The Central Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Church is a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

of the

Polish National Catholic Church The Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) is an independent Old Catholic church based in the United States and founded by Polish-Americans. The PNCC is not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church.http://www.saplv.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/ ...

that includes

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, part of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, eastern

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, and parishes in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

, and

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. The cathedral of the Central Diocese is St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Cathedral in

Scranton Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U ...

. The diocese comprises 41 parishes divided into five seniorates: Scranton, Plymouth, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey, and Mohawk Valley. For each seniorate, there is appointed an Administrative Senior, who is a priest of the diocese charged with responsibilities throughout the area of the seniorate.

Bishops

Bernard Nowicki Bernard Nowicki is bishop of the Central Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Church. An alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ...

is the current bishop ordinary of the Central Diocese, being consecrated on September 14, 2012. He succeeded

John Mack John Mack may refer to: * John Martin Mack (1715–1784), Moravian bishop * John Mack (Medal of Honor recipient) (1843–1881), American Civil War sailor and Medal of Honor recipient * John J. Mack (coach) (1870–1923), Yale University track coac ...

, who returned to the Buffalo Pittsburgh Diocese where he had previously served as an auxiliary bishop. Mack was consecrated a bishop on November 30, 2006. Mack succeeded

Anthony Mikovsky Anthony Mikovsky (born January 6, 1966) is an American Polish National Catholic bishop. He is Prime Bishop of the Polish National Catholic Church, having been elected at the General Synod of the church in October 2010 and his installation at 21 ...

, who was elected the Prime Bishop of the

at the General Synod held in October 2010. Mikovsky succeeded Casimir J. Grotnik as bishop of the Central Diocese. Grotnik died on December 9, 2005. Grotnik succeeded

Anthony Rysz Anthony Michael Rysz (July 15, 1924 - March 20, 2015) was a bishop of the Eastern Diocese of Polish National Catholic Church. He was born in Old Forge, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania and attended the University of Scranton and Savonarola Theologic ...

who retired at the age of 75. The constitution and laws of the Polish National Catholic Church provide for the mandatory retirement of bishops.

Notes

External links

Central Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Church Official WebsiteSaint Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr CathedralBlessed Virgin Mary of Czestochowa National Catholic Church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Central Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Church Catholicism in Maryland Catholicism in New Jersey Catholicism in New York (state) Catholicism in Pennsylvania Polish-American culture in Maryland Polish-American culture in New Jersey Polish-American culture in New York (state) Polish-American culture in Pennsylvania Polish National Catholic Church dioceses