Formerly the Polish National Church of America, it was the result of increased immigration from Poland to America. A group of independent congregations, under the leadership of Reverend Francis Hodur, formed the Polish National Church at Scranton in September, 1904. Later another movement started in Chicago, which organized as the Polish Independent Catholic Church. These two organizations united to form the Polish National Catholic Church. Their doctrine is based upon the Bible, but they reject "the doctrine of the infallibility of the pope in matters of faith and morals," and they believe "that all men have the right to interpret the Word of God according to their convictions and the dictates of their conscience." The highest governing authority is the General Synod, which convenes every four years. A weekly periodical is published by them. For more information, see their web site.