{"id":11777,"date":"2026-02-09T15:26:53","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T14:26:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/padrimariani.org\/en\/?page_id=11777"},"modified":"2026-08-05T18:37:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T16:37:46","slug":"departed-2021-2025","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/padrimariani.org\/en\/departed-2021-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Recently Departed Marians"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently Departed Marians<\/h1><\/div>
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2000-2005<\/span><\/a><\/div>
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2006-2010<\/span><\/a><\/div>
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2011-2015<\/span><\/a><\/div>
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2016-2020<\/span><\/a><\/div>
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2021-2025<\/span><\/a><\/div>
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2026<\/span><\/a><\/div>
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2021-2025<\/strong><\/h2><\/div>
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Father Pedro Lu\u00eds Vilela Ribeiro, MIC
\nJune 20, 1985 \u2013 July 26, 2025<\/em>
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With faith in God\u2019s mercy, we announce that on 25 of February 2026, at the religious house of the Marian Fathers in Curitiba, Father Pedro Lu\u00eds Vilela Ribeiro, MIC, a member of the Portugal Vicariate, Brazilian Province, passed away. He was 40 years old, had been in the Congregation for 1 year, and a priest for 14 years. Let us commend the late Fr. Pedro Lu\u00eds to God\u2019s Mercy.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Jan W\u00f3jcik, MIC
\nJune 22, 1953 \u2013 April 7, 2025<\/em>
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Poland, Warsaw: <\/span>On April 7, 2025, Fr. Jan W\u00f3jcik, MIC, passed away at the religious house in Warsaw\u2019s Praga district. He was 72 years old, having spent 49 years in the Congregation and 44 years in the priesthood. He had worked in Germany for many years. The funeral took place on April 10, 2025, at the MNP Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Praga, Warsaw. The body of our confrere was laid to rest in the Marian section of the parish cemetery in G\u00f3ra Kalwaria.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fr. Jan W\u00f3jcik was born on June 22, 1953, in Piaseczno, in the Archdiocese of Warsaw. In 1972, he was admitted to the Congregation. As a postulant, he was sent to study at the Faculty of Theology of the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) in Lublin, where he completed a two-year course in philosophy from 1972 to 1974. In 1974\u201375, he completed his novitiate in Sk\u00f3rzec, where he made his first religious profession on August 15, 1975. After his first vows, he continued his theological studies in Lublin, culminating in a master\u2019s degree in theology based on a thesis written on the New Testament titled <\/span>The Origin, Nature, and Functions of the Promised Paraclete in the Fourth Gospel<\/span><\/i>. He made his perpetual vows on August 15, 1978, in Puszcza Maria\u0144ska. He was ordained a priest by Boles\u0142aw Pylak, the Ordinary Bishop of Lublin, in Lublin Cathedral on June 17, 1979.<\/span><\/p>\n

After his ordination, he served as a pastoral assistant and catechist in the following parishes: in 1979\u201380 in Grudzi\u0105dz, in 1980\u201383 in Elbl\u0105g, in 1983\u201387 in Warsaw\u2019s Marymont neighborhood, in 1987\u201389 in Zakopane\u2019s Cyrhla neighborhood, and from 1989 to 1990, he served as a pastoral assistant in Warsaw\u2019s Praga district. In 1990, he spent several months working at the newly established parish in Borys\u00f3w, Belarus; during that time, he prepared parishioners for the bishop\u2019s visitation, youth for Confirmation, and children for their First Holy Communion. At the invitation of the superior of the British province, he was sent to work in England for a year (1990\u201391).<\/span><\/p>\n

After returning from England, he was sent to Germany and assigned to the religious house in Vilgertshofen. After completing his pastoral internship, he first served (1991\u201394) at the parish in Burghagel. He spent the year 1999\u20132000 in Sulej\u00f3wek as a sabbatical year. From 2000 to 2006, he resided in Epfach as a pastoral assistant and catechist, and from 2002 onward, he served as parish priest in Roth, Apfeldorf, and Kinsau.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2006\u201307, he worked in Vilgertshofen. In 2007, as a member of the Vilgertshofen community, he took a three-month period of spiritual and physical renewal. Following this period, in December 2007, he was transferred to Warsaw\u2019s Praga district. In August 2009, he was transferred to Liche\u0144, and in September 2009, as a member of the Liche\u0144 community, he undertook pastoral work in Pforzen\u2014and later in Rohrbach, in the Diocese of Augsburg\u2014with the consent of the provincial superior. He received the provincial superior\u2019s permission to work in the Diocese of Augsburg through 2015, after which it was extended annually. He ultimately returned to Poland in December 2021, where he was assigned to the community in Warsaw\u2019s Praga district. He passed away at that house on the afternoon of April 7, 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Zenon Krysztofik, MIC
\nMay 17, 1930 \u2013 November 30, 2024<\/em>
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Poland, Grzybowo: <\/span>The oldest member of the Polish Province of the Congregation of Marian Fathers, the late Fr. Zenon Krysztofik, MIC, has gone to the Father\u2019s House. He was 94 years old, having spent 70 years in the Congregation and 62 years in the priesthood.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fr. Zenon Krysztofik, MIC, was born on May 17, 1930, in Anielewo, in the parish of Liche\u0144 Stary. He began his education before World War II; after the war, he continued his studies first in Gos\u0142awice, and then in Szczecin and W\u0142oc\u0142awek. After passing his high school graduation exams in 1953, he entered the Congregation of Marian Fathers.<\/span><\/p>\n

After completing his novitiate, he made his first profession on September 8, 1954. From 1954 to 1956, he completed two years of philosophy studies in Gietrzwa\u0142d.\u00a0 In the 1956\u201357 academic year, he spent a break in G\u00f3ra Kalwaria working as a farmhand. In the 1957\u201358 academic year, he completed his first year of theology in Warsaw\u2019s Praga district. From 1958 to 1962, he completed the remaining three years of theology at the Major Seminary in W\u0142oc\u0142awek. He made his perpetual vows in Sk\u00f3rzec on August 15, 1961. He was ordained a priest by the Ordinary of W\u0142oc\u0142awek, Bishop Antoni Paw\u0142owski, in the Cathedral Basilica of W\u0142oc\u0142awek on June 24, 1962. In 1962\u201363, he completed a Pastoral Studies program with the Conventual Franciscans in Krak\u00f3w.<\/span><\/p>\n

His first pastoral and catechetical assignment was in Jeg\u0142ownik, Warmia region. He served in similar capacities in the following years: 1964\u201366 in Kiwity, 1966\u201371 in Krekol, 1971\u201377 in Elbl\u0105g, and 1977\u201380 again in Kiwity. Transferred to the religious house in Rdzawka, he served as pastor and rector of the church in Ponice from 1980 to 1983. From 1983 to 1986, he served as an assistant in the pastoral ministry in Zakopane at Cyrhla. Transferred to Liche\u0144, he served as a confessor at the shrine from 1986 to 1993. From 1993 to 1996, he worked in Puszcza Maria\u0144ska. In 1996, he received permission from his superiors to stay at his family home to care for his ailing mother. After her death in 1998, he was transferred to the religious house in Stoczek.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2009, Fr. Zenon was transferred to the religious house in Grzybowo, where he remained until his death on November 30, 2024. The body of the late Fr. Zenon was laid to rest in the Marian section of the parish cemetery in Liche\u0144.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Brother Miros\u0142aw Cholewa, MIC
\nMay 16, 1966 \u2013 September 9, 2024<\/em>
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Zakopane, Poland: with faith in God\u2019s mercy, we announce that on September 9, 2024, shortly before midnight, Brother Miros\u0142aw Cholewa, MIC, aged 58, and 24 years of religious profession died in the district hospital in Zakopane.<\/p>\n

