See What is Happening in our Church

On Sunday May 24 the Polish -American  Veterans and the members of the Greater Lowell Polish National Home held the annual remembrance ceremony.  

The post Commander Paul Kazalski welcomed those in attendance. Fr. Andrzej Tenus of St. Casimir’s PNCC prayed the opening Blessing. Fr. Tenus is PAV Chaplain and Captain US Army Reserve. Janice Klimczak. organist at St.  Casimir’s, sang the Star Spangled Banner and the Polish National Anthem.   

Commemorative wreaths were placed and the names of deceased PAV members and Dom Polski members were read. The traditional 

salute to the dead, Taps was rendered. The closing prayer was offered by Fr. Tenus.  

The  Color Guard remained at attention during the ceremony. Members of the  Color Guard: Gabriel Garbarz, Walter Oczkowski, Thomas Stupakewicz and  Irene Jaracz from St. Casimir’s.   

Once again the ANS of St. Casimir's sponsored a "Beautification Project" to spruce up the church grounds. A group of volunteers showed up with rakes, pruning shears, and shovels to clean up the grounds, prune overgrown bushes, plant flowers, and create container gardens. The side yard of the church, which had been neglected for some time, was cleared of the overgrown weeds and vines. Many thanks to the volunteers for their hard work. The beautification crew included Phyllis Hunt, Stan Kosidlo, Shirley Kourey, John Koziol, Beverly Runowicz and Jo Ann Menzia.

 As part of Holy Saturday  service, Reverend Andrew Tenus blessed baskets of food. Parishioners brought these baskets to be blessed in preparation of  their Easter gatherings. Delicious Polish foods, lovely linens and symbolic Easter butter lambs will be enjoyed as the Resurrection of  Christ Jesus is celebrated by our families.

St. Casimir’s ANS members and parishioners dutifully prepared the  altars for the Mass of Resurrection. Fresh linens and beautiful lilies were placed on the altars. Lovely palm planters were placed in welcoming  positions, all in anticipation of Easter Sunday.
Front row: Janice Klimczak, Beverly Runowicz, Deb Charette, Phyllis  Hunt, Fr. Andrew Tenus. Back row: Bert Quirbach, Diane Quirbach, Heath  Pelletier, Jo Ann Menzia
 

 St. Casimir’s ANS and parishioners donated three Easter baskets filled with personal items and leisure/artistic items for teens at Brigid’s Crossing in Lowell, Massachusetts, a home for teenage mothers. Several gift cards were  included also.
Often teenagers living in group homes are forgotten. We are thankful to the individuals who administer programs that help teens and we hope to do a small part in ensuring their mission is successful.
 

Joyce Normand, a long time parishioner and Vice President of St. Casimir's ANS, passed away on January 20, 2026 at the age of 83.

Joyce leaves behind her husband,  Roger Normand; her children, Lisa Adrian, Robin Romeo, Leanne  Gouveia, and Christopher Dong; her stepson Richard  Normand; and her sister Susan Flynn. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren. 

Father Tenus presided at Joyce's  funeral service, which was held on Tuesday, February 10th at St. Joseph Cemetery in Chelmsford, MA.

We will miss Joyce very much. Despite her many years of dealing with various health and surgery issues, she always came back strong with her lovely grateful attitude and sense of humor. 

Installation of officers for the 2026 Parish committee were sworn in by Father Tenus on Sunday, January 4. Members from left to right (top row) are Father Tenus, Robert Hunt, Robert Ferus, and Stan Kosidlo 

Members from left to right (bottom row) are Pat Whiting, JoAnn Menzia, Deb Charette, Paula Jones, Phyllis Hunt, Linda Kosidlo, Linda Hedrick, Janice Klimczak, Irene Jarez, Christine Piec, and Tom McNiff. 

Linda Hedrick, St. Casimir's Financial Secretary, had always wanted to rent a suite at TD Garden for a special Bruins game. Her "bucket list" was to invite her family and friends to a special event that includes

 access to private entrances that bring you straight from the parking garage or street level to your suite, early access to the arena, a private common area,   and a dedicated attendant for 

food and beverage needs.

Attending the event with Linda and her family were Bob Hunt, co-chair of the Parish Committee, Pat Whiting, a Parish Committee director, and Linda's brand new grandson. 

On  November 9 and November 16, St. St. Casimir's is remembering Veterans who have and are currently serving in the Armed Forces of the United States during Holy Mass.

Over 100 honor cards were prepared for our veterans with names and  branch of service written on each. One new addition this year was an honor card for a soldier who fought in the Polish Army at Monte Casino during WW II.
The honor cards are placed on the window edges, the railings and the side altars of the church. In addition, many photographs and special  awards are displayed.
Father Tenus spoke of the sacrifice of our veterans and their love of country. Several patriotic songs were also played during Mass.
Parishioners stayed after Mass to view honor cards and to give respect to those who served.   

Father Tenus held a special All Soul's Day mass at the St. Casimir's Cemetery in Pelham MA. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon for such a lovely service. Parishioners gathered for prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed. During the service, we walked to different parts of the cemetery, where we would stop and say prayers for those how have died while Father Tenus blessed the grounds. 

During the months of September and October, St. Casimir's ANS has been conducting a clothing drive. Items for the event include sweatshirts, sweatpants, pajamas, thermal shirts, hats, gloves, socks, mittens, and other items for children and adults. The clothing will be donated to the Central Food Ministry in Lowell, who will distribute the collected items to families in need. We are so proud of our parishioners who have been very generous with their donations, and are grateful that area families will have warm clothing for the winter months. 

Volunteers at the St. Casimir's kitchen, also know as the Pierogi team, gather regularly to make pierogi and  gołąbki, which we sell on Sunday mornings. We also offer fresh kielbasa and kapusta.

Our process for making these foods usually take two mornings. For pierogi, volunteers meet to make the filling (either potato and cheese or cabbage) then the next day, we make and sheet the dough, and cut out the rounds. The "pinchers" then stuff the dough. After inspection to ensure a secure seal, the kitchen staff takes over to cook and cool the pierogi. Once the proper temperature is reached, the pierogi is then vacuum sealed.

For the  gołąbki, the kitchen staff makes the filling, sorts the cabbage leaves, and assembles the stuffed cabbage. The cooking and cooling process for the large trays takes some time, and when ready, the  gołąbki is refrigerated until ready to package and vacuum seal.

Of course, before all of the cooking, volunteers need to shop for produce and other products we need to make a delicious product.

We have an efficient process, wonderful volunteers, and a lot of fun. Our steady stream of customers keeps us busy, especially around the holidays.