Mount Saint Marys College - Eagle Yearbook (Orchard Lake, MI)

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Headquarters of the Polish Union is in Wilkes- Barre Pennsylvania. PIILISH U Ill UE THE UNITED STATES WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA The date of the e s t a b l i s h - ment of the Polish Union of the United States of North America fUnia Polska w Stanach Zjednoczonych Polnocnej Amerykij was September 22, 1890, the place: St. Paul, Minnesota, the founder: Fa- i l Rt. Rev. Mr. Sidney Grabowski Msgr. Dominic Mujer pmsident Founder ther Dominic Majer, a shepherd whose con- cern for the immigrant Poles' social and reli- gious welfare was boundless. The ensuing background material will help to throw some light on the Union's formation. It all started in 1889 when the clergy mem- bers of the Polish National Alliance frowned on the idea of permitting non-Roman Catho- lics to qualify for administrative positions in the Alliance. Seeing that their efforts to pre- vent this were fruitless, they began consid- is l ing the possibility of establishing a new or- ganization, an organization which would not only unite all Polish societies in America, but which would also, as the clergy pointed out, embody the Catholicism of the Polish Ro- man Catholic Union and the Nationalism of the Polish National Alliance. The idea be- came a reality when Father Majer organized Society No. One of the Polish Union in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Colden .luhilee of the P.U. of the U.S. of N.A. was honored with the presence of Most Reverend Stephen Woznicki, then Auxiliary of Detroit and now Bishop of Saginaw. In 1896 the Union transferred headquar- ters from St. Paul to Buffalo. It was trans- ferred again in 1906, this time to Wilkes- Barre, Pennsylvania. The purposes of the Polish Union as out- lined in Article II of its Constitution are: fll to offer its members such insurance poli- cies as ordinary life, 20 year payment life, 20 year endowment, endowment at 65, 10 year endowment and 15 year endowment, f2j to maintain a fund for the promotion of patriotic and educational projects, Q31 to strive for the moral, religious, and material betterment of Poles living in America, Q4-J to commemorate national anniversaries, to instill a deeper love for and loyalty to the United Statesg f6j to develop in the Polish youth a love and respect for its Forefathersg f7j to strengthen in all Union members a love for and filial obe- dience to the Roman Catholic Church, and lcontinued on page 2141 The Most Reverend, William Hafey presided at the Blessing ,of the Headquarters.

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Since its beginning in 1873, the Union has grown to be one of the largest fraternal or- ganizations in the United States, members be- ing found in 37 states. At the end of its first fifty years of existence, the Union boasted 1,036 lodges, with lllinois, Michigan, New York and Pennsylania having the majority. The year 1950 saw the existence of 1,095 lodges, the largest amount in the history of the Union. In 1954 the number of lodges totaled 1,053 and 1,041 in 1955. Member- ship in the lodges in 1954 totaled 176,850 and 175,682 in 1955. The objectives of the Polish Roman Cath- olic Union of America as defined in 1874 at the National Congress in Chicago: to uphold the national spirit of Polish Amer- icansg Q21 to help them persevere in the Faith of their Forefathersg to maintain in its youth a lively interest in things Polish, and Q41 to aid in the building and improve- ment of parochial schools in the United States. Financially speaking, the Polish Union is very sound. As of January 1, 1955, it boast- ed assets of 3i535,261,805.33. Liabilities were ilS1,026,854.27, and reserves 330,910,- 134-.70. The amount of insurance in force in 1954 totaled Si9100,118,14-53 in 1955 it rose to fiiS100,973,100. insurance certificates issued are from 3500 to 2ilSl0,000. Certificate holders in Illinois number 48,9533 in New York 27,096g in Pennsylania 26,371, and in Michigan 13,- 9l0. Deaths per 1,000 benefit certificates in 1953 were 14.957 and 13.987,Q in 1954. Benefits other than death paid in, 1953 amounted to 3181052.54 and 35482040.18 in 1954. Sundry are the activities of the Polish Union. At present it grants scholarships to needy students desirous of studying at Or- chard Lake, Michigan, and otherinstitutions of higher learning, sponsors Polish youth clubs with the intention of instilling and pre- serving in their members an appreciation for the language and culture of Poland, main- tains a library and museum located in Chi- cago, publishes the news bi-weekly Polski Narod fP0lish Nationl, affords the Uni0n's members with an extensive athletic program, the emphasis being on softball and bowling, and commemorates religious and national an- niversaries ffor example, the demonstration held last year in Chicago to celebrate the Ccontinued on page 2141 The 1954 National Convention of the P.R.C.U. was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Most Reverend Stanislaus V. Bona, Bishop of Green Bay, gave the keynote address. His Eminence Samuel Cardinal Stritch, Ordin- ary of Chicago, presided in 1955 at the huge Monsignor Felix Kachnowski, Chaplain, and Mr. Kasimir Kozakie- wicz, President, greeted Archbishop Joseph Gawlina at the Chicago airport when the latter visited the P.R.C.U. headquarters. manifestation marking the 25th Anniversary of the Miracle of the Vistula. Sponsoring such religious celebrations is one of the pur- poses of all Polish-American Fraternal Or- ganizations.

