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Cornerstone blessing at Holy Cross PNCC, Commack, NY

1 Comment / Community Events, PNCC /

Pictures from the blessing of the cornerstone for the new Holy Cross PNC Parish in Commack, New York. The Parish, formerly of Brooklyn, moved to Commack several years ago and has been worshiping at the Parish Cemetery’s Chapel. The blessing was conducted by the Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky, Prime Bishop of the PNCC in the presence of the Very Rev. WisÅ‚aw Pietruszka, Pastor, clergy from the New York-New Jersey Seniorate, and honored guests on Sunday, May 29th.

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St. Francis’ celebrates the Christmas season

Community Events, Parish Life /

From EastMeadowPatch: St. Francis Christmas Dinner Spreads Holiday Cheer: St. Francis’ congregation celebrates the holiday season

The holiday spirit was bustling in East Meadow on Sunday at the St. Francis Polish National Catholic Church. The congregation held their annual Christmas fundraiser dinner. There were approximately 80 members in attendance, making the event full and joyous.

The congregation adopts a family in need every year. St. Francis fundraises through this dinner to provide necessities for that family.

“We have three dinners a year, but this dinner is meant to fundraise for the family that we adopt,” Reverend Andrzej Koterba explained.

The evening was full of festivities. Throughout the church hall, there were smells of homemade Christmas dinner, sounds of happy chatter and children running around, excited at the thought of meeting Santa Claus.

Giving is definitely a sentiment that the church members were comfortable with. The congregation held a raffle where almost all members participated. A donation box for the adopted family was brimming with dollar bills. The church also had a “wish list tree,” a tree filled with cards on ornaments that list an item that the church needs. Churchgoers are able to pick any ornament that they want, and then they can purchase and donate that item to the church. Everyone was so willing to give generously, which contributed to the true Christmas spirit felt throughout the evening.

St. Francis also gave out Polish wafers. The wafers are used at Christmas dinner on Christmas everyone breaks off a piece of the wafer, symbolizing peace for the year to come.

The children, especially Natalie, 5, and Adam, 4, were more than happy to chat with a newcomer. They both eagerly explained what they wanted Santa Claus to bring them: a Lego jet, Batman, a glowdome and a remote control helicopter.

Before digging in to the wonderful home-cooked meal, Reverend Koterba delivered a beautiful blessing on the food.

A surprise visitor came in the middle of the raffle, ringing jingle bells and jollily greeting the children – it was Santa Claus! He gave a gift to each of the children in attendance, who were delighted to sit on his lap and smile for a lovely picture.

The night offered a sense of family and home that is rare. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and loving.

“We welcome everybody and we appreciate greatly the generosity of our congregation,” Joni Blenn, the vice president, said.

View photos of the celebration at EastMeadowPatch.

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Åš+P Zachary B. Rosales

From the Pastor /

On August 8th Fr. Andrew celebrated a Requiem Holy Mass in memory of Zach B. Rosales who was tragically killed. During Holy Mass Zach’s whole family and his friends prayed for him, and for love and peace in our families, our neighborhood, and our world.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon:
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope
where there is darkness, light
where there is sadness, joy

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

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

Dale, Señor, el descanso eterno. Brille para él la luz perpetua.
Descanse en paz. Amén.

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A beautiful gift, a lasting memory

Community Events, From the Pastor, Parish Life /

In this season of giving, our Parish of St. Francis received a very kind and generous gift, on the Feast of the Epiphany (The Feast of the Kings).

Our need called for an outdoor Nativity to display. This Sunday we received this beautiful gift, of an eleven piece set, detailed to per­fection, three foot in height.

The Nativity was given in Memory of Å›p. +Anna Ruggiero, who was called to eternal life on Christmas Day, December 25, 2009. The Nativity was donated by Å›p. +Anna’s daughter Maria and William Piro.

We note that Anna so loved Christmas for its spiritual and family orientation. This will remain a lasting and enduring gift giving to many for years to come. Anna, we know returned to God on Christmas. She is now witnessing the greatest gift of gifts, Jesus Himself, the Son of God. In this knowledge we extend our continued thoughts and prayers.

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord and may the perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen.

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Corpus Christi

1 Comment / Community Events, Liturgical, PNCC /

On Sunday, June 14 clergy and parishioners from across the New York – New Jersey Seniorate gathered at the Parish of St. Peter and Paul in Passaic, New Jersey to jointly celebrate Holy Mass followed by Procession in honor of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. The principal celebrant was the Parish’s Pastor, the Very Rev. Stanley Skrzypek. Our Pastor, the Rev. Andrzej Koterba was the homilist.

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Celebrating our Pastor’s installation and the 20th Anniversary of his priesthood

1 Comment / Community Events, Parish Life, PNCC /

On the Solemnity of Pentecost, Sunday, May 31st, we celebrated the installation of the Rev. Andrzej Koterba as our Pastor. We also celebrated the 20th anniversary of Father Koterba’s ordination to the Holy Priesthood.

The Very Rev. WiesÅ‚aw Pietruszka led a Vespers Service during which he installed Fr. Koterba in accordance with the Rites of the Holy Polish National Catholic Church. Clergy from the New York – New Jersey Seniorate were also in attendance including Rev. Joseph KoÅ‚ek, Rev. Joseph Cyman, Rev. Gregory MÅ‚udzik, Rev. Jan Kość and Rev. StanisÅ‚aw KuraÅ‚.

A reception and dinner followed in the parish hall.

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