In the 69th year of priesthood, in 72nd year of vocation and in the age of 94 Fr. Wacław A. HŁOND, C.M. died in Yale New Haven Hospital on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Couple days earlier he was injured falling on the ground in the nursing home where was a resident.
Fr. Waclaw Hlond (pronounced: Va-tz-wa-v) was born on July 12, 1929, in the village of Brzóska, in the borough of Blachownia, in Czestochowa county, Poland. He was the son of Stanisław Hłond and Genowefa Matuszewska Hłond. He was admitted into the Congregation of the Mission on October 7, 1951. He took his final Vows on April 20, 1995, and three weeks later in the seminary church at Stradom, Krakow, he was ordained a priest on May 15, 1955, together with two other candidates by Bishop Stanisław Rospond, the Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow. Times were hard in the country during those days. The Church was persecuted. To become a priest was an act of courage and strong faith.
Six weeks after being ordained, Father Wacek came to his first pastoral assignment and the only one in Poland in Pabianice. He was a vicar and religious education teacher in the parish of Our Lady of the Rosary. The parish, erected in 1906, was handed over to the Congregation of the Mission in late 1919.
Three years later, in the Fall of 1958, he was sent to a new ministry in the Vice-Province of Poland in the United States. Fr. “Wacek” (pronounced Va-tz-ek) came to St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Parish in New Haven, Conn., as did most of those who came before him to preach the Gospel in the Vincentian Way in the North-Eastern United States. A mission established in 1905 was upgraded to a Vice-Province of the Province of Poland in 1922, and it continued growing and expanding the ministry.
A year later (1959), he was appointed a Vicar at St. Stanislaus and held this position until being sent to a new post in St. Joseph Parish, Ansonia, Conn (for the first time). After three years as Vicar there, in 1964, he was assigned to the Mission House in Whitestone, New York, which was a location of the Mission Team responsible for preaching retreats, popular missions, and providing other pastoral activities in Connecticut and in many other locations where Polish-Americans lived. Remaining a member of the team, Father was sent to Michigan University Extension in Washington, D.C. to continue his higher education. In 1967, he moved to another Mission House in Utica, NY, where he succeeded Fr. Francis Arciszewski as the superior of the community. He stayed in this position until the end of 1973.
On February 1, 1974, he took the position of pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish in New Haven, CT. It was his second assignment there. Parishioners welcomed him warmly as an old friend. During his tenure as pastor, the happy event took place at 9 Eld Street. On April 23, 1975, the Vice-Province of Poland (also known as Vice-Province of Utica) was upgraded to an autonomous Vincentian Province of New England. The community house in New Haven was established as the first Provincial Residence with Fr. Henry Sawicki as the first superior of the new province.
As a pastor, Fr. Hlond’s first major activity in New Haven was to supervise the actual construction of a new four-car garage (blueprints were prepared by the previous pastor Fr. Julian Szumilo). Another accomplishment was the continuation of repainting of the church by Anthony Amato in 1974, furnishing the sanctuary with a new chair for the celebrant, concelebrants, and a new lectern. In 1975, he supervised the redecoration and renovation of the auditorium and had Anthony Amato repaint the convent chapel, all in preparation for the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of the parish (1976). Through his efforts, the fine Diamond Jubilee Souvenir Book described the accomplishments of the past 75 years. Fr. Hlond additionally became the superior of the house.
Between 1973 and 1975, Father was a member of the Vice-Provincial Council. Between 1979 and 1981, he was a Provincial Councilor again. In 1976, the Provincial offices were transferred to a new location – the former residence of Archbishop Henry O’Brien in West Hartford (1109 Prospect Ave.). On September 8, 1981, Fr. Hłond was elected the third Visitor (Provincial Superior) of the New England Province succeeding Fr. Julian Szumilo. Re-elected for the second term in 1984. Fr. Chester Mrowka succeeded him as Provincial in 1987, but Fr. Wacek stayed in the Provincial House for another year. Next, in 1988, he came to Ansonia, CT for the second time. This time he served as the superior (until 1994) and pastor (till 1996). In 1996, he returned to New Haven for the third time, again as the superior and pastor.
Since 2006, he retired and has moved to St. Joseph in Ansonia for the third and final time as a resident. Despite the age and deteriorating health, Fr. Hłond continued to be active in parish ministry, deeply involved in administering the parish as the closest collaborator of Fr. Mitch Wanat.
At the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fr. Wacek’s health got significantly worse. He demanded qualified assistance and care. After falling in his room and not being able to climb stairs, he was taken to Griffin Hospital. After a few days, he was sent to Lord Chamberlain Short Term Rehab Center in Shelton, CT., where he spent three weeks. In the middle of February 2022, FR. Wcław Hlond, C.M., was transported from Lord Chamberlain Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Stratford, CT to: Apple Rehab Hewitt Health & Rehabilitation Center, Shelton, CT to stay permanently there due to his health condition and an older age. Fr. Mitch Want was visiting and assisting him daily. He took him to doctor appointments, shopping, rides, and walks, and took care of his medical needs, getting special creams for Fr. Hlond’s feet and helping him with hearing aids.
In the middle of May, right at the time of his 69th priesthood anniversary, Fr. Hłond collapsed again in the Apple Rehab Hewitt. His injuries, including broken ribs and internal hemorrhage, were very serious. At first, he was taken to Griffin Hospital in Derby. He got necessary treatment there. After a couple of days, doctors decided to transfer him to a more specialized medical center. Hemopneumothorax caused by broken ribs couldn’t be treated at Griffin properly. Therefore, he was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital, the second largest hospital in the United States (about 1,540 beds) and the primary teaching hospital for the Yale School of Medicine and the Yale School of Nursing. He was admitted to the intensive care department (ICU). Unfortunately, Fr. Wacek’s condition didn’t get better. He had strong breathing problems, but he wasn’t intubated. Finally, at 5:00 PM, June 4, 2022, Fr. Wacław Hłond, C.M. died in the Yale New Haven Hospital.
At the time of his death, Fr. Hłond was the second oldest Confrere (94) of the New England Province right after Fr. Chester Mrowka (97 this month) and followed by Fr. Stanley Miekinia (92).
Funeral Mass will be celebrated at noon, June 7 (Friday), 2024 in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Ansonia, CT (36 Jewett Street), the church he loved so much and cared so much of as the minister. The body of Fr. Hłond will be exposed for viewing between 11AM and 12PM followed by the liturgy. After the Mass he will be buried in the Vincentian Fathers Plot at St. Michaels Cemetery, Ansonia (28 Silver Hill Road).
Condolences shall be directed to Edward F. Adzima Funeral Home website
“May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs receive you at your arrival and lead you to the holy city Jerusalem. May choirs of angels receive you and with Lazarus, once a poor man, may you have eternal rest.”
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