Polish Roman Catholic Union of America
Encyclopedia
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Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
organization in the United States. Its history spans notable periods in the development of the Polish American
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
ethnic group, from the time of early settlement by immigrants from Poland (Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
) through their development of ethnic identity, to their dual struggles in support of Poland's independence and to find their place in American society.
At a time when many Polish Americans were disenchanted with the Irish-dominated American Catholic hierarchy, the PRCUA was a bastion of loyalty to the Church and was the largest and most important Polish Catholic loyalist organization in the United States.
The PRCUA was established in 1873. Since then, PRCUA has developed into a fraternal benefit society that performs religious, charitable, educational and civic work on behalf of its members and the Polish American Community. Members join PRCUA primarily by purchasing life insurance certificates from the organization. Members participate in activities such as folk dancing and singing, language classes, crafts, and youth festivals through local lodges. PRCUA also extends residential mortgage loans to its members.
PRCUA is the principal patron of the Polish Museum of America
Polish Museum of America
The Polish Museum of America is located in West Town, in what had been the historical Polish Downtown neighborhood of Chicago. It is home to a plethora of Polish artifacts, artwork, and embroidered folk costumes among its growing collection...
, the largest ethnic museum in America located in Chicago, Illinois.
The Naród Polski is the official publication of the PRCUA. It is published bimonthly and sent to all members. The articles contained in each issue are presented in English and Polish.
The organization's current National President is Wallace M. Ozog. He is serving his third four-year term after reelection at the PRCUA's National Convention at Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
in 2006.