Holy Name of Jesus National Catholic Church

Why do we celebrate Spéjnia Sunday?

The month of September has many meanings to many different people. First, and probably foremost, parents look forward to the beginning of the new school year. Farmers know that September means the beginning of the fall harvest of God’s gifts to us. Polish
National Catholics know that September has been set aside by the Church to honor its fraternal organization, the Polish National Union of America, “Spójnia”.

Many people ask, why does the Church celebrate a fraternal organization in a special way? The answer to this question is an easy one: because the Polish National Union of America had done and given more to the Church than any other organization to date. The Polish National Union was born and grew from the heart of the Polish National Catholic Church. These two great institutions share the same membership, the same concerns for the people. The same man, the late Prime Bishop Francis Hodur, organized both. Both organizations stand for the same principle, that all men and women should and do have the right to choose their destinies, no mater what their ethnic backgrounds. In other words, it would be every hard to separate in the intermingled struggles and accomplishments of the two.

Over the past 100 years, the support of Spójnia for the Polish National Catholic Church has been constantly shown through financial aid to parishes in the form of mortgages, educational materials and financial stipends; and recreational aid to all by support given to many varied and widely held events. Our parish has benefited greatly over the years through these various programs: our college students have received stipends, and, in past years, the van traveling to the “Zlot” was funded through the PNU.

Be it in times of hardship or time of good fortune, Spójnia has always been there. Offering a helping hand or a shoulder to rest upon. Giving words of encouragement or inspiration. No matter what the situation, what area of the country or the world, Spójnia would always try to help. Many times the help was meager. Many times it would just be words of encouragement, but at least people knew that someone cared. People know that we are “joining hands to touch lives” because we we’re all sisters and brothers working together for the happiness and betterment of all.

By being members of the PNCC and Spójnia, we have joined hands in a partnership that has grown over the past 100 years. A partnership that today can boast over 110 parishes in the United States and Canada partnered with a fraternal with over $45M in assets.

This is a partnership where people care about each other, where love and brotherhood are the two main ingredients. A partnership where each other’s rights and ideas have meaning. A partnership where the partners, the PNCC and the PNU of America, will always be there when needed.

As we celebrate this day, let us be thankful for those who determined this organization to be necessary and that it continue to be a source of fraternalism. May we all be members. Young and old alike can all benefit from the Spójnia.

On behalf of the Parish Committee and the Congregation of the Holy Name of Jesus National Catholic church, I, as administrator, would like to welcome our diocesan shepherd, His Excellency, the Rt. Rev. Anthony Mikovsky, to our parish. We welcome our gracious neighbor, the Rev. Fr. Carl Urban. And we also welcome the fine dedicated clergy of our Mohawk Valley Seniorate, and for any and all of their parishioners they have encouraged to share our worship this afternoon.

It is indeed an honor to have the bishop confirm our newest soldiers for Jesus, and through which action, has ensured a continual blessing on our parish from our gracious God. The results of God’s abundant grace and our participation with it have allowed our humble parish to be made more holy through this ministry.

May this day be for all of us here gathered a true day of renewal, of the Pentecost experience, and for a day of sharing and fellowship, celebration and thanksgiving, one with another.

May I gratefully affirm all those who had assisted in the many varied tasks in allowing this day to be glorious.

As we look to the future, filled with hope by the grace of God, the inclusion of these new adults in the faith, and the fellowship of us all, may we give hearty thanks for all of God’s blessings, given and yet to be given.

– Fr. Stan

Sunday, September 19th will mark a special celebration in our parish family…

This year our parish family will get stronger — Stronger by the presence of the Holy Spirit being strengthened in five of our young people.

As we all (those old enough, of course) have the power of the Spirit within our lives through our Confirmation, so shall it be true for this class.

We will welcome our Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev. Anthony Mikovsky, making his second visit to our parish within his short tenure as Ordinary. In so doing, we also need to plan for the days’ response. The parishes of our Seniorate have been invited to participate, gracing us with their presence and prayer.

Please keep this afternoon open and partake of the grace, ecclesiology, and witness we will have to share.

The day of Pentecost is the Church’s festival of the Holy Spirit. It is the third principal festival of the church year, the day on which we remember how the Holy Spirit came powerfully to a gathering of Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem.

In Polish, this Feastday is called “Święto Zielonych Świątki” or, literally, the “Holiday of Green”. Green, in the Church, is the color of hope. We’d like to “green up” the Church in a feeling of hope. If you have any green plants that you would like to decorate the church, window sills, sanctuary area; please bring them – thereby we shall emphasize the season of hope; for us, and for the Church to which Jesus promised the Holy Spirit.

Given that the liturgical color for the Solemnity of the Pentecost next week is red, perhaps it would be a kind of parish celebration of the Holy Spirit if we all wore some garment of the red color. It would bring some liturgical continuity as well as a faith-filled parochial expression of faith in the Holy Spirit. Just a thought!

Also, as this celebration has a Slavonic tradition attached whereby the Holy Spirit gives life to the Church, we have symbolized this fact in years past with bringing live plants to adorn our parish church. lf you would also like to add this to our celebration next week, please do not hesitate to do so.

