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Inauguration of the PRCUA
Executive Officers and National Directors
Chicago, IL - (Photos
1 2)
The Polish Roman Catholic Union of America celebrated the inauguration of
its 28th National President on Sunday, September 17, 2006. The event began
with the Inaugural Mass at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Church at 5352
West Belden Avenue in Chicago, IL. The main celebrant was Rev. Walter J.
Ptak, PRCUA National Chaplain; other concelebrants included Rev. Canon
Anthony D. Iwuc; Rev. Msgr. Stanley E. Milewski; and Rev. Anthony Dziorek,
CR, Pastor of St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Parish.
Fr. Dziorek welcomed the
chaplains, officers, directors and members of the PRCUA to his church for
the special 3 p.m. Mass. He mentioned that his parish is marking its 113th
anniversary this year and he is glad that our fraternal chose his parish in
which to celebrate this auspicious occasion.
The readers at the Mass
were Joseph Boruta, former PRCUA Treasurer and outgoing Director of District
7; Martha Kwiatt, former Director of District 8; Natalie Grabowski, PRCUA
Cinderella 2005; Thomas Frankowicz; 2006 Cinderella Nicole Bober and 2006
Prince Charming Michael Guziak.
After the homily, PRCUA
National Chaplain Rev. Walter Ptak administered the oath of office to all
the officers and directors of the PRCUA.
During the Presentation of
Gifts, Supervisor Barbara Pawlowski of District 9 presented bread and salt,
in adherence to an ancient Polish tradition; Supervisor Edward Muszalski of
District 8 presented a picture of the PRCUA’s patron, the Sacred Heart of
Jesus; Jeannette Holmquist of District 6 presented a photo of one of the
PRCUA’s cofounder and first President (1873-75), Rev. Teodor Gieryk and John
Borkowski of District 5 presented a photo of co-founder Rev. Vincent
Barzynski. Supervisor Ted Klamerus of District 10 presented the PRCUA
Charter and Constitution; Secretary-Treasurer Joyce Szarowicz of Chicago
presented the paten and hosts; Vice President Robert Bielenda of Redford,
Michigan carried the water and wine; Resident Vice President Anna Sokolowski
of Downers Grove, IL carried the chalice; and President Wallace Ozog of
Lemont, IL presented the ciborium.
The St. Stanislaus
organist, Stanislaw Sterlinski, and choir enhanced the Mass with their
beautiful singing and music, for which the PRCUA is most grateful.
After Mass, the Inaugural
Banquet was held at the House of the White Eagle in Niles, Illinois. Maria
Ciesla, President of The Polish Museum of America, welcomed guests and
introduced the leaders of the PRCUA, who promenaded into the Hall: flag
bearers John Frankowicz of District 8; Paul Pawlowski of District 9; and
James Robaczewski of District 7; Vice Chairman of the 59th Quadrennial
Convention, Julius Szymczyk of Warren, MI, escorted by Bernice Adamkiewicz;
Convention Chairperson Joan Smuda, escorted by her husband, PRCUA General
Counsel Norman Schroeder; guest of honor, Consul Pawel Pietrasienski of the
Republic of Poland escorted by Kinga Guziak of Wesoly Lud; District 1,
Director Kasimer J. Zabek and his wife, Frieda, of Adams, MA; District 2,
Director William E. Nowakowski from Buffalo, NY, escorted by Katarzyna
Rogala of Wesoly Lud; District 3, Director Joanne I. Zajac of Philadelphia,
PA, escorted by PRCUA Task Force member, Walter Schultz and Director Edward
F. Kaplaniak of Johnstown, PA and his wife, Mary Catherine; District 4’s
Director Richard P. Turkiewicz of Winter Springs, FL had to catch a flight
to Florida after the Mass therefore he was unable to attend; District 5,
Joan C. Sylak of Toledo, OH, escorted by Bart Guziak of Wesoly Lud; District
6, Director Sharon A. Haberski of Greenfield, WI; District 7, Director
Robert J. Bugielski and his wife, Dona and Director Lillian Stempinski and
her husband, Ralph; District 8, Director James Rustik and his wife, Barbara
and Director Krystyna Lech and her husband, Tadeusz; District 9, Director
Elizabeth Grabowski and her husband, Konrad; District 10, Director Thomas
Lisiecki of Warren, MI, escorted by Elizabeth Presz of Wesoly Lud and
Director Barbara Toboy of Wyandotte, MI, with her husband, Ronald.
The directors were followed
by Vice Chaplain Monsignor Stanley E. Milewski of Orchard Lake, MI, escorted
by Kalina Dziadkowicz of Wesoly Lud; Vice Chaplain Rev. Canon Anthony D.