Brother Miros\u0142aw Cholewa was born on May 16, 1966 in Wysokie Mazowieckie. He graduated from the Railroad Technical School in Bia\u0142ystok and from 1987 to 1996 worked in his profession specializing in the maintenance and upkeep of automatic train braking equipment. In 1996, he applied to the Congregation of Marian Fathers as a candidate for a religious brother, but after his postulancy he did not begin the novitiate. In 1999 he applied again and, after his novitiate, took his vows in G\u00f3ra Kalwaria on September 8, 2000. His first assignment was the Seminary House in Lublin, where he participated in junior formation. In 2001, he began his studies at the \u201cGigaBajt\u201d Post-Secondary School of Informatics in Lublin, which he completed in 2003, earning the title of IT technician. In the same year he was admitted to perpetual profession; he made his profession in Lublin at the hands of the Superior General, Fr. Mark Garrow, MIC. He was transferred to Warsaw’s Stegny district and became Assistant Provincial Treasurer, contributing to the dissemination of the electronic financial ledger that serves the Province to this day. In 2006, he asked for and received permission to serve as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion in a Stegny parish. Since 2011, with the approval of his superiors, he has used clerical attire. In 2019, he was transferred to the religious house in Zakopane, Cyrhla, but continued to advise the brothers in the various houses of the Province on various problems related to the operation of computers and the software used in the Province.<\/p>\n

In March 2024, he was diagnosed with cancer, which was rapidly ravaging his body. He endured his ailments with faith and cheerfulness. He died in a hospital in Zakopane on September 9, 2024. The funeral Mass was celebrated in the parish church of Divine Mercy in Zakopane at Cyrhla on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. The funeral ceremony took place in the church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in G\u00f3ra Kalwaria on Thursday, September 12, 2024. The body of our confrere was then laid to rest in the Marian quarters of the parish cemetery in G\u00f3ra Kalwaria.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Miroslaw Goli\u0144ski, MIC
\nJanuary 29, 1964 \u2013 January 24, 2023<\/em>
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Poland, Elblag: Fr. Miroslaw Goli\u0144ski, MIC, passed away on January 24 this year, he lived 58 years in the Congregation 33, in the priesthood 27.<\/p>\n

Father Goli\u0144ski, son of Kazimierz and Marianna n\u00e9e Grzyb, was born on January 29, 1964 in Radom. He was baptized on March 16, 1964, and received confirmation on May 26, 1980. He had four brothers and a sister, who has been a member of the Congregation of the Michalite Sisters since 1975. He started elementary school in M\u0142odocin Mniejszy, from which, after completing the second grade – due to the reorganization of education – he moved to the collective communal school in Kowala. He graduated from it in 1979 and then began studying at a mechanical technical school in Radom. He graduated in 1984 with a high school diploma. In September 1984 he took a job at the state enterprise Techmatrans<\/em> in Radom and worked there until 1988.<\/p>\n

In 1988, Miros\u0142aw joined the Congregation of Marian Fathers. After a month’s postulancy in Stoczek Klasztorny, he did his novitiate in Sk\u00f3rzec and made his first religious profession there on September 8, 1989. He was then sent to study at the Marian Theological Seminary in Lublin; he was among the first class to complete the entire program of studies there – except for the master’s seminar and lectures with the local Ordinary in the sixth year. He professed perpetual vows in Sulej\u00f3wek on August 26, 1993. He was ordained a deacon at the archcathedral in Lublin by Archbishop Boles\u0142aw Pylak, Metropolitan of Lublin, on March 31, 1994, and ordained a priest in Liche\u0144 on May 27, 1995 by Archbishop Henryk Muszy\u0144ski, Metropolitan of Gniezno.<\/p>\n

After his ordination, he worked in the Liche\u0144 shrine for a few weeks – like all newly ordain priests at the time – and then was sent to do pastoral and catechetical work in G\u00f3ra Kalwaria. In 1996, he was transferred to Liche\u0144 as an assistant Provincial Vocations Director. In 1998, he was transferred again to G\u00f3ra Kalwaria, where, in addition to his previous duties, he became the Assistant Novices Master. In 1999 he was transferred to do pastoral and catechetical work at the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in Warsaw, where he also became parochial vicar. In 2002, he became local vocations director and 2nd house councilor there. In 2005, he was appointed Superior of the religious house in Zakopane- Cyrhla, and appointed director of the retreat house there. Since 2008, he also served as treasurer of the local Marian Community. In August 2011 he was transferred to Liche\u0144, but after the death of Fr. Ryszard Kukie\u0142ka MIC, pastor at Cyrhla, he succeeded him in office in October 2011. In 2017, he was sent to the religious house in Elblag, where he was appointed 1st house counselor and vicar at All Saints parish.<\/p>\n

During a caroling visit on January 20, 2023, he suffered a massive heart attack. Despite prompt treatment, he died in a hospital in Elbl\u0105g on January 24, 2023. He was buried in the Marian quarters at the parish cemetery in G\u00f3ra Kalwaria.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Bernard Backiel, MIC
\nDecember 12, 1932 \u2013 December 21, 2022<\/em>
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USA, Thompson, CT: On December 21 at the\u00a0Matulaitis Nursing Home<\/em> in Putnam, CT, died Fr. Bernard Backiel, MIC. He was 90 years old, and he spent 71 years in the Congregation and 62 years as a priest.<\/p>\n

He was born in Le\u015bniki, Poland, the son of Piotr and Helena Backiel. He received Sacrament of Baptism on December 26, 1932 in Tykocin. He made his first religious vows on August 15, 1951 in Sk\u00f3rzec, Poland, and made his perpetual profession on August 15, 1956. He was ordained priest on June 11, 1960 in W\u0142oc\u0142awek. After his ordination, he worked in Poland as a catechist, associate pastor and pastor. He immigrated to the United States on December 12, 1972. In the USA he worked as a retreat master, pastor of the Polish diaspora and parish priest. For some years, he was the editor of the Polish-language magazine\u00a0R\u00f3\u017ce Maryi,<\/em> published by the Marians in Stockbridge. He also served as a chaplain in hospitals and nursing homes. Everywhere he was a zealous promoter of the devotion to The Divine Mercy. The funeral of Fr. Bernard was held at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA on Wednesday, December 28, 2022. The body of the deceased was laid to rest in the Marian Fathers cemetery on Eden Hill in Stockbridge, MA.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Alphonse F. Micka, MIC
\nFebruary 12, 1925 \u2013 August 30, 2022<\/em>
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The Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception mourn the death of\u00a0Fr. Alphonse F. Micka, MIC.<\/strong>. He died on Aug. 30, 2022, at the age 97, having been a member of the Marian Congregation for 79 years and a priest for 73.<\/p>\n

