Florida Catholic | Polish–American Priests Convene In Orlando

Polish–American priests convene in Orlando

Published: 04.04.08

Bishop Thomas Wenski was host for the Polish American Priests Association’s national convention in Orlando, which began March 31 and runs through April 4. The scheduled keynote speaker was Archbishop Jozef Zycinski, Archbishop of Lublin, Poland.

About 70 priests were registered to attend to discuss issues such as philanthropy and preserving Polish heritage and to view a special presentation on “Pope John Paul II: His Interfaith Outreach.”

An anticipated highlight was the presentation of the Father Leopold Moczygemba award to Discalced Carmelite Father Josef Zawada of St. Augustine. Cardinal Adam Maida of the Archdiocese of Detroit was slated to confer the award at an April 3 banquet.

Father Zawada’s recognition is for his pastoral care of a Polish community and church south of St. Augustine. The community, founded in 1914, did not have a Polish-speaking priest until Father Zawada, along with a group of Polish Carmelite priests, arrived in Korona in 1988 to serve St. Mary’s Catholic Church. He helped establish a nearby Carmelite monastery.

Under Father Zawada’s leadership, outdoor Stations of the Cross and a rosary garden with the 20 mysteries of the rosary were built. This has become a popular site for local pilgrims. About 200 people attend Polish Sunday Mass each week at St. Mary’s.

Father Zawada’s honor also is for his work to keep alive a historic Polish community and its church, as well as his contributions to the local Polish community.

The award is named for Father Leopold Moczygemba (1824-1891) who left Bavaria, Germany, to answer the missionary call to America. In 1852, at age 27, he arrived in Galveston, Texas. He and four other friars were entrusted with four parishes and 12 missions serving German Catholics. Today, he is remembered for founding the towns of Panna Maria and Bandera, Texas, and for his ministry to the ethnic Polish populations of the north-central United States.

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Polish–American priests convene in Orlando

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