Bishop Francis Hodur: Biographical Essays by Joseph Wieczerzak

Abstract

book reviews325 half of his parishioners left him to become part of a second Polish parish in New Britain some thirty years after he assumed control. But what of the Polish people who were his parishioners? One is struck by the degree to which the factionalism that constantly beset the congregation takes precedence in this history of Sacred Heart over their story of faithful adherence to pastors and parish. According to the author, discord was core to the parochial life of Sacred Heart, resurfacing with well-documented vigor as late as the 1980's. Despite this, the majority of the congregation endured because of "fierce loyalty" and dedication to the Catholic Church. Moreover, a magnificent church, a school, a religious congregation of women, an orphanage, a cemetery, and a home for the aged all emerged as monuments to Polish faith. How could such prodigious growth occur in the face of such turmoil? It appeared that Monsignor Bojnowski must have been more than the brilliant builder. What was the secret of Bojnowski's persistence? One could assume,from the emphasis given to it, that the loyalty of the "people of God" was highly motivated by fear. Thus, the concern that "Americanization" could destroy the Polish kind of faith or the requirement that the people needed annual certification of the reception of Holy Communion (kartkt) might have been the factors that kept many parishioners in line during the Bojnowski administration. But what of the liturgical, devotional, and sacramental life during his, and each succeeding pastorate? Was it rich enough to overcome fear, episodes of rancor, and other negative influences? What, moreover, of the role of other workers in the parish, especially the Daughters of the Immaculate Conception? Was it not possible that this congregation of women, a major conduit of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, did much to enhance the faith of parishioners? Unfortunately , the author is silent on these aspects of the life of the parish. The people of Sacred Heart certainly valued the powerful citadel of institutions that had been created by their first pastor. They must also have relied upon the pastoral gifts that their pastors and other leaders of the parish provided . The role of these still-anonymous parishioners and co-workers in forging New Britain's Polonia should also be told. Dolores Liptak, R.S.M. Catholic Historical and Archival Services West Hartford, Connecticut Bishop Francis Hodur: Biographical Essays. By Joseph Wieczerzak. Edited by Theodore L. Zawistowski. (Boulder: East European Monographs, No. DXXIII. Distributed by Columbia University Press, NewYork. Also available from The Polish National Catholic History and Archives Commission, 515 East Locust Street, Scranton, PA 18505. 1998. Pp. 312.) Bishop Francis Hodur was the founder of the Polish National Catholic Church. His home for fifty-eight of his eighty-six years was located in Scranton, 326book reviews Pennsylvania. From that small city, he created what his Roman Catholic contemporaries viewed as a very dangerous schism and an eroding threat to the traditional loyalty of Polish Catholics to the Pope and the institutional church. Though the number of his followers and the extent of his authority were greatly exaggerated, his domain was still impressive. It included every metropolitan center from the Midwest to the Northeast with scattered outposts elsewhere in the United States plus a few in Canada and Poland. Organized into four dioceses subject to his jurisdiction as the Prime Bishop, his independent church was never to be ignored nor taken for granted. Ironically, the Second Vatican Council and the ecumenical movement intervened . On February 15, 1992, less than forty years after the once-formidable antagonist had died, his church was formally recognized by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II. Francis Hodur was born in Zarki, Poland, on April 1 , 1866.As a theological student , he left for the United States on December 31, 1892, and arrived in New York onJanuary 23, 1893. Accepted as a candidate for the Diocese of Scranton, he finished his studies at Saint Vincent's Seminary, Beatty Pennsylvania. On August 19, 1893, he was ordained by Bishop William O'Hara. Four years later, his obedience to his superior came to an end. A splinter group from Scranton's principal...