Father Micka was born in Chicago, Illinois, on Feb. 12, 1925, one of six children to Constance (n\u00e9e Milasauskas) and Joseph Micka. He professed his first religious vows on July 16, 1943, and was ordained to the priesthood on June 5, 1949, at age 24.<\/p>\n

In 1950, Fr. Micka was appointed administrator of St. Mary\u2019s Missions (the Tri-Statement Mission) at the Marian Seminary Chapel in Clarendon Hills, Illinois. He soon began gathering funds to build a new church and school. In 1959, he became the founding pastor of\u00a0Our Lady of Peace Parish and School in Darien, Illinois<\/a>\u00a0(known back then as St. Mary\u2019s). He served in that capacity for 47 years until retiring in 2006.<\/p>\n

Father Micka was well loved and respected as a pastor and spiritual father. For several families in his parish, he had administered the sacraments to as many as three or four generations.<\/p>\n

The Mass of Christian Burial will take place at Our Lady of Peace Parish in Darien on Wed.,\u00a0Sept. 7<\/strong>\u00a0at 10 a.m. Interment will be at St. Casimir Catholic Cemetery in Chicago.<\/p>\n

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. May he rest in peace. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watch a tribute video to Fr. Micka\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Brother Edward Zaborek, MIC
\nJanuary 8, 1972 \u2013 May 29, 2022<\/em>
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Poland, Liche\u0144: On May 29, 2022, Brother Edward Zaborek, MIC, a member of the religious community in Liche\u0144, went to the Father\u2019s House, aged 50 and having 28 years of religious profession.<\/p>\n

Brother Edward Zaborek, son of Boles\u0142aw and Marta (n\u00e9e Elbruda), was born on January 8, 1972, in Pas\u0142\u0119k, the eldest of two sons. In Pas\u0142\u0119k, he completed elementary school and a technical school, earning his certification as a carpenter in 1991. A year later, on October 21, 1992, he entered the Congregation of Marian Fathers as a candidate for the religious brother. On January 10, 1993, he arrived in Stoczek Klasztorny, and on January 27, 1993, he officially began his postulancy there under the guidance of Fr. Henryk Kulik, MIC; later, in July\u2014already together with the candidates for the clerical formation program\u2014he continued his postulancy under the guidance of Fr. Krzysztof Wojcieszak, MIC. He completed his novitiate in Sk\u00f3rzec (1993\u20131994) under the guidance of Fr. Wiktor Gumienny, MIC; it was also there that he made his first profession before the then Superior General, Fr. Adam Boniecki, MIC, on September 8, 1994, although\u2014likely out of excitement\u2014he wrote the date August 8, 1994, on the profession form.<\/span><\/p>\n

His first assignment after his vows was at the juniorate in Stegny, Warsaw, led by the Vice-Provincial, Fr. Antoni Skwierczy\u0144ski, MIC. There he served as gatekeeper and sacristan. In 1996, he was transferred to the house\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

in Liche\u0144, while continuing his juniorate formation. Due to his duties at the shrine (he worked in the office), he requested the privilege of wearing a cassock and received permission to do so. He made his perpetual profession at the tomb of St. Stanislaus in Marianki, G\u00f3ra Kalwaria, on August 26, 1998.<\/span><\/p>\n

The third house to which Br. Edward was assigned in 2007 was Stoczek Klasztorny. A year later, he was transferred to the seminary house in Lublin, and in February 2010, he was assigned to the provincial house in Stegny, Warsaw, where he served as gatekeeper for several years. In 2017, he received a decree transferring him to Cyrhla, but he ultimately did not join the Zakopane community due to the need for medical treatment and convalescence. In 2018, he was assigned to the religious house in Liche\u0144, where he selflessly helped care for his elderly confreres. In 2022, his illness returned, rapidly ravaging his body. He died at the oncology hospital in Warsaw on Fieldorfa Street on May 29, 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Andrzej Rogalski, MIC
\nMay 24, 1953 \u2013 January 16, 2022<\/em>
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Ukraine, Tomaszpol:<\/span> Fr. Andrzej Rogalski, MIC, passed away on January 16, 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fr. Andrzej Juliusz Rogalski, MIC, son of Mieczys\u0142aw and Maria (n\u00e9e Jurk\u00f3w), was born on May 24, 1953, in Nysa, in the Diocese of Opole. He had eleven siblings: five brothers and six sisters. From 1960 to 1968, he attended elementary school in Nysa. He then attended the Technical School of Mechanics in Nysa from 1968 to 1973, specializing in non-ferrous metal welding. In 1973\u201374, he completed \u201cabbreviated\u201d basic military service. In 1975, his father purchased a farm (10.5 ha) for him, so he cultivated the fields and raised poultry. Later, having given up poultry farming, he took up beekeeping. From 1977 to 1981, he completed his studies by correspondence at the Agricultural Academy in Wroc\u0142aw and earned the title of agricultural engineer.<\/span><\/p>\n

He applied to join the Congregation in 1985. He completed his postulancy in Stoczek and his novitiate in Sk\u00f3rzec; he took his first vows on September 8, 1986. He took his perpetual vows on August 26, 1991, in Lublin. From 1986 to 1992, he studied at our Major Seminary in Lublin. He was ordained a priest in Liche\u0144 on June 7, 1992, by Bishop Bronis\u0142aw Dembowski, the Ordinary of W\u0142oc\u0142awek.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even before his ordination, he submitted a written request to be sent for pastoral work in Ukraine, where his parents were from. He began his ministry in Khmelnytskyi as a parish assistant (1992\u201398); from 1995 to 1998, he served as the postulator for postulants. From 1996 to 1999, he served as treasurer of the Ukrainian vicariate. Beginning in 1999, he worked in Gr\u00f3dek as a parish vicar; in 2000\u201301, he served as second councilor of the house, and from 2001 onward, as first councilor.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2001, he was transferred to work at the Shrine of Our Lady of Liche\u0144. In 2002, he was assigned to the religious house in Grudzi\u0105dz, residing at the residence on Ko\u015bcielna Street, where he served at the rectory church dedicated to St. Francis Xavier.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2003\u201304, at his own request, the Superior General transferred him to the Ukrainian Vicariate. He was sent to the house in Khmelnytskyi, where he assumed the duties of parish vicar and house treasurer. Transferred to Gr\u00f3dek, he served as parish vicar and catechist from 2005 to 2007. In 2007\u201308, he worked in Khmelnytskyi as a parish vicar and catechist; from 2008 to 2011, he performed the same duties in Gr\u00f3dek; furthermore, from 2009 to 2010, he served as novice master and first house councilor.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2011, he was transferred to Poland and assigned to work at the Shrine of Our Lady of Liche\u0144 as the shrine\u2019s exorcist. In 2015, he was reassigned to Ukraine, where he worked in Kharkiv, Gr\u00f3dek, and Chernivtsi.<\/span><\/p>\n

