Easter Message and Live Stream Mass Schedule from Father Senior Gregory

Easter, Holidays /

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

I wish, as in past years, you can walk into our Parish Church on Easter and see for yourself the resurrection symbols and altars decked with beautiful Easter lilies. Unfortunately, this year we are operating under circumstances that have never occurred before. Even though we cannot be together, we must still remember and celebrate this very important day of our Catholic faith. This is the day on which the Church commemorates Christ’s glorious resurrection. As we know, every Sunday we state our belief in that principal Christian truth as we recite the Nicene Creed.

When Jesus died on the cross on that Friday afternoon, even His closest friends believed that the Master’s life had come to an end, as many believed at that time and even today. For these people, death was the final act.

My friends in the faith, the resurrected Lord is alive! We meet Him often, even though we are not aware of this. He is present within the Church. You meet Him when you receive the Sacraments; and Jesus becomes present on the altar during Mass. He is present in every so many ways.

Not only are we celebrating Christ’s glorious resurrection, but we are also celebrating our future resurrection and eternal life. “Because I live, you also will live”   (John 14, 19), Jesus promises us.

Remember…Church is not the building; but rather we, the people, are the Church. Although the building is closed, you must remain open. Join us for Holy Week, Easter Sunday and future Sundays during these challenging times as we celebrate these events through social media on our Facebook page, Church of the Transfiguration.

HAPPY EASTER!    Wesolych Swiat Wielkanocnych!

Yours in Christ,

The Very Rev. Gregory Mludzik, Pastor

April 9, 2020 – Holy Thursday will live stream at 6:00pm EDT

April 10, 2020 – Good Friday Services will live stream at 3:00pm EDT

April 11, 2020 – Holy Saturday Services will live stream at 10:00am EST Easter Baskets will be blessed in the Wallington church parking lot “Drive Through” from 12:00pm – 1:00pm

April 12, 2020 – Easter Sunday Unity Mass will live stream at 10:00am EDT

April 19, 2020 – Second Sunday of Easter Unity Mass will live stream at 10:00am EDT

April 26, 2020 – Third Sunday of Easter Unity Mass will live stream at 10:00am EDT

Easter Message and Live Stream Mass Schedule from Father Senior Gregory Read More »

Bishop Bernard’s Pastoral Letter on Discipleship

Parish Life, PNCC, Reflection /

January, 2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you in our Central Diocesan family, and welcome to the Year of Discipleship in our holy Church!

In the words of our national PNCC Future Direction Sub-Committee recently given to us..…..As our Lord said to His disciples “Follow Me” for His public ministry, He continues to call us to follow Him and wants our relationship with Him to grow and strengthen as the days, months and years goes by. Our PNCC is calling us to renew our Discipleship in our Lord this year and as we begin 2019….

Soooo – let’s get a handle on this idea of discipleship, shall we?

Not too long ago I was watching a Netflix presentation about the Masons, with a focus on their place of origin, Freemasons’ Hall in Great Queen Street, London. As I became drawn into the narrative of this society’s founding and growth, I was struck by how clearly they laid out the expectations of a mason. By contrast, I was struck by how often our Church is hesitant to name the expectations of discipleship for its members.

Our Future Directions Sub-Committee has begun laying out these expectations and will continue that effort throughout the year. I’d say, it all boils down to five basic opportunities to “grow and strengthen our relationship with Jesus.”

Worship – We worship God together, through his Son Jesus. Worshipping regularly is a part of who we are as Catholic Christians. The people of God join together in the house of God to worship and honor God (Psalm 150). Worship is about community: the Christian community gathers to worship, to pray together, and to continue its growth in the faith.

Grow – We become affiliated with a parish society, Bible study, the School of Christian Living to grow in faith and our walk with Jesus. Jesus went to the synagogue “as was His custom” (Luke 4:16). Synagogue for Jesus was a place of discernment, learning scripture, and growing in the knowledge and love of God and neighbor. We join with other PNCC-ers here in order to grow together.

Mission – We are called to love our neighbors. We are encouraged to be involved in some mission emphasis. Jesus had a special place in His heart for the poor, marginalized, outcast, and lost. We are called to be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus Christ in our world. We seek to love and serve others and believe this is vital in our Christian walk.

Talents and Abilities – All of us have talents and abilities that can be used for the glory of God. Some have the gift of teaching or leading. Others have the gift of administration, or may be gifted in finance and can help the church to be faithful stewards of the gifts offered for ministry and mission. Some have the gift of compassion, or love to send cards to those who are sick. Some feel called to reach out to the unchurched, while others have the gift of hospitality. Yes, all of us have some God-given gift, talent, or ability that we can use for the glory of God.

