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Our Founding Pastor
Msgr. Vitus J. MasnickiBorn on June 16, 1870 in Zaluczne, Odrowaz Province, Poland
Elementary school in Nowy Targ
High school in Krakow
Emigrated to America in 1892
Completed philosophy and theology studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary which was then located on the campus of Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey.
Ordained on February 29, 1896 by Bishop Winand Michael Wigger at St. Patrick’s Pro-Cathedral
First assignment St. Stanislaus Parish, Belmont Ave, Newark
Appointed Pastor St. Adalbert’s, 1905
Named Monsignor September 1929
Named Protonotary Apostolic June 1946 at the time of his Golden Anniversary of Priesthood
Died on July 29, 1956 as Pastor of St. Adalbert’sMsrg. J. A. Smolen
Born on March 23, 1907 in Elizabeth, NJ the second of eight children
Katherine Stochlinski and John Smolen, originally of Rzeszow, Poland
St. Adalbert School, Don Bosco Institute, Ramsey
Seton Hall College
Seminary of Immaculate Conception, Darlington NJ
J.A. Smolen was ordained on June 10, 1933 at St. Patrick’s Pro-Cathedral by Archbp Thomas Walsh
First Mass – June 11, 1933 St. A’s
OLC, Jersey City 23 years
September 29, 1956 as the second pastor St. A’s
January 27, 1962 Domestic Prelate
Retired on July 1, 1972
Msgr. Joseph A. Marjanczyk
Born in Elizabeth NJ on April 17, 1921
Son of Joseph and Catherine Marjanczyk
Attended St. Adalbert’s Parochial, Cleveland and Jefferson Class of 1937 Elizabeth
B.A.1941 and did postgraduate work at Seton Hall University, South Orange
Theological studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary with a Master of Divinity Degree in Pastoral Theology
Ordained on May 5, 1945 by Archbishop Thomas A. Walsh;
First Mass May 6, 1945
First assignment was St. Valentine’s Church in Bloomfield.
July 1, 1972 was appointed as the third pastor of St. Adalbert’s
Member Archdiocesan Priest Personnel Board
First Dean of 12 Parishes in Elizabeth in 1975
August 1975 – Trustee of Archdiocesan Corporation
Honorary President of Polish Clergy Association of Newark and Paterson Dioceses
May 29, 1979 named Prelate of Honor to His Holiness with the title of Monsignor by Pope John Paul II
March 19, 1983 was appointed pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Bayonne
May 19, 1988 named Protonotary Apostolic and in January 1991 appointed Episcopal Vicar of South Hudson County
Grand Marshall for NY Pulaski Day Parade 1993
Rev. Edward J. Gubernat
Born in Irvington NJ on November 12, 1933;
the son of Edward F. and Mary Tokarski Gubernat
Sacred Heart Grammar School, Irvington NJ
Seton Hall Prep, South Orange NJ
Seton Hall University, South Orange
Immaculate Conception Seminary; Master of Divinity, Master of Theology
Ordained on May 23, 1959 by Archbishop Thomas A. Boland
First Mass at St. Adalbert’s May 6, 1945
First assignment Our Lady Czestochowa, Jersey City NJ
Other Assignments: St. Stanislaus, Garfield; St. Leo’s, Irvington; Immaculate Conception, Mahwah; St. Patrick’s High School, Elizabeth, NJ; St. Anthony’s, Jersey City, NJ.
On May 22, 1983 was appointed pastor of St. Adalbert’s
Died September 12, 1995 as pastor of St. Adalbert
Msgr. Ronald Marczewski
Born on April 7, 1948 in Bayonne, NJ
Frank and Margaret Mary Dillon Marczewski
Educated in Roselle Park Public School and St. Peter’s Prep, Jersey City NJ
BA in Classical Languages from Seton Hall University
Master of Divinity from Immaculate Conception Seminary
Ordained on May 25, 1974
First assignment St Adalbert’s
1980 assigned to Campus Ministry at Rutgers’ Newark and NJIT
1982-1990 Director for Campus Ministry for Archdiocese of Newark
1987 Master of Arts in Spirituality from Fordham University
1991 assigned as the Chaplain to Essex Catholic, East Orange
1995-1997 Office for Young Adult Ministry in the Archdiocese
In 1995 he was appointed as the Administrator of St. Adalbert’s
In February 1996 he was appointed the Fifth Pastor of St. Adalbert
In January 1997 was named the Executive Director of CYO/Youth and Young Adult Ministry
May 11, 2001 named Prelate of Honor to His Holiness
On June 1, 2004 was appointed Pastor of St. Aloysius’ Parish in Caldwell
On August 1, 2005 was appointed Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Bayonne
Our Current Pastor
Rev. Krzysztof Szczotka
Born on June 9, 1962 in Radziechowy, Poland
Stanislaw and Maria Szczotka
Elementary school in Radziechowy, Poland
High school in Milówka, Poland
On September 8, 1981 entered the Society of the Divine Savior
First Religious Profession September 8, 1982
On September 8, 1986 the Final Religious Profession
In 1998 Completed philosophy and theology studies at Bagno, Poland
Ordained Priest on May 28, 1988
1990 – 1992 Licentiate in Moral Theology at St. Tomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy
1992 – 1995 Superior of Salvatorian Formation House in Bangalore, India
1995 – 1996 Secretary of Salvatorian Mission in Massasi, Tanzania
1996 – 1998 Prefect of Students and Teacher in the Salvatorian Seminary in Morogoro, Tanzania
1998 – 1999 - Rome, Italy
In 1999 came Merriville, IN to work in USA
On June 15, 2000 appointed Associate Pastor in St. Adalbert’s
On July 1, 2004 appointed as sixth Pastor of St. Adalbert’s
From June 2004 to June 2005 led the Parish Transition Team for New Energies Parish Project
On July 1, 2005 appointed as seventh of Sts. Peter & Paul Parish, Elizabeth
On July 1, 2009 St. Adalbert and Sts. Peter & Paul were officially merged as a new parish with two separate churches under one Pastor.
Currently serving the people of Elizabeth as a Pastor of St Adalbert / Sts. Peter & Paul Parish with two worship sites.