About Bishop Grotnik (1935 - 2005)

Bishop Grotnik was born in 1935 in Jeziorzany in Eastern Poland near the city of Lublin. 

Bishop Grotnik studied philosophy and theology from 1952 to 1958 at the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) and was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 1958.  Between 1958 and 1962 he studied at the Institute of Church Music also at the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL). 

From 1962 through 1969 he served at a priest in the Lublin diocese.  In 1969 he emigrated to the United States and began serving as a priest in the Polish National Catholic Church.   He was pastor of the PNCC Parishes in Middleport, Summit Hill, Hazelton, and McAdoo, Pennsylvania.  He also lectured at the Savonarola Theological Seminary of the PNCC.  In 1989 he was appointed as Senior Priest of the Plymouth Seniorate.  In 1996 he received a Doctorate from the Academy of Christian Theology in Warsaw, Poland.  He was elected a Bishop of the Polish National Catholic Church in 1999 as was consecrated the same year.

Bishop Grotnik is a member and fellow of the Bishop Hodur Biographical Commission, The PNCC Archives and Historical Commission, the Polish Union of America (Spojnia), Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in America (PIASA), and the Piłsudski Institute of America.  He is manager of the library and archives of the Central Diocese and is Chairman of the Historical  and Archives Commission of the Central Diocese of the PNCC.

Bishop Grotnik has published extensively and has documented the Synods of the PNCC.  He has indexed Strasz and Rola Boża and is the process of creating a who's who of all the clergy that have served in the PNCC.  A list publications of currently available through the PNCC Bookstore is available by clicking here...

Obituary - From the Scranton Times - Tribune

The Rt. Rev. Casimir J. Grotnik. 70, Bishop of the Central Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Church and pastor of St. Stanislaus Polish National Catholic Cathedral, Scranton, died Friday in Moses Taylor Hospital shortly after being admitted. His wife is the former Krystyna Siepkowski.

Born in Jeziorzany, Poland, son of the late Franciszek and Apolonia Jablonski Grotnik, he was a graduate of Dublin-Irena High School and completed his philosophical and theological studies at the Theological Seminary and Catholic University of Lublin, Poland. He was ordained to the holy priesthood on April 20, 1958, by the Most Rev. Piotr Kalawa, Bishop of Lublin.

After his ordination, he was assigned to post-graduate study at Catholic University and the Institute of Church Music in Lublin. During that time, he taught in the Music High School. Bishop Grotnik came to the U.S. in May 1969 and in June, accepted the jurisdiction of the Most Rev. Leon Grochowski, Prime Bishop of the PNCC. He had served as pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish in Middleport; Sacred Heart of Jesus, Summit Hill; St. John the Baptist, Hazleton, and SS. Peter and Paul, McAdoo.

In April 1989, he was installed by Bishop Anthony M. Rysz as Administrative Senior of the Plymouth Seniorate. Since his consecration in November 1999, Bishop Grotnik has served as pastor of St. Stanislaus Polish National Catholic Cathedral.

As an active servant of the Polish National Catholic Church, Bishop Grotnik served the church as a member of the Bishop Hodur Biography Commission; chairman of the Bishop Hodur Central Diocesan History and Archives Commission, and PNCC History and Archives Commission. He also served as diocesan archivist. He was an officer in the Polish National Union of America; organizer and secretary of Branch No. 359, was district director and recently served as a member of the board of directors.

In 1996, he received the Certificate of Civic Achievement from the Polish American Historical Association in recognition of Outstanding Contributions to Furthering and Understanding of the Polish Experience in America. On Feb. 9, 1996, Bishop Grotnik completed his education by receiving his doctorate in Old Catholic Historical Theology at the Christina Theological Academy in Warsaw, Poland.

Also surviving are a son, Jacek Grotnik, Ipswich, Mass.; a daughter, Anna El Abid, Scottsdale, Ariz.; four grandchildren, Christina, and Sherine El Abid, and Grace and Augustus Grotnik.

The funeral will be Thursday at 10 a.m. with Mass in St. Stanislaus Polish National Catholic Cathedral. Interment, parish cemetery.

Viewing, in St. Stanislaus Cathedral, Tuesday, 4 to 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., with vesper services at 7 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Clergy Pension Fund, 1006 Pittston Ave., 18505.

Bishop of Polish National Catholic Church Dies

A bishop who presided over the cornerstone parish of the Polish National Catholic Church died Friday.

The Rt. Rev. Casimir J. Grotnik, 70, Bishop of the Central Diocese and pastor of St. Stanislaus Polish National Catholic Cathedral in Scranton, died at Moses Taylor Hospital after a history of health problems.

“He was like the father of our parish and the spiritual father for our clergymen,” said his assistant, Father Anthony Mikovsky, who worked with him since he was elected bishop in 1999.

Though Bishop Grotnik suffered from health problems, including a kidney transplant, he was always dedicated to his 50 parishes, Prime Bishop Robert Nemkovich said.

“He had been in and out of the hospital over the last few months but still wanted to celebrate Mass,” he said.

As head of the Central Diocese, Bishop Grotnik oversaw parishes as far south as Washington D.C. and as far north as Albany, N.Y. He was instrumental in preserving the legacy of the church.

