CLIFTON Last August, St. John Kanty Parish welcomed two Missionary Sisters of Christ the King to serve the parish. Since that time, the two sisters — Sister Ewa Biniek, who serves as director of religious education and Sister Teresa Kos, who serves part-time in the parish office — have been traveling from Newark to Clifton because the old convent was not suitable to live in. Now, thanks to a total renovation of the convent, Sister Ewa will be the first resident and soon two more sisters will join her.
The convent renovations were made possible through a gift from the estate of a lifelong parishioner of St. John Kanty, Julius Klecha Jr., who died in 2014.
Conventural Franciscan Father Waclaw Sokolowski, pastor of St. John Kanty, said, “We are very blessed to have received an estate gift from Julius, who loved this parish. He was very much dedicated to this church and could always be found at meetings, parish picnics and fundraisers. The gratitude we have for this gentleman cannot be described and the parish is grateful for this gift.
In his will, Klecha named St. John Kanty as the new owners of two properties he owned that were passed down from his parents, Julius and Anna, also parishioners of St. John Kanty, who had predeceased him. With the money from the sale of the two properties, the parish was able to renovate its aging convent to house the sisters now serving the parish.
In thanksgiving to Klecha’s generosity, many parishioners have offered Masses for him to be celebrated at Masses in St. John Kanty Church.
The convent for many years was home to Felician Sisters, who ran the former school from the time it opened in 1958. In 2005, the school was shuttered and the Felician Sisters, left to serve other schools and ministries sponsored by their order.
For a few years after the Felician Sisters left, the old convent was used for parish needs but went into disrepair as it aged. The previous administrator of St. John Kanty, Conventual Franciscan Father Marek Stybor, began plans to renovate the convent. When Father Waclaw came to the parish last June, he continued to work on the renovation project. St. John Kanty, welcomed the new sisters last August, and at that time, the parish decided to return the convent to its original intention and house the sisters.
The parish hired MMC Construction, LLC owned by longtime parishioner, Marek Slodyczka, who led the renovation work. Father Waclaw said, “I find the work was done beautifully inside and out. Everyone who comes to see the convent says we’ve done such a beautiful job. Marek went above and beyond our expectations.”
Ben Dubbels, diocesan facilities project coordinator, said “It was a pleasure assisting Father Waclaw and Greg Komeshok, a parishioner, with this project. Marek Slodyczka and his team did a fantastic job of converting the dilapidated building into a lovely residence for Missionary Sisters of Christ the King. I wish the sisters the best in their new home. MMC Construction, LLC delivered the project on time and within budget. Donald Ruben, architect, as well as R.A. Puzio Architects Inc. were very helpful regarding the design and construction documents for this renovation.”
Sister Ewa said she is grateful to live in the newly renovated convent. “It’s the most lovely home I’ve ever had in my religious life. The community has welcomed us, and we are happy to serve here.”
In addition to the religious education program, Sister Ewa has been offering “coffee and…”. on Sundays after every Mass where parishioners are invited to the church hall to purchase coffee, donuts, homemade cakes and breads baked by Sister Ewa. Parishioners can enjoy these treats in the hall and spend time with fellow parishioners and friends. According to Father Waclaw, the idea to host “coffee and…” was St. John Paul II’s idea. Father Waclaw said, “When he would return to his hometown, John Paul II remembered these Polish pastries called kremowki and he would enjoy them with the community and his colleagues.”
In the upcoming weeks, Sister Ewa and the staff are also preparing for First Communion, May 7 and Confirmation, June 3. In total 150 children are enrolled in the parish’s religious education program.
Father Waclaw came to St. John Kanty last June and was installed on Sept. 6, 2015 by Bishop Serratelli as pastor. He previously served at St. John Kanty as parochial vicar for 13 years. In 2000, we went to serve his order in its Canadian province before returning to St. John Kanty.
The Conventual Franciscans has administered at the parish since 1935 when the parish was established. The history of the parish began when St. Joseph Parish in Passaic established a mission for the Polish people in Clifton in the late 1920s. A church was built on Speer Avenue in 1934 and continues to serve the many Polish families residing in the Athenia section of the city.
“We are a thriving parish with many young families and we are happy to have the sisters serving at the parish,” said Father Waclaw. “We just welcomed several new families and the faithful were happy to see religious in the community. When people see sisters and priests around, there is a trust and openness from the people. We are very enthused about our future here as we continue to grow as a community.”