List of bishops of the Polish National Catholic Church

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Francisk Hodur - first Bishop and founder Polish National Catholic Church

This is a list of bishops of the Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC), with links to the bishops who consecrated them. Despite its name, the Polish National Catholic Church is located in the US. The PNCC is not in communion with the Catholic Church. The PNCC was founded in 1897 in Pennsylvania, by Franciszek Hodur who was also the PNCC's first bishop.

The number references the sequence of consecration. "Diocese" refers to the diocese over which the bishop presided or, if he did not preside, the diocese in which he served as coadjutor bishop or auxiliary bishop. The ordinal before the diocese name represents where in the sequence that bishop falls; e.g., the fourth bishop of the Central Diocese is written "4th Central". Where a diocese is in bold type, it indicates that the bishop is the current bishop of that diocese. The consecrator listed first represents the principal consecrator.

Chart of episcopal succession[edit]

  •   (*) Prime Bishop
  •   (‡) Current Diocesan bishop
  •   (&) Current Coadjutor bishop
  •    Current Auxiliary bishop


No. Name of bishop Consecrators Date of consecration Installation as bishop End of tenure Diocese
1 Franciszek Hodur* Gerardus Gul September 29, 1907 1904 1953 1st Prime Bishop[1]
1907 1949 1st Central[1]
2 Leon Grochowski* Francis Hodur August 17, 1924 1953 1968 2nd Prime Bishop[2][3] [4]
November 1954 July 17, 1969 3rd Central[1]
1926 1955 1st Western[5]
3 Francis Bonczak Francis Hodur August 17 , 1924 August 17 , 1924 1928 1st Polish[6]
4 Valentine Gawrychowski Francis Hodur August 17, 1924[7] 1925 February 1, 1934[7] 1st Eastern[8]
5 John Gritenas Francis Hodur August 17, 1924 August 17, 1924 December 28, 1928 1st Bishop of the Lithuanian National Catholic Church[9]
6 John Zenon Jasinski Francis Hodur
Valentine Gawrychowski
Leon Grochowski		 June 7, 1928 June 7, 1928 April 28, 1951 1st Buffalo-Pittsburgh[10]
7 Władysław Faron Francis Hodur
Leon Grochowski
John Zenon Jasinski		 January 30, 1930 1929[11] September 2, 1931[12] 2nd Polish
8 John Misiaszek Franciszek Hodur
Leon Grochowski
John Zenon Jasinski		 August 26, 1936 1949 November 1954 2nd Central[1][13]
9 Józef Padewski Francis Hodur August 26, 1936 August 26, 1936 May 10, 1951 3rd Polish[14]
10 Joseph Lesniak Franciszek Hodur
Leon Grochowski
John Zenon Jasinski
John Misiaszek 		November 16, 1937 November 16, 1937 September 1953 2nd Eastern[15]
June 3, 1951 September 1953 2nd Buffalo-Pittsburgh[10]
11 Joseph Soltysiak Leon Grochowski
Francis Bonczak
Joseph Lesniak
John Misiaszek
G. Ashton Oldham
(Episcopal Diocese of Albany)		 April 23, 1952 1951 July 9, 1973 3rd Eastern[16]
12 Thaddeus F. Zielinski* Leon Grochowski
Joseph Lesniak
Joseph Soltysiak
John Misiaszek 		September 2, 1954[17] September 2, 1954 1969 3rd Buffalo-Pittsburgh
1969 1978 3rd Prime Bishop[18][19]
13 Joseph Kardas Leon Grochowski September 2, 1954 1955 July 8, 1958 2nd Western[5]
14 Francis Carl Rowinski* Leon Grochowski May 9, 1959 1959 1978 3rd Western[5]
October 3, 1978 1990 5th Buffalo-Pittsburgh[5]
October 3, 1978 1985 4th Prime Bishop[5]
15 Eugene Magyar Leon Grochowski June 29, 1963 June 29, 1963 October 19, 1968 1st Bishop of the Slovak National Catholic Church[20]
16 Joseph Nieminski Leon Grochowski
Thaddeus F. Zielinski
Joseph Soltysiak		 June 26, 1968 June 26, 1968 September 20, 1992 1st Canadian[21]
17 Walter Slowakiewicz Leon Grochowski June 26, 1968 1972 October 19, 1978 4th Eastern[22]
18 Anthony Rysz Leon Grochowski
Thaddeus F. Zielinski
Francis Carl Rowinski 		June 26, 1968 June 26, 1968 July 1969 Coadjutor Central[1][23]
October 18, 1970 1999 4th Central[24][25]
19 Daniel Cyganowski Thaddeus Zielinski November 30, 1971 November 30, 1971 1977 4th Buffalo-Pittsburgh[26]
20 Thomas Gnat Francis Carl Rowinski
Anthony Rysz
Joseph Nieminski		 November 30, 1978 1978 2011 5th Eastern[27]
21 Joseph Zawistowski Francis Carl Rowinski November 30, 1978 1978 April 19, 1994 4th Western[5]