“He was very active in the chancery building and quite a scholar,” parishioner Marie Gorgol said.

He served as archivist and librarian for the Central Diocese since 1989. In that time, he wrote six books chronicling the history and struggle of the church in both Polish and English, highlighting a church movement that dates back to the 1890s. The movement grew from a rift with the Roman Catholic Church, when Polish immigrants became upset over being denied ownership of St. Stanislaus and having no say in the election of their pastor. The struggle between two escalated when the Roman Catholic Church excommunicated the Rev. Francis Hodur for challenging the church’s teachings and supremacy.

He became a priest in Poland in 1958. He came to the U.S. in 1969 and joined the Polish National Catholic Church, which now has more than 25,000 members.

“This is a great loss for the entire church,” Prime Bishop Nemkovich said. “He has served this church very well.”

Bishop Remembered in Lackawanna County
By Ryan Leckey

Members of the Polish National Catholic Church paid a final farewell to their former spiritual leader, Bishop Casimir Grotnik Thursday morning in Scranton.

The church pews inside St. Stanislaus Cathedral in Scranton were filled with parishioners, bishops, and even a few priests from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton. They gathered to remember the life of Bishop Grotnik.

"He was a very gentle man. he spoke to the people," said parishioner Dorothy Partyka.

"A lot of people are upset about this. Not that any times a good time, especially the holiday season. It's going to very difficult," said Don McIlwee.

Many parishioners were shocked to hear the bishop passed away last Friday. His fellow clergymen said he'd been ill for about three years. Some parishioners said it's the little things Bishop Grotnik did that they'll miss the most.

"I called him the lollipop bishop. He always carried a bunch of lollipop's with him and the kids, when they would see him, they would run up to him and say, 'Hi, how you doing?' but really they weren't going to say hello. They wanted the lollipop," McIlwee added.

Bishop Grotnik was in charge of the central diocese which covered much of the eastern United States. His duties were taken over following his death by Prime Bishop Robert Nemkovich.

Outside St. Stanislaus Cathedral a black drape hangs over the doors, marking Bishop Grotnik's passing. The 70 year old bishop leaves behind a wife and two children. He was buried at the Cathedral Parish Cemetery in Scranton.

Kazimierz J. Grotnik

(1935 - 2005)

Urodził się w Jeziorzanach. W roku 1952 ukończył gimnazjum w Dęblinie. W latach 1952-1958 studiował filozofię i teologię na KUL-u. W roku 1958 otrzymał święcenia kapłańskie. W latach 1958-1962 - studia w Instytucie Muzyki Kościelnej KUL. Od roku 1995 magister teologii, a od roku 1996 doktor Chrześcijańskiej Akademii Teologicznej w Warszawie. W latach 1962-1969 praca duszpasterska w diecezji lubelskiej. W roku 1969 - wyjazd do USA i rozpoczęcie pracy duszpasterskiej w PNKK. Proboszcz parafii w Middleport i Summit Hill, Pa. Wykładowca w Seminarium Duchownym im. Savonaroli w Scranton. Od 1983 roku proboszcz parafii w Hazleton, Pa. i McAdoo, Pa. Od 1989 roku Senior (dziekan) Senioratu Plymouth, Diecezji Centralnej. Od 1969 roku członek Komisji Biografii bpa F. Hodura, która obecnie nazywa się: Komisja Historii i Archiwum Diecezji Centralnej; od 1993 roku jest jej przewodniczącym. Od 1991 roku kierownik Archiwum i Biblioteki Diecezji Centralnej. Od 1982 roku członek Komisji Historii i Archiwum PNKK. Od 1972 roku członek Polsko-Narodowej „Spójni"; od 1991 członek Głównego Zarządu „Spójni". Od 1975 roku członek Polish American Historical Association (Polsko-Amerykańskiego Stowarzyszenia Historyków). Od 1978 roku członek rzeczywisty Polish Institute of Arts and Science (Polski Instytut Naukowy w Ameryce). Od 1980 roku członek Piłsudski Institute of America (Instytutu Piłsudskiego).

Bibliografia:

Kazania Biskupa Hodura (zebrane i ułożone wg roku kościelnego), PNKK Scranton, Pa., 1978.
An Index to Nowy Świat 1903-1904, PNKK Studies, t. 5, 1984.
Józef Marcellin Dziecielski Biskup Lubelski (1825-1839), Hazleton, Pa., 1988.
An Index to Rola Boża - God's Field, vol. l (1923-1953), PNKK Scranton, Pa., 1989.
An Index to Rola Boża - God's Field, vol. 2 (1954-1970), PNKK Scranton, Pa., 1991.
The Celebration of Holy Mass and Hymnal, zebrał i ułożył, Hazleton, Pa., 1992.
Synody Polskiego Narodowego Kościoła Katolickiego w Ameryce 1904-1958. East European Monographs, Boulder Co., 1993.
An Index to Straż - The Guard, t. l (1897-1915), PNKK Scranton, Pa., 1994.
Dwór w Bizancjum w świetle Kroniki Liutpranda, Hazleton, Pa., 1994.
An Index to Polish American Studies 1944-1993, opublikowany w roku 1995.