He died from complications of COVID-19 at a hospital in Tomaszpol, Ukraine, on Sunday, January 16, 2022, at the age of 68, having spent 35 years in religious profession and 29 years in the priesthood.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ukraine bid farewell to Fr. Andrzej Rogalski during two Holy Masses. The first took place on January 17, 2022, in Chernivtsi, where he had most recently served. The liturgy was presided over by Bishop Leon Dubrawski of Kamianets.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second Mass took place the following day at the Marian Church in Khmelnytskyi, presided over by the superior of the General Vicariate in Ukraine, Fr. Pavlo Ostrovka, MIC.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Fr. Andrzej\u2019s final resting place remained in Poland, to which he had intended to return: Liche\u0144, where his priesthood began and where he served for several years as an exorcist.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Kazimierz Komor, MIC
\n\u00a0June 30, 1937 \u2013 December 30, 2021<\/em>
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Portugal, Balsam\u00e3o: Fr. Kazimierz Komor, MIC, has passed away. He was 81 years old, having spent 65 years in religious life and 54 years in the priesthood.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fr. Kazimierz Komor, MIC, was born on June 30, 1937, in Rycica near Ostro\u0142\u0119ka, in the Mazovia Province, in northeastern Poland. At the age of 17, while attending a carpentry course at a trade school in Ostro\u0142\u0119ka, he felt a religious calling and asked to be admitted to the Congregation of Marian Fathers. In 1955, he entered the Marian novitiate in Sk\u00f3rzec with the intention of becoming a religious brother. After a year of novitiate, he took his first vows on September 15, 1956. From 1957 to 1960, he attended high school in G\u0142ucho\u0142azy. In the summer of 1960, he was sent to Warsaw to complete high school, and after taking his perpetual vows on August 15, 1962, he began his studies in philosophy. In 1964, he was sent to W\u0142oc\u0142awek to study theology. Three years later, on June 18, 1967, he was ordained a priest.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1968, he began working as an assistant pastor in the parish of Su\u0142owo, living at the Marian residence in Kiwity. In 1969, he worked in parish ministry in Grudzi\u0105dz, where he devoted himself to catechesis for youth. In September 1971, he was transferred to the religious house in Elbl\u0105g, where he continued to devote himself to youth ministry.<\/span><\/p>\n

In early 1972, responding to the Congregation\u2019s missionary needs, Fr. Kazimierz volunteered to help consolidate the Marians\u2019 presence in Portugal, arriving in Balsam\u00e3o on February 2 of that same year together with Fr. Stanis\u0142aw Szyma\u0144ski, MIC. During his first years in Balsam\u00e3o, he assisted the prefect of the Minor Seminary. In 1975, he was transferred to the religious house in F\u00e1tima, where he served as superior of the house and prefect of the Minor Seminary. In 1981, he was transferred to Balsam\u00e3o, where he served as treasurer of the religious house until 1984. In 1983, he was appointed Director of the Apostolate of Divine Mercy and the Association of Marian Helpers in Portugal, a role to which he devoted himself repeatedly throughout his priestly ministry.<\/span><\/p>\n

On October 30, 1984, he was appointed superior of the newly established Portuguese Vicariate of the Holy Mother of God. He served in this role for two three-year terms until October 10, 1990. During those years, he also served as superior and treasurer of the religious house in Fatima and as prefect of the Minor Seminary. Following the establishment of the Portuguese Vice-Province of the Holy Mother of God, Mary, on June 27, 1993, Fr. Kazimierz returned once again to the monastery in Balsam\u00e3o, serving as superior of the house and rector of the Shrine until 1996. On June 1, 2005, following the transformation of the Portuguese vice-province into a vicariate, Fr. Kazimierz was once again appointed superior of the monastery in Balsam\u00e3o, a position he held until 2014. While living in Balsam\u00e3o, he devoted himself primarily to parish ministry, serving as pastor in Gebelim from 1993 to 1999, Chacim from 1993 to 2014, and Lombo from 2007 to 2014, as well as serving as pastor <\/span>in solidum<\/span><\/i> in Pastoral Unit 10B from 2012 to 2014. Father Kazimierz was known for his good humor, charming smile, and warm kindness. He was always regarded as a man of prayer, a good priest, and a zealous religious, ardent in his love for his Congregation. Beginning in mid-2014, he gradually began to lose his memory, suffering from dementia and requiring constant care. Toward the end of 2021, his health began to deteriorate rapidly. He died of pneumonia on December 30, 2021, at a hospital in Macedo de Cavaleiros, in northeastern Portugal. His body was laid to rest in the Marian cemetery in Balsam\u00e3o.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Brother Donald Shaefer, MIC
\nMay 11, 1940 \u2013December 8, 2021<\/em>
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USA, Thompson, CT: <\/span>Brother Donald Shaefer, MIC, a longtime employee of the Marian high school <\/span>Marianopolis <\/span><\/i>in Thompson<\/span>, CT<\/span><\/i> has passed away.<\/span> He lived to be 81, 37 of those years in religious life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Brother Donald Schaefer, MIC, was born on May 11, 1940. He was the only child of William Schaefer and Mary (Lucas) Schaefer. In his early years, he lived in Manhattan, working in real estate. He entered the Congregation of Marian Fathers in August 1983. He made his first vows on August 15, 1984. After his vows, he was assigned to the house in Thompson, CT, where he was appointed treasurer of the <\/span>Marianapolis<\/span><\/i> high school and, shortly thereafter, director of development. He also oversaw the construction of the chapel (1989) and the cafeteria (1990) adjacent to the main school building. Brother Don served at the Marianapolis school as treasurer, secretary, director of dormitory residents, director of development, and director of admissions. Within the religious community, he served as a provincial councilor, provincial treasurer, and as a house councilor and treasurer. He spent most of his life at the religious house in Thompson. During his years of service (1984\u20132001), he touched the lives of hundreds of Marianapolis students and their families. Despite many health challenges over the years, he lived to a ripe old age; he passed away peacefully at the <\/span>Matulaitis Nursing Home<\/span><\/i> in Putnam, Connecticut, on the Congregation\u2019s patronal feast day\u2014the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary\u2014on December 8, 2021. He was buried at the Marian cemetery on Eden Hill in Stockbridge, MA.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Janusz Bialucha, MIC
\n\u00a0August 26, 1963 \u2013 November 22, 2021<\/em>
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Poland, Liche\u0144: Fr. Janusz Bialucha, MIC, a member of the religious community in Liche\u0144, has died on November 22, 2021. He was 58 years of age, a religious for 35 years and a priest for 29.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fr. Janusz Bialucha, son of Hilary and Cecylia (n\u00e9e Gorol), was from Ornontowice in Silesia. He was born on August 26, 1963, in Rybnik. He was his parents\u2019 second child\u2014he had an older brother, as well as two other brothers and four sisters.<\/span><\/p>\n

He completed elementary school in his hometown of Ornontowice (1978), then attended the Dr. Bronis\u0142aw Hager Technical School of Food Industry in Zabrze, where he trained as a baker and earned his high school diploma (1982); for several years after graduation, he worked in his profession at GS \u201cSCH\u201d in Giera\u0142towice.<\/span><\/p>\n

He entered the Congregation in 1985. After a month-long postulancy in Stoczek, he completed his novitiate in Sk\u00f3rzec and made his first profession there on September 8, 1986. He then pursued studies in philosophy and theology at the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), attending classes at the Lublin Major Seminary for the first two years and later at our Marian Major Seminary at 54b Bazylian\u00f3wka Street.<\/span><\/p>\n

