The latest issue of God’s Field is now available online
Enjoy reading about the life and work of our parishes and people. Included is significant information concerning the 2014 Holy Synod of the Polish National Catholic Church and CONVO 2014.
Articles for the February issue are being accepted now through February 1, 2014. You may E-mail items and photos or send them to:
God’s Field
Polish National Catholic Church
1006 Pittston Avenue
Scranton, PA 18505
Please come and join us for Free Lunch on Sunday, January 19th, from 11:30am till 1:30pm. This event is always free and open to all. This month we’re featuring chili, sandwiches, desserts, drinks, and kid friendly food. Free Lunch on Sunday is held at the Holy Name of Jesus parish hall located at 1040 Pearl St., Schenectady (CDTA Route 353 – Pearl Street stop) on the third Sunday of every month.
For many the holiday parties are (almost) over, the presants unwrapped, and maybe resolutions have been made – yet we followers of Christ continue to celebrate the real Christmas season. Forty days of joy with Christ born anew in us. Check out the latest parish newsletter including official announcements, reflections, music scholarships, and good information should your New Year’s resolutions include better financial management (and maybe you will add to your cash-on-hand with our Outrageous Valentine’s Raffle). You may view and download a copy right here — January 2014 Newsletter.
Services scheduled for the Solemnity of the Holy Name of Jesus, January 2nd at 7pm are cancelled due to weather conditions.
Make February 2014 – the month of love – a month to win in more ways than one!
2014, will be a big year for the youth of our Church and our parish. This summer we will once again be sending our young people to the annual KURS summer encampment and to CONVO 2014 at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio from July 21st through 25th. The 2014 CONVO theme is “In the beginning….â€
We need your support to give our young people a great beginning in 2014. To start them off right we are holding a month long Outrageous Valentine’s Raffle this coming February to support our youth. Each raffle ticket gives the purchaser a chance to win up to $1,180. The Outrageous Valentine’s Raffle will include drawings for $40 daily prizes and a $100 daily prize on Valentine’s Day. The raffle is drawn each day of the month, giving the ticket holder 28 chances to win! Winners are returned to the raffle bucket, making them eligible to win again and again. Your support will help cover our young people’s summer expenses with the ultimate goal of paying their way completely.
Tickets cost only $10 each. Feel free to contact Deacon Jim at 518-372-1992, Stephanie Dominy at 518-369-1346, or any parish member to purchase a ticket.
We thank you for your support of Youth Ministry and the School of Christian Living at Holy Name of Jesus parish in Schenectady and wish you good luck!
The Polish National Union of America (PNUA) and Spójnia Credit Union (SCU) are effective tools in your financial management portfolio. If you are considering getting your financial house in order for the new year, contract the PNUA and SCU which are able to provide insurance, savings, loan, and other financial products. These products are secure and helpful on a personal basis. Membership also benefits your parish and our Holy Church.
PNUA policies for youth are a great way to start your children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews on the road to a lifetime of savings. Giving them the gift of an endowment or life insurance policy not only provides financial security but makes them eligible for PNUA benefits like college stipends, membership in the Spojnia Credit Union, as well as branch and district activities.
The PNU has been providing numerous benefits to the PNCC for 105 years now and with your help we will be able to do so long into the future. Contact your parish, local PNUA representative, or the PNUA office at 1â€800â€724â€6352 or by E-mail.
The New York State Alliance for Arts Education announces the following opportunities:
For Students
New York State Summer School for the Arts: The Summer of 2014 will mark the 45th year of operation for the schools that form the New York State Summer School of the Arts. This program, with its seven component summer residential programs in Ballet, Choral Studies, Dance, Media Arts, Orchestral Studies, Theatre, and Visual Arts is administered by the New York State Education Department. Recognized as one of the finest programs of its kind in the nation, over 15,000 high school age students have become part of this unique summer experience. Alumni of the program will attest to the success of the schools in helping high school students with special talents identify and pursue career choices in all fields of the fine arts and performing arts at an early age. The Schools provide opportunities for all New York State students who qualify through auditions, to receive the highest level of training and instruction. Application information is available here. 
2014 VSA International Young Soloists – Call for Entries: VSA International Young Soloists Competition is now accepting entries. The VSA International Young Soloists Competition annually selects up to four outstanding musicians from the United States and the international arena, and supports and encourages them in their pursuit of a career. These emerging musicians receive $2,500, professional development opportunities, and a performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. All applications must be submitted for review by Monday, January 27, 2014.
For Professionals
Arts Connect All New York: One-on-One Mentorships for Arts Educators: Arts Connect All New York (ACANY) provides educators with a uniquely tailored mentorship for the Spring 2014 semester, with the goal to improve the quality of arts education provided to students with special needs. The mentorship includes three phone consultations, three on-site visits and self-reflective writing assignments. Participating educators receive a $125 stipend, intended as a partial reimbursement for their out-of-school time spent participating in ACANY. Through ACANY, participating educators will receive deep and meaningful professional development that will ultimate benefit hundreds of students across New York State. The application deadline has been extend, but please don’t delay! See NYSAAE’s Webpage for details.
ARTS@theCORE – Vital Training in Standards & Curriculum: Filling a critical gap in professional development for arts educators, ARTS@the CORE symposia, offered from January – March in select regions across the state, will expand participants’ knowledge & improve their arts teaching practice. With a faculty of nationally-recognized experts on arts education and the Common Core — Bruce Taylor, Scott Schuler and Susan Riley– each symposium establishes a context of the arts within the Common Core State Standards, explores the CCSS in both studio arts & integration classes, and provides opportunities for hands-on curriculum planning & collaborative group work. The symposia will provide 5.5 hours of PD credits for teachers. See NYSAAE’s webpage for details and registration information..
