Congregation of the Mission » Ansonia

Fr. Mitchell Wanat CM – 40 years as teacher and pastor

Tom — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:34:52 +0000

Of forty years in priesthood almost a half of it he dedicated to teaching and educating young people being idolized by students either at St. John Kanty Prep in Erie, PA or in Bishop Brady High School, Concord, NH. For the other half, he has been living in parochial ministry as vicar, administrator and pastor. Fr. Mitchell Wanat CM, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Ansonia, CT is celebrating ruby priesthood anniversary this month. A Mass honoring his jubilee will be celebrated on Thursday, June 16 in Ansonia.

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!

Fr. RONALD WIKTOR CM died

Toma — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:17:13 +0000

“The length of our days is seventy years —
or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” (Psalm 90,10)

On July 20, 2010 in age of 74, 53 years of vocation and 47 years of priesthood, Father Ronald A. WIKTOR CM died at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Bridgeport, CT. He was the long time teacher and last Principal, Rector and Superior of St. John Kanty Prep, Erie, PA. Since 2006 he was resident of St. Joseph Manor Rehabilitation & Medical Center, Trumbull, CT. Condolences can be added as commentaries to this post.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS DETAILS.

Lay in State:
July 24, 2010 9:00-10:00 AM
at St. Michael’s Church, Derby, CT

Funeral Liturgy:
July 24, 2010 10:30 AM
St. Michael’s Church, Derby, CT

Burial:
July 24, 2010 12:00 Noon
Vincentian Community Plot
St. Michael’s Cemetery, Derby, CT

RONALD A. WIKTOR was born on December 26, 1935 in Lackawanna, NY as the son of Andrew and Mary Kurczewski Wiktor. He attended St. Barbara’s School in Lackawanna, N.Y. and next graduated from St. John John Kanty Prep, Erie, PA in 1953. On June 8, 1957 he entered the Congregation of the Mission in then, Vice-Province of Poland in the USA and was sent for Internal Seminary course with the Vincentian Eastern Province in St. Vincent’s Seminary, Germantown, Philadelphia, PA. He completed his theological studies in Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton, PA obtaining Master of Divinity (M.Div) degree. Ordained priest on June 1, 1963 in the Chapel of Queen of All Saints, Northampton. He did Post Graduate studies in Fairfield University in Fairfield.

For his first assignment he was sent to mission house in Utica, NY were he stayed until 1965. Next moved to Ansonia as porochial vicar of St. Joseph’s parish there (under pastorates of Fr. Casimir Kwiatkowski and Fr. John Starzec). Ansonia became his “first love” since the very begining.

In 1967 Fr. “Ron” was assigned to Erie, his Alma Mater, St. John Kanty Prep. There he has spent next 15 years. He begun as teacher and in years, he stepped up the ladder becoming Principal in 1976 (with Fr. John Sledziona as Superior) and since 1978 Rector and Superior of the House. He was the last one in these offices. During his tenure St John Kanty Prep was closed. The last school year ended on June 6, 1980 and on September 6, 1982 Fr. Ronald was the man who turned off the light and locked the door of Erie House.

For next four months he was assigned to Provincial House in West Hartford, CT and held administration of a parish in Pittsfield, New Hampshire (Diocese of Manchester). The bishop was so greatly satisfied with his service that later he offered St. Peter’s Parish in Concord, NH to Vincentians from Province of New England. Meanwhile, between 1979 and 1986 he was Provincial Councilor.

On February 1, 1983 Fr. Wiktor returned to his “first love”, St. Jospeh’s parish in Ansonia, CT. This time as pastor and superior. He stayed here until September 1988. During his pastorate he outlaid some $100,000 for new ramp to the church, new carillon bells, insulation of the church roof and repairs to the church, school and parking lot. In pastoral level Miraculous Medal NOvena was reinstituted (Wednesdays, 5:00 p.m.), former annual Eucharistic Day was prolonged to three-day Forty Hours Devotions. Between 1984- 1986 a special “renew program” was conducted in the parish. People gathered in homes for special prayers and liturgies. There were parish Candlelight Services, talks on suggested theological topics, special education and religious films.

Since October 1, 1988 he has got his “second love” St. Michael’s Parish in Derby, CT as pastor and until 1993 also as the Superior. His years there are marked by authorization of printing of the publication “Saint Michael the Archangel, Derby, Connecticut “.

In 2001 he was transferred to new appointment, he joined Confreres from Eastern Province as Pastor of Our Lady of Lebanon Parish, Niagara Falls, NY (closed by Bishop of Buffalo in 2008). Due to his health condition retired in 2006 and became resident of St. Joseph Manor, Trumbull, CT. However as often as it was possible he joined the community for various celebrations and festivities.

He is survived by his sister, Barbara (Joseph) Peters of Charleston, S.C.; brothers, Norman (Judith) Wiktor of West Seneca, N.Y., Thomas (Delphine) Wiktor of Orchard Park, N.Y. and Damian (Judith) Wiktor of Boston, N.Y. He is also survived by eight nieces and nephews and numerous great-nieces and nephews.

View picture gallery of Fr. Ronald Wiktor

You will always remain in our memory and our prayers, Fr. Ron.

May angels lead you into paradise;
upon your arrival, may the martyrs receive you
and lead you to the holy city of Jerusalem.
May the ranks of angels receive you,
and with Lazarus, the poor man, may you have eternal rest.

Fr. Waclaw Hlond – priest for 55 years

Toma — Sat, 15 May 2010 10:05:55 +0000

It was May 15, 1955. Deacon Wacław A. HŁOND CM and two his other Confreres received priesthood ordinations in the Province of Poland of the Congregation of the Mission in Krakow. Times were hard those days in the country. Europe behind Iron Curtain looked much different from the other part of the continent under Marshal Plan. Church was persecuted. To become a priest in those days was bigger challenge than before. First assignment of the new ordained priest was in Our Lady of Rosary Parish in Pabianice, in the heart of Poland. After three years there he arrived to the United States.

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!