On August 26, 1990, he made his perpetual profession in Lublin. On Holy Thursday, March 28, 1991, he was ordained a deacon by Bishop Boles\u0142aw Pylak of Lublin. On June 7, 1992, Bishop Bronis\u0142aw Dembowski of W\u0142oc\u0142awek ordained him a priest at the Shrine of Our Lady of Liche\u0144.<\/span><\/p>\n

In accordance with the practice of the time, after a short leave, the newly ordained priests\u2014including Fr. Janusz\u2014were assigned to serve at the Liche\u0144 Shrine. From there, he was sent to perform pastoral and catechetical work at the parish in G\u0142ucho\u0142azy. The following year, he was appointed the local vocations director. Fr. Janusz\u2019s great passion was soccer. Even before joining the Congregation, he was a member of the G\u00f3rnik Zabrze club, and he maintained an active relationship with the club even while in the Congregation, playing on the \u201cveterans\u201d team. While working in G\u0142ucho\u0142azy, from 1994 to 1996, he served as the youth team coach and vice president for youth development for the local soccer team \u201cUnia G\u0142ucho\u0142azy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After the closure of the house in G\u0142ucho\u0142azy, effective August 1, 1996, Fr. Bialucha was assigned to the religious house in Grzyb\u00f3w (then based in Korzystno), and on August 26, 1996, he was appointed superior and treasurer of the house, as well as the house\u2019s vocations director. In 1998, he was transferred to Liche\u0144 to assist with the shrine’s pastoral ministry. In 1999, his superiors assigned Fr. Janusz to Stoczek Klasztorny, entrusting him with the role of first councilor of the house. Three years later, he was appointed superior of the house and the house\u2019s vocations director there. In 2005, he was assigned to Go\u017alin (Maria\u0144skie Porzecze) and appointed pastor of the local parish, as well as superior and treasurer of the religious house. In 2008, while serving his second term as superior of the Go\u017alin house, he also became the house\u2019s vocations director. In 2011, he was assigned to the religious house in Liche\u0144 Stary, where he became actively involved in the shrine’s pastoral ministry. He served as the first councilor of the house for two terms (2011\u20132017) and subsequently as the second councilor of the house.<\/span><\/p>\n

The final years of his life were marked by illness, which he endured in his own characteristic way\u2014quietly, not wanting to trouble anyone. He died on November 22, 2021, at a hospital in Konin.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an evaluation written at the beginning of his seminary formation, his formator noted that \u201cambition, good will, and a desire to work on himself are his greatest strengths. He wants to faithfully follow the Marian model of religious life. He is a conscientious, helpful, hardworking, and disciplined confrere. He shows great sincerity and trust. By nature, he is calm, quiet, and nonconfrontational; he gets along well with his brothers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Jerzy Ziminskiy, MIC
\n\u00a0September 10, 1960 \u2013 August 18, 2021<\/em>
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Ukraine, Kharkiv: It is with deep sorrow we announce that on August 18, 2021, <\/span>Fr. Jerzy Ziminskiy, MIC, a member of the Ukrainian General Vicariate, passed away suddenly in Kharkiv (Har-keev), at the age of 61. He was a religious for 39 years and a priest for 31. He spent most of his life in Kharkiv and contributed to the recovery of St. Alexander\u2019s Church by the Catholic Church and bringing numerous religious congregations to the city. He was buried in Kharkiv. Let us commend our deceased confrere to God\u2019s mercy.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Alexander Olczy\u0144ski, MIC
\nOctober 14, 1929 \u2013 August 10, 2021<\/em>
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Fr. Aleksander Olczy\u0144ski, MIC, son of Franciszek and Marianna n\u00e9e W\u0105sek, was born on October 14, 1929 in Frampole in the Bi\u0142goraj District in the Diocese of Lublin. He completed in Frampole six years of school during the war and two years of trade school (and an apprenticeship in shoemaking). In 1949, he was admitted to the Marian Minor Seminary in Warsaw at Wile\u0144ska Street, attending additionally the State High School for Adults in Warsaw in the Groch\u00f3w District. He completed his second year of high school and entered the novitiate in Sk\u00f3rzec in 1950. On August 15, 1951, he made his first vows. Next, he was transferred to Bielany, where he did his 10th grade of high school. From 1952 to 1956, he resided at our religious house on Wile\u0144ska Street: in his first year he performed manual labor; later, after completing the 11th grade in 1954, he passed the final examination before a committee appointed by the Provincial. For the next two years, he studied philosophy. He made his perpetual vows on August 15, 1956, in Gietrzwa\u0142d. From 1956 to 1960, he studied at the Major Seminary in W\u0142oc\u0142awek. He was ordained a priest on June 11, 1960, in the Cathedral Basilica in W\u0142oc\u0142awek by the Bishop of W\u0142oc\u0142awek, Antoni Paw\u0142owski.<\/p>\n

In accordance with the practice of the time, in the first year after his ordination, he completed a pastoral study year (tirocinium) in Krakow with the Conventual Franciscans. From 1961 to 1962, he first worked briefly in G\u0142ucho\u0142azy, and then as a pastoral assistant at Wile\u0144ska Street in Warsaw. Between 1962 and 1964, he was sent to work in the Diocese of Gorz\u00f3w, serving there in turn as a vicar in the parishes of Lubiszyn, Mi\u0119dzyrzecz and Krosno Odrza\u0144skie. Initially, he was formally assigned to the Praga house, and then to the Bielany house. From 1964 to 1966, he was a co-worker in the pastoral ministry and a catechist in G\u0142ucho\u0142azy, and during 1966-1967, he was a catechist in Kiwity. In the years from 1967 to 1969, he resided in Bielany and was a coworker in fostering vocations and working with parish missionaries. From 1969 to 1970, he was a catechist in Go\u017alin. In 1970, he was transferred to Warsaw, first to Wile\u0144ska Street, and then to Marymont, and was assigned the duties of catechist. In 1971, he returned to Wile\u0144ska Street and was appointed parish vicar.<\/p>\n

In October 1972, he was sent on mission to Argentina and served in Rosario. After returning to Poland, he was assigned to work in the Liche\u0144 shrine where he stayed between 1978 and 1982. In 1982, he served in G\u0142ucho\u0142azy for the third time as a catechist and pastoral assistant. In 1983 he was transferred to Stoczek, where he ran retreats. He stayed there until 1986. In 1986, he was sent to work at our house on Wile\u0144ska Street as a pastoral assistant. In 198, he was a confessor at the shrine of Our Lady of Liche\u0144. In March 1988, he was transferred to our religious house in Sulej\u00f3wek, and in August of that year, he became the rector of the church and residence in Rzepiska.<\/p>\n

In November 1989, he was transferred to Rdzawka and was a pastoral assistant. In the years between 1993 and 1995, he helped in the parish ministry at Stegny. While staying in Rdzawka and at Stegny, Fr. Alexander often traveled to Belarus, especially to Barysau, to support his confreres in their pastoral work. In the years 1995 to 1998, he was moved to our religious house in Barysau; there he assisted in pastoral work conducted by the local Marians in numerous churches and chapels. In December 2000, the Provincial Superior transferred Fr. Alexander to the house in Orsha, Belarus, and assigned him the duties designated by the Ordinary of the Vitebsk diocese.<\/p>\n

