Father Gawlik installed pastor of St. Thomas of Aquin parish

An emotional Father Przemyslaw Gawlik basked in the love of his new faith community of St. Thomas of Aquin in Ogdensburg as Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney installed him as its pastor during a special Mass on Feb. 25.

It didn’t take long for St. Thomas’ parishioners to embrace Father Gawlik as their spiritual father when he arrived in June 2022 to become administrator of the small country parish with a big heart. Almost immediately, the Polish-born priest, 37, took to his new surroundings in rural Sussex County and his new flock of 140 families. His appointment as St. Thomas’ pastor was effective Feb. 1.

“I love it up here in Ogdensburg — the peace and silence,” said Father Gawlik, who added that he comes from a family of farmers. He spoke to The Beacon before the Mass, which filled the 120-person-capacity church. “The parishioners are warm — like a family. Many of them go back generations to the former zinc and copper mines while a lot of younger families have joined the parish.”

Bishop Sweeney presided over the 5 p.m. installation Mass. Concelebrating were: Father Gawlik; Father John Pilipie, a retired diocesan priest who served as St. Thomas’ pastor for 17 years before Father Gawlik’s appointment; Father Timothy Dowling, pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Andover and dean of the Sussex Deanery; and Msgr. John Hart, pastor of Assumption Parish in Morristown, director of diocesan Clergy Person­nel, and chair of the diocesan Presby­teral Council.

During the Mass, churchgoers applauded and cheered after Bishop Sweeney announced Father Gawlik as their new pastor.

“I’m a little emotional to say everything [I’m feeling]. Thank you so much. You are my family,” said Father Gawlik, addressing the congregation after thanking Bishop Sweeney.

Some faithful at the Mass came from other places he served, including St. Vincent Martyr Parish in Madison — his first assignment after his priestly ordination on May 28, 2016. Before coming to St. Thomas, he had served as a chaplain at Morristown Medical Center since 2019.

One of those congregants at the Mass was Mary Fitzgibbons, a St. Thomas parishioner for 58 years. She has been active in several ministries and is married to Patrick Fitzgibbons, a parish trustee.

“It’s encouraging to see the younger clergy come to the forefront as pastors,” Fitzgibbons told The Beacon. “Father Przemyslaw has an air of spirituality about him. She noted that one of the hymns of the ordination Mass was “Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord” — a favorite of the new pastor. “He has been opening our hearts with prayer. He is also eager to learn.”

The small parish has a full complement of liturgical ministries, sacramental prep, social ministries, annual fundraisers, parish committees, spiritual life ministries such as the Rosary Society, and social action ministries, including food and Christmas collections for the poor. St. Thomas was incorporated in 1881 as a mission to Immaculate Con­ception, Franklin.

Father Gawlik was born in Limanowa, Poland, to Roman and Krystyna Gawlik. He attended high school in Mecina, Poland; studied at the novitiate and seminary of the Franciscan Order at Kalwaria Zebrzydowska in Poland; and earned a master’s degree in theology in Krakow in Poland. He arrived in the United States in 2014.

In his homily, Bishop Sweeney reminded Father Gawlik of the image of a parish as a “family of believers.”

“It’s the responsibility of the pastor to walk with his parishioners on their spiritual journey,” said Bishop Sweeney.

He asked Father Gawlik and the parish to work together. The bishop also asked parishioners to pray for vocations and for Father Gawlik and his family, which he said: “is now part of your family.”