New England Province » Announcements

Fr. Chester Mrowka, C.M., dies two weeks after his 97th birthday

Toma — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 22:25:12 +0000

The sad news came to us from St. Joseph’s Home (nursing health center) in Enfield, CT. Today, Friday, July 5 Father CHESTER MROWKA, C.M., 97, died after 7:00 AM. He moved to that place few weeks ago, after he collapsed and his health deteriorated.
He passed away two weeks after his 97th birthday, 74th year of vocation and 66th year of priesthood. He observed 65th anniversary in late June. At the time of his death he was the oldest member of New England Province.

Fr. Chester was born on June 22, 1927 in New Haven, CT. After serving his time in the US Navy he entered the Congregation of the Mision, then in the Vice-Province of Poland in the USA on June 12, 1951. After completing his studies and formation he was ordained priest on may 23, 1959 in the Vincentian Seminary in Northampton, PA.
During the years of priestly ministry he has been very well known as teacher, educator and rector of St. John Kanty College in Erie, Pa, founded, administerd and staffed by Vincentians. He stayed there from 1960 to 1966 and again from 1967 until 1976 as its Rector and Superior.
In 1987 he was elected the fourth Provincial Superior (Visitor) of New England Province and held this position until 1996. During his term the Provincial headquarters moved from its second location (1109 Prospect Avenue, West Hartford) and another temporary one at 1155 Prospect Ave and finally he managed building and opening of the current Provincial Residence in Manchester, CT. There he has spent most of his life after his term of office as Provincial ended.

The Funeral Arrangements:
The funeral mass will take place at St. Joseph Home, 1365 Enfield Street, Enfield, CT, on Tuesday, July 9, 11:00 AM. Little Sisters of the Poor who run that home will provide a repass after the Mass.
The burial will take place around 3:00 PM at All Saints Cemetary in North Haven, CT.

From The Provincial’s Desk – Newsletter March 2023

Toma — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 23:00:43 +0000

The latest edition of the our Provincial’s Newsletter – March 2023 – is here. “May this Lent and Easter inspire you to live a virtuous life, to desire a great holiness and perfection in your priestly ministry. Virtuous priests are needed to spread the Easter message of Christ who Resurrected to proclaim the Victory over sin and death. May the Resurrected Lord be your strength to be virtuous” – Father Marek Sobczak, Provincial, writes in the editorial.

Inside the newsletter you can find updates on our Confreres whereabouts and other news regarding our Province and our parishes. Click on the link below to read/download it.

NEWSLETTER – MARCH 2023

NEWSLETTERS were the regularly published by Visitors of New England Province until 2009. When Fr. Marek Sobczak took over this position in September 2022 he decided to return to this practice. We hope they become regular, additional source of information about our Province and the life of our Vincentian community.

To make the newsletter more accessible we created a dedicated page – NEWSLETTER – where you can find all editions of Provincial’s bulletin of news. We hope you find these publications very useful as a source of additional knowledge about our community life and charism.

We invite you to give us your feedback. Please, share your opinion how do you find the newsletters, suggest us how we could make it better and how can we improve it. You can also send us your information which you think might be interesting for the Confreres and other readers, especially regarding the parishes where we are present.

Enjoy reading!

Farewell to New Haven

Toma — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 18:31:20 +0000

Exactly 120 years ago, on December 28, 1901 Most Rev. Michael Tierney, the 6th Bishop of Hartford erected the parish of St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr in New Haven, Connecticut. His decision met the needs of Polish immigrants in the area organized in the Society of Saint Stanislaus. At the beginning the parish didn’t have their own place of worship.

Bishop Michael Tierney of Hartford and the beginnings

Two years later, bishop Tierney met in New York City three Vincentian missioners who have just came to Hoboken, NJ from Kraków, Poland. Those missioners were looking for new mission, ministry as their original plans to go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin failed. Meeting Bishop of Hartford was a blessing for missioners. He invited them to New Haven where the young St. Stanislaus parish needed new pastor (the first pastor, Fr. Musial was assigned to develop another parish in Connecticut).

