Florida Catholic | Painter? Pilot? Priest!

Painter? Pilot? Priest!

Father Valdemar Maciag is a high-flying artist who lets God make the plans for his life.

INTERVIEW BY RUTH JACKSON | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 04.04.08

Father Valdemar Maciag, associate pastor of Holy Family Parish, favors rock music and working with youth. He was born Nov. 19, 1970 in Czestochowa, Poland.
Courtesy | Father Valdmar Maciag

FC: What did you do before becoming a priest?

FATHER VALDEMAR: Long hair, jeans with holes and jean jacket with an American flag on its back — that is how I looked. I was listening to rock music, reading books, going to school, doing my homework, going to the church, playing guitar and soccer and looking very hard to enjoy a life without missing a minute of it — that was me. I think I tried more activities than anybody else in the world. Napping, watching TV and lazy moments were never my thing. God, family, friends — those priorities I got from my parents. When I turned 16, I made a promise to attend 6 o’clock Mass every morning. And I did it for the next five years — every day. Besides this I also made some mistakes, but with God’s help I survived.

FC: When did you know you wanted to be a priest?

FATHER VALDEMAR: Three days before I made the decision to enter the seminary. I had just finished high school, had plans to become an artist and everything seemed to be going OK. But it was not. I didn’t feel right. What’s going on? I thought it must be something huge. I felt that God wanted to tell me something, so I decided to make a private retreat. I went to the Carmelite monastery; I closed the windows, turned off the music, kneeled in front of God saying, “OK, I am ready. Let’s talk.” Finally, I got this amazing news: “Follow me.”

FC: Why did you become a priest? Was it an easy decision?

FATHER VALDEMAR: I became a priest because I couldn’t say “no” to God. I felt and believed he was calling me — an incredible feeling by the way. To make that decision was quite easy for me … just hard to believe that God needed someone like me — a rocker with long hair and jeans with holes — to be a priest. But what I can say … he is more adventurous than me. He had a plan for me. He said YOU … and I said YES. I can even say that this was not an easy decision to make, but the best one that I have ever made in my life. I am glad I had the space in my life for God and the time to stay quiet when I was a teenager, because God truly speaks with a soft voice. To hear that voice you have to stay quiet.

FC: What would you do if you had not become a priest?

FATHER VALDEMAR: I always wanted to be a pilot or a painter/artist. But luckily I am a priest. I am a happy priest and happy with who I am right now and proud of it. So … had I not become a priest I probably would have been an unhappy pilot or an unhappy painter. Alphabetically, painter and pilot come before priest. I had a plan for those first two. God said, “No, I have something interesting for you and it starts with a ‘P’ too. What about a priest?” So “priest” even though it’s placed last alphabetically on this list, I chose it. Old rule: The last will be first.

FC: What is the most difficult aspect of being a priest?

FATHER VALDEMAR: I have no idea. I have never focused on difficult aspects of being a priest — it is such a waste of time. God made me his priest and treats me to the most beautiful adventure of my life. He is with me. My family and friends are with me on that “trip” too. What can be difficult with such great assistance? Daily difficulties are just things that must happen in my life, something that I have to go through, to draw a conclusion and take a step forward, to get closer to God and make myself even a better version of me.

FC: What is your greatest joy?

FATHER VALDEMAR: It is looking up to the sky every day, seeing God’s face there, having a conversation with him a few times a day, holding his son’s body in my hands, getting spiritual power, feeling that God is sanctifying me, lifting me up from my weaknesses — that is the greatest joy. With all those basic gifts I can move mountains.

FC: What is your greatest disappointment?

FATHER VALDEMAR: Disappointment? There are no disappointments. God blesses me with his goodness every day. The varieties of opportunities that he has given me are exciting challenges to me. How I can be disappointed? No way. I don’t like and don’t even use this word. Disappointment is a word used by conformists or for people with the wrong expectations. That’s not me. I am longing for eternal life.

FC: What is your description of the ideal priest?

FATHER VALDEMAR: I don’t have a description of the ideal priest. Pope John Paul II was a great priest, but he found his own unique way to be an ideal priest. I don’t want to copy JP II or any other great priest in church history. Being an original is always the best. A copy is just a copy. So I am learning from them how to find my own original way to be a good priest.

FC: What stereotypes do people have about priests that should be discarded?

FATHER VALDEMAR: First of all, I will be really careful with allowing people to decide what kind of priest they want. God makes that decision and he is doing a good job. God wants to have all kinds of priests; there is a reason for that. Don’t take that away from God. Discarding stereotypes can be wrong. I can’t see any stereotypes nowadays that should be discarded. In general, behind stereotypes is a message: Be faithful to God and to the church. Changing stereotypes is truly for intelligent people. To make such a change is a big deal. Usually, we can get lost while doing this, but to make a change and keep your identity is something huge and not everybody might be able to do that.

FC: Who was most surprised by your vocation?

FATHER VALDEMAR: I was — surprised and happy.

FC: Who do you most admire?

FATHER VALDEMAR: On top will be each person who is not afraid to say out loud who he is. I admire thousands of people working to be the best version of themselves. People who never give up, who know where they are going. People who truly take care of other people. People who truly take care of their own spiritual, mental and physical growth and are using their wisdom for good.

FC: What do you do on your days off?

FATHER VALDEMAR: Because of many interests and hobbies, I have always had a lot to do to enjoy my day off. For example, reading books, painting, playing guitar, meeting friends, exercising and definitely waking up early to watch the sunrise, celebrating Mass in a private chapel and looking for a nice place to watch the sun set at the end of the day.

FC: What kinds of stories do you like?

FATHER VALDEMAR: Definitely stories I can learn something from, stories with a moral. My favorite books are “The Little Prince,” “Wind, Sand and Stars,” “The Wisdom of the Sands,” all by Antoine de Saint Exupery; “The Alchemist” and “Like the Flowing River” by Paulo Coelho; “Oscar” and “Lady in Pink” by Eric-Emmanuel Schimtt and many more.

FC: What is your favorite type of music?

FATHER VALDEMAR: That will be rock and hard rock. My favorite band is U2. I think for many years that type of music was missing — musicians and artists like guys from U2.

FC: What do you fear the most?

FATHER VALDEMAR: Nothing special. I am many years away from it, but retirement scares me a lot.

FC: What ministries do you most enjoy working with?

FATHER VALDEMAR: That is a good question. And the answer will be working with the youth. But it must be with youth, not for youth. “With” — it makes everybody active and this is what I like. “For” — leaves always one side passive; that I never enjoy.

FC: When and why did you first come to the Diocese of Orlando?

FATHER VALDEMAR: I arrived in Orlando Jan. 25, 2006, after finishing my ministry in Sweden and getting my master’s degree. Why? Because I wanted to come here. I have heard a lot of good things about this diocese from my bishop back in Poland and I was hoping to meet Mickey Mouse, too. Ha-ha!

FC: What was your last assignment?

FATHER VALDEMAR: Cold Sweden, north of Europe. A beautiful country by the way. Unfortunately, just 7 percent of the population is Catholic out of a population of about 9 million people.

FC: You’ve lived a lot of places. How many languages do you speak?

FATHER VALDEMAR: I speak Polish, Swedish. My English is not so bad, but still I need to improve a lot. I can communicate in Norwegian. I still remember Russian and I learned Latin at the seminary for four years.

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