Residency
Call for Entries Saltonstall Arts Colony, Ithaca, NY: Time for inspiration, a quiet studio, a beautiful setting, and a stimulating community of artists working in diverse disciplines. Two-week and four-week residencies are offered between late-April and mid-September for New York State artists and writers looking for quiet, supportive environment in which to focus on their craft. See the Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts webpage for more information.
The Kosciuszko Foundation’s Sembrich Voice Competition will take place on March 29th and 30th. Applications will be accepted through February 20, 2014.
The Sembrich Voice Competition honors the great Polish soprano Marcella Kochanska Sembrich, who made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1883. After an enormously successful career, the popular singer founded the vocal programs at both the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute. Previous winners of the competition include Barbara Hendricks and Jan Opalach.
Those who are accepted as contestants will be notified in early March 2014. They will then be required to submit a program for the preliminaries.
Application
To enroll, complete an application [pdf] and return to the Kosciuszko Foundation:
Marcella Sembrich Voice Scholarship Competition 2014
The Kosciuszko Foundation
15 East 65th Street
New York, New York 10065
Fax (212) 628-4552
Requirements
The Competition is open to singers 18 to 35 who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and full-time students with international visas. Applicants must include:
1. Resume and short bio – you may (but are not required to) include any other pertinent information you might like to share.
2. A copy of proof of age and citizenship or residency status.
3. One CD approx. 10 minutes in length. This can be any repertoire that you are comfortable with. Print your name and selection on the CD box. If you wish your CD returned to you, Include a stamped, addressed mailer.
4. One black and white photo of yourself suitable for reproduction, no smaller than 3 x 5 inches.
5. A non-refundable application fee of $35 payable by check or money-order to The Kosciuszko Foundation.
You need not submit suggested repertoire for the audition until you are notified that you are accepted as a contestant.

Required Repertoire
Those who are accepted as contestants will be notified in early March 2014. They will then be required to submit a program for the preliminaries to be held on Saturday, March 29, 2014:
Preliminary:
1 18th century aria (Bach/Handel to Mozart) 1 operatic aria of your choice
1 song by Stanislaw Moniuszko*
1 19th century romantic selection
The required repertoire for the Finals to be held Sunday, March 30, 2014 are:
1 19th century operatic aria
1 20th century operatic aria
1 20th century Polish song*
1 one additional song from any 20th century repertoire
You can find suggested repertoire and sources for the Polish songs and Moniuszko arias in foreign languages at the Marcella Sembrich Voice Competition website.
If an unusual or rare work is selected, copies should be provided to the Foundation competition for the pianist and the judges.
Polish works can be sung in any language (with a minimum of two verses). All works should be sung from memory, in whichever order the contestant chooses.
The Kosciuszko Foundation’s Chopin Piano Competition was established in 1949, in honor of the hundredth anniversary of the death of Frederic Chopin. Over the years, many outstanding musicians have been associated with the competition including Van Cliburn, Ian Hobson, and Murray Perahia. Today, the Kosciuszko Foundation’s Chopin Competition continues to encourage gifted young pianists to further their studies and to perform the works of Polish composers.
Required Repertoire
1. Chopin:
a) One Mazurka of the contestant’s choice
b) Two works chosen from Etudes, Nocturnes, Waltzes, Impromptus, Preludes, and miscellaneous works
c) One major work chosen from the following: Ballades, Scherzi, Sonatas; F-sharp minor Polonaise; A-flat major Polonaise-Fantasy; Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise; Barcarolle; F-minor Fantasy; Introduction and Rondo, Op.16; Allegro de Concert, Op. 46
2. Szymanowski: Two works of the contestant’s choice, including at LEAST one Mazurka
3. A major work by J.S. Bach or two Preludes and Fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier
4. A complete sonata by Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, or Schubert
5. A major 19th or early 20th century work (before 1950 including Debussy, Ravel, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, etc., but excluding those in 4. Above)
6. A contemporary work (after 1950) by an American or Polish composer
*All works are to be complete and played from memory
Eligibility
The Competition is open to citizens and permanent residents of the United States, Polish citizens, and to international full-time students with valid U.S. student visas. Applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 26 as of October 24, 2014.
Application Process
Complete the application [pdf] and submit it along with all required materials noted below by October 3, 2014 to:
Chopin Piano Competition
Kosciuszko Foundation
15 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10065
Fax: (212) 628-4552
1. Biography or curriculum vitae. Include education, experience, honors or competitions won, public recitals or performances with orchestra. Include official event name or competition title, sponsoring organization, and date.
2. Two letters of recommendation emphasizing artistic ability and achievement, one from a current teacher and one from another source, sent directly to The Kosciuszko Foundation.
3. A typewritten copy of your program from the required repertoire (see p. 3) Please give complete information, (including key & opus number, etc.) and movement titles. Retain a copy.
4. A copy of an official document with proof of age.
5. One black and white photo of yourself suitable for reproduction, no smaller than 3″ x 5.”
6. A non-refundable application fee of $50 (payable by check or money order to The Kosciuszko Foundation).
Competition Schedule
Preliminaries: Friday, October 24, 2014 at 10 AM, KF House
Finals: Saturday, October 25, 2014 at 10 AM, KF House
The latest issue of God’s Field is now available online
Enjoy reading about the life and work of our parishes and people including Christmas wishes and news of the 2014 National Synod.
Articles for the January issue are being accepted now through January 1, 2014. You may E-mail items and photos or send them to:
God’s Field
Polish National Catholic Church
1006 Pittston Avenue
Scranton, PA 18505