In 2002, he was transferred from Orsha to Liche\u0144, and in 2003 he was transferred to a residence in Rzepiska. In March 2009, he was transferred to the residence of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Lublin. The last three years of his life he spent in the seminary house in Lublin, surrounded by the loving care of his confreres. He died in St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Nursing Home in Lublin on August 10, 2021.\u00a0 He was 92 years of age, a religious for 70 years and a priest for 61.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Eugeniusz Delikat, MIC
\nSeptember 13, 1930 \u2013 June 27, 2021<\/em>
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Poland, Liche\u0144: Father Eugeniusz Delikat, MIC passed away<\/p>\n

On the morning of June 27, 2021, Father Eugeniusz Delikat, passed away at our religious house in Liche\u0144. He was 90 years of age, a religious for 70 years and a priest for 63.<\/p>\n

Eugeniusz Stanis\u0142aw Delikat, son of Maximillian and Helen nee Chrzanowska, was born on Sept. 13, 1930 in Che\u0142mno, Poland. He started primary school in Che\u0142mno, and he continued his education in Toru\u0144 after his family moved there in 1938. In the years 1945-1946, he completed his first year of middle school in Toru\u0144, and then he continued his schooling in Che\u0142mno, where he obtained his middle school certificate. In 1949, as a high school freshman, he entered the minor seminary of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit in Bydgoszcz, but in December of that year, the seminary was closed by the Ministry of Public Security (the Polish secret police).<\/p>\n

In January 1950, he was admitted to our Congregation. He made his novitiate in Sk\u00f3rzec and made his first profession on March 25, 1951 \u2013 the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord. Transferred to our minor seminary in Bielany (Warsaw) in 1952, he obtained his high school certificate and went to take philosophy courses. From 1954-1955, he was on sabbatical in our house in Grudzi\u0105dz. He made his perpetual profession on March 25, 1957. He studied theology in Gietrzwa\u0142d and then in W\u0142oc\u0142awek, where Antoni Paw\u0142owski, Bishop of the W\u0142oc\u0142awek Diocese, ordained him to the priesthood on June 22, 1958, at the end of his third year of theology.<\/p>\n

He finished his theology course in the academic year of 1958-1959. Father Eugeniusz\u2019s first pastoral posting was to Grudzi\u0105dz, where he was appointed rector of the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and performed pastoral, catechetic and administrative work. In 1964, he was assigned the duties of the prefect of our seminarians in W\u0142oc\u0142awek, which he carried out for two years. In 1966, he became the superior and treasurer of our religious house in Grudzi\u0105dz. On June 5, 1967, he had a serious motorcycle accident. As a part of his recovery, he spent several months in 1968 with his brother in South Africa. After his second term as the house superior in Grudzi\u0105dz, he worked between the years 1972-1974 in the Province of St. Stanislaus Kostka in the U.S. Upon his return in mid-October 1974, he was re-assigned to Grudzi\u0105dz. From the years 1975-1981, he was the house superior and treasurer in Warsaw-Praga, and the youth chaplain, as well as the confessor of the novices in Sk\u00f3rzec and the seminarians in Lublin.<\/p>\n

On June 10, 1981, the Provincial Chapter elected him the Polish Provincial Superior. During his term in office, the Polish Province began its missionary service in Rwanda. As Fr. Eugeniusz completed his term as provincial superior, on June 25, 1987, the General Chapter elected him Vicar General of the Congregation. Having returned from Rome, Fr. Eugeniusz resumed his duties of house superior in Warsaw-Praga and the confessor of our seminarians in Lublin. In 1994, he was named the house superior of our religious house and the rector of the shrine in Vilgertshofen, pastor in Epfach and delegate of the Provincial Superior for Germany. In August 1999, he became the prefect of youth and the spiritual director of the Catholic Secondary Collegium Primum (a high school) in Grudzi\u0105dz. In 2001, he was transferred to Medlingen in Germany as a pastoral associate.\u00a0 In 2003, he was again transferred to the religious house in Grudzi\u0105dz to assist in pastoral ministry at the church of St. Francis Xavier. In 2008, he worked as a pastor in Medlingen for 5 months. In 2010, he was transferred to the religious house in Liche\u0144, where he remained until his death, serving as a confessor as much as his condition allowed.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father W\u0142adys\u0142aw Ci\u0105g\u0142o, MIC
\nApril 26, 1965 \u2013 April 23, 2021<\/em>
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Poland, Warsaw\u2013Stegny: Father W\u0142adys\u0142aw Ci\u0105g\u0142o, MIC died suddenly in the late evening hours of April 23, 2021. He was 56 years of age, a member of our Congregation for 36 years and a priest for 30.<\/p>\n

W\u0142adys\u0142aw Spraw\u0142o, MIC, son of W\u0142adys\u0142aw and Janina n\u00e9e Bodziony, was born on April 26, 1965 in Stad\u0142y, and on May 16, 1965, he was baptized in Podegrodzie\u2013the home parish of our holy Father Founder, Stanis\u0142aw Papczy\u0144ski. W\u0142adys\u0142aw began his schooling at the Stad\u0142y Elementary School, and\u2013after its closing\u2013he continued in Podegrodzie. In 1984, he graduated from a vocational high school in Nowy S\u0105cz, with qualifications as a machine mechanic.<\/p>\n

After postulancy in Stoczek Klasztorny, he was admitted to the novitiate in Sk\u00f3rzec, where he made his first profession of vows on September 8, 1985. He studied for the priesthood at the Marian Fathers seminary in Lublin, and on June 16, 1991 Bishop W\u0142adys\u0142aw Mizio\u0142ek, a Suffragan of Warsaw, ordained him a priest in Warsaw\u2013Stegny.<\/p>\n

Father W\u0142adys\u0142aw\u2019s first post after ordination was in Drietoma, near Trencin in Slovakia. In 1994 he was appointed as pastor of the Brumov-Bylnice parish and the administrator of the parish in Neda\u0161ov in Moravia, in the Czech Republic. On December 8, 1994, he was named the second councilor of the newly established Provincial Vicariate in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and became its first councilor in 1997. A year later he was appointed the Vicariate superior and fulfilled this office until 2005. In 1998, he was transferred to the religious house in Hr\u00e1dek and appointed its superior and treasurer, as well as the administrator of the local parish. In 2001, he was also named the administrator of the parishes of Trhov\u00fd Stepanov and Soutice. On January 1, 2003, he was appointed pastor in Hr\u00e1dek and vicar in the parishes of Trhovy Stepanov and Soutice. In 2005, he became the first house councilor in Hr\u00e1dek, still serving as the local treasurer. In 2007, his superiors moved him to the Dudince residence in Slovakia and appointed him its treasurer.<\/p>\n