22 John Swantek* Francis Carl Rowinski
Thaddeus F. Zielinski
Anthony Rysz
Joseph Nieminski		 November 30, 1978 1985 2002 5th Prime Bishop[28]
23 Thaddeus Peplowski Leon Grochowski
Thaddeus F. Zielinski
Joseph Soltysiak		 November 30, 1990 1990 2012 6th Buffalo-Pittsburgh[10][29]
24 Robert M. Nemkovich* John Swantek
Thomas Gnat 		October 18, 1993 1994 2003 5th Western[5]
October 8, 2002 2010 6th Prime Bishop[5]
December 9, 2005 November 30, 2006 6th Central[1]
25 Joseph Tomczyk John Swantek
Thomas Gnat		 October 18, 1993 October 18, 1993 October 4, 1995 2nd Canadian[30]
26 Casimir Grotnik John Swantek
Thomas Gnat
Robert Nemkovich
Antonius Jan Glazemaker
Hans Gerny
Wiktor Wysoczański		 November 30 1999 November 30 1999 December 2005 5th Central[1]
27 Jan Dawidziuk John Swantek
Thomas Gnat
Robert M. Nemkovich		 November 30, 1999 2003 June 5, 2009 6th Western[5]
28 Sylvester Bigaj Robert M. Nemkovich
Thomas Gnat
Thaddeus Peplowski
Jan Dawidziuk
John Swantek
Anthony Rysz		 November 30, 2006 May 26, 2007 January 7, 2013 3rd Canadian[31]
29 Anthony Kopka Robert M. Nemkovich
Thomas Gnat
Thaddeus Peplowski
Jan Dawidziuk
John Swantek
Anthony Rysz		 November 30, 2006 July 1, 2009 2011 7th Western[5]
30 John E. Mack‡ Robert Nemkovich
Thomas Gnat
Thaddeus Peplowski
Jan Dawidziuk
John Swantek
Anthony Rysz 		November 30, 2006 February 1, 2011 August 14, 2012 8th Central[1]
August 15, 2012 present 7th Buffalo-Pittsburgh[32]
31 Anthony Mikovsky* Robert M. Nemkovich
Thomas Gnat
Thaddeus Peplowski
Jan Dawidziuk
John Swantek
Anthony Rysz 		November 30, 2006 November 30, 2006 January 31, 2011 7th Central[1]
2010 present 7th Prime Bishop[33][34]
32 Paul Sobiechowski‡ Anthony Mikovsky
Sylvester Bigaj
Thomas Gnat
Anthony Kopka
John E. Mack
Thaddeus Peplowski		 October 18, 2011 December 2011 present 6th Eastern[35]
33 Stanley Bilinski Anthony Mikovsky September 14, 2012 2012 November 2, 2018 8th Western[5]
34 Bernard Nowicki‡ Anthony Mikovsky September 14, 2012 September 14, 2012 present 9th Central[1][36]
35 Jarosław Rafałko Anthony Mikovsky
John E. Mack
Paul Sobiechowski
Bernard Nowicki
John Swantek		 September 14, 2020 October 3, 2020 July 13, 2023 9th Western[5]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Our Bishops". Central Diocese Polish National Catholic Church. 31 October 2009. Archived from the original on 2023-08-29. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  2. ^ Grochowski, Mitchell (Oct 17, 2002). "History of PNC Branch 293, Bp. Leon Grochowski Society."". The Straz. Vol. 105. p. 2.
  3. ^ Grochowski, Leon (1940–1950). "Polish Radio Hour". WLAK-Radio. Archived from the original on 2023-12-31. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  4. ^ Wlodarski, Steven (1974). The Origin and Growth of the Polish National Catholic Church. Polish National Catholic Church. LCCN 74033165.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Bishops". Western Diocese Polish National Catholic Church. 29 May 2021. Archived from the original on 2023-12-29. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  6. ^ "Obituary". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, IL. September 22, 1967. p. 64.
  7. ^ a b Swiderski, Gregory. “Polish-American Polish National Catholic Bishops.” Polish American Studies, vol. 24, no. 1, 1967, pp. 35–38. JSTOR, JSTOR 20147741. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.
  8. ^ "WHO WE ARE & HISTORY". Home. Archived from the original on 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  9. ^ Vaitkevičienė, Kristina (2015). "Lietuvių tautinės katalikų bažnyčios Amerikoje raidos bruožai" [Characteristics of the development of the Lithuanian Catholic Church in America] (PDF). Lithuanian Migration & Diaspora Studies (in Lithuanian). VMU Lithuanian Emigration Institute: 74–75. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  10. ^ a b c "Independent church center in Buffalo - Polish Catholic Church in North America". Archived from the original on 2016-05-17. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  11. ^ "First Synod of the National Church in Poland. Warsaw, June 27-29, 1928" (in Polish). polskokatolicki.pl. Archived from the original on 2016-05-17. Retrieved 2018-04-29.