Exactly 118 years ago, on December 29, 1903 three Polish sons of St.Vincent de Paul, Fr. George Glogowski CM, Fr. Paul Waszko CM and Fr. Francis Trawniczek CM arrived to New Haven by train welcomed by Bishop Tierney himself at the Union Station. Immediately, the bishop passed the care of Polish parish of St. Stanislaus to Vincentian Fathers and Fr. George Glogowski CM was appointed the new pastor and his associates became parochial vicars. On New Year day of 1904 he took the office. At that moment, the Vincentian mission in Connecticut and New England begun.

Their first activity was a popular mission which was not only the great success but that was a realization there were much more Poles in the area than they first expected. It turned out the temporary place of worship located in the former grocery shop on Dwight Street site was too small. In a short while, the old Swedish church on St. John Street was acquired. Bishop Tierney blessed it on Memorial Day in 1905, under the patronage of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr.

The parish continued to grow very rapidly and by 1910 it was evident that they had outgrown both the church and the parish school. Father Antoni Mazurkiewicz CM, the fourth pastor looked for a property that would be more centrally located in the city of New Haven. He found an abandoned church on the corner of State and Eld Streets. This the place were the present St. Stanislaus, the Bishop and Martyr parish is located.

By 1911, the property was cleared and the foundation for the present church was laid. On Memorial Day (then called Decoration Day, last Monday of May) in 1912, Most Reverent John Joseph Nilan, the 7th Bishop of Hartford, blessed the cornerstone of the new church. Just a year later, on April 27, 1913, the first Mass was said in the new church. A solemn Mass of dedication was celebrated by Bishop Nilan on May 30, 1913.

Archbishop Leonard Blair of Hartford and his Pastoral Plan

108 years later, on July 28, 2021 Archbishop Leonard Blair of Hartford, the Saint 8th successor of Bishop Tierney, addressed a letter to Very Rev. Marek G. Sadowski CM, the Provincial Superior of the Vincentians in New England. In Archbishop’s letter we read:

“As we explained, the present Pastoral Plan for the Archdiocese calls for the parishes of Saint Joseph and Saint Michael the Archangel to remain independent and staffed by the Vincentian Fathers as long as it is possible for your Province to do so. We hope that both in Ansonia and Derby there will be even greater cooperation among all the clergy in these two municipalities to ensure the strength of the Church and the fraternal support of one another. [...]

Thank you again for the fine work also done by the Vincentian Fathers [...] at Saint Stanislaus Parish in New Haven. However, as we explained, the Archdiocese has to press ahead with Pastoral Planning to ensure vibrant parishes in the face of the two-fold challenge of dwindling numbers of clergy — both diocesan and religious — and shrinking numbers of practicing Catholics as well.

In New Haven the “municipal model” that we are implementing for the Archdiocese will be effective January 1, 2022. As of that date a new municipal parish will be erected which will include the parishes/churches of Saint Mary (and Saint Joseph), Saint Stanislaus, Saint Michael, Saint Martin de Porres, Our Lady of Guadalupe (Saint Francis and Saint Rose of Lima), and Saint Anthony, as well as the Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale.

Perhaps the Vincentians Fathers wish to continue ministering to the Polish community at Saint Stanislaus, not as Pastors but rather as parochial vicars of the municipal parish in concert and fraternity with the other priests assigned to that municipal parish. I realize that this represents a significant change in the long history of your ministry in New Haven, but it is one that I am confident will bring all the Catholic people in the community to a stronger and more vibrant parish life. [...]

I thank you most heartily for your ministry in the Archdiocese and the wider Church and pray that the transition I have described, while perhaps unanticipated and disappointing, will nonetheless encourage you to participate as a blessing to both the Church in New Haven and your religious community.”

Once planted charism lives on against all odds

In this situation instead of thinking of parish / mission anniversary celebrations we were fostered to prepare for moving out from the place we built, brought up and cared of for almost 120 years. We are witnessing the saddest situation the Vincentians of New England Province have been in all our history. We are talking about our roots, our beginnings.

In our history we won and lost many times. Times change and we are changing with them, as the old Roman proverb says. Erie, Bow, Whitestone, Utica, Wethersfield, West Hartford, Stamford, Concord, Pelham, Naugatuck. But this time is different. This time we are almost speechless… This lost hurts…

The first Polish Vincentians in Connecticut built this place, developed, redecorated and cared for. The church and school at State Street and the rectory, religious community house at Eld Street are our origins. More then 120 confreres started their American Vincentian journey in New Haven. Almost every missioner coming in to the Polish mission in the USA first came to New Haven. It was a peaceful shelter and harbor for the Confreres, missionaries expelled from China missions after 1947 revolution. The house at Eld Street was our Mother House as we usually call the first location of the Congregation in any Province. (As Our Lady of the Barrens, Perryville, MO is for Western Province and St. Vincent Seminary in Germantown, Philadelphia, PA is for Eastern Province). From this place the Vincentians were able to expand their mission across Connecticut, New York State, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Maine and more.

