Jun 20, 2024

Greetings,

About three years ago, Fr. Peter Morris came to be our parochial vicar. About six months through his assignment I received notice the Bishop was going to move him to Sts. Peter and Paul in Doylestown where they were in need of a pastor. Fr. Morris was a great fit both for the rectory and the church and he could smoke meat like nobody’s business. Those who tasted his wares at the Jazz and Wine Festival in the past know what I am talking about. I was sad that he was leaving after such a short a time. Further adding to the loss, we were informed that we would probably be without a parochial vicar for at least the rest of the year.

Immediately plans were being laid to run the parish with one priest. It meant incredibly long confession lines, offering limited services, and the availability of the pastor would be restricted as essential duties would take up more of the schedule. But just as we were figuring out how all of that would work and how we would roll it out, The Rev. Jozef Bozek came to the rescue!

Fr. Bozek was born and raised in Pilzno, Poland, a small town in the south of Poland. Ordained to the priesthood in Rzeszow, Poland, May 13, 1999, he served as a priest there until April 2013, when he came to the United States and was assigned to the Diocese of Cleveland. And it just so happened that when he needed an assignment, we needed him!

Thank you, Fr. Bozek, for your service to this community and helping St. Sebastian keep up with the demands of priestly ministry. It would have been a very different parish without your dedicated care. Not only has Fr. Bozek been an easy man to live with in the rectory, he was always available and willing to assist with anything. He helped with Masses and confessions, and also for the many other requests of priestly services. He was available at the school, took care of our nursing homes, took Communion to and
anointed the homebound, filled in the Mass schedule at the last minute because I had a funeral, manned the emergency line, helped at other local parishes in need and a basket full of other jobs requiring a priest. He also had to put up with a house full of seminarians, dogs and parish events. It was fun being introduced to some of his Polish food and refreshments.

Many blessings to you Father! May your pastorate at St. Barbara be fruitful, bringing greater glory to God and benefit to all those whom you serve. Thank you for your priestly ministry!

IN OTHER NEWS:

RECEPTION FOR FR. BOZEK: After both Sunday Masses there will be a reception for Fr. Bozek in the courtyard (inclement weather in Zwisler Hall). Not only do we get to say good luck on his next assignment and say thank you for his time here with us, but we will also be marking his 25th Anniversary to the priesthood! Congratulations and many more years of joyful service to you!

A JAZZY THANK YOU: Thank you to Mr. Scott Mason and all the volunteers and attendees at the Brickstreet Jazz and Wine Festival. As a side note, the festival was named Brickstreet in hopes that it would become a very large event and that the city, when it came time to repave Mull Avenue, would feel a bit of an obligation to re-brick it. The festival, while very popular, never grew quite that large, the city in fact did re-brick Mull Ave. and we can still call it the Brickstreet Jazz and Wine Festival!

God bless,

Fr. Valencheck