Reverend Marek Bozek

Statement on Litigation

and Potential Settlement Considerations 

From time to time St. Stanislaus Board members and our attorneys have addressed you regarding the status of the litigation initiated by the Archdiocese against the parish. With the lawsuit set for trial in February and the intensity of preparation ramping up, I thought it appropriate to comment at this time.

When I came to St. Stanislaus, I came here as a pastor.  I came to provide pastoral care, love, and support for this parish that had been treated so poorly.  I did not come as a lawyer, to take sides in a lawsuit, or to be on the news.

When I came here, I did not anticipate that we would ever find ourselves seated next to one another in a courtroom watching the future and independence of this parish debated in a lawsuit.  Through it all, the Board has fought for you and for the future of this parish.  The current Board has given of its time and energy to protect the corporate independence of this church.   Former board members, such as Bernice Krauze, Bob Zabielski, Stan Rozanski, and Ed Florek, have each spoken eloquently about the importance of corporate independence for St. Stanislaus’s future vitality.  They were right.  I believe we all agree on at least one thing: that St. Stanislaus should be protected for future generations.  

I hope we also can agree on one other thing: this lawsuit is about issues that are much bigger than I.  This controversy began long before I came to St. Stanislaus.  This controversy and this lawsuit are not about Marek Bozek, they are about St. Stanislaus and its future.  
When I came here, I pledged to remain your pastor as long as you would allow me to serve.  I hoped then, as I do now, that a peaceful resolution of this controversy was possible.  The Board and our lawyers have constantly explored creative ways to settle the lawsuit and to resolve this dispute, while at the same time making sure that St. Stanislaus’s heritage was protected for future generations of the St. Louis Polonia.  

I want you to know that I have told the Board that I am personally willing to do what it takes to resolve this controversy. If that involves me staying here for many years, I would be delighted. But if it is necessary for me to step aside and continue my ministry elsewhere, I am willing to do that so long as I know that you will not go without pastoral care and the Sacraments. Over the past year, some have mentioned that one of the religious orders might be able to provide pastors for St. Stanislaus, and, if that is the parish’s decision, I will be willing to allow my fellow priests to minister to this church family. As most of you know, the Archdiocese thinks I have been laicized; I am not willing or able to change their minds. Above all, though, I do not want my personal circumstances to impede what is best for St. Stanislaus.