The Polish Roman Catholic Union of America ("PRCUA") (pol. ''Zjednoczenie Polskie Rzymsko-Katolickie w Ameryce'') is the oldest

Polish American Polish Americans ( pl, Polonia amerykańska) are Americans who either have total or partial Polish ancestry, or are citizens of the Republic of Poland. There are an estimated 9.15 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing about 2.83 ...

organization in the United States. Currently licensed to sell its products in 27 states, it is a fraternal benefit society providing financial security to its members through competitive life insurance and annuities, and offering opportunities for cultural, educational and spiritual growth.

History

The Polish Roman Catholic Union of America traces its existence to 1873. In June of that year, Father Theodor Gieryk of Detroit wrote letters to Polish-language newspapers urging the creation of a Polish-American national organization. On October 3, 1873 a group of influential Polish Americans met and established the PRCUA. Among these founders were Father Vincent Barzynski, influential pastor of

Saint Stanislaus Kostka Stanisław Kostka S.J. (28 October 1550 – 15 August 1568) was a Polish novice of the Society of Jesus. He is venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Stanislaus Kostka (as distinct from his namesake, the 11th-century Bishop of Kraków ...

in Chicago and Father Leopold Moczygemba, founder of America's first Polish settlement in

Panna Maria, Texas Panna Maria ( Polish for ''Virgin Mary'') is a small unincorporated community in Karnes County, Texas, United States. It is the oldest Polish settlement in the United States. History A Franciscan missionary, Father Leopold Moczygemba, started ...

. The new organization's stated goals were: * to build Polish churches and schools * to promote adherence to the Roman Catholic religion, and the religious and cultural traditions of the Polish nation * to give fraternal assistance to Poles * to take care of widows and orphans * to help Poland to become an independent country again * to establish the newspaper ''Pielgrzym'' as the official organ of the organization From the time when many Polish Americans were disenchanted with the American Catholic hierarchy's preponderance of Irish and German bishops, the PRCUA's history spans notable periods in the development of the

ethnic group, from the time of early settlement by immigrants from Poland (

Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in ...

) through their development of ethnic identity, to their dual struggles in support of Poland's independence and to find their place in American society.

Contention with the Polish National Alliance

Before the First World War, the PRCUA often found itself at odds with the Polish National Alliance, a fraternal organization founded in 1880. The basic outward differences between the two fraternals are often remarked. The PRCUA, earlier and more conservative, tended to support the American Catholic hierarchy over lay groups such as parish councils. The younger PNA was more radical in outlook and generally championed lay leadership over the Church hierarchy. However, more important difference was that of world view. The PRCUA viewed the Polish American community in terms of ''okolica'', or "local environment," which it viewed as the starting point for building cultural awareness. The PNA viewed the Polish American community in terms of ''naród'', which was constituted by the entire Polish people, at home and abroad, and took as its ultimate goal the reconstitution of divided Poland. The two fraternals were able to reconcile their differences during the twentieth century and have coexisted amicably for decades.

Newspaper and current activities

In 1886 the ''Pielgrzym'' was replaced by the weekly ''Gazeta Katolicka'' and in 1897 by the ''Naród Polski''. The ''Naród Polski'' became a semi-monthly publication in 1946. The ''Naród Polski'' is the official publication of the PRCUA. Today, the ''Naród Polski'' is published monthly and contains both Polish and English articles in each issue. A
online version
is also available to subscribers. At present, PRCUA has developed into a fraternal benefit society that performs religious, charitable, educational and civic work on behalf of its members and the Polish American Community. Members join PRCUA primarily by purchasing life insurance and/or annuity certificates from the organization. Members participate in activities such as folk dancing and singing, language classes, crafts, and youth festivals through local lodges. PRCUA also extends residential mortgage loans to its members. In addition, PRCUA is the principal patron of the

Polish Museum of America The Polish Museum of America is located in West Town, in what had been the historical Polish Downtown neighborhood of Chicago. It is home to numerous Polish artifacts, artwork, and embroidered folk costumes in its growing collection. Founded i ...

, the largest ethnic museum in America located in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. The PRCUA's Home Office is located in Chicago, IL. This historic 1913 building (listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013) houses The Polish Museum of America (established in 1935) and its Library (which celebrated its 100th Anniversary on April 18, 2015).

Administration (2018-2022)

The organization's current Officers are: ::James J. Robaczewski, ALMI, FIC - National President ::Micheline I. Jaminski - National Vice President ::Agnieszka J. Bastrzyk, ALMI, FICF - National Secretary-Treasurer

References

External links