Farewell

Now, we would like to give thanks to all the people of New Haven, those who joined us for prayer and worship in St. Stanislaus church and those who came for confession here or in other purposes and occasions. Thank you very, very much. You will be in our thoughts and prayers always.

At Christmas of 1903 Fr. George Glogowski CM brought the charism of Saint Vincent de Paul, our Founder, to this land. He and his companions planted this charism in. After 118 years we witness and experience how much this charism grew up and spread all around. It would not be possible without engagement, loyalty, openness and continuous support from your, our parishioners, the people of New haven and Connecticut. Thank you very much for your presence. We will never forget you. We will always miss you.

Today we are leaving this place. But we believe the charism of Saint Vincent de Paul, the legacy of all the fifteen Vincentian pastors and of St. Stanislaus parish and their associates will live on.

We are leaving New Haven, but as you know, we are not leaving you. It’s only ten miles westward to Derby or Ansonia were you can find us. Always, you are welcomed at St. Michael’s in Derby or St. Joseph’s in Ansonia. we are waiting for you there.

We are leaving New Haven, but our mission continues. The charism which brought us here 118 years ago impels us to continue preaching the Good News to the people of Connecticut and New England.

May Almighty God bless you all.

Post Scriptum
The current pastor of St. Stanislaus parish, Fr. Tadeusz Maciejewski CM, and Fr. Stanley Miekinia CM have left the parish grounds on December 28, 2021. According to Archbishop’s Blair decision, Fr. Sebastian Kos assigned as new parish administrator starting on January 1, 2022.

Fr. Edmund R. Gutowski, C.M. passed away

Toma — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 22:51:33 +0000

Regretfully we inform you that Rev. Edmund Gutowski, CM passed away on October 8, 2021. He was 88 years old, 69 years of vocation and 61 years in priesthood.

Father EDMUND RICHARD GUTOWSKI CMwas born November 16, 1932 in Brooklyn, NY, asthe son of the late Anthony Gutowski and Stella Jablonski Gutowski, in St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish. Here he attended St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish School. In 1946 he turned his steps to St. John Kanty Prep (College in those days), Erie, Penn, another Polish Vincentians staffed education institution very estimated among Polish-Americans. After graduation in 1950 he went to Niagara University, another place where he was under Vincentian tutelage. Here he recognized his vocation. In 1951 moved to St. Joseph Preparatoty Seminary, Princeton, NJ. Here he was received to the Congregation of the Mission (then Vice-Province of Poland in the USA) on June 10, 1952 and then spent another two years in Internal Seminary (Novitiate) in St. Vincent’s Seminary, Germantown, Penn. After professing temporary vows (Good Proposal) on June 11, 1954 he was transferred for rest of seminary formation to Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton, Penn. Here he took perpetual vows on June 11, 1957 and earned his B.A. in philosophy. On October 4, 1959 received into the Order of Deacons. Ordained priest at Mary Queen of All Saints Chapel (Mary Immaculate Seminary), Northampton, May 26, 1960 by Msgr John A. O’Shea CM, bishop of Kanchow, China. His First Solemn Mass Fr. Gutowski sung in his home parish – St.Stanislaus Kostka, on May 29, 1960.

His first assignment, right after ordination, was in home parish – St. Stanislaus Kostka. There, he was vicar and continued his studies at College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, St.John’s University, New York. He graduated with Master’s degree in Library Sciences (MLS).

In 1961 Fr. “Ed” was sent to St. John Kanty Prep (St. John Kanty College) in Erie, Penn as a part of the preachers (popular missions) team which was stationed there. Soon he started his career as teacher and educatorteaching Civics and Christian Doctrine IV. He was assigned as the Assistant Director of Students. In the fall of 1962, he began teaching English I and English III.In 1966, he became head of the Mass Department in Erie, PA., a post he held for 14 years. He was Director of Admissions of St. John Kanty Prep in Erie, PA. for 6 years. He stays in Erie until it’s closing on June 8, 1980. Meanwhile since 1975 to 1978 he was Provincial Assistant and Councilor.

