IMAGINE
A Catholic church where each parish decides it's own destiny
A Catholic church that welcomes all that wish to follow Christ
A Catholic church that whose property is owned by the people that purchase, build
and maintain it.
You don't have to imagine anymore.
Who We Are
Since 1920 St. Joseph's has provided an experience of the Christian faith that
combines the teachings of Jesus, the practices of Catholic tradition and the
sentiments of the 21st century within a personal community where members are
known by name. We are a part of a union of independent Catholic churches known
as the National Catholic Church denomination. There are six other sister churches in
Western Massachusetts and one in Connecticut. They are located in the communities
of Chicopee, Northampton, Ware, Webster, Deerfield and Enfield.
National Catholic
With our Catholic practices, we emphasize that we are an independent Catholic
church, which means that we are not under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic
Church. We have been such an autonomous Catholic denomination since 1897.
Organization
- All parish property and investments are owned and supervised by the local
congregation.
- We have a parish committee that meets monthly to discuss the financial
matters of the church.
- St. Joseph's has annual and semi-annual parish meetings to vote on important
church matters such as fund raisers to improve the church property and
salary matters relating to church employees. At the national church level there
are synods to vote on bishops and prime bishop of our denomination.
- The clergy of the National Catholic Church are free to marry if they so
choose, reflecting a profound respect for the sacraments of marriage and the
blessings of the Christian family
- Out of respect for the conscience of our parishioners, the Sacrament of the
Penance is administered to adults as General Confession, which means that
the absolution is granted by the priest to the gathered congregation, but the
examinations of conscience is performed silently by the penitent.
Parish Organizations
- Parish Committee
- United Youth Association
- School of Christian Living (Sunday School)
- Parish Choir
- Altar Servers Guild (boys & girls)
- Men's Club
- Adoration Society of the Blessed Sacrament
- M. K. Club
- Mission and Outreach Committee
- Children of Mary
- Dozynki Dancers
About St. Joseph's Church
St. Joseph's National Catholic Church
73 Main St.
Westfield, MA. 01085
Channel 3 News
By Jennifer Thome
Story Published: Oct 29, 2009 at 6:31 PM EST
Story Updated: Oct 29, 2009 at 6:31 PM EST
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield announced this
summer that 19 Catholic Churches are closing leaving many
fighting to keep their places of worship open or looking for
another church. We found local Catholic churches that are not
part of the Roman Catholic diocese but are Catholic and run
their church democratically.
Laurie Costello, member of National Catholic Church, says, "We
came from the Roman Catholic Church and we just weren't
happy with the way things ran."
Laurie Costello and her family changed churches 5 years ago
when the Springfield Diocese closed the Roman Catholic school
she grew up in.
Costello says, "We did fight to keep it open and we came to find
out that no matter what you were going to do it has been
decided."
But at St. Joseph's National Catholic Church in Westfield
parishioners claim that would never happen to their church
because they don't answer to the Springfield Diocese or the
Vatican.
Costello says, "The parish won't close unless we vote on it."
Susan Teehan, a life-long member of St. Joseph's says, "The
church is a democratic church. We own the property, the
buildings."
Teehan's grandparents helped found St. Joseph's 80 years
ago. She's been going to mass here since she was a little girl.
Teehan says, "I think other people feel they come to Sunday
Mass and they leave and they have no voice in the church
whereas we feel as if we are an important part of the church."
Father Sr. Joseph Soltysiak says, "The people of this church
have very much a say in the affairs that go on."
Father Sr. Joseph Soltysiak has been the priest at St. Joseph’s
for more than 15 years. He says everyone gets one vote,
including him. But it's very much a Catholic church.
Father Sr. Soltysiak says, "We are a very high church. We are a
Catholic Church. Our main method of worship is the Holy Mass
Eucharist."
The National Catholic Church was founded in Pennsylvania in
the late 1800's by Polish-Americans who broke away from the
Roman Catholic Church partly because of disputes over who
owned church property. Currently, there are 8 churches in
Massachusetts and have 25-thousand members in the United
States. It used to be called the Polish National Catholic Church
until recently. They changed the name to welcome all people.
Father Sr. Soltysiak says, "The majority of people coming here
and who become part of our family are people who left their
Catholic faith and they can find it again here but not under the
jurisdiction of Rome."
That's exactly what Laurie Costello and her family did and they
found a new religious home.
There are differences between the National Catholic Church
and the Roman Catholic Church. One of the most obvious is the
priests can marry. Father Joe has several kids. One of them is
also priest.
The National Catholic church is in dialogue with Rome.
The National Catholic Churches in Western Mass are in
Chicopee, Northampton, South Deerfield, Ware and Westfield.
