Åš+P Edward Panfil

EdwardPanfilLifelong parishioner and member of our Holy Polish National Catholic Church, śp. Edward Panfil, 95, passed away peacefully at his home with family by his side on Friday, November 14th, 2014.

238Born and raised in Schenectady, NY, he was the son of the late śp. Lawrence and śp. Catherine (Mortka) Panfil. In addition to his parents, Edward was predeceased by his wife, śp. Josephine (Kopec) Panfil; and his sisters, śp. Florence Panfil, śp. Gladys Ordyk, śp. Emily Kopec, and śp. Nellie Kosiba.

Ed was a gentle, caring man who loved his family. He enjoyed working in his woodworking shop, designing and building many wonderful things out of wood. He also enjoyed playing pool, bocci ball, and darts, and he looked forward to his daily bourbon manhattan and watching his NY Giants and Mets.

Edward is survived by his sons, Lawrence E. Panfil (Donna) of Saratoga Springs, NY, Allen C. Panfil (Anne) of Chalfont, PA; his grandchildren, Laurie Woodworth and Lawrence A. Panfil (Beth); his great-grandchildren, Jessica, Jack, Shawn and Tyler; and several nieces and nephews who all loved him dearly. He will also be missed by his longtime friend, Edith Derico.

Ed grew up in Schenectady, graduated from Nott Terrace High School, and then entered the Apprentice Training Program at the Watervliet Arsenal. In 1943 he joined the army and served as a technician fourth grade with the Fifth Army, 350th Infantry, in Italy during WWII. Post war he was employed as a toolmaker first class at ALCO Products in Schenectady. Two years later he became a planner with General Electric’s Guided Missile Dept., working on the development of rocket engines. GE then moved Ed and his family to San Jose, CA, in their Atomic Power Equipment Department which was at the forefront in the manufacturing of nuclear fuel. After moving back East, he served as a manufacturing engineer with GE’s ordinance dept. in Pittsfield, MA, with responsibility for numerically controlled machine tools used in the manufacture of Polaris Guided Missile Systems. Ed was a founding member of the National Numerical Control Society and cofounder and twice chairman of the GE Numerical Control Group which was dedicated to the sharing of information among various company departments. He then left GE to be the Eastern Regional Sales Representative for numerical controlled machines with the Burgmaster Corporation. Four years later he returned to General Electric in Schenectady where he retired as a senior manufacturing engineer in 1979 with 27 years of service. After retirement he worked briefly for Gordon Light at Light’s Funeral Home. Ed was part of The Goose Hill Gang, a group of men who grew up together in that section of Schenectady and gathered weekly in their later years to have lunch together at various restaurants. His friend, former Mayor Frank Ducci, is now the last survivor of the group.

Å›p. Edward was a lifelong communicant of The Holy Name of Jesus Polish National Catholic Church where he was a member of the HarmoniacChoir (an occasional soloist), and a past member of the Parish Committee. He was also a member of the GE Quarter Century Club, the Colonie Elks, and the Son’s of Italy where he had many friends. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Wednesday, Nov. 19th at the Holy Name of Jesus Church. Interment followed in Holy Name of Jesus Cemetery, Donald Ave., Schenectady.

Contributions may be made in his memory to the Holy Name of Jesus Church, 1040 Pearl St., Schenectady, NY 12303 or to a charity of one’s choice.

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord and may the perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.

Reflection for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – 2014

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What is our
return on investment?

His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

So a person walks up to one of us and gives us a bunch of money and says, go do something with it. Now let’s add to the scenario – this individual is someone we know and we know they can be really demanding. What do we do?

None of us may believe we are particularly shrewd or great investors. We may have worked for others all our lives, or we worked in the home. We have never run a business. What do we do?

Let’s add one more fact to this scene – the money this individual gives us is incredible – literally more than we could make in a lifetime. What would we do?

This is the situation Jesus was describing. A talent, as a unit of money, was the largest unit of currency at the time. Some calculate the talent in the parables to be equivalent to 20 years of wages for the common worker. Today, in New York, this would represent twenty times $63,000, which is average yearly wage paid in our state. One talent would be worth $1.3 million. If we had ten, we would have $13 million. What would we do?

God has invested richly in us, a value we cannot calculate or even estimate. He invested His life, suffering, and death for our salvation. He paid more than any money could measure and says to us: ‘Here is my investment in you, go do something with it.’ He also told us that He is coming back to see what we have done with His investment in us.

Certainly the servants who doubled the investment were welcomed. They received even more because they were profitable (a 100% return isn’t bad). The servant with ten talents came back with twenty (that’s $26 million to us). But, was it enough? Christians are called to measure their return on investment by Jesus’ standards.