In 2009, he was transferred to the BVM, Mother of Mercy Province in the USA to prepare for mission work in the Philippines. He belonged to our houses in Washington, DC and Darien, IL. In 2012, he arrived in the Philippines, which belonged to the General Vicariate in Asia, and was appointed first to the house in El Salvador, then to the formation house in Davao (2015) and then again to El Salvador (2017). He was the Vicar Superior of the Asian vicariate for one term. In August 2020, he was transferred to Poland, where he joined the community in Warsaw\u2013Stegny and ministered in the local parish.<\/p>\n

Funeral ceremonies took place in the parish church of Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy on Wednesday, April 28. The deceased was laid to rest in the Marian Fathers\u2019 section of the Wawrzyszew cemetery in Warsaw.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Ludwik Meyerholz, MIC
\nNovember 7, 1941 \u2013 April 3, 2021<\/em>
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Poland, Warsaw: On the morning of April 3, 2021, Fr. Ludwik Meyerholz, MIC, passed away at the hospice of the Orionist Fathers in Wo\u0142omin near Warsaw.<\/p>\n

He lived for 79 years, was a member of our Congregation for 60 years, and a priest for 52.<\/p>\n

Ludwik Alfred Meyerholz, son of Alfred and Weronika n\u00e9e Pawlak, was born on November 7, 1941 in Grudzi\u0105dz \u2013 the eldest of seven siblings. He became an altar boy in the parish of the Blessed Virgin Mary even before starting elementary school, and from that time on, he thought about dedicating himself to priestly service.<\/p>\n

From 1948-1955 he went to primary school, and then from 1955-1959 completed his high school course in Grudzi\u0105dz. When he was in high school, his desire to become a priest was joined to his Marian devotion and the wish to join a Marian religious community. Admitted to our Congregation, he made his novitiate in 1959-1960 in Sk\u00f3rzec, followed by his first vows on August 15, 1960. After the novitiate, he was assigned to work in the religious house in Sk\u00f3rzec. He completed the first year of philosophy in Praga, Warsaw district (1961-1962) and then went to the seminary in W\u0142oc\u0142awek (1962-1967). He made his perpetual vows in W\u0142oc\u0142awek on February 2, 1967, and on June 18, 1967, he was ordained a priest in the cathedral basilica by Antoni Paw\u0142owski, Bishop of W\u0142oc\u0142awek.<\/p>\n

Father Ludwik\u2019s first post after ordination was in G\u0142ucho\u0142azy, where he served as a catechist and assistant in pastoral ministry. From 1971-1972 he performed the same tasks in Liche\u0144. In 1972, he was transferred to Warsaw-Praga to work pastorally and serve on the commission preparing for the celebration of the 300th<\/sup> anniversary of the Congregation and was also a member of the editorial team of the Polish Province monthly Immaculata<\/em>. In 1973 he was sent to study theology at the Academy of Catholic Theology. In 1975 he became an assistant for catechetical matters and a member of the provincial commission for the apostolate.<\/p>\n

In 1981 he was transferred from the house in Praga to the house in Stegny as the vicar of St. Catherine Parish and assigned to work at the Chapel of Our Lady of Mercy in Stegny. At that time, he was entrusted with the duties of the provincial assistant for liturgical services of the altar. In 1986, he became the first house councilor in Stegny. In 1987, transferred from Stegny to Marymont (a Warsaw district), he became the house superior and parish priest. He was also reappointed to serve as a member of the provincial commission for the apostolate. In 1989, he was also appointed treasurer of the religious house in Marymont and instructor of catechetics at the Marian Seminary. In 1991, Cardinal J\u00f3zef Glemp appointed Fr. Ludwik a member of the priestly council for the Archdiocese of Warsaw.<\/p>\n

Having completed two terms as the Marymont house superior, Fr. Meyerholz was transferred in 1993, to Augsburg to improve his language skills in German and to assist the local community in pastoral ministry. From the years 1994-2002, he was the superior and treasurer of the religious house in Elbl\u0105g and the pastor of All Saints Parish (1994-2005). In 1995, the bishop of Elbl\u0105g entrusted Fr. Ludwik with the duties of spiritual director of the deanery Elbl\u0105g\u2013 City Center, and appointed him a member of the pastoral council for families in the Elbl\u0105g diocese, and also the diocesan chaplain of families, and church assistant of the Association of Catholic Families and confessor of the students in the Elbl\u0105g diocese. From 2001-2002, he was a deanery inspector for teaching religion in the Elbl\u0105g\u2013 City Center. In 2000, the provincial superior appointed him once again as a member of the commission for the apostolate.<\/p>\n

In 2005, Fr. Ludwik, whose health and physical fitness started to deteriorate, was transferred to the religious house in Warsaw-Praga. For the autumn provincial convention of 2009, he prepared a written statement-testimony entitled My outlook on illness and aging<\/em>. As long as his health permitted, he pastorally assisted the local religious community.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Stanis\u0142aw Mali\u0144ski, MIC
\nJune 4, 1931 \u2013 March 21, 2021<\/em>
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Czech Republic, Brumov-Bylnice: in the early hours of March 21, 2021, Fr. Stanis\u0142aw Mali\u0144ski, MIC died at the hospital of Zlina (Czech Republic). He was 89 years of age, a member of our Congregation for 67 years and a priest for 54.<\/p>\n

Stanis\u0142aw Mali\u0144ski, son of J\u00f3zef and Franciszka nee Bry\u0142a, was born on June 4, 1931 in the town of Zabost\u00f3w Ma\u0142y in the parish of \u0141owicz Kolegiata (Poland). He attended grades 1 to 4 at the school in Pop\u00f3w and grades 5 to 6 in the town of Kompin. Between the years 1944-1947, he helped at his parents\u2019 farm. From 1947-1948, he attended a trade school in \u0141owicz, while working as a tailor\u2019s apprentice in a \u201ccare and education\u201d facility. From the years 1948-1951, he went to the Bishop’s High School in Lublin, where he completed his 10th grade. After his father’s death, he moved to Warsaw and was admitted to the lower seminary, which he attended between 1951-52 and continued his schooling as an 11th<\/sup>-grade student at the school on Otwocka Street. Since he did not pass the final school exams, he was accepted conditionally to the Preparatory Department of the Metropolitan Seminary with residency in Milan\u00f3wek outside of the seminary from 1952-1953. He received his high school diploma in 1953, completing his 11th grade at the Pruszk\u00f3w State Correspondence School.<\/p>\n

Stanis\u0142aw was admitted to our Congregation in September 1953, and made his first vows on October 4, 1954, having completed his novitiate in Sk\u00f3rzec. Next, he took the philosophy courses in Gietrzwa\u0142d between 1954-1956 and in 1956, theology in Warsaw. In 1960 and 1961 he was a fourth-year student in W\u0142oc\u0142awek. Due to poor academic performance, he asked permission to interrupt his studies and decided to remain a religious brother in the community. His superiors accepted his decision and admitted him to his perpetual profession, which he made in Sk\u00f3rzec on August 15, 1961. As a religious brother, he was assigned to our religious house in Grudzi\u0105dz. In 1964, the provincial superior allowed him to continue his studies at the seminary in Siedlce, where he was admitted to the second year of theology. In 1965, he asked to be reinstated in his previous clerical status, to which permission was granted in 1966. He was ordained to the priesthood in the Siedlce cathedral by Bishop Wac\u0142aw Skomorucha, auxiliary of the Siedlce Diocese, i.e., Podlasie Diocese, on May 20, 1967.<\/p>\n

