The Polish National Catholic Church was founded in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1897, in response to the need to Polish Americans for an active voice in their religious life. Prior to that time, the Roman Catholic Church, with its Irish-German hierarchy, had largely ignored the need for new Polish parishes. There were no Polish bishops, it was not permitted to teach the Polish language in parish schools, and congregations were compelled to accept whatever pastors were appointed to them. In Scranton, Polish anthracite miners and factory workers of the Sacred Heart Church requested lay representation in parish affairs. Their request was refused and riots followed. The group, with the help of Fr. Franciszek Hodur, then formed its own church, St. Stanislaus. The first Synod was held in 1904, in Scranton. By that time, there were two dozen parishes and 20,000 members in five states. The Church established the Savonarola Theological Seminary (Scranton, Pennsylvania) in 1907, and an affiliated fraternal society, the Polish National Union of America (Spójnia), in 1908. The PNCC also sponsors newspapers, publications, and a summer camp.