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!

After 27 years, 4 months and one week

In Bishop’s of Manchester, Most Rev. John B. McCormack’s Personal Assigment Announcement of April 12, 2010 we read:

“The following changes are effective June 9, 2010 unless otherwise noted.

Pastor
Very Rev. Richard A. Roberge, VF, current pastor of Good Shepherd Parish, Berlin and Holy Family Parish, Gorham has been named pastor of Sacred Heart, Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Peter parishes, Concord. [...]
Reverend Steven G. Montesanti, current pastor of Saint John the Evangelist Parish, Concord has been named pastor of Saint Anne Parish, Hampstead.
[...]
Reverend Anthony F. Kuzia, CM, current pastor of Sacred Heart and Saint Peter parishes, Concord has been named pastor of Saint Patrick Parish, Pelham effective June 23, 2010.

Associate Pastor
Reverend Marcos Gonzalez, current associate pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, Portsmouth has been named associate pastor of Sacred Heart, Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Peter parishes, Concord. He will assist Father Roberge with the merger of these three parishes into one parish community.

Other
Father John Sledziona, CM, currently in residence with Father Anthony Kuzia at Sacred Heart Parish, Concord will assume residence at Saint Patrick Parish, Pelham effective June 23, 2010. This is in keeping with the Vincentian Fathers’ request that their priests live in community. Father John will continue to serve as diocesan Director of Clergy Formation.”

It is the sad moment for our community. Vincentians were invited to Concord by Bishop of Manchester who was impressed by the mission Fr. Ronald Wiktor CM conducted in his diocese.  During the pastor’s tenure of  Fr. Sledziona he served as head of Concord Deanery, too.   Taking Sacred Heart Parish in 2006 brought us hope to expand our mission here.  However plans  of the bishop are different.  As we learn from the announcement, new Pastor and his Associate will work on merging three parishes into one. It is very responsible and difficult task.

New pastor and his Associate will be officially introduced to both parish churchs on upcoming Sunday, June 13, 2010.

Leaving Concord, we wish  our parishioners at St. Peter’s and Sacred Heart all the best and plenty of blessings from Our Lord. You will ramian in our prayers and our hearts.  And to Father Richard A. Roberge and Father Marcos Gonzalez we wish they task and goal will be accomplished with success.  May God help you, protect and guide You.

In the old, traditional Polish way, “SZCZĘŚĆ BOŻE, Z BOGIEM”

Jubilee celebrations are held today at St.Peter’s Church, Concord, NH. There will be special Mass of Thanksgiving in the temple where Fr. John spent most o his pastoral ministry.

Fr. John Sledziona CM was born in St Michael the Archangel parish in Derby, Conn. on December 23, 1942.  On June 12, 1962, he entered Congregation of the Mission in Polish Vice-Province in the USA starting the Internal Seminary Formation in St. Vincent Seminary, Germantown, Penn. (at present CAMM Shrine). On June 13, 1967 he took hi perpetual vows. Theological studies completed in Vincentian Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton, Penn and graduated with Master of Theology (M.Th.) degree. Here John Sledziona was ordained priest on May 30, 1970.

Right after ordinations he was assigned to St. John Kanty Prep in Erie, Penn., as religion and English teacher. Meanwhile, in 1973, he graduated from Edinboro State University (of Pennsylvania, Erie, PA) as Master of Arts in English (M.A.) and served in Campus Ministry of Alliance College, Cambridge Springs, PA. In 1976 he was appointed Superior of Erie House (St. John Kanty) and held this position until 1978. Next moved to St. Joseph’s parish, Ansonia, Conn. where Fr. John became first Vocation Director in newly erected Province of New England.

When St. John Kanty Prep was closed in June 1980, Fr. Sledziona, together with Fr.Mitchell Wanat and Brother Joseph Zurowski, were sent to Concord, New Hampshire. There they took over management of the Bishop Brady High School while their residence wsa in Laboure House, Bow, NH. Earlier, in 1982 Fr. Sledziona became Principal of the Bishop Brady High School. (Fr. Mitchell was chaplain and Bro. Joseph Chairman of English Department) and left the office in 1986. In August 1983 Laboure House was suppressed and Vincentians moved to St Peter’s Rectory in Concord, NH. When Fr. Chester Mrowka CM became Visitor of the New England Province in 1987, Fr. John succeeded him as pastor and superior of St.Peter’s, Concord. In 1987, bishop of Manchester appointed him Dean of Concord Deanery (replaced in 1996). Meanwhile in 1984 – 1996 he was Board Member of Vincentians Studies Institute, DePaul University, Chicago, IL. One of the goals of V.S.I. those days was preparation of English translation of P.Coste’s work on St. Vincent de Paul, his correspondence and other documents. The other was completion of history of Congregation of the Mission in the United States.

Father John has conducted many parish retreats and days of recollection, as well as extended retreats for religious women and men. In 1979 to 1981 and again 1987 – 1995 he was Provincial Consultor.