Certainty, the servant who receives all of Jesus’ treasure and buries Him in the ground, ignoring Him and who returns nothing, is unprofitable, distanced from Jesus by his or her own choices and decisions.

For the rest of us, who are faithful and profitable, let us consider what we can do to up our return on investment. Can we return 200%, 300%, or more? It isn’t even hard – bringing a friend to church. 1 friend = a 100% return. That is worth eternity for both of you.

A Prayer for Veteran’s Day

praythankrememberveteransday01

We thank Thee, Lord, for America, our home. We bless Thee for the liberty, the opportunity, and the abundance we share. But above all we praise Thee for the traditions which have made our country great, and for the patriots who have laid the foundations through faith, courage, and self-sacrifice. Teach us in our own day the meaning of citizenship, and help us to be faithful stewards of the responsibility which Thou entrusted to us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. — A Prayer for our Country from A Book of Devotions and Prayers According to the Use of the Polish National Catholic Church

Reflection for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – 2014

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Living a life
prepared.

For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, console one another with these words.

As we discussed last week, the Thessalonians accepted the Word and were faithful to it. They modeled what it means to be Jesus’ Church working in such a way as to advance the cause of the gospel in their lives and the lives of others.

They did have one concern. It was common in the early Church to believe that Jesus would return quickly and that all believers would be there to greet Him. They began to worry because, of course, some had died. They wondered whether their loved ones had done something wrong. They thought that those who had fallen asleep would not be there to meet the Lord. Paul set out to clarify that both those who were still alive and those who had fallen asleep would both be there on that wonderful day. Paul told them to hold onto that hope: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

We are like the Thessalonians. Centuries have gone by and we begin to think – when will Jesus come? Will it be soon or in the distant future? Furthermore, Jesus is telling us that we always have to be ready, that we must be prepared: “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

The last few weeks of Ordinary Time focus on the last things, on preparation. What does it mean for us to be prepared? How do we keep our lamps filled with oil and the flame burning?

Make no mistake, Jesus is coming again. When you look at our parish church you see the altar facing liturgical east. Why? Because that is the direction from which Jesus Christ will return in glory with the rising of the eternal Sun. We worship and pray in a way that shows our preparedness, facing the east, waiting for Him.

In our parish life we receive the sacraments that strengthen us and prepare us. We fill up our “oil stocks” with the gifts of grace – forgiveness of sins, the body and blood of our Lord. We encourage each other in reforming our lives, serving others not out of obligation, but out of joy, for we want them to experience the love of Christ. We invite others to come and worship, to be baptized and to believe so that they too may meet the Lord with lit lamps. What more must we do? The key to being prepared is to reject focus on our trials, to live, even when we suffer, with eyes focused on Jesus’ return.

Internship Opportunities for Adults and Teens

internships

City of Philadelphia, Mayor’s Office Internship Program — Philadelphia, PA

Mayor’s Interns come from across the country and represent a wide-range of colleges, graduate programs, and majors. Mayor’s Interns have helped complete grant applications, compile and analyze financial data, develop training and policy manuals, and assist in planning and implementing key City events across various departments and agencies. Examples of past participating departments include: Office of the City Controller; City Treasurer’s Office; Commerce Department, Office of Behavioral Health/Intellectual DisAbility Services; Department of Human Services; Police Department; Managing Director’s Office; Mayor’s Office of Community & Economic Opportunity Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.

In addition, Mayor’s Interns have the opportunity to work collaboratively on a group project, which is presented to the City’s Executive Team at the end of the internship term. Last summer’s group projects included: a land use analysis of the Promise Zone, developing a video and materials on how to read a water meter, an analysis of free summer meals, the feasibility and pre-planning for a symposium about technology in government, land use planning and surveying in Kensington, and a survey for emergency meal guests.

More information here.

National Association of School Boards of Education Multiple Internships — Albany, NY

Working as an intern with NASBE can provide an experience that encompasses both the nonprofit and public sectors. The internship will give you an opportunity to interact with state board of education members, education leaders, policy experts, and government officials–all who work together shaping public education policy. NASBE offers a great working atmosphere and provides the opportunity to work with different parts of a nonprofit organization. For those who are interested in education and education policy, an internship can provide a great opportunity in exchange for college credit. If you are interested in shaping education policy or working with policymakers, then apply today.

NYS Executive Chamber of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Interns – Washington, DC

We’ve got a lot of exciting work in the Governor’s office and we are looking for a few outstanding interns to assist us with the Governor’s initiatives. Interns will be briefed and asked to conduct thorough research and prepare concise reports or policy memoranda. We also keep a close eye on the press cycle to see what’s important to the people of New York. To that end, our interns will read and summarize press stories and keep us abreast of the issues.