  12. ^ Tadeusz and Jerzy Piątek, Religions of the World – Old Catholicism, Warsaw 1987, p. 121.
  13. ^ ""Polish Catholics: Resignation"". The Living Church: 288. December 26, 1954.
  14. ^ "PNKK Parish of Our Lady of Częstochowa in Latham, Bishop Józef Padewski, online access". bvmc.org. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28.
  15. ^ "Timeline". Eastern Diocese Polish National Catholic Church. Archived from the original on 2023-12-28. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  16. ^ "Obituary". The Tribune. Scranton, PA. July 10, 1973. p. 7.
  17. ^ Swiderski, Gregory (1967). "Polish-American Polish National Catholic Bishops". Polish American Studies. 24 (1): 35–38. ISSN 0032-2806. JSTOR 20147741. Archived from the original on 2023-07-14. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  18. ^ "CITY NATIVE TO BE NEW PNC CHURCH HEAD". Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, The Evening News. 1969-07-18. p. 25. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  19. ^ Staff (12 August 1990). "MOST REV. THADDEUS F. ZIELINSKI, RETIRED PRIME BISHOP EMERITUS". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on 2020-11-22. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  20. ^ ""Bishop Magyar, SNCC Prelate, Dies in Passaic,"". The Tribune. Scranton, PA. October 21, 1968. p. 10.
  21. ^ "Obituary". The Tribune. Scranton, PA. September 23, 1992. p. 7.
  22. ^ The History of All Saints Cathedral of the Polish National Catholic Church. Chicago, IL. 1996.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  23. ^ "PNCC Jubilarians". konicki.com. 2010-12-09. Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
  24. ^ "Right Rev. Emeritus Anthony M. Rysz Obituary". legacy.com. 2015-03-22. Archived from the original on 2016-04-11. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  25. ^ History of our Pastors. saintstanislauspncc.org. Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
  26. ^ "Obituary". The Times. Munster, Indiana. March 8, 1983. p. 16.
  27. ^ "Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Gnat Obituary". Legacy.com. June 23, 2017. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  28. ^ "Our History". Eastern Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Churc. Polish National Catholic Church Eastern Diocese. Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  29. ^ Flemestad, Roald Nikolai (2018). "Bishop Thaddeus Peplowski in Memoriam". Archived from the original on 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  30. ^ The History of All Saints Cathedral of the Polish National Catholic Church (Chicago, Illinois, 1996)
  31. ^ "Konsekracja nowych biskupów PNKK". Polish Catholic Church. Archived from the original on 2023-12-29. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  32. ^ "Buffalo Pittsburgh Diocese, PNCC". buffalopittsburghdiocesepncc.org. Archived from the original on 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  33. ^ Falchek, David (22 November 2010). "Prayer, celebration mark Mikovsky's ascendancy as PNCC Prime Bishop". The Citizens' Voice. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  34. ^ "Gifts, advice, prayer and celebration mark Mikovsky's ascendancy as PNCC Prime Bishop, Article by David Falchek, The Times-Tribune, 22 November 2010". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  35. ^ "Appointment of a reluctant bishop". Sun Sentinel. 2 December 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  36. ^ "Bishop Bernard Nowicki | Central Diocese of the PNCC". www.centraldiocesepncc.org. 2019-02-13. Archived from the original on 2023-03-13. Retrieved 2023-03-21.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Polish National Catholic Church.


References[edit]

  • John Zenon Jasinski, Apostolic Succession in the Polish National Catholic Church (Scranton: no publisher, no date).

Polish National Catholic Church

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