Rt. Rev. Joseph C. Zawistowski (1918 – 2001)
He was born April 19, 1918, in Rochester, NY. Prior to ordination, he served in the United States Army Air Corps in the Signal Corps Division during World War II. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant in his six years of service. His first assignment after ordination was Assistant Pastor of All Saints Cathedral in Chicago, Ill. He subsequently was assigned pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (1949-1955). In 1952 he married Josephine Trelka from Brandon, Manitoba. In 1955 he was transferred to St. Mary’s Parish in South Bend, Indiana, where he served as pastor for 24 years. In 1973 he was elevated to the rank of Senior Priest. In 1978, he was elected by the Church’s Fifteenth General Synod and consecrated a bishop. He served as Bishop Ordinary of the Western Diocese PNCC to his retirement in 1994.
Rt. Rev. John Misiaszek
He was elected Coadjutor Bishop of the Central Diocese at the Seventh General Synod of the PNCC in May 1935. He was Consecrated Bishop on August 26, 1936. In 1949 he was elected 2nd Ordinary of the Central Diocese at the 8th General Synod of the PNCC. Bishop Misiaszek was born on June 20, 1903 in Gilbertville, Massachusetts. He graduated from universities in Tarnów and Lwow, Poland followed by studies in theology at the Savonarola Theological Seminary of the PNCC. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on May 25, 1925. As priest, Bishop Misiaszek served in parishes in Hazelton and McAdoo, Pennsylvania. As a young priest he supervised the construction of St. John the Baptist Parish in Hazelton. In 1929 he became pastor of the second oldest parish in the PNCC – St. Adalbert’s in Dickson City, Pennsylvania. He also served at Parishes in Throop, PA and Binghamton, NY. He conducted missionary journeys to Poland where visited Parishes of Poland’s Eastern and Central Dioceses. In November 1954 Bishop Misiaszek resigned as Ordinary due to illness. After recovering he served the oldest parish in Canada – St. Mary’s in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and commuted to the missionary parish, St. Joseph’s in Libau, and St. Joseph’s in Beausejour, Manitoba as well as a Parish in Mikado, Saskatchewan (1955-1957). He later served at Holy Trinity Parish in Cleveland, Ohio.
Most Rev. Francis Hodur visited St. Mary’s Parish in 1909 and 1925.