More information here.

National Business and Disability Council Emerging Leaders Summer Internship Program — Albertson, NY

A program of the National Business & Disability Council (NBDC) at The Viscardi Center,the Emerging Leaders program offers paid summer internships at many of America’s leading corporations. These companies are NBDC corporate partners, and they are proactive in recruiting qualified students with disabilities.

More information here.

US Agency for International Development (USAID) Pathways Summer Interns — Washington, DC

The USAID Internship Program (Summer 2015) is designed to provide Interns with substantive work assignments, which expose them to the benefits of a Federal career. The work assigned in most bureaus or offices varies. Typical assignments include a variety of research projects, writing program memoranda, drafting documents, facilitating meetings and/or special events, performing analytical work, attending program discussions in the Agency and/or at the Department of State, communicating on USAID program issues, and performing other duties as assigned

The Interns complete a variety of work assignments dependent upon their areas of study and series. For example, previous Interns with scientific and technical backgrounds worked on issues such as climate change, biodiversity, natural resources management, global health, food security, the application of mobile technologies and/or geospatial analysis for development.

More information here.

Bookmarks 2014/15 Call For Submissions

The Memoir Project, a program of The Arts Center of the Capital Region, invites submissions for Bookmarks, an annual series of group readings and performances featuring work that is grounded in personal experience. We encourage both experienced writers and creators, as well as those whose work has not previously been presented publicly or published, to submit work.

Bookmarks is a thematically differentiated group reading and/or performance. Each event is curated and hosted
by a different individual, hand selected from our region’s richly diverse community. Chosen for their unique personal experiences and professional expertise, the curators decide on their theme. Details about the submission criteria and schedule for each curator are listed here and on our website. Each individual reading category has a separate submission date approximately 3/4 weeks prior. Works will be evaluated on quality, creativity, and relevance to the broader Memoir Project theme (i.e. Does the work mine the personal to express the universal?) as well as the individual themes set by each curator.

Submission Guidelines

  • Interested writers/creators are to submit online.
  • All submissions must be received by 11:59 PM on the date indicated in the online brochure which can be downloaded here.
  • The submission window will close at that time.
  • Submissions should not exceed length specified on the submission form.
  • You may submit to multiple curators, but only once per theme.
  • All applicants will be notified at least ten days before the event, or once the curator has chosen readers/presenters.
  • Keep the date OPEN in case you are selected!

Project VOICE – Free Performance For High School Students

Project VOICE will hold a free performance For High School Students on November 6th at 10 AM. For information and a reservation form, contact Arlene Sampson via E-mail at Questar III BOCES or reservation form here.

This free performance for high school students is by celebrated writers, performers, and educators Franny
Choi and Philip Kaye of Project VOICE (Vocal Outreach Into Creative Expression), a national movement that celebrates and inspires youth self-expression through spoken word poetry. This special event is presented by the Riverfront Arts Education Collaborative and Questar III at The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

Reservations will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. Transportation is not provided.

6th Annual “To Honor and Serve” Veterans Day Breakfast

Please join the Unified Military Affairs Council (UMAC) at the 6th Annual “To Honor and Serve” Veterans Day Breakfast on Friday, November 7 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Glen Sanders Mansion, One Glen Avenue, Scotia.

Local “celebrities” will serve breakfast to our honored guests, active military and veterans from around the Capital Region.

We will welcome keynote speaker Captain Jamie Pierce, a third-generation graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (1985), and a designated Naval Aviator with more than 2900 flight hours in the SH-60B Seahawk.

Assignments ashore include serving as Chief of Staff to ComNavBase Charleston, and command of Reserve Units supporting OPNAV N4 in the Pentagon, US European Command in Stuttgart Germany, and the Combined Joint Operations from the Sea Centre of Excellence in Norfolk VA. He also served as the Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer (NEPLO) to New York State. In March 2013, he was mobilized to Afghanistan for one year, serving as ISAF’s Senior Aviation Advisor to the Afghan Ministry of Defense. Upon return in March 2014, he took on the duties as the Deputy Reserve Component Commander for Navy Region Midwest.

Captain Pierce holds a Bachelor of Science degree (with distinction) in Naval Science and earned a master’s in National Security Affairs (Strategic Planning) from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1990.

In his civilian capacity, he is the GM for Customer Projects for North & South America with GE Power and Water. He is married to the former BJ Heiner of Schenectady and has three fantastic sons: Taylor (LTjg, USN, aboard the mighty warship ANCHORAGE), Garrett (a school teacher in Germany), and Cameron (a lacrosse player at LeMoyne University).

Cost is $20 per guest and $5 for active military and veterans. Register via the Schenectady Chamber of Commerce website.