Since the 57^th National Quadrennial Convention of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America in 1998, our fraternal has successfully marched forward into the millennium with a new administration and a renewed spirit of ethnic pride. We continue to improve the services and benefits to our current and future membership under the leadership of the current administration.

PRESIDENT - Wallace M. Ozog of Warren, Michigan is the 26th President of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America, founded in 1873 and known as “the mother of all Polish American Fraternals”. The PRCUA’s headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois and since 1998 when he began his presidency, Mr. Ozog and his lovely wife Joann have resided in Lemont, one of Chicago’s predominantly Polish suburbs. Mr. Ozog is now serving his third and final term as the President of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America, an organization he has been dedicated to since his youth when he joined so that he could participate in national sports tournaments. Mr. Ozog is one of thirteen children born to Polish immigrant parents. His family emigrated from the Rzeszow region of Poland in 1915.

The Ozog’s were married in 1966, together they have three grown sons: Michael (married to Tina, father of grandchildren Ryan and Grace) who resides in Livonia, MI; Mark who resides in North Hollywood, CA and Christopher who resides in Madison Heights, MI. They are a 100% PRCUA family. Wallace is a 1968 graduate of the Detroit Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology. He is a retiree of the State of Michigan where he served for 32 years in the Administration of Public Assistance programs as an administrator for the Family Independence Agency.

Mr. Ozog served as the 1st Vice President of the PRCUA from 1986-1998. He has extensive knowledge of the fraternal insurance system, has been a PRCUA deputy since 1958 and became a Fraternal Insurance Counselor in March of 1991. Throughout his career, Mr. Ozog has recognized the importance of the fraternal system in America and has coordinated and led many training seminars and courses. He was a three time million dollar producer in insurance sales, in the years 1992, 1995 and 1997.

The Ozog’s have always been very active in Polonia and their community. They are members of St. Anne Catholic Parish in Warren, MI. Wallace served the parish in various positions, including past member of the Parish Council, President of the 50-50 Club, Chairperson of the Catholic Services Appeal, and Sausage Festival Subcommittee Chairman.

Mr. Ozog was the Vice President of PRCUA Circuit #8 and President of PRCUA Pope John Paul II Society #1593. He also served as a Board member of the Polish American Bicentennial Commission and has chaired numerous National Sports Tournaments. He served as Chairman of the Michigan PRCUA Sesquentennial Celebration; Coordinator of Annual Polish Night at Tiger Stadium in Detroit; Chairman of the City of Warren’s Multi-Ethnic Cultural Committee; President of the Polish Festival of Detroit; Chairman of the Polish Riverfront Festival; President and Board member of the Michigan Fraternal Insurance Counselors; Vice President of the Polish American Congress, Michigan Division; President of the PAC Michigan Scholarship Fund; Board member of the American Polish Cultural Center in Troy, Michigan; Chairman of the Warren Multi-Ethnic Cultural Committee; member of the Advisory Board of the Bishop Abramowicz Seminary; member of the Board of Trustees of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center and served as a Director of the Polish Museum of America and is now the PMA’s Chairman of the Board.

Throughout his long career in Polonia, his wife Joann has always been at his side, cheerfully working in the background and assisting him in his many endeavors. Nearly everyday that Mr. Ozog goes to work, he is accompanied by Joann, who did volunteer at The Polish Museum of America for 10 years while he is hard at work running the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America. Joann is now busy raising funds for the PRCUA Education Fund.

Mr. Ozog’s honors include the Ed Crowe Catholic Youth Organization Award for involvement in elementary school athletic programs; Macomb County Civil Citations for promoting culture in the county; the City of Warren Cultural Commission Award for city involvement in arts and culture; De LaSalle Collegiate “Pilot Club” Award in support of Pilot Athletics; Illinois Division of the Polish American Congress “2006 Heritage Award”; Merit Award from the St. Brigida’s Basilica in Gdansk; Gold Medal Award for contributions to the Catholic faith from Jozef Cardinal Glemp and the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.

In his younger years, Mr. Ozog enjoyed participating in sports and Polish dance and continues today by encouraging Polish youth to do the same.

Mr. Ozog is an active hands-on leader and can almost never be found sitting behind his desk. His nearly eleven years of leadership at the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America and Polish Museum of America have brought growth and improvement to both organizations, which look forward to bright futures.

Wallace and Joann Ozog are honorary chair-Cabinet of the Madonna University Foundation Board to help raise $50 Million under the “ Leading the Way” campaign for the University.

In October 2008, Mr. and Mrs. Ozog received the Community service award by the Council of Educators in Polonia. This award was presented to them at the Annual Celebration of the Polish America Heritage month at Northeastern Illinois University.

RESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT - Anna Sokolowski is the newly-elected Resident Vice President of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America. She is an experienced and licensed life insurance sales representative who has attended every PRCUA training seminar since 1991. She earned the designation of Fraternal Insurance Counselor Fellow (FICF) and served as Underwriter for the PRCUA Membership Department. She ranks among the top insurance producers and was a Million Dollar Insurance Producer in 2000.

Vice President Sokolowski is also Vice President of PRCUA District 8 and has served as Chair and Co-Chair of various District 8 functions. She is Financial Secretary of John Paul II Society #1605 and participates in fund raising events for the John Paul II Polish Language School and Polish Club in Lemont, Illinois.

