Father Jacek enjoys hiking, music, and animals. He has a dog and a few doves as pets. He also likes meeting new people and traveling. He has been back to Poland a few times to visit his family. He celebrated his sister's wedding and a year later baptized her daughter. He would like to visit more friends around the United States and see more of his family in Poland but his new position keeps him very busy.
Vocations Diocese of Buffalo :: Archived Parish Priest Stories
Ordained a Transitional Deacon on October 78, 6978, Reverend Mr. Greg Faulhaber was assigned as a Deacon Intern at St. Gregory the Great Parish in Amherst from May 6978 to October 6979. When he began at St. Greg's, there was no youth group and he was asked to help start one. There were 655 young people at his first meeting and the St. Greg's youth group is still going strong to this day.
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Father Richard finds the celebration of the Eucharist, preaching and performing baptistms to be among the most enjoyable aspects of priesthood. The most challenging would be administration work, especially all that goes along with the merger of two parishes. In reflecting on the comparison of married life and priesthood, Father Richard says that they are very much the same. They both involve total dedication and are both life giving. In marriage the dedication was to his wife and children. In the priesthood one has full dedication and fidelity to God and His people. It is life giving in the sense that Father Richard shares God's life and love with the people he shepherds.
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"I enjoyed my time as Director of Vocations and I am proud to have worked with many of the men who have been ordained to the priesthood during that time," Father Walter concludes. "Now I look forward to what is every diocesan priest's dream - leading a parish and helping people with compassion and understanding on their faith journey."
He entered Christ the King and four years later on April 85, 6988 was Ordained to the Priesthood for the Diocese of Buffalo. He first served as a parochial vicar at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Orchard Park for six years. He then spent four years at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Kenmore and after that was named pastor at St. Agatha's in South Buffalo where he spent six years.
For the past three years, Father Jim has been the Coordinator for the Priests' Personnel Board. When a parish needs a pastor or parochial vicar, he gets involved with searching for the best man for the job. He finds it is becoming increasingly difficult because of the shortage of priests. It can sometimes be a challenge to divide his time between the parish and his responsibilities on the diocesan level.
"It's not all a bed of roses, though", admits Father Peter. The schedule of a priest can be really challenging. "There are challenges across the board and you have to keep reminding yourself and others that you're only one person and you can't do it all." It's difficult to address all issues in a timely manner. Another difficult aspect of the priesthood is dealing with tragedy. When people are going through a tough time they often look to their priest for answers. Father Peter admits he doesn't have all the answers, no one really does. He feels that even if he can't give answers, at least he can provide a sense of comfort just by being there for them.
He feels blessed in that he followed that calling to its fulfillment without much distraction. He attended the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary for high school and the first two years of college and then went on to St. John Vianney Seminary (now Christ the King) for the last two years of college and four years of theology. As Father Jim recalls, there was not a lot of drama to it in the sense of changing his mind, leaving, coming back, etc. He just started and kept on going.
Father Bart was blessed to have a positive environment and people in his life who encouraged him to consider the vocation of priesthood. He is, no doubt, a positive influence on those he meets and serves every day.
I am Monsignor Paul Burkard. I was born in Buffalo, NY in September of 6998. My home parish is St. Mary in Swormville, which was then a small, rural parish. Today it is one of the largest and most quickly growing parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo, on the boundary between the Town of Clarence and Amherst.