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- -. I .xi A' in i i ! ,,v' The Reverend John Pitass THE PULISH UNIUN UF AMERICA BUFFALO, New YORK x ,,, 'fu Founder The history of the Polish Union of Amer- ica fUnia Polska w Amerycej is a stormy but fascinating one. It begins with the year 1889, when at the Sth Convention of the Pol- ish National Alliance in Buffalo, New York, a defeated motion to ammend the constitu- tion and thus exclude all non-Roman Catho- lics from the Polish National Alliance, created the moment for the Roman Catholics present at the Convention to organize a new Polish American Roman Catholic Fraternal Organization. After leaving the convention hall, the displeased delegates gathered in the Rectory of St. Stanislaus Parish, where the pastor, Rev. Dean John Pitass, together with Rev. Dominic Majer of St. Paul, Minnesota, inspired them to organize the Polish Union of America. Under the leadership of Fathers Pitass and Mujer, the Union grew and prospered. The First Convention was held in 1893 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Delegates from Buffalo were Due to the large set- tlement of Polish im- migrants in the State - Q' of Pennsylvania the Union's next Conven- tion was held in the city of Wilkes-Barre. The following Conven- 11011 WHS in Btlf- Mr. Walter J. Lohr falo in 1906 fprob- P'e5i'1e ' ably one of the most important conventions to date as the tables of assessments were es- tablished and voted into existencej. After this Convention, the Offices of the Polish Union of America were transferred to Wilkes- Barre, Pennsylania. At the following Convention in Chicago, the unexpected happened. Since the election of officers was not in agreement with the Constitution, i.e., all were not elected from one city, either Buffalo or Wilkes-Barre, misunderstanding arose and thus cleavage oc- curred in the Organization. The Wilkes-Barre delegation refused to turn the Union's funds and records over to Buffalo. The end result was that two separate organizations were formed, thus sapping greatly the strength of the Union. In the year 1910, two conventions were held simultaneously. O'ne in Niagara Falls, the other in Wilkes-Ba1'1'e. Efforts of the Committee of the Niagara Falls Convention Rev. John Pitass, Rev. Thomas Flaczek, Rev. tconnnued on page 2151 Jacob Wojcick, Mr. Jacob Rozan, Barnard Pitass, John Mach, J. Chlehowy, and John Johnson. The Union's first national officers were elected from this group of Buffalo dele- gates, and the Administrative work of the Polish Union of America was transferred to Buffalo, New York. The Second Convention was also held in St. Paul, Minnesota. At the Convention a Mortuary Fund was established, regular monthly assessments were defined, the giving of aid to sick and aged was voted for., and death benefits were raised to 3750.00 The Most Reverend John F. 0'Hara was one of the recipients of the Polish Union's Medal of Honor in 1954.