Reverend Marek Bozek

 What Is It All About

"The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ." These opening words of the Vatican II Pastoral Constitution On The Church have guided my priestly ministry since the day I was ordained in December 2002. Every person that I am honored to minister to, touches my life in the most intimate way possible - their joys and hopes become mine, their griefs and anxieties become less burdensome when shared within the Body of Christ. Whether it is a sacramental action or a ministry of presence, God's love is simply awe inspiring.

The sacraments are symbolic actions which represent, effect and celebrate the salvation of Christ and the coming of the Spirit in the life of the Church and its members. Christian Initiation into the grace of Christ and the life of the Church is signified and effected through Baptism and Confirmation; this grace and life are continuously nourished through the Eucharist. The sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick bring wholeness and healing to the brokenness of spirit caused by sin and the brokenness of body caused by sickness. God's calling to a life of committed service to others is heard and responded to in the sacraments of Matrimony and Holy Orders.

Holy Baptism holds the first place among the sacraments, because it is the door of the spiritual life; for by it we are made members of Christ and incorporated with the Church. At St. Stanislaus I baptize both infants and adults. If you are a parent who wishes to baptize a baby I encourage you to contact me in order to schedule a Baptism Preparation Meeting. If you are and adult and wish to be baptized, you will be asked to participate in the seven month long Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, which concludes every year on Eve of Easter.

Confirmation is a sacrament in which the Holy Spirit is given to those already baptized in order to make them strong Christians and curageous witnesses of Jesus Christ. This sacrament is traditionally offered at St. Stanislaus during the Easter Vigil Mass.

Eucharist, also called Holy Mass or Holy Communion, is the source and summit of the Christian life. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ Himself. By the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life. Faithful to Jesus's command that is repeated by every priest, bishop and pope during each Holy Mass - Take this ALL OF YOU - I invite ALL believers to join me in receiving the Body and Blood of Christ at each Holy Mass that is offered at St. Stanislaus.

Penance is a sacrament instituted by Christ in which forgiveness of sins committed after baptism is granted through the priest's or bishop's absolution to those who with true sorrow confess their sins and promise to satisfy for the same. At St. Stanislaus we offer both individual confession every Saturday and General Absolution twice every year - before Easter and Christmas.

By the sacred Anointing of the Sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that when the sick are anointed they should be "assisted by their pastor and the whole ecclesial community, which is invited to surround the sick in a special way through their prayers and fraternal attention."  I am happy to visit you or your loved one at home or hospital with the anointing of the sick. Twice a year - on February 2nd (Our Lady or Lourdes Feast Day) and on September 19th (St. Stanislaus Kostka Feast Day) - we celebrate this sacrament of healing communally at our parish church.

Marriage is a covenant by which two people establish between themselves a partnership for the whole of life. The celebration of this sacrament gives grace not only to the couple getting married; their love for one another is a sign and sacrament of God's faithful love for us. Unless extraordinary circumstances exist I ask that any couple interested in entering into marriage contact me at least six months before their desired wedding date. Your wedding can be celebrated in our beautiful church or in a suitable location of your choice.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders is the continuation of Christ's priesthood, which He bestowed upon His Apostles. In this sacrament, a person is incorporated into the priesthood of Christ, at one of three levels: the episcopate, the priesthood, or the diaconate. I strongly encourage my parishioners and friends to seriously consider this beautiful way of serving God and God's people.