Summary Information
Polish Roman Catholic Union of America Records
1911-1980
- Polish Roman Catholic Union of America
Milwaukee Mss 62
1.4 c.f. (1 archives box and 1 record center carton)
UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)
Records of the Wisconsin, Circuit No. 6, and several Milwaukee societies of the Polish Roman Catholic Union (Zjednoczenie Polskie Rzymsko Katolickie w Ameryce), the oldest and largest Polish Catholic fraternal organization in the United States. State records include anniversary and convention programs; there are also anniversary programs for Circuit No. 6. Cash books, minute books, and reports on finances, insurance, and membership are present for four local societies: St. Anne Group No. 781; St. Clara Group No. 1218; St. Dorothy Group No. 526; and St. Florentine Group No. 591.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mil00062 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
The Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (Zjednoczenie Polskie Rzymsko Katolickie w Ameryce, or ZPRK), the oldest and largest Polish Catholic fraternal organization in the United States, was organized in 1873 in Detroit. The founders of the PRCU hoped to unite all Polish-Americans into one organization with the following goals: to maintain solidarity with a Roman Catholic Church, propagate its teachings, and maintain its churches and educational and charitable institutions; to maintain cultural ties with Poland and to preserve Polish ethnic heritage in the United States; to promote Americanism and patriotism; and to assist members morally and materially through sales of life insurance. The PRCU also provides educational loans to students, assistance to disabled persons, maintains a scouting program, and has promoted U.S. war relief and other war efforts. The organization maintains a library, museum, and archives in the PRCU headquarters building in Chicago, and from 1921 to 1939 published the weekly newspaper Narod Polski.
Circuit No. 6 (Osada No. 6-ta) of the PRCU was organized in Milwaukee in 1912. Originally referred to as “Council,” the group reorganized the following year as “Circuit.” By 1920 twenty individual societies were active members of Circuit No. 6. At one time there were two Circuits in the Milwaukee area, No. 6 serving the South Side, and No. 39 serving the North Side. Circuit No. 39 no longer exists. Circuit No. 6 has sponsored many cultural, religious, and social activities throughout its history, among them are a bowling league, dance group, and Boy Scouts and Daughter groups. In 1941 the Circuit purchased an island on Lake Waubassee for use as a youth camp, which was maintained until 1946. Four years later a building at 1428-1432 West Lincoln Avenue was purchased for a home and meeting hall. Circuit No. 6 celebrated its golden jubilee in 1962.
First attempts to initiate a society of the PRCU in Milwaukee met with little success until 1907 when John A. Olszyk, John Walczykowski, and Michael Landowski organized the St. Stanislaus Kostka society at St. Hyacinth Parish. Other societies rapidly followed. In recent years many individual societies have lost members, which coupled with an apparent reluctance on the part of remaining members to serve as officers, has caused several societies to merge.
One of the more active existing societies has been the Pol-Americ Society (No. 1423), originally founded by Harriett M. Nowaczyk in 1941 as a social club. Since 1968, the Pol-Americ Society has absorbed the St. Florentine Society, St. Clara Society, St. Anne Society (No. 781), and St. Dorothy Society. Harriett Nowaczyk has been an active supporter and officer of PRCU societies since age 16; most recently she has served, with Henry J. Czerwinski, as co-director of PRCU District 6, a regional administrative body which includes Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas, and Wisconsin.
Scope and Content Note
The records of the Polish Roman Catholic Union include material from state, circuit, and individual society levels. Although individual societies were formed originally at particular parishes, the tendency in recent years has been for groups to hold meetings at the PRCU hall; some of the records in this collection were left at the hall after such meetings and collected by the donors. Other items came into the possession of Harriett Nowaczyk following merger of individual societies with the Pol-Americ Society, at which time their records were turned over to that group. Thus, the collection is composed of anniversary programs and books, and of partial records of four individual societies which no longer exist: St. Dorothy (Sw. Dorothy) Group No. 526, St. Florentine (Sw. Florentyny) Group No. 591, St. Anne (Sw. Anny) Group No. 781, and St. Clara Group No. 1218. (The number of each group was assigned at the date of organization.) The bulk of the collection was donated by Harriett Nowaczyk and Henry Czerwinski, with a few items given by Leonne Wozinski.
Within the series of ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMS AND BOOKS are booklets issued to commemorate anniversaries of the founding of the state PRCU, a nearly-complete run of state convention programs, anniversary programs of Circuit #6 with a scrapbook of memorabilia from its 1962 golden jubilee, and miscellaneous programs of various individual societies. In the latter file are represented St. Anne Group No. 781 (1939), St. Elizabeth Group No. 875 (1940), Ss. Peter and Paul Group No. 601 (1944), St. Stanislaus Kostka Society No. 283 (1957), St. John Evangelist Society No. 394 (1959), and Pol-Americ Society No. 1423 (1974). In addition, there are several programs from performances of the PRCU Dancers, and from other musical, dramatic, and social events sponsored by the PRCU. A file of other programs includes anniversary programs of two priests who served as PRCU chaplains, Rt. Rev. Msgr. B. E. Goral and Rev. Joseph L. Betlinski (see also the separate collection of his papers), a 1951 testimonial banquet for PRCU officers, and a program from the 1972 annual PRCU national bowling tournament, held in Milwaukee.
Records of ST. DOROTHY GROUP NO. 526, organized at St. Barbara Parish, consist of two volumes of membership records, one each for adults and children, listing names and addresses, dates of birth and membership; and amounts, beneficiaries, and assessments for insurance policies. The corresponding volumes of financial records list monthly payments made, and final disposition, if any, of benefits. The insurance policy posting book also summarizes some of this information. There are a few folders of monthly insurance financial reports and supplemental statements submitted to PRCU headquarters, listing changes in the policies or membership standing. A few items of correspondence concern insurance matters.
Similar records are present for ST. FLORENTINE GROUP NO. 591, located at Ss. Cyril and Methodius Parish, the original and a copy of the 1912 constitution, with the addition of three volumes of minute books, 1911-1945, 1947-1964. There is a volume of membership records, as described above, for both adults and children, a posting book, a cash book and a few loose policy records. The records of this society are the oldest in the collection. In 1968, part of this society merged with the Pol-Americ Society, with the rest joining St. Elizabeth Group No. 875.
For ST. ANNE GROUP NO. 781, formed at St. Casimir's Parish, there is a volume of membership records and a cash book. Records of ST. CLARA GROUP NO. 1218, St. Adalbert Parish, consist of a cash book.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Harriet M. Nowaczyk, Henry J. Czerwinski, and Leone D. Wozinski, all of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1980-1981. Accession Number: M81-037, M81-123
Processed by Menzi Behrnd-Klodt, December 1981.
Contents List
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Series: Anniversary Programs and Books
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Box
1
Folder
1
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State PRCU, 1943, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973
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Box
1
Folder
2
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State Convention Programs, 1952-1980
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Box
1
Folder
3
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Circuit #6, 1937, 1951, 1962
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Box
2
Volume
16
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Circuit #6 Golden Jubilee Scrapbook, 1962
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Individual Societies, 1939, 1940, 1944, 1957, 1959, 1974
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Box
1
Folder
5
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Dance, Music, and Dramatic Performances - Programs, 1936-1974
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Box
1
Folder
6
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Other Programs, 1949, 1951, 1968, 1972
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Series: St. Dorothy Group No. 526 Records
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Box
2
Volume
1
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Membership Records (Adults), 1925-1946
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Box
2
Volume
2
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Membership Records (Children), 1925-1946
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Box
2
Volume
3
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Financial Records (Adults), 1925-1946
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Box
2
Volume
4
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Financial Records (Children), 1925-1946
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Box
2
Volume
5
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Insurance Policy Posting Book, 1925-1946
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Box
1
Folder
7
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Correspondence, 1938-1939; Miscellany
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Insurance Records
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Box
1
Folder
8
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Monthly Financial Reports (Adults), 1926-1940
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Box
1
Folder
9
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Supplemental Statements (Adults and Children), 1924-1946
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Box
1
Folder
10
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Monthly Financial Reports (Children), 1935-1940
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Box
1
Folder
11
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Supplemental Statements (Children), 1925-1938
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Series: St. Florentine Group No. 591 Records
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Box
2
Volume
6-8
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Minute Books, 1911-1945, 1947-1964
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Box
2
Volume
9
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Membership Records (Adults), 1912-1956
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Box
2
Volume
10
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Membership Records (Children), 1932-1963
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Box
2
Volume
11
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Insurance Policy Posting Book, 1958-1965
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Box
2
Volume
12
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Cash Book, 1928-1956
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Box
1
Folder
11
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Constitution, 1912; Youth Insurance Policy Records, , 1954-1964
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Series: St. Anne Group No. 781 Records
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Box
2
Volume
13
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Membership Records, 1960-1971
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Box
2
Volume
14
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Cash Book, 1946-1970
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Series: St. Clara Group No. 1218 Records
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Box
2
Volume
15
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Cash Book, 1933-1956
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