Later, in the same year Fr. Gutowski was sent to missionary work abroad. He spent some months of 1980 in Algeria involved in the missions. And in 1981 started his work in Istanbul, Turkey. Vincentians from Province of Austria run prestigious St. Georgs-Kolleg (St. George’s Austrian High School). It was founded in 1880 and since the beginning Austrian Vincentians keep governance of the High School according to Austrian education system (Austrian education authority supervises the school).

In 1988 Fr. Edmund returned to United States being assigned as archivist in the Provincial Residence in West West Hartford, Conn. He held this position until 1991 when he returned to Istanbul again. In 1994 back in New England and sent as vicar to St. Stanislaus Parish in New Haven, Conn. In 1995 moved to his home parish (St. Stanislaus Kostka) as parochial vicar. Additionally, in 2000 – 2003 was Superior there. Since 2004 Fr. Ed stayed in DePaul Provincial Residence, Manchester, Conn. again as Provincial Archivist. Organization of the Provincial Archives was his main responsibility.

When his health deteriorated he moved to stay with his family in Brooklyn. And later he became resident in St. Mary’s Home, the nursing facility in West New Haven, CT. At the time of his death he was at DePaul Provincial Residence in Manchester, CT.

Burial will take place on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 in Brooklyn, NY

At 11:00AM his body will lie in state in St. Stanislaus Kostka Church

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 12:00 PM there.

According to Fr. Ed’s will his body will be cremated.

Internment will take place in St. John’s Cemetery, Queens, NY.

He will be laid down in the family tomb

Rev. Stanislaw “Stanley” Staniszewski, C.M. – R.I.P

Toma — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 22:20:33 +0000

On the eve of the Palm Sunday, Father Stanisław “Stanley” Staniszewski, C.M. died unexpectedly in Florida at the age of 83, 65 years of vocation and 58 years of priesthood.

Father Stanisław Staniszewski was born on October 26, 1937 in the village of Abramy, in Ostrołęka county in central Poland as son Jan Staniszewski and Helena Łukasiewicz. He entered the Congregation of the Mission (Province of Poland) on October 7, 1956. He took his vows on June 28, 1962. On June 23, 1963 he was ordained priest by Msgr Karol Wojtyła, then Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow.

Following ordination Father had three pastoral assignments in Vincentian parishes in Poland: Odporyszów, near Tarnów (1963-1964), Trzciel, near western border of the country (1964-1965) and finally in Grodków, in Silesia, in southern Poland (1965-1969).

He arrived to the United States on November 24, 1969. First, he studied English (EFL course) at St. Michael’s College, Winooski, VT being based in the mission house in Whitestone, NY. Later, in 1970, he came to St. Michael’s parish in Derby, CT as vicar in the same time he continued his English studies (ESL courses) at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Next (1972-1973) he deepened his experience in popular mission team based in Whitestone, NY and in 1973 he was sent to parish ministry at St. Stanislaus Kostka parish, Brooklyn, NY. Then, in school year 1976-1977 Father Stanley was moved to St. John’s Kanty College in Erie, PA as a teacher.

Until the end of the year he joined mission team in Whitestone, CT, and again he became a vicar in Derby, CT (1978-1981). Next he moved to mission preaching ministry once more. This time he joined the other team based in Utica, NY. In 1982 he became the superior of the community house there and held this post until August 31, 1988 when he was assigned as a pastor of St. Stanislaus Kostka, Brooklyn, N.Y.

During his stay in the mission house in Utica, NY he held various week-day or weekend activities in: St. Mary’s church, St. Theresa’s church, SS. Peter and Paul’s in Frankfort, St. Paul’s in Whitesboro, Griffis Air Force Base, Rome; St. Joseph’s, Herkimer, St. Ann’s, Hinckley; St. Mary’s, New York Mills, St. John the Baptist, Newport, Veterans ADMINISTRATION Hospital, Syracuse; Psychiatric Center, Marcy and St. Hyacinth’s, Dunkirk.

In the city of Utica his ministry included: Our lady of Lourdes; St. Mary’s; Blessed Sacrament; St. Anthony’s; St. Louis Gonzaga; Sacred Heart; St. Peter’s, Holy Trinity; St. Stanislaus, and Utica Psychiatric Center.

