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All Saints Cathedral, PNCC, Chicago, Illinois

Time hurries on as the resistless, unremitting stream, but our yesterdays follow us. They constitute our life, and they give character and force and meaning to the present.

Silent, sacred graves have swallowed up the remains of the majority, who three generations ago were called upon to make the most important decision of their lives. Hardly a handfull is left today to see and enjoy the fruit of their labor. Even so, today this precious few must experience a pardonable pride and inner joy in the realization that once they served as instruments in the hands of Almighty God.

Among religious-minded people there can always be found a great num. ber, who, with courage to match their conviction, are ever willing and able to struggle and to suffer for the sake of justice. Such indeed, constituted the followers of Bishop Anthony Kozlowski. - April 20, 1895 witnessed the first mass meeting, which decided the formation of a new parish, separated from and independent of Rome. At this very first meeting two significant resolutions were passed 1) that all church property would be the possession of the parishioners/ and 2) that the pastor of their choice would be the Rev. Anthony Kozlowski.

The first Parish Committee was comprised of the following: Theophil Peta, chairman, Joseph Kowaczek, vice-chairman; John Pohmasz, fin. secy.; Jacob Dziewior, treas.; Peter P. Block, rec. sec'y.; Julius Gordon, Francis Krawcowicz, Joseph Bether, Francis Stroik, Stanley Janicki and Francis Piszczek, trustees.

The energetic committee met two and three times weekly in the residence of Jacob Dziewior, located on the comer of Lubeck St., (now Dickens and Hoyne Avenue.) At the outset the people were provided with a temporary chapel, which was dedicated on the feast of Corpus Christi, 1895.

Shortly thereafter plans were set in motion for the erection of a large church, adjacent to the chapel. The laying of the cornerstone of the new church, named All Saints, took place on August 11, 1895.

Just to cite an exemplary few, the following parishioners advanced generous loans without interest: Jacob Dziewior $6,500, Andrew Slania $4,000; August Bagniewski $100.

The solemn blessing and dedication of All Saints' Church took place on November 10, 1895.

At approximately the same time, September 1895, a beautiful tract of land on Higgins Road was purchased for use as a cemetery.

In the summer of 1897, the Parish of All Saints together with adjacent parishes elected Rev. Anthony Kozlowski as their bishop.

On November 21, 1897, Rev. Kozlowski was consecrated in the old Catholic Cathedral of Bem, in Switzerland by the Rt. Rev. Edward Herzog, Bishop of Switzerland. The co-consecrators at this ceremony were Most Rev. Gerard Gull, Archbishop of Utrecht and Rt. Rev. Theodore Weber, Bishop of Bonn. Consequently, Bishop Kozlowski consecration as well as the laying on of hands were performed by three bishops of the Old-Catholic Church.

Accordingly, the Parish of All Saints became a Polish Parish of the Old Catholic Church.

Bishop Anthony Kozlowski served All Saints' Parish devotedly and capably until his death, January 14, 1907. His remains are interred in All Saints' Cemetery.

Spiritually orphaned by the death of Bishop Kozlowski, the parishioners held an extraordinary meeting and voted to invite the Rev. Francis Hodur to the funeral. This kind invitation was graciously accepted by the Rev. F. Hodur, then the administrator of the Polish National Catholic Church, and this occasioned the first approach of All Saints Parish to the Polish National Catholic Church.

Succeeding the late Bishop Kozlowski as pastor of All Saints' Church was the Rev. John Tomaszewski and later, the Rev. M. Lawnicki, during whose pastorate, March 24, 1909, the Parish of All Saints formally affiliated itself with the Polish National Catholic Church, becoming an integral part of that Church.

Following the transfer of Rev. Lawnicki, the pastorate was filled in succession by the Rev. Joseph Plaga, Rev. Valentine Cichy, Rev. Francis Mirek and the Most Rev. Leon Grochowski. Upon Bishop Grochowski s arrival, July 13,1926, the Parish of All Saints became the Cathedral of the Western Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Church.

The first important step taken by Bishop Grochowski was to eliminate the use of Latin and to introduce the Polish language into the liturgy and devotional services of the Church.

Under the loving care and fatherly guidance of Bishop Grochowski there ensued an era of peace and progress. The parish developed quickly to such proportions that it soon outgrew the limited dimensions of the old cathedral. A demand arose for the erection of a newer, and larger temple of worship.

A New Cathedral Building Fund was initiated. Literally, contributions came pouring into the treasury. The poor vied with the rich with such holy ardor, generosity and competition, that the digging of the foundation for a new cathedral was begun shortly thereafter, March 1930. Officiating at the solemn blessing of the corner-stone was the Most Rev. Francis Hodur, assisted by the Bishops, the Rt. Rev. J. Z. Jasinski, the Rt. Rev. L. Grochowski, and all the neighboring clergy.

June 14, 1931 witnessed the solemn blessing and dedication of All Saints' Cathedral, Bishop Grochowski conducting the ceremonies with the assistance of Bishop J. Z. Jasinski, Bishop Francis Bonazak and Clergymen from far and near.

Upon the death of the Organizer of the Polish National Catholic Church, Bishop Primate Francis Hodur, the administration of the entire Church was assumed by the Most Rev.. Leon Grochowski, who after 30 years of devoted duty as pastor and ordinary of the Western Diocese, transferred residence to Scranton, Pa, on March 1, 1955. By the decision of the Supreme Council, the vacancy thus created, was filled by the Rt. Rev. Joseph Kardas, February 8, 1955.

April 1994 - All Saints Polish National Catholic Cathedral Parish has followed its parishioners who moved from the city out to the suburbs. With its former sanctuary and parish buildings bought by the Presbyterian church, the cathedral parish reIocated into All Saints Cathedral Chapel next to the church's cemetery on W. Higgins Road. Many of the historical artifacts from the century-old former cathedral building were transported to the new cathedral, while others were put into storage. Bishop Robert M. Nemkovich became the new cathedral parish pastor and former pastor Bishop Joseph C. Zawistowski, diocesan bishop of the Western Diocese, moved to South, Bend Indiana .

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Holy Cross PNC cemetery, Commack, NY

Website Index contains names and dates from the gravestones:

http://www.york.cuny.edu/~drobnick/names.html