Iwuc of Providence, RI, escorted by Kamila Pilatowska of Wesoly Lud;
National Chaplain Rev. Walter J. Ptak, Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Parish in Wyandotte, MI, escorted by Virginia Gavaghan of Wesoly Lud; and
special guest Rev. Gerald Grupczynski, Pastor of Five Holy Martyrs Parish in
Chicago, IL and Chaplain of District 8, escorted by Renee Bober of Wesoly
Lud.
Finally, the highlight of
the evening arrived when the PRCUA’s Executive Officers made their grand
entry: Secretary-Treasurer Joyce Szarowicz of Mount Prospect, IL, escorted
by her husband, Walter; Vice President Robert Bielenda of Redford, MI, and
his wife, Eleanor; Resident Vice President Anna Sokolowski of Downers Grove,
IL, escorted by her husband, Mark; and President Wallace M. Ozog and PRCUA
First Lady Joann Ozog of Lemont, IL. The directors and officers were elected
to serve for a four-year term of office, 2006 - 2010.
Julius Szymczyk was
introduced as Master of Ceremonies for the evening and the Polish and
American National Anthems were led by Annette Nowakowski. Rev. Walter Ptak
gave the invocation, followed by a toast made by James Robaczewski, PRCUA
flag bearer from District 7 and son of Alice Robaczewski, a longtime PRCUA
employee in the Treasurer’s Department.
A delicious Polish
family-style dinner followed, during which guests enjoyed music provided by
The Music Company. After the dinner, Resident Vice President Anna Sokolowski
introduced the PRCUA dance schools that graciously agreed to perform at the
banquet. Guests enjoyed a diverse and most enjoyable program of Polish folk
songs and dances from various regions performed by children from PRCUA
schools. The program included songs and dances from Beskid performed by the
Slask Dancers of the Rafal Kalinowski Polish Language School, Munster, IN -
District 9; Elizabeth Grabowski, Director; Misia Jaminski, Choreographer;
Renee Bober, Dance Instructor; and Natalia Grabowski, Assistant Dance
Instructor.
Next were dances from
Lublin performed by the Polanie Dancers of John Paul II Language School,
Lemont, IL - District 8; Basia Rozwadowski-Eckert, Artistic Director and
Choreographer; Barbara Wargacki-Skrzypiec, Dance Instructor. This was
followed by songs and dances from Nowy Sacz performed by Wesoly Ludek of the
PRCUA Southwest Center of Polish Dancing, Chicago, IL - District 8; Krystyna
Lech, School Director; Misia and Richard Jaminski, Artistic Directors and
Choreographers; Danielle Lech-Kroplewski, Dance Instructor.
Then guests enjoyed dances
from Warmia performed by the Polonia Dancers of the PRCUA Northwest Center
of Traditional Polish Dancing, Chicago, IL - District 7; Anna Krysinska,
School Director; Cecylia Roznowska, Artistic Director and Choreographer.
Dances and songs from Podhale were then performed by the Wesoly Lud Polish
Folk Dance Ensemble of PRCUA, Chicago, Illinois - District 8; Misia Jaminski,
Artistic Director; Richard Jaminski, Choreographer.
Afterwards, dancers made
several presentations of bouquets of flowers to President Wallace Ozog and
to Resident Vice President Anna Sokolowski, who is in charge of the PRCUA
fraternal programs. Misia Jaminski, artistic director of Wesoly Lud Polish
Folk Dance Ensemble and Wesoly Ludek, also received flowers because she was
celebrating her birthday on Sunday.
President Wallace Ozog
spoke to the assembly, answering the question “Quo Vadis?” (Where are we
going?) He mentioned that assets have increased 60 percent, however
expenditures for fraternal programs have increased 99 percent, which
demonstrates the PRCUA’s continued commitment to supporting fraternal and
charitable causes in Polonia. He also asked each PRCUA member to encourage
at least one other person from among their family and friends to join the
PRCUA.
Richard Riha, Supervisor of
PRCUA Insurance District #34, presented President Ozog with a business plan
to generate increased sales in his District by using modern technology to
create a Hot Line and a lead system for producers.
Then District 8 Directors
James Rustik and Krystyna Lech, with Supervisor Edward Muszalski and
deputies Barbara Frankowicz and Jolanta Wisniewski presented President Ozog
with over $300,000 in new business applications and boldly declared that
“this was just the beginning.”
The program officially
concluded when benediction was given by PRCUA Vice Chaplain Rev. Anthony
Iwuc, who asked everyone to join hands as a gesture of fraternalism. After
the program, guests enjoyed dancing for the rest of the evening.
As the PRCUA officers and
directors begin another four-year term, we pray that God will bless them and
that they will have the wisdom to do what is best for our 133-year-old
fraternal organization. |
