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09/10/2023 Father Owen's Weekly Message
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Dear Parishioners,
I am thrilled to announce that Bishop has appointed Fr. Michael Szwarc as Administrator of St. Luke effective Monday, October 2. I am very grateful to Bishop Kevin Sweeney, Msgr. Mark Condon, Vicar General, Msgr. John Hart, Head of Priest Personnel, and the Personnel Board for listening so carefully to the needs of our parish and including me in the decision process. Fr. Michael is a young and very enthusiastic priest. He is currently serving as Vicar (Assistant Priest) at Corpus Christi in Chatham where he is both very involved and very beloved. He is excited to take charge of St. Luke, his first as Administrator. The normal procedure for a younger priest is to be appointed as Administrator first and within a year to be appointed Pastor. He came by for a visit on Friday, September 1, and I found his personality to be both warm and engaging while at the same time carefully listening to what the needs of the parish are. He was delighted with our beloved church, the office, and the rectory. As we make this announcement this weekend, Corpus Christi is announcing simultaneously. He will come again to meet with the staff in a week or so and to attend our Finance meeting on Wednesday, September 20th. I feel strongly that the Lord has brought Fr. Michael to St. Luke, and I have every confidence that he will continue the good work of Fr. Peter, Fr. Mike and me. Please keep Fr. Michael in prayer during this exciting time for him.
I would like to share a little bit about Fr. Michael’s background and by the way, he is a twin too!
Fr. Michael Szwarc was born and raised in Poland and spent most of his life in Gdansk. He is very close to his family which includes his mother, Jadwiga, and two sisters, Kasia (his twin) and Monika (his younger sibling), his nieces and nephews who all live in Poland. His dad is unfortunately deceased. Fr. Michael completed his studies in Poland and joined the Diocese of Paterson in October 2014. He has two master’s degrees: one in Theology and the other in Family Science. He also completed a program in Computer Graphics and has experience working as a graphic designer in both industrial and cosmetic companies. In 2015, he was ordained as a transitional deacon and was assigned to St. Jude Parish in Budd Lake, NJ. Following a year in this role, he was ordained as a priest and served at Good Shepherd Parish in Andover, NJ, for five years. For the past two years, he has been serving at Corpus Christi Parish in Chatham, NJ. He also serves as the Bishop’s Master of Ceremonies, assisting him at Confirmation Masses and other diocesan events. Fr. Michal enjoys hiking, swimming, rollerblading, and skiing but one of his greatest passions is travelling. He is excited about coming to St. Luke Parish and meeting his new parish family.
On Friday and Saturday of last week, our Antioch young adult team leaders had a retreat weekend. I will be delighted to celebrate Mass for them on Saturday afternoon and to see how eager they are to have a successful weekend. I invite all youth from 10th grade upwards to register for this amazing retreat experience. I strongly encourage their parents to help prioritize this special time. Registration forms are in the narthex and online on our website. A big thanks to Tony and Isabel Amaral for leading the Antioch weekend retreat.
Fr. Owen