After ordination, he was assigned to pastoral and catechetical work in G\u00f3ra Kalwaria. In 1970 he was transferred to the house in Grudzi\u0105dz as a catechist and assistant in pastoral ministry. During the years 1971-1978, he was the house superior\u2019s substitute, while from 1978-1987 he was the house superior in Grudzi\u0105dz, and then also the house treasurer from 1981-1984. In 1987 he was transferred to pastoral and catechetical work in G\u0142ucho\u0142azy. In 1990, following the invitation of Jan Chryzostom Korec, the bishop of Nitra, the provincial superior dispatched Fr. Stanis\u0142aw to work in that diocese. The bishop appointed him vicar to the parish of Drietoma near Trencin and Trencin-Hradek. In 1992, Fr. Stanis\u0142aw was transferred to the parish of Brumov-Bylnice and Nedasov in the Archdiocese of Olomouc to serve as a parish vicar. At the same time, the provincial superior entrusted him with the duties of acting superior, and in 1993 he became the deputy superior of the house. In 1995 he was transferred to the religious house in Drietoma and became a house councilor there. In 1996 he was again moved to the house in Brumov-Bylnice and appointed 1st councilor and treasurer, and in 1999 \u2013 2nd councilor and treasurer from 1999-2001. He was re-appointed to the aforesaid offices in 2002. The vicariate superior entrusted Fr. Stanis\u0142aw with the duties of house treasurer until 2017. He remained in Brumov-Bylnice until the end of his life, actively supporting his confreres in their pastoral work, despite his declining health.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Father Seraphim (Stanislaus) Michalenko, MIC
\nAugust 30, 1930 \u2013 February 11, 2021<\/em>
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USA, Stockbridge, Mass.: Fr. Seraphim (Stanislaus) Michalenko, MIC (1930-2021), passed away.<\/p>\n

A native of Adams, Massachusetts, 72 years a professed religious and 64 years a priest, Fr. Seraphim is a member of Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy Province of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of The Immaculate Conception. With licentiate degrees from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (The Angelicum) and the Pontifical Institute of Eastern Church Studies (The Ori\u00e9ntale) in Rome, he lectured for several semesters in the Department of Theology at the Catholic University of America and served in seminary and formation positions for the Marians.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fr. Seraphim also held various administrative roles in his Province and in the Congregation’s Generalate in Rome, as well as pastoral roles in Eastern Rite parishes in Australia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Together with Archbishop George Pierce, S.M. and Fr. George Kosicki, CSB, Fr. Seraphim served as a core-memberof the Bethany House of Intercession for Bishops, Priests, and Deacons; a spiritual <\/span>renewal <\/span>movement for Catholic clergy in the 1970s, serving priests from all over the world. In 1979, a year after Pope St. Paul VI lifted the banon Sister Faustina’s writings and <\/span>elements <\/span>of The Divine Mercy devotions, Fr. Seraphim was called from Bethany House to head The Divine Mercy Department at the Marian Helpers headquarters in Stockbridge, MA. In that position, he wrote a series of articles for the Marian Helpers magazine, and supervised the production of various books, pamphlets, and audio-visual materials dealing with The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion and Sister Faustina’s writings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fr. Seraphim served as Vice-Postulator for North America in the Canonization Cause of Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska, an assignment he held for over twenty years.\u00a0 Fr. Seraphim spent over three years in Rome, making a significant contribution to the successful conclusion of Sister M. Faustina\u2019s beatification and canonization processes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He was likewise a first-hand witness to Maureen Digan\u2019s and her son\u2019s miraculous healing attributed to Saint M. Faustina\u2019s intercession that opened the way for her Beatification in 1993. He was also a coordinator of the efforts that served to verify not only that miracle but the second as well, which made it possible for Sister M. Faustina to be declared a Saint on Divine Mercy Sunday of the Jubilee Year 2000 as first saint of the New Millennium, \u201c… <\/span>God\u2019s gift to our time <\/span><\/i>\u201d (from Pope St. John Paul II\u2019s canonization homily).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fr. Seraphim served as theological advisor for the award-winning video docu-drama <\/span>Divine Mercy\u2014No Escape<\/span><\/i> and for the devotional video <\/span>Sister Faustina: The Promise of Mercy.<\/span><\/i> He also played a significant role in the production and narration of a video released in 1992, <\/span>Sister Faustina: The Apostle of Divine Mercy.<\/span><\/i> Then, from November 1991 to October 1995, he served as director of the Association of Marian Helpers under the honorary title “Father Joseph.” In this capacity, he supervised the scripting and production of another video. <\/span>Time for Mercy<\/span><\/i> \u2014 released in 1994 by the Marians and produced by Drew Mariani and his company <\/span>Marian Communications Ltd<\/span><\/i>., which won a First Place Gold Camera <\/span>Award <\/span><\/i>in international competition for outstanding creativity in the production of Audio-Visual Communications.<\/span><\/p>\n

In October 1995, Fr. Seraphim was assigned to full time promotion of The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion, participating in Divine Mercy retreats, conferences, and symposia primarily through the Marian Fathers John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy.<\/span><\/p>\n

While serving as Rector of the Divine Mercy Shrine the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops\u2019 Committee on Divine Worship elevated the Shrine to its National Status.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fr. Seraphim worked closely with Mother Angelica, who embraced the Divine Mercy message and devotion and spread it far and wide through her EWTN network.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2005 he participated in the international symposium in Krakow, Poland, that gave rise to the World Apostolic Congresses of Mercy.\u00a0 He participated in all four as an active participant and an inspiring speaker.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He assisted in the growth and development of such Apostolates of Divine Mercy as Mother of Mercy Messengers headed by Joan and Dave Moroney, Eucharistic Apostles of Divine Mercy, founded and directed by Dr. Bryan Thatcher (active in over 40 countries), and Healthcare Professionals for Divine Mercy founded by Marie Romagnano and participated in all its 16 conferences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Lord in His mercy and love was faithful to Fr. Seraphim and graciously helped him at every stage of his work in the promotion of the Divine Mercy message and devotion.\u00a0 Fr. Seraphim always relied on the unfathomable mercy and kindness of Our Lord, in whom he trusted completely. And he was never disappointed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Lord prepared him for eternal life throughout his whole life, but also provided with the Sacraments of the Church. Before his death Fr. Seraphim received the sacraments of reconciliation, anointing of the sick, and the Eucharistic Jesus the food for the journey 30 minutes before he passed away.\u00a0 He also received Apostolic Pardon through the Holy Mysteries of Our Redemption for the remission of all sins and release from all punishments in this life and in the life to come.\u00a0 He passed away peacefully from the complications due to COVID-19 on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.\u00a0 There are two days when Our Lady in the mystery of her Immaculate Conceptions are celebrated: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception celebrated on December 8 and the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Immaculate Conception, Patronnes of the Marian Fathers\u2019 Congregation, prepared her special son to enter into the Father\u2019s House on her special Feast. \u201cMay the Virgin Mary\u2019s Immaculate Conception be his salvation and protection.\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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