Parish Life

In conjunction with the continued celebration of the Polish National Union of America’s 100th anniversary and the marking of the 35th anniversary of the Spojnia Credit Union, this year’s annual “Spojnia Sunday” will be observed in a unique way.

For the first time ever it is the hope of the PNU that (today) on Sunday September 27, 2009 every parish of the Polish National Catholic Church will be simultaneously celebrating this special day with the same event schedule and program. A DVD about the history of the PNU and literature on both organizations has been provided to our parish so that information about the PNU and SCU may be cohesively presented to you, our parishioners.

This is a very exciting time for our sister organizations as they mark milestones in their long history. And it’s an even more exciting time for new and potential members. Both organizations have made a commitment to better communication with its members regarding their services, products, and programs.

For those of us who may not know, the PNU was founded by Prime Bishop Hodur as a sister organization to the PNCC. It is a fraternal insurance organization whose mission is to care for its members from birth to death with various insurance products, services and benefits. For 100 years the PNU has followed and met many of the goals set by Bishop Hodur, and it has always worked in conjunction with the PNCC and its mission. Not only has the PNU provided service to its members but also to the priests and parishes themselves for all these years.

As the PNU grew, it continued to look for different ways to serve its members. It established a home for the aged which is now the Manor at Waymart; it provides cultural and educational services through the Education and Youth Commission; and 35 years ago it established a credit union to serve the financial needs of its members.

Today the Spojnia Credit Union continues to be a prime benefit of PNU membership. The SCU offers savings and checking accounts, as well as personal, auto and home equity loans to its members. Additional services are offered on-line as a part of the home banking system technology. All of these services and benefits again keep the mission of our church at the forefront: to care for one another.

Earlier I mentioned that the PNU and SCU are our sister organizations, implying a sense that we are part of a family. And we are. As a family we inherently take on the task of caring for each other. A family has many needs and the church, the PNU and the SCU work together to provide a network of support for each other. The church takes care of our spiritual needs while the PNU and SCU take care of our material needs. Both are essential for a strong and healthy family. Family members by their nature want to help each other; if given the chance to do just that, family members become your strongest allies in times of trial and triumph. Today, give the PNU and SCU the opportunity to be good family members to you, too; give them the chance to be there for you.

As many of you know our national church has designated the last Sunday in September, Spojnia Sunday, to be the day that we reflect on the good that our sister organizations do for us all. It was so important to Bp. Hodur that this day be included in our church calendar, that I ask that you give it the same importance. Please take a moment today to meet one of our PNU secretaries, and to listen and watch the presentation. This day was coordinated with you in mind, just as the PNU was founded over 100 years ago by Bp. Hodur: it was made for our benefit so we could depend upon it and feel secure about our future. The future good work of both the PNU and SCU now depends on you.