Bible Study for Christmas Week 6
  • 1/30 – 1 Corinthians 3 – What unique gifts, sacredness, did I notice today in myself? in someone else? Prayer starter: Help me, Lord, to honor your presence in each person I will meet today.
  • 1/31 – 1 Corinthians 4 – Where in my life do I exhibit the enthusiasm of the new convert? the wisdom of the dedicated disciple? Prayer starter: Thank you, Lord, for the joy to celebrate life as it is and the steadfastness to work for life as it should be.
  • 2/1 – 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 and 1 Corinthians 6:1-12 – Do I see the 10 Commandments as a checklist or as an invitation to love? Prayer starter: O Holy Spirit, shine your light into the darkest corners of my soul. Make all things clean and new.
  • 2/2 – 1 Corinthians 6:13-20 and 1 Corinthians 7:1-16 – Am I really aware that I am a part of something greater than myself? Prayer starter: Embrace me, Lord Jesus, and carry me ever more deeply into relationship.
  • 2/3 – 1 Corinthians 7:17-40 – What have I been putting off that really needs doing? Prayer starter: Come, Holy Spirit! Heal what divides us so we might better see what united us.
  • 2/4 – 1 Corinthians 8 – Do I embrace the freedom I have to build up the community? Prayer starter: Free me, Lord, from illusions of false freedom.
  • 2/5 – 1 Corinthians 9 – Whom did I reach out to today? Prayer starter: Use my hands and head and heart today, Lord, as the means by which someone may encounter you.

History of the National United Choirs Music Scholarship Program of the PNCC

The Music Scholarship Program was instituted on August 8, 1964 by the Sixth General Convention of the National United Choirs of the Polish National Catholic Church held in Carnegie, PA. The program was implemented at the Seventh General Convention, held in Cleveland, OH, on August 6, 1966, when the first awards were presented. The XII General Synod of the PNCC established the last Sunday in January as “Music Scholarship Sunday.”

The Music Scholarship program was instituted and tailored to develop musicians within the Polish National Catholic Church. The program was further expanded to establish a Chair of Music at the Savonarola Theological Seminary of our Church in Scranton, PA, and to also make scholarships available in other areas of music to enrich the musical life of the Church.

The Scholarship Program awards are divided into 2 categories: general scholarships and endowed scholarships.

General Scholarships

  • The Bishop Francis Hodur Award
  • The Bishop Francis Bonczak Awards
  • The Bishop Francis Bonczak Youth Awards
  • Church Music Award for Clergymen
  • The Bishop Thaddeus Zielinski Awards
  • Junior Incentive Awards

Endowed Scholarships

  • The Polish National Union Award
  • The Adam P. Pikulski Award
  • The Cecelia Shumlas Award
  • The Bishop Walter A. Slowakiewicz Award
  • The Emil Swantkowski Award
  • The George J. Balcar Award
  • The Bishop Eugeniusz W. Magyar Awards
  • The Edward and Frances Bialoglowicz Award

The Deadline to apply for any of these Scholarships is April 1st. Applications for any of these awards may be received from the Music Scholarship Administrator by writing to:

Mrs. Cathy Bilinski, Administrator
4051 Washington Crescent
Troy, MI 48085

Or by E-mail.

A few questions to test your personal knowledge of music history within the PNCC (answers will be posted February 1st):

The chant style of the PNCC is based upon _________ Chant.
The new hymnal of the PNC will be published in 20__.

Bible Study for Christmas Week 5
  • 1/23 – Matthew 13:1-9,18-23 – What are the major obstacles that prevent me from being good soil for the Word of God? Prayer starter: We praise you, Lord, for being so generous with the seeds of your word through the sublime teachings and the powerful deeds of your Son, Jesus Christ.
  • 1/24 – Matthew 13:10-17,34-35,51-52 – What have I done lately to refresh and go deeper into my understanding of the parables? Prayer starter: Lord Jesus, give us a listening heart and an open mind to let your parables bring us closer to God and ever more dedcated to the coming of your kingdom.
  • 1/25 – Matthew 13:24-30,36,43 – What can I do to remain focused on working for the good seed to grow in the world? Prayer starter: Lord, we praise you “for your judgements have been revealed” in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of Man and our Savior.
  • 1/26- Matthew 13:44-52 – How has the encounter with the gospel of Christ become a turning point in my life? Prayer starter: Lord Jesus, you have the words of eternal life. Let our lives always be filled with the joy of those who have found an invaluable treasure.
  • 1/27 – Matthew 13:53-58 – How solid and engaging is my knowledge of the historical Jesus? Prayer starter: Lord Jesus, we praise you for your wisdom and for all your deeds of power, and we acclaim you as the true Teacher and Prophet sent by God.
  • 1/28 – 1 Corinthians 1:1-17 – Am I more aware of what I have in common with my sisters and brothers in the church or of what divides us? Prayer starter: Lord Jesus, you willed that all may be one. Help us to make it so.
  • 1/29 – 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 and 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 – Where in my life am I being challenged to look at something from a new perspective? Prayer starter: Open my eyes, Lord. Help me to see your face in those around me.

