In the sanctuary of Our Lady of Tuchów, Poland, on 7 January 2023, amidst confreres, family and faithful, the priestly ordination