Proportional Giving – Stewardship is a spiritual discipline and an act of worship. Our offering is a recognition that everything we have and are is a gift to us from God. We are all blessed. We are all called by God to offer our first-fruits and our [portion] to God for the work of His kingdom (Leviticus 27:30-33; Deuteronomy 14:22-29). Our offering at a regular percentage of giving is an act of gratitude, an act of obedience, and an act of our covenantal agreement with God. Our offering is used, then, in ministry and mission on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So let’s take time to reflect on these five expectations as we undertake a life of Catholic Christian discipleship. After all, God proved he loves us so much by giving His only begotten Son to live among us, to teach us of God’s love and kingdom, to die that we might be forgiven, and to rise that we may have eternal life. God has promised to be with us always. Discipleship, then, is our faithful response to this God who “so loves the world” (John 3:16)

Peace and grace to all.

Bishop Bernard

Bishop Bernard’s Pastoral Letter on Discipleship Read More »

Bishop Bernard’s Pastoral Letter on Vocations

PNCC, Reflection /

To the Very Reverend, Reverend Fathers and the Reverend Messrs., and my dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord:

¡Viva el mes de junio! That’s Spanish for “Long live June,” “Hurray for June.” Hurray, indeed! And welcome to the month of vocations in the Polish National Catholic Church: June is Sacred Vocations month for us. June is the month we focus on our great need for priests, and on the need for significant donations throughout the PNCC to be made to the Clergy Pension Plan.

Our need of priests is dire and critical, but I am nonetheless hopeful and optimistic. Even though no Polish National Catholic families have sacrificed even one of their men, young or old, to our altars in the past twelve years, (and it doesn’t look like any family will in the near future), I remain optimistic. Even though our seminary has been empty for that period of time, except for the occasional priest from another Church orienting himself there to work as a priest in the PNCC, I have good reason to hope because I have experienced God’s providence. Our parish in Denver was declining but was pulled back from the brink of closure by an Hispanic priest from Mexico and 90 people of Mexican heritage who now comprise the great majority of that parish. St Francis, Denver, is growing, and is enthusiastically PNCC, and is flying 18 young people and 6 adults to Convo 2018 here next month.

Because Father Alfonso Castillo needs pastoral help there, I enthusiastically agreed to review applications from priest friends of his in Mexico to provide assistance to him, and subsequently serve our American parishes desperate for priests. In our Diocese, two priests, in fine parishes, are retiring next year. I have no one to fill them. A priest in our Diocese is on three parishes in Jersey. Three priests are on two parishes each. And there are ailing and aging priests all over the place! And yet I am hopeful. So I say, ¡Viva México!

With the increase in aging clergy comes the need for our Clergy Pension Plan to support them all. We collect for this vital entitlement throughout the year and especially in the month of June. We need more capital to invest, the interest from which the pension payments are made. From age 70, a PNCC priest can look forward to a monthly check in the amount of $600; and his widow, a check in the amount of $300. Please be generous in this drive. And so I say, in my optimism, ¡Viva el Plan de Pensión del Clero! (Hurray for our Clergy Pension plan!)

I believe God is showing us a potential direction for the future of our Church; and that pathway seems to be presenting itself from south of the border. For the Methodist Church, that pathway is from South Korea, and for the Roman Catholic Church, from India among other sources. In light of all of this, Bishop Hodur has indeed blessed us with a most optimistic motto for our Church when he penned: A través de la Verdad, el Trabajo y las Dificultades ¡Venceremos!

Yours in Christ,

Bishop Bernard

To read the original version as a PDF file.

Bishop Bernard’s Pastoral Letter on Vocations Read More »

Fr. Senior Gregory Attends Meeting with Francis, Bishop of Rome

PNCC /

Fr. Senior Gregory was invited to attend A Witness to Peace; A Multireligious Gathering with Francis, Bishop of Rome on Friday, September 25th at the National Museum in New York City. The invitation recognized Fr. Senior Gregory’s and others efforts toward building bridges across religions and communities in New York City and beyond. The program was a common witness to peace, religious freedom, and respect for the others on the sacred ground that marked the sacrifice of so many on September 11, 2001.

Fr. Senior Gregory Attends Meeting with Francis, Bishop of Rome Read More »

Scroll to Top