The first Polish organization in Chicago was the "Polish Village" organized in 1866. The purpose of these "Polish Villages" was the protection of the Polish church, school, and Polish home.

After the failure of the "Villages", efforts were made to organize a "Polish Alliance", the aims of which were the establishment of branches in every Polish parish and the organization of new parishes. These trials also proved to be unsuccessful. In 1873, through the efforts of Reverend Theodore Gieryk, John Barzynski, and Peter Kiolbasa, the present Polish Roman Catholic Union was organized. The aims of the "Union" were the preservation of the faith and 2Polish nationality among the Poles in America, the protection of the Catholic youth from denationalization by educating the children in the Polish and Catholic spirit, and building of Polish parochial schools in the United States of North America.

The primary thought of the "Union" was the forming of a strong Polish organization in Washington's land of the free on whose assistance the Motherland could always count in case of need. For this reason the Polish Roman Catholic Union became an outpost of Polish immigration in America. It was the first great association of Poles and taught them how to organize in their new land; in short, it initiated the formation of societies organized in the future by serving as an example for them. In the beginning of its existence, the Union 3had no death benefits. In 1887, the union was given a charter to introduce the death benefits. By 1890, the union was paying $600.00 in case of the death of a husband and $300.00 in case of the death of a wife. In 1892, the organization was incorporated in every state of the union.

During the Congress of 1897 in Chicago, the rules were set governing the acceptance of new members in regard to their ages, and the death benefits were limited to $250.00, $500.00, $750.00, and $1000.00. A committee was also formed whose duty was recruiting youth into the ranks of the organization. At that time, the union already had its own administrative offices, and their print shop was publishing a weekly, Narod Polski.

In the Congress of 1898, which was held in Chicago, the "Union" celebrated 4its twenty fifth anniversary. It had paid, by that time, the great sum in those days, of $700,000.00 in death benefits. It was represented by 222 individual groups.

During the congress in Buffalo, in 1899, it was decided to hold the congress bi-annually. The organizers for the "Union" were also elected at that time. Permission was given to organize women groups within the union with equal rights. This not only added many new groups, but greatly helped the "Union" as a whole.

In 1913, the Polish Roman Catholic Union had more than $1,000,000.00 in its treasury.

The Polish Roman Catholic Union, broadening its activities in the national field, was trying to establish closer relations with other Polish immigrant societies in America in order to work more effectively for the defence of national interests. It sent the delegates to the notorious congress in Pittsburgh and joined the newly formed Committee of National Defence, formed for the purpose of freeing Poland; but on account of machinations of the "Red" groups, the committee ceased to exist after six months.

"The Union", then, together with the Polish Roman Catholic clergy and other Polish Roman Catholic associations, formed a Polish National Council in order to continue working for the same idea, taking an active part in contributing financially to the work of central and main institutions and cooperating with them in the Polish Central Committee for help, giving generously both money 6and work for rescue and succor of "the old country".

In 1933, the sixtieth year since its founding, the "Union" has more than 170,000 members of both sexes. It has children as its members of the children's section. There is more than $13,000,000.00 in the treasury, and the members are paid yearly dividends equal to one month's assessment.

In 1933, the central committee of the "Union" celebrated a Memorial Day when the graves of the well-known men and women "Unionists" were decorated.

In 1931, during the congress in Detroit, the banner of the "Union" and the president of the "Union", Mr. J. J. Olejniezak, were decorated by the representative of the Polish Republic, with the order of Polonia Restituta for 7the work toward the liberation of Poland and assistance given to the newborn Polish Republic. The congress of the "Union" is held now every three years when the officials of the organization are elected. These officers have the right to continue in their duties for another term, except the treasurer, who can be elected for one term only.

In this, the sixtieth anniversary year, the Central Committee decided to form scout troups in order to bring together the youth and interest them for the good of the organization.