Missions and retreats were held at: St. Casimir’s , Endicott; St. Louis Gonzaga, Utica; St. Joseph’s, Central Falls, RI; and St. John Kanty, Clifton, NJ.

Forty Hours devotions were conducted at: Holy Trinity, Utica; St. Stanislaus, Utica; Transfiguration, Syracuse; and St. Casimir’s, Albany.

In 1991 when his term of office was finished he was transferred to St. Joseph’s parish, Ansonia, CT as vicar (1992-1994). Later he worked in St. Stanislaus B&M parish, New Haven, CT (1994-1995) and moved to Provincial House in Manchester in 1995.

In 1996 he moved to Holy Name of Jesus parish in Stamford, C.T., which administration was handed to the Vincentians by the bishop of Bridgeport. First, 1996-2002, he was a vicar there, and next in December 2002 he was appointed administrator and later the pastor of that parish. He held this position until 2008 when he was assigned as a Vicar at St. Stanislaus Kostka, Brooklyn, NY again. In 2009 he moved to DePaul Provincial Residence in Manchester, CT. He retired in 2013, the year of his Golden Priesthood Jubilee. He passed away unexpectedly while in the vacation residence in Florida on March 27, 2021.

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.

Fr. G. Marek Sadowski, C.M. – new Provincial of the New England Province

Toma — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 20:39:29 +0000

In the New England Province, Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, September 27, 2016 was marked by the installation of new Provincial Superior, Fr. Grzegorz Marek Sadowski, C.M.. All members of the Province gathered at DePaul Residence in Manchester, CT for the celebration. In fact, the elections took place in May, but taking over the office was set for the September feast.

Father Grzegorz Marek Sadowski, C.M. was born May 20, 1966 in the parish of Our Lady the Queen of Martyrs in Radule (pronounced: Rah-doo-leh), a village in the commune of Tykocin, 10 miles West from Bialystok, North East Poland. He entered Congregation of the Mission in the Province of Poland December 8, 1985 and ordained priest on May 28, 1994 in Krakow, Poland.

His first pastoral assignment was the Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Ilowa, Western Poland where he was catechist for one year. In 1995 Father was moved to St. Vincent de Paul parish in Bydgoszcz, Northern Poland. He religion teacher in public schools until 2001. Next, we has assigned to newly founded and under construction the “Good News 2000″ Education Center in Piekary near Krakow. He was a Treasurer there 2002 – 2004. In 2004 Father Marek started new stage of his pastoral journey and arrived to the United States.

At the beginning he stayed at Provincial Residence in Manchester, CT and later in 2004 he was assigned as parochial vicar in St. Peter’s parish, Concord, NH which was administered by New England Province in that time. On October 9, 2008 Father was moved to St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr parish, New Haven, CT as vicar and also appointed Provincial Treasurer. He held this position until being installed as new Provincial. He served in other parishes in the Province, too according to pastoral needs. In November 2013, soon after the death of Fr Roman Gorowski, C.M. he was appointed superior of the house and pastor of St. Michael’s parish, Derby, CT. During his pastorate he run complete renovation of the rectory and all necessary renovation works in the church. Additionally, Fr. Marek was elected to the Provincial Council and started his tenure September 29, 2014.

In May 2016, in direct voting by members of the Province Fr. Sadowski was elected new Provincial (Visitor in Vincentian terminology). His nomination was approved by the Superior General, Fr. G. Gregory Gay, C.M. shortly before the General Assembly of the Congregation of the Mission started in Chicago, IL. Although Fr. Marek was not a delegate he was present as guest at the Assembly in the time new Superior General was elected. Recently, together with Fr. Rafal Kopystynski he participated in the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of Vincentian presence in USA which took place in the Miraculous Medal Shrine in Germantown, Philadelphia, PA, September 24.

Fr. Marek Sadowski, C.M. is taking over the office of Provincial from Fr. Rafal Kopystynski, C.M., who will in turn replace him as new Pastor of St. Michael’s parish in Derby. On Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, Fr. Sadowski became eighth Provincial (Visitor) of the New England Province of the Congregation of the Mission.

May God’s power help new Provincial in his service to the Church and the Congregation of the Mission in the Province of New England as well as possible.