
100 brochures: $27.50
(All prices include shipping costs.)
Checks, payable to P.N.C.C. Book Department, should be sent to:
P.N.C.C. Book Department
National Church Center
1006 Pittston Avenue
Scranton, PA 18505
Order forms are available online at: pncc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/slmnty_brtrly_lve_order_form_0001.pdf
Website of the P.N.C.C.: pncc.org
Official P.N.C.C. Facebook Page: PNCC1