The Polish National Catholic Church’s tradition of embracing ethnic groups continues today and is evidenced in a Texas parish, said the Rev. Dr. Czeslaw Kuliczkowski. During a Mass Sunday commemorating the Polish National Catholic Church’s 111th anniversary, Kuliczkowski told parishioners at the Church of the Good Shepherd about a church in Dallas, Texas, where the predominant language spoken is Spanish.
To accommodate the new immigrants, liturgies are said in Spanish, English and Polish.
“It has been my feeling that the more diverse we are, the stronger we are,” he said. “We continue to reach out to those who aren’t always embraced. We know the suffering and condemnation that our ancestors experienced.”
Kuliczkowski spoke of how their ethnic ancestors in forming the PNCC sought to stay true to their customs and traditions, and see that parts of their heritage were safeguarded.
“They wanted a church where their voices and opinions would be cherished and embraced and respected.”
The history of the church dates back to 1897 in Scranton. The PNCC’s members split from the Roman Catholic Church for reasons including the desire to celebrate Mass in Polish for the thousands of new immigrants in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
These immigrants also were unhappy with the American Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, and many disputed who owned the church property.
In today’s Polish National Catholic Church, matters of finances are controlled by the laity of the parish; matters of faith are left to the clergy.
With its beginnings in 1898, the Church of the Good Shepherd is the third-oldest congregation in America and was the first Polish National Catholic Church in Luzerne County.
Other churches in the county include Holy Cross in Wilkes-Barre; Holy Name of Jesus, Nanticoke; Resurrection of the Lord, Edwardsville; St. John the Baptist, Hazleton; Holy Mother of Sorrows, Dupont; and St. Mary’s, Duryea.
Kuliczkowski, who is also the pastor at the Resurrection of the Lord, later celebrated the thanksgiving Mass at that church. He was also honored for his 20th year as pastor there.
Kuliczkowski said that the Polish National Catholic Church has members all around the world and they don’t all have Polish or Eastern European roots. Many, like Kuliczkowski, are former Roman Catholics.
Diane Supey, of Dallas, joined the Church of the Good Shepherd in 1985. She too was raised a Roman Catholic.
“To me this is a very traditional-type church. What I like most about the church is the Mass that we enjoy here is the Mass I remember as a child,” said Supey, who is the parish committee recording secretary and a Sunday school teacher.
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