Father Staniszewski’s body will lie in state on Tuesday, April 6 at St. Michael’s Church, 75 Derby Avenue, Derby, CT form 11:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.

His funeral Mass will follow at 12:00 P.M. The burial will be held at St. Michael’s Cemetery, Derby, CT.

The Edward F. Adzima Funeral Home, 253 Elizabeth St., Derby, CT has be entrusted with the arrangements.

Times were hard those days in the country. Eastern Europe behind Iron Curtain looked much different than the Western part of the continent under Marshal Plan. Church was persecuted. To become a priest in those days was bigger challenge than before.

Fr. Wacław Hłond (pronounced: Va-tz-wa-v) was born on July 12, 1929 in Blachownia, a town near Czestochowa, Poland. He entered the Congregation of the Mission on October 7, 1951. He pronounce his Good Purpose (a Vincentian form of temporary vows) on Ocotber 11, 1953 and was took his final vows on April 24, 1955 and three weeks later , May 15, 1955, he was ordained a priest. His first and only assignment in Poland was in the Our Lady of Rosary Parish in Pabianice, in the heart of Poland.  He was a vicar and catechist there for three years.

In the late 1958 Fr. “Wacek” (pronounced Va-tz-ek) has arrived to the United States. And as most other Missioners who came to then Vice-Province of Poland in the USA he started his American experience at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Parish in New Haven, Connecticut.  In 1959 he was apppointed  parish vicar at St. Stanislaus and held this position until he was moved (1961) to new post in St. Joseph Parish, Ansonia, Connecticut, as vicar too. In 1964 Father was assigned to popular missions team in Whitestone, New York , and at the same time continued his education at Central Michigan University campus in Metro Washington.D.C.  In 1967 he returned to Mission House in Utica, NY where he served as second superior (succeeding Fr. Arciszewski) until end of 1973.

On February 1, 1974 he took position of pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish in New Haven being welcomed as an “old friend” by the parishioners. During his pastorate the happy occasion took place at 9 Eld Street. On April 23, 1975 Polish mission in Connecticut separated from the Province of Poland and was erected as independent New England Province of the Congregation of the Mission.  The parish of St. Stanislaus in New Haven was established the firts, temorary Provincial Residence.

As a pastor. Fr. Hlond’s first major activity in New Haven was to supervise the actual construction of new four-car garage (blueprints were prepared by previous pastor Fr. Julian Szumilo). Another accomplishment was the continuation of repainting of the church by Anthony Amato in 1974, furnishing the sanctuary with new chair of celebrant, concelebrants and new lectern. In 1975 he supervised redecoration and renovation of the auditorium  and repainting of convent chapel. In the year of Diamond Jubilee of the parish (1975) Fr. Hlond additionally became superior of the community.

From 1973 to 1975 Father was member of Vice-Provincial Council. Again in 1979 – 1981 was Provincial Councilor. On September 8, 1981  he was elected the third Visitor (Provincial Superior) of the New England Province succeeding Fr. Julian Szumilo. In 1984 re-elected for second term. He stayed in then Provincial House in West Hartford, Conn. for another year and in 1988 he came to St. Joseph Parish in Ansonia, CT for the seocnd time. He served as superior (until 1994) and pastor (till 1996). In 1996 returned to New Haven for the third time, again as superior and pastor. In 2006 he retired and moved agaian to Ansonia where he has been resident until now.

On this very special jubilee celebration day so rarely experienced we send  Fr. Waclaw our hearfelt greetings and wishes of abundant graces from Jesus Christ, the Eternal Priest, in his life, health and in living on the Vincentian charism. May the Lord bless and protect you Father!

A Jubilee Mass at 6:30 PM on Thursday, June 16, 2011 in St. Joseph Church, honors this special anniversary and reception prepared by parishioners will follow in the church hall.

Rev. Mitchell “Mitch” Wanat CM was born on August 5, 1942 in New Haven, CT. As a child he met Vincentians in St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Parish. Records of  The Holy Name Society of St. Stanislaus Parish (established 1951) list him among prominent members who later became priests. After pursuing normal schooling Mitch Wanat joined the Congregation of the Mission in then Polish Vice-Province in the USA on June 11, 1963. He got through seminary formation in the Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton, PA staffed by Vincentian from Eastern Province. He graduated with Master’s of Divinity and on May 29, 1971 he was ordained priest in Mary Queen of All Saints Chapel there.

Known for his athletic ability, immediately after ordinations Father Mitchell was assigned to St. John Kanty Prep in Erie, PA where he proved his worth till the end of athletic activities with the closing of the school in 1980. He was idolized by the students as a teacher and last athletic director in the school’s history.

Sport was very important and significant activity at Kanty Prep. The first sport to be organized in Kanty was baseball, because there was no gym for other sports. Tha ball playing took place in the cornfield, before the baseball diamond was laid out, with donated equipment. The first basketball game in the “old” gymnasium, built over the boiler room took place on February 12, 1924.

The excellence of sports at Kanty continued until the school’s closing in 1980. Beside the regular sports of football, basketball, and baseball, there were at times, winter skiing and sledding, tennis, bowling, golf, cross country running and even horseback riding.