Born in Poland, Mrs. Sokolowski emigrated to the USA over 30 years ago and became a US citizen in 1975. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois and worked as assistant vice president for a major insurance agency before becoming a PRCUA deputy. She also worked as a Polish interpreter for the DuPage County Court. She resides in Downers Grove, Illinois, has been married to Mark Sokolowski for 32 years and they have two daughters, Basia and Alicia.

Socially, Mrs. Sokolowski is active in Polonia as a member of the PRCUA, Joseph Conrad Korzeniowski Yacht Club, Chicago Intercollegiate Council and Polish Club in Lemont.

VICE PRESIDENT - Robert Bielenda, is a resident of Redford, Michigan, where he resides with his wife, Eleanor. He is presently completing his first term office as Vice President of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America, headquartered in Chicago, IL.

Bob graduated from St. Hedwig High School in Detroit, MI in 1952 and then joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he served an eighteen-month tour of duty in Korea. When he returned, he attended Carnegie College in Cleveland, OH, from which he earned a medical technology degree in 1957. He worked in the medical technology field and became President and CEO of Warrenfield Clinical Laboratories in Detroit, Michigan in 1959, a position he held for 40 years, until his retirement in 1999. In 1984, Bob also began working as Assistant Director of Laboratories, Detroit Bio-Medical Laboratories in Farmington Hills, a position which he enjoyed until he retired in 1999. He was appointed to the Board of Directors of Horizon Diagnostics in Ann Arbor, MI, for a two-year term. Bob is also the author of “Culture Tube P.B.I.” a dry ash method that prevents cross contamination, published by the National Journal of American Medical Technologists.

Mr. Bielenda obtained his real estate agent license in the State of Michigan in 1988 and he is a licensed insurance agent in Michigan. Bob has been a member of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America for 54 years. He served as Past Financial Secretary of St. Stan’s Society #718 and Holy Family Society for many years. His leadership qualities and experience in sales earned him the position of Insurance Supervisor of PRCUA District #34 until be was elected as National Vice President of the PRCUA in 2002. In 2004, he completed courses to earn the designation of Fraternal Insurance Counsellor (FIC) and Fraternal Insurance Counsellor Fellow (FICF). He has participated in PRCUA sports tournaments and social events.

Bob is very proud of his Polish heritage and is active in the Polish American community, especially in supporting Orchard Lake Schools in Orchard Lake, MI. In fact, Mr. Bielenda was named as Orchard Lake St. Mary’s First Ambassador in 1993. He is also a member of The Polish Museum of America and the Michigan Friends of the Polish Museum, a group of Michigan residents who raises funds for the museum.

Bob has been married to Eleanor (nee Mastej) for 42 years. They are the proud parents of six children: Mark, Davis, Terri, Rick and twins Lisa and Jane, who have blessed them with ten grandchildren. He has always been involved in the community and in veteran affairs. Bob is a life member of Sgt. Romanowski V.F.W. in Detroit, MI and enjoys the distinction of being the first recipient of the Dearborn Heights, MI “Distinguished Citizen Award.”

Throughout his lifetime, Bob has looked for ways to be of service to society and to help others. He joined various philanthropic organizations and quickly rose to positions of responsibility and leadership. This is evidenced by the fact that he is Past President of the Dearborn Heights Kiwanis Club, Past President of the Dearborn Heights Goodfellows, and Past President of the Friends of the Cardinal of Detroit. Mr. Bielenda has an impressive track record as a reliable person and a well-respected leader. As Harry S. Truman once said, “A leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don’t want to do and like it.” Anyone who knows Robert Bielenda will say this quote applies to him.

SECRETARY-TREASURER - Beginning with the 57^th Convention, the positions of Secretary General and Treasurer have been combined into one position of Secretary-Treasurer. Joyce (Josephine) Szarowicz was once again re-elected into this position.

Mrs. Szarowicz has served the PRCUA as National Secretary-General from 1990 to 1998. She was Treasurer from 1986 to 1990. She has taken an active part in PRCUA affairs since her youth as Recording Secretary of Society #475; President of Wisla Dancer's Mother's Club; Director of District #7 from 1978-86; Vice President of the former PRCUA Women's Department. She helped organize the former Lasowiacy Dancers and Zalipie Dancers from District #7 and she served as former School Director; she also organized Society #1610. Joyce has also participated in numerous PRCUA Bowling Tournaments and attended basketball, golf and softball tournaments. In the community, Mrs. Szarowicz belongs to the Polish Museum of America Ladies Auxiliary, the Polish Women's Civic Club, the Women's Auxiliary of St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital Center. the Coalition of Polish American Women, and has served as Past President of the Illinois Fraternal Congress (1992-93) and Past Director and Past Vice President of the Illinois Fraternal Congress.

Joyce is married to Walter Szarowicz and they are parishioners of St. John Cantius Church. They have two children, Josephine A., of Mount Prospect, IL; and Walter J. Szarowicz. Joyce is the daughter of John J. Zurawski, Past Supervisor of District #1, Chicago. Her parents Helen (deceased) and John were very active in Society #475, District #7, United Councils and her mother was active with the Women's Department, so Joyce has enjoyed a lifetime of affiliation with the PRCUA.