With every good wish and prayer,

Father Stan

If you find yourself sitting in Church this Easter Sunday a little bit smug; if you have walked into our parish building with your shoulders a bit more square; if you strode to your pew with a strong sense of confidence; if you are sitting here reading this text with an air of “holier than thou” — then you’ve got this Easter thing down fairly well.

It’s not that you are here with a disposition of haughtiness nor a feeling of superiority, but if you do have a self-sense that is really communicating a package of “I’m really something very important this morning” — then you’ve got this Easter thing down fairly well.

You see, it’s the feeling that this morning everything around you is here for you is really pretty much what God would want you to feel this morning — it has all been done for you! But here’s the catch — as you look around at those who are in the pew beside you, behind you, in front of you, and all around — they’re feeling the same thing, or at least they should be.

The grave could not hold Jesus. A 47-gazillion pound boulder blocking the entrance of his tomb was but a piece of fluff that could be rolled away for Jesus to get on with the work of the day. Work?, you ask. Of course! He had to make sure that the two disciples got into a racing match to see who could beat the other to the cemetery; He had to find Mary Magdalene crying in the garden to let her know that she was all right; He had to meet the two disciples on the road to let them know that their despair was misplaced; He had work to do to let these folk know that He did it all for them. And, as you have probably figured out, He is doing the same thing for you this morning — He wants you to know that He did it all for you, and those who are in the pew beside you, behind you, in front of you, and all around.

May your smugness, square shoulders, and wide striding steps lead you to the truth that — Jesus lives! — for you!

Fr. Stan

Drodzy Siostry i Bracia,

Wielkanoc, nasz Paschalnym Uroczystość, jest nas większym świętem Chrześcijańskiego świata. Jest to dzień, która przywraca na mysł cud Zmartwychwstania Pana Jezusa Chrystusa.

Historyczny fakt Zmartwychwstania jest kamieniem węgielnym naszej Chrześcijańskiej wiary, niezbitym dowodem Bóstwa misji na świecie.

“Ten jest dzień, który Pan uczynił, weselmy i radujmy się w nim.” Wielkanoc jest tryumfalnym świętem Chrześcijańskiego roku, w którym radośnie ochodzimy wejście Chrystusa do swej chwały. Jego zwycięstwo nad śmiercią i Zmartwychwstania do nowego życia.

Niech ta Wielkanoc będzie dla Was świata i błogosławioną; niech Zbawiciel Zmartwychwstały obdarzy Was szczęściem i duchowym zadowoleniem.

W tej radości, pamiętamy o naszym świętym Kościele i okazamy wdzięczności Panu Bogu za Jego łaski nam dane przez złożenie hojnej ofiary, która będzie wyrazem naszej troski, miłości o poświęcenie się dla swego Kościoła.

Oddany w Bogu,

ks. Stanisław

It has pleased the Lord to call our sister, Ś.P. Helen Jakubiak, home to eternal life … Following a valiant health struggle, our sister Ś.P. Helen answered the call of her Lord and passed on to eternity on Monday of this past week.

A Funeral Holy Mass was celebrated at Lasak & Gigliotti Funeral Home in Albany. Internment was at Albany Rural Cemetery.

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord and may the perpetual light shine upon her.
May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.

Wieczne odpoczynek racz jej dać Panie, a światłość wiekuista niechaj jej świeci.
Niech odpoczywają w pokoju, Amen.

Pre-Lent, or Septuagesima, began with the ninth week before Easter and includes the Polish names for the weeks dating from around 1248.

The liturgical period is a prelude to Lent and a remote preparation for Easter. It serves as a time of transition from Christmas joy to Lenten sobriety. The Gloria/Chwała is omitted.

Let this time cause you to focus on your journey with Jesus.

Wesołych Świąt, Bożego Narodzenia!
Happiness on the Feast of Christ’s Birth!

”In the fullness of time, God sent His son“. These words are found in Holy Scripture, announcing the change of earthly rule over to that of the Son of God. We shouldn’t miss this too fine of a point – “fullness of time” – as an indication of God’s plan unfolding for His creation.

Many arguments have arisen over the years – why then? Why in the latter years of a growing Roman Empire? Why at a time when social ills were in no way comparable to those we face today? Why not now?

Intriguing, no? If one would speculate on time itself, what would be a good time for God to appear on earth in human form? Would there be a better time in the future? If one could anticipate a better world, wouldn’t one be able to have a bit more faith in humanity? Wouldn’t there be time to correct some mistakes in preparation for a better time to come?

Do you see the beauty of the plan God devised and carried out in the manger in Bethlehem some two thousand+ years ago? You see, we have the possibility of a better future; we have the opportunity of correcting mistakes in anticipation of a better world. That’s why the plan of God sent His Son to us at a time that would make our day today more hopeful, more blessed, more with the chance to live a life worthy of the Gift.

God knew what He was doing in this plan. Time was of the essence. One could argue that the miracle of Bethlehem set the world on a path that would lead to the more perfect world God had in mind on the day(s) of creation. However, just as strong an argument could be made that all was just setting the stage for the world today!

Presumptuous? Perhaps, but what can one do with the reality of the presence of God on this world, in the form of a human baby, Who for us, in this present day, is the only source of true happiness, blessing, love and grace?

As we are united in prayer this Holy Season, may our families, our friends, celebrate our Messiah; His love shall remain forever. Believe that, and that will bring true “peace on earth“!

–Fr. Stan