Bible Study for Christmas Week 4
  • 1/16 – Matthew 9:14-17 – Is my joy and enthusiasm for the gospel ever growing or in need of refreshment? Prayer starter: Let our hearts, O Lord, be filled with the joy of your kingdom and with the bliss generated by the presence among us of Jesus the bridegroom.
  • 1/17 – Matthew 9:18-38 – How can the attitude of Jesus toward the women help us overcome persisting prejudices in our Church? Prayer starter: Jesus, you were a free man and the true teacher of God’s way. Grant us your freedom and help us to fully acknowledge equal dignity and rights for men and women.
  • 1/18 – Matthew 10:1-15 – How can I share the free gift of faith and the good news of Christ? Prayer starter: Lord of the harvest, we pray to you in the name of Jesus! Send more laborers into your harvest and enable us to be of their number.
  • 1/19- Matthew 10:16-42 – How do I react when faith issues become divisive among family and friends? Prayer starter: Lord Jesus, you have spoken words of life and peace and yet you had to suffer persecution and death. Give us the strength to follow you on the path to everlasting life and joy.
  • 1/20 – Matthew 11:1-30 – When struggling with questions about God, what did help me to recover peace and quiet? Prayer starter: We too, Lord, journey through the darkness of faith and experience inner struggles. Keep us in your love and in your peace.
  • 1/21 – Matthew 12:1-32 – How can I better use my Sundays to accomplish deeds of compassion? Prayer starter: Lord Jesus, you teach us the true way to please God. Help us to be compassionate like you to every human being.
  • 1/22 – Matthew 12:33-50 – Do I marvel at or do I keep objecting, like Jonah, to God’s unrestricted mercy? Prayer starter: We acclaim you, Lord Jesus. You are greater than Solomon and greater than Jonah. Blessed are you for your boundless wisdom and your infinite mercy.

Bible Study for Christmas Week 3
  • 1/9 – Matthew 6:9-15 – What can I do to revive my appreciation and affection for the “Our Father”? Prayer starter: Our Father, we are privileged to converse with you with the words Jesus taught us. Let our daily lives be transformed by your loving kindness and by your heavenly gifts.
  • 1/10 – Matthew 6:19-34 and Matthew 7:1-12 – How does my faith in God help me to be trusting about tomorrow? Prayer starter: Heavenly Father, we thank you for being such a caring and generous God. May we always value life as a bountiful gift of yours and be generous to others just as you are.
  • 1/11 – Matthew 7:13-28 – Which means can I use to check whether my faith-life is built on rock? Prayer starter: Help us, Lord, to keep our eyes set on our final destination into your kingdom, and never to lose heart when facing difficulties along the road.
  • 1/12- Matthew 8:1-17 – What are the barriers that stop me from reaching out to others? Prayer starter: You took, Lord Jesus, all our infirmities physical or moral. Help us to overthrow all barriers and to appreciate the goodness there is in everyone.
  • 1/13 – Matthew 8:18-34 – When facing difficulties in life, what predominates in me: fear or faith in Jesus? Prayer starter: Lord Jesus, you know our inner struggles, doubts, and fear. Come to rescue our little faith and restore peace and serenity within our hearts.
  • 1/14 – Matthew 9:1-8 – Do I look at forgiveness as a gift to be kept for myself? Prayer starter: Lord of mercy and forgiveness, help us to never hold back these wonderful gifts of yours, and to gratefully share them with our brothers and sisters.
  • 1/15 – Matthew 9:9-13 – How understanding and forgiving am I towards others’ shortcomings and my own? Prayer starter: Lord Jesus, look not on our sins but help us to follow you on the path of love and mercy.

Bible Study for Christmas Week 2
  • 1/2 – Matthew 3:13-17 – How can I better live my baptismal commitment as a call to serve? Prayer starter: Lord, you have made us your children through our baptism in Christ and in the Holy Spirit. May you be well pleased in all that we do.
  • 1/3 – Matthew 4:1-11 – how does the word of God help me cope with the various trials and temptations in life? Prayer starter: Lord Jesus, we praise you and we thank you for your faithfulness to God and for showing us the way to be victorious over the tempter.
  • 1/4 – Matthew 4:12-25 – What have I left behind for the sake of the kingdom and of Jesus’ Gospel? Prayer starter: Blessed are you, Lord Jesus, proclaimer of God’s Kingdom. Blessed are those who follow you and treasure the Good News.
  • 1/5- Matthew 5:1-12 – Which beatitude best describes my quest for happiness and which one calls for greater attention? Prayer starter: Lord, you are the one who cares most about our happiness. Keep guiding us, from day to day, on the road to blessedness and to lasting joy.
  • 1/6 – Matthew 5:13-16 – How can I make my life better reflect the taste and the light of the gospel? Prayer starter: Lord Jesus, let your passion for life and your compassion for people transfigure my life so as to enflame and illuminate the world.
  • 1/7 – Matthew 5:17-48 – Where do I stand with regard to reading the Old Testament? More on the side of abolishing or of fulfilling? Prayer starter: You have come, Lord Jesus, to build bridges not barriers. Help us to share your respect for ancient Scriptures and to keep our hearts open to the newness of your word.
  • 1/8 – Matthew 6:1-8,16-18 – How do I fare in the practice of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting the way ]esus taught? Prayer starter: Heavenly Father, make me discover the joys of finding you in the quiet and in the secret, in a heart to heart conversation with you.

Our Patronal Feast

Congratulations to the Clergy, Parish Committee, members, and friends of Holy Name of Jesus Parish on this our Patronal Feastday, the Solemnity of the Holy Name of Jesus.

Now that Jesus is born among us, may we always trust is the power of His name. – from the Preface for the Solemnity of the Holy Name of Jesus

We also offer up our prayers for those who served the Parish in love and honor of our Savior’s Holy Name, who have been called home to their eternal reward.