Father Slawek
Parish Priest
I was born on 31 May 1980 in Tarnowskie Gory, Poland. My parents, Halina and Jurek, instilled great reverence for God in me and my brother, Wojtek. Our family belonged to a local Parish run by the Camilian Fathers whose charism is to look after the sick in hospitals.
Even as a young boy, and very much inspired by my Parish Priest, Fr Anthony Bendarczyk, I desired to become a priest myself. In year eight, my RE teacher gave me a brochure about the Oblates of Mary Immaculate who at that time had a boarding school for boys. On completion of the college education, and already fascinated by St Eugene de Mazenod and his ‘burning zeal for the salvation of souls’, I decided to join the Oblates. In 2000, I took my first religious vows and began my studies. Six years later, on the 29th of May I was ordained a priest.
For the first two years I worked as an assistant priest in Ilawa, Poland, and then came to Australia. Since my arrival in 2008, I have ministered in various parishes in SA, WA, Vic, and now in Eagle Vale, NSW.
The Scripture passage which I chose as my priestly motto is from John 6:9: “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” These words constantly remind me that I certainly don’t have enough means, talents and skills, to accomplish the mission the Lord has entrusted me with. Luckily, Jesus does not expect me to perform miracles, he simply wants me to give him the little I have, so that he could feed the hungry, fill people’s hearts with his eternal love.