A hiatus occurred in Kanty athletics when Kanty ceased to be solely a boarding school and became a day school in 1967. The resumption of an athletic schedule was slow but gained strength with time until, in 1980, there were undefeated in footbal (The Eagles), 10-0. The basketball (Varsity) record was excellent as well with 16 wins and 6 losses in final year.

When the Kanty Prep was closed in June 1980 Fr. Wanat together with Father John Sledziona CM and Brother Joseph Zurowski CM moved to Concord, NH, invited by the Bishop of Manchester to take over management of the Bishop Brady High School. While Fr. John became principal of the school and Bro. Joseph headed English department, Father Mitchell was a chaplain. Assigned to teaching and chaplaincy work at Bishop Brady High School Concord, NH Vincentians lived at Laboure House, expressly formed for that purpose at Bow, NH. When the parish of  St. Peter’s in Concord, NH was acquired in 1983, Father moved into the rectory and continued his teaching and chaplaincy activities at Bishop Brady until the contract expired in 1989. Father Mitchell honed in parochial work as vicar in St. Joseph’s Ansonia, CT until 1992.

Next, Father was sent to Lisbon Falls, ME in Diocese of Portland. Vincentians took over the parish of  SS. Cyril & Methodius in Lisbon Falls in 1976. Once it was an ethnic parish community created by Slovak immigrants. During the years and due to various circumstances number of parishioners declined almost leading the parish to closure. With the arrival of Fr. Edward Gicewicz CM as pastor life retuned to the parish. Thus, the Bishop of Portland initiated the project to merge three parishes in Lisbon Falls in to one. Besides St. Cyril and Methodius (placed on National Register of Historic Places on May 20, 1977) Vincentians started to work in Holy Family parish and St. Ann’s parish. Fr. George Dabrowski CM became pastor of first two parishes in 1992 and Fr. Mitchell a pastor of St. Ann’s parish. In 1993 he was appointed pastor of all three parishes. By the bishop’s decree of January 1, 1995 the three parishes became one – Holy Trinity Parish. In 1996 Fr. Anthony Kuzia CM replaced Fr. Wanat as pastor. In 2000 Vincentians left Lisbon Falls.

In 1996 Father Mitchell returned to St. Peter’s Parish in Concord, NH as Pastor and community Superior. Also in 1996 Father was elected Provincial Councilor and continued until 1998. His pastorate in Concord finished in 2001 when he was moved to St. Michael’s Parish in Derby, CT as pastor and superior again. Finally, in 2008 Father returned to Ansonia. First as administrator and then, since September 2 as a pastor of St. Joseph Parish. Meanwhile, on September 9, 2005 he has been elected as Provincial Councilor for another time.

You can view more pictures in the Facebook gallery

On this special day we wish Fr. Mitchell
plenty of graces from Heavens.
May the Lord bless, strengthen and protect you
on your Vincentian pathway!

It was May 15, 1955

Fr. Waclaw Hlond (pronounced: Va-tz-wa-v) was born on July 12, 1929 in Blachownia, a town near Czestochowa, Poland. He was received into the Congregation of the Mission in October 1951. Ordained in 1955. His first and only assignment in Poland was in Pabianice where he was vicar and religion teacher.

As first Missioners did almost 55 years earlier, Fr. “Wacek” (pronounced Va-tz-ek) came to St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Parish in New Haven, Conn. as his first post in then Polish Vice-Province in the United States in the second half of 1958. Next year (1959) became Vicar at St. Stanislaus and hold it until being sent to new post in St. Joseph Parish, Ansonia, Conn. After three years as Vicar there, in 1964 was ascribed to Mission House in Whitestone, New York. He was involved in parish mission and sent to Washington.D.C. to Michigan University Extension. In 1967 moved to Mission House in Utica, NY where he served as second superior (succeeding Fr. Arciszewski) until end of 1973.

On February 1, 1974 he took position of pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish in New Haven welcomed as an old friend by the parishioners. During his tenure as pastor the happy occasion took place at 9 Eld Street. On April 23, 1975 autonomous Vincentian Province of New England was established there and the house became first Provincial Residence. As a pastor. Fr. Hlond’s first major activity in New Haven was to supervise the actual construction of new four-car garage (blueprints were prepared by previous pastor Fr. Julian Szumilo). Another accomplishment was continuation of repainting of the church by Anthony Amato in 1974, furnishing the sanctuary with new chair of celebrant, concelebrants and new lectern. In 1975 he supervised redecoration and renovation of the auditorium repainting of convent chapel. In the year of Diamond Jubilee of the parish (1975) Fr. Hlond additionally became superior of the house.

From 1973 to 1975 was member of Vice-Provincial Council. Again in 1979 – 1981 was Provincial Councilor. On September 8, 1981 was elected the third Visitor (Provincial Superior) of New England Province succeeding Fr. Julian Szumilo. In 1984 re-elected for second term. He stayed in the Provincial House in West Hartford, Conn. for another year and since 1988 served as superior (until 1994) and pastor (till 1996) in Ansonia, Conn. In 1996 returned to New Haven for the third time, again as superior and pastor. Since 2006 is assigned to St. Joseph in Ansonia again.

On this special jubilee celebration day we wish Fr. Waclaw abundant graces from Jesus, the Eternal Priest, in his life, health and Vincentian ministry. May the Lord bless and protect you Father!