He left both posts in Concord after being elected Provincial Superior himself on August 22, 1996. As fourth Visitor of New England Fr. Sledziona experienced some wins and loses of the Province. The “win-somes” were acceptance of St. Cyril & Methodius Parish in Lower-Greenpoint, Brooklyn. NY and Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Stamford, CT and office of Vicar for Clergy in Maine (Fr. Kuzia). The “lose-somes” were closing of St. Vincent Mission in Utica, NY and the three-in-one parish concept in Lisbon Falls, NY. In August 2005 Father was succeeded by Fr. Roman Gorowski CM as new elected Visitor.

As a part of reconfiguration of American Provinces (in 1975 three new provinces were erected enlarging the number to five, including the Province of New England) Superior General has constituted National Conference of Visitors of the United States (NCV) as advisory body to continue interprovincial collaboration (one of the authorities delegated to NCV is moving confreres from apostolates in one province to another). On July 1, 2002 Fr. John Sledziona was appointed first President of NCV for three years period.

In February 2006, Father John was appointed Pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish in New Haven, Conn. In October that year, he was elected to the Board of Trustees for Niagara University in Niagara Falls, New York and in the same time began his new assignment as Director of Clergy Formation for the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, which he holds in present being responsible for permanent deacons continuing formation program. In April 2007, he was elected to the Editorial Board of the Vincentian Studies Institute. And in January 2008, Father John became a member of the Governing Council for NOCERCC (National Organization for the Continuing Education of the Roman Catholic Clergy.) Since 2006 he is residing at St. Peter’s Rectory, Concord, NH.

On this special day we wish Fr. John plenty of graces from Heavens. May the Eternal Priest,continue to support and strengthen him in all his apostolates and ministries to come as Vincentian.
May the Lord bless and protect you Father!

Christa McAuliffe was the most publicized parishioner of all Vincentian parishes. The 700 household parish, one of four Catholic parishes in Concord NH was taken over by Vincentians from New England Province in September 1983.  From the moment NASA selected Christa as the winner of its Teacher-In-Space competition, she was a celebrity, a heroine. She was given a hometown parade and movie offers;  she was constantly asked to give television and radio interviews; there was a constant flow of newspaper and magazine articles about her.

A nation turned a teacher into a star not for anything she did, but for what she meant to us. The realm of outer space, once limited to daredevil astronauts with perfect physiques, had been opened to a 130-pound teacher from Concord HIgh School and St. Peter’s Parish. Her greatest athletic achievement was pitching for a championship softball team when she was a teenager.

Christa McAuliffe wasn’t the first non-astronaut to get a ticket on a shuttle flight. But she was the first ordinary “citizen astronaut”. 37 years of age, she taught social studies for 13 years and CCD 8th grade for five years at the St. Peter’s Center.

A mother of two children, she carried souvenirs for them into space: her nine year old son Scott’s stuffed frog,  Fleagle; her six year old daughter Caroline’s gold crucifix; and, not to be outdone, her attorney-husband’s class ring.

Christa was full of enthusiasm and responded graciously to her many well-wishers, hand shakers, autograph-hounds, and camera bugs. She believed one day colonies of ordinary people would live and work in orbiting space stations.

Television cameras and radio broadcasters swarmed Father Chester Mrowka CM, pastor of St. Peter’s Church, Concord,  at half-hour Memorial Service for her  at  St. Peter’s that Tuesday night.  He was driven by limousine to the University of New Hampshire for a late night television interview on CBS NIGHTWATCH;  BBC from London made a telephone radio interview; THE MCNEIL/LEHRER NEWS HOUR was televised live from the parlor as was Jane Pauley’s live interview on NBC’s TODAY SHOW.  That did not include the various local television broadcasting station plus WBZ’s Channel 4 from Boston. Photographers from JAPAN MAGAZINE and PARIS MATCH, among others, took various pictures and interviewed neighboring people.

In his Tuesday night homily, Father Chet described McAuliffe as a unique, charismatic person who dared to venture forth with optimism for the future. She was a very ebullient personality. She had a smile for everybody. She was a dedicated wife and mother. Concord is the kind of town where just about everybody knows everybody else. That’s why it hit severely hard.  She was a local celebrity.  To have this happen at a moment of exultation is belief and beyond description. There was a ghastly silence and a great numbness.

A more staid Funeral Mass was held at 11 AM on 3 February 1986, with the press relegated to the area across the street  from the church and now cameras allowed inside the church. The church was filled to capacity with relatives, business associates, and friends with personal ticket invitations only.  The names were taken from a previously prepared list for the anticipated welcoming reception.

Cardinal Bernard Law, the Archbishop of the Province of Boston and Bishop Odore Gendron, Bishop of Manchester, presided.  The main celebrant was Rev. James Leary of St. Joseph’s, Bristol, CT, a cousin of Christa.  The Master of Ceremonies was Rev.  William Helmick. Concelebrants were: Rev. Chester Mrowka CM, Pastor of St. Peter’s; Rev. Paul Bouchard and Rev. Christian, chaplains to the Cardinal; Rev. William Quirk, pastor; local clergymen, Rev. Richard Lower, Rev. Maurice, Rev. Aimee Boiselle, Rev. Daniel Messier, Rev. John Sledziona CM and Rev. Mitchell Wanat CM. The state and local government officials were headed by Governor John Sununu. (excerpts from Rev. Edward P. Gicewicz CM, Growth of the New England Province of the Congregation of the Mission 1904-2004, p. 191-192)