Past Bishops of the
Western Diocese of the PNCC
Most Rev. Dr. Anthony Mikovsky
Most Rev. Dr. Anthony Mikovsky is the current Prime Bishop of the PNCC. He was elected Bishop at the 21st General Synod of the PNCC in October of 2006, and was Consecrated on November 30, 2006. He was assigned as 7th Ordinary of the Central Diocese. He was elected Prime Bishop of the PNCC at the XXIII General Synod of the Church in October 2010.
The Most Rev. Dr. Anthony Mikovsky is a native of Trenton, NJ and is a lifelong member of the Polish National Catholic Church. Bishop Anthony graduated from the University of Rochester with a BA in Mathematics and Physics in 1988, received his Masters Degree in Mathematics in 1995 and received his Doctorate in Mathematics in 1997 both from the esteemed University of Pennsylvania. He attended Savonarola Theological Seminary of the PNCC and was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in April of 1997.
Bishop Mikovsky is married and he and his wife Carol are resident in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Bishop Mikovsky twice served as Administrator Bishop of the Western Diocese first upon the vacancy of the Bishop's office in 2011 until the Episcopal election of Rt. Rev. Stanley M. Bilinski, Jr. and then from the death of Rt. Rev. Stanley M. Bilinski, Jr. until the Episcopal election of Rt. Rev. Jarosław (Jerry) Rafalko.
Rt. Rev. Stanley M. Bilinski, Jr. -- 2012 to 2018
Rt. Reverend Stanley M. Bilinski, Jr. was a native of Detroit, Michigan. Bishop began his priestly ministry in parishes throughout the Central Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Church. In 2011 he transferred to his home diocese, the Western Diocese to become pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Parma, Ohio. He was the Church’s National Youth Chaplain for many years and was also active in the Church’s bowling and music programs. He was the Church’s lead in Orthodox-PNCC dialogs.
He was elected bishop at a Special Synod on June 22, 2014 and was consecrated bishop on the Solemnity of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, September 14, 2012.
Bishop was the beloved husband of Deborah, nee Petrosky and loving father of Joshua and Hannah .
Bishop Bilinski died suddenly November 2, 2018.
Rt. Rev. Anthony D. Kopka -- 2006 to 2011
Anthony D. Kopka, was consecrated Bishop on the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, November 30, 2006. He left office in 2011.
Rt. Rev. Jan Dawidziuk -- 2003 to 2006
Rt. Rev. Jan Dawidziuk was the sixth Bishop of the Western Diocese.
He was born in Kolczyn, Poland. He earned master’s and doctoral degrees at the Academy of Catholic Theology in Warsaw. He was married to the former Anna Fedorowicz and they hd one daughter.
He was consecrated bishop on the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, November 30, 1999.
He died at St. Mary's parish in Parma, Ohio, which he served in his retirement, on March 6, 2012.
Rt. Rev. Robert M. Nemkovich -- 1994 to 2003
Most Rev. Robert M. Nemkovich was the fifth bishop of the Western Diocese. He was consecrated October 18, 1993, the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist. He was later elected Prime Bishop of the Polish National Catholic Church.
Rt. Rev. Joseph C. Zawistowski -- 1978 to 1994
Rt. Rev. Joseph C. Zawistowski was the fourth bishop of the Western Diocese.
He was born in Rochester, New York. He served six years in the Army Air Forces' Signal Corps Division during World War II, reaching the rank of staff sergeant. He was ordained to the priesthood (as the first son of a priest, the Rev. Joseph L. Zawistowski, to be ordained in the Polish National Catholic Church) on January 14, 1948. He was consecrated bishop in Scranton, Pennsylvania on November 30, 1968, the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle and served as Bishop Ordinary of the Western Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Church.
After his retirement as bishop on April 19, 1994 he continued serving the Church alongside his son, the Rev. Charles Zawistowski at St. Mary's parish in South Bend, Indiana.
He was married to the former Josephine Trelka he had two children, Rev. Charles and Joseph T. He died September 22, 2001.
Rt. Rev. Francis Carl Rowinski -- 1959 to 1978
Rt. Rev. Francis Rowinski was born in Dickson City, Pennsylvania. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 17, 1939 and was consecrated bishop on May 9, 1959. He served as the third diocesan Bishop of the Western Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Church from 1959 to 1978, when he was appointed Prime Bishop of the PNCC.
He was married to Stephanie and had three sons, Rev. Francis C. Jr., Stephen and Rev. David; and a daughter, Christine. He died August 4, 1990.
Rt. Rev. Joseph E. Kardas -- 1955 to 1958
Was born in Bolesław, Poland, September 22, 1898. He was ordained to the priesthood by Most Rev. Franciszek Hodur on July 24, 1932, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He was consecrated bishop at Holy Mother of the Rosary Cathedral in Buffalo, New York on September 2, 1954, and served as the second diocesan Bishop of the Western Diocese until his death in 1958 resulting from complications following an automobile accident.
In 1957 he bought acreage in Davie, Florida with his life savings, planning to build a retirement home for members of the Church on the site. The site is now owned by the Western Diocese and the tract of land still bears his name: The Bishop Kardas Memorial Home.
He was married to the former Laura Socha.
Rt. Rev. Leon Grochowski -- 1926 to 1955
Bishop Grochowski was born in 1886. in a village near Łomza, Poland, Bishop Grochowski emigrated to the United States in 1905 in order to avoid arrest by the Russian government for organizing a student strike at the Warsaw University of Technology. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 1910. He worked in several parishes and was elected bishop on July 15, 1924 by the Second Extraordinary Synod of PNCC. Bishop Grochowski was Consecrated Bishop on August 17, 1924. He served as first Bishop of the Western Diocese and was later unanimously elected to the Office of Prime Bishop of the PNCC at the 8th General Synod of the PNCC in 1949, but did not take that office until the passing of Bishop Francis Hodur in 1953.
Bishop Grochowski was extremely concerned with the state of the Polish Catholic Church in Poland under communist repression. He traveled to Poland in support of Bishop Julian Pękala and confronted communist authorities over the case of Bishop Pękala. On July 17, 1969 Bishop Grochowski engaged in shouting match with members of the Communist Government concerning the remnants of the Church in Poland. That night, at the Hotel Europiejski in Warsaw, he died – a death that to this day is still a matter of conjecture.