2015: A Year of Regeneration

During the recent XXIV General Synod which was held in Erie, Pennsylvania, the delegates and guests had an opportunity to share their thoughts and dreams for the Polish National Catholic Church and also to find some concrete ways to bring them to reality.  All of us, including me, were on a real high upon returning from the Synod.  In my view this was one of the most positive meetings of the Church in many years and it was in no small way due to the input of the synod delegates who took their roles seriously and completed the work which was placed before them.

But of course we are also realists and we know that just good intentions and thoughts will not accomplish what we desire to happen.  We now have to turn all of these wonderful ideas and positive plans into action.  This work has begun with the calling of the Future Directions Committee.  It begins there, but it will also need many others, from every parish, to bring it all to a final goal.

The Future Directions Committee has chosen for the year 2015 a theme of “Regeneration.”  Now the concept of regeneration should be something that is, at least, somewhat familiar to all Polish National Catholics.  In the “Confession of Faith of the Polish National Catholic Church” which was accepted at the III General Synod in 1914 we read: “I believe in Jesus Christ, the Saviour and Spiritual Regenerator of the world.”  Our Catechism reminds us that Jesus Christ is the Regenerator because He “spiritually
renews our life.”  It is within the next article of the same Confession of Faith that we see, in part, how this is accomplished.  “I believe that this Nazarene Master revealed His Divine Mission on earth through His life, an unsurpassed ideal of goodness, wisdom and self-sacrifice for others, especially sinful and disinherited people; that by His work, teaching and sacrificial death, He became the glowing ember of a new life of mankind, taking its beginning and deriving its strength and fullness in knowing God, loving Him and fulfilling His Holy Will.”

We also know that our Lord passed all of this on to His Church, the Body of Christ in the world today.  So now we, as Polish National Catholics, must also be concerned with the work of regeneration. We must have the unsurpassed ideal of goodness and self-sacrifice for others.  This means that each and every bishop, each and every pastor, each and every Parish Committee member, each and every parishioner, needs to play a role in bringing about a renewed and active spiritual life in the parishes and the entire Church.

To this end the Future Directions Subcommittee has taken the decisions of the delegates of the General Synod and put forward a plan for 2015.  In this Year of Regeneration the entire Church will work to accomplish actions in line with the five themes that we determined by the Synod.  We will do this to regenerate the spiritual life of our parishes and our Church.  This plan contains eight (8) components as goals to accomplish.  1) Universal welcome packet for all parishes of the P.N.C.C.; 2) Greater understanding of the Church Solemnities; 3) Lenten Day of Retreat; 4) Implementation of Commissioning Services; 5) Online Education Course for Clergy; 6) Database of P.N.C.C. males for Sacred Vocations; 7) Pamphlet for Humble Shepherds 2015 and; 8) Completion of at least two community services projects.  A lot of information on all the these topics has already been distributed to the synod delegates and pastors via email in December.

The reaction to this list, I’m sure, can be varied throughout the Church.  From overwhelmed to seeing it as a great challenge in following our Lord Jesus Christ.  But we must remember that our synod delegates have plotted out the course for our journey.  Each of us must begin by taking our first steps.

As a first step, I encourage you, if you have not already done so, to become a member of our Future Direction email list by sending your email address to [email protected].  By sending your email you will get information from the Committee as it becomes available and also it is a place to share what your parish is doing.  I, likewise, encourage each
parish at its annual meeting, as well as each Parish Committee, to spend some time in discussion on what they will accomplish this year. How will your parish participate in this work of the entire Church?

In particular, I encourage the pastors, to plan and execute the goal of a Lenten retreat either on the parish or seniorate level.  A guideline has been sent out via email to the Church, so that this can be accomplished with a minimum of planning.  In this way, during the upcoming season of Lent throughout the Church, Polish National Catholics will be
gathered in prayer, fellowship  and recollection of the great things that Jesus Christ has done for us.

Each parish should consider how it is presenting itself to its local community.  In the universal welcome packet that was sent out, we have ideas for a consistent message of what the P.N.C.C. is, across the entire Church.

Hopefully all parishes can also begin thinking about ways in which the entire congregation can get behind projects to reach out into their own communities.  There are many, many ways in which this can be done; too many to list, but certainly each parish can accomplish something.  And I certainly know that many parishes are already doing great things.

So again I encourage you all.  Pray, think, plan and get involved.  Pray for the Year of Regeneration, that what was begun at our Synod will continue to take root and enliven the work and spiritual lives of our parishes.  Think, as our synod delegate did, about how best each parish can accomplish these goals this year.  Plan the ways in which your parish can begin.  And finally get involved.  Ultimately the Church is the Body of Christ, and that of course means each one of you.  The Church needs you to help in
accomplishing the work of Jesus Christ.

Let’s pray hard.  Absolutely.  But let’s also work hard to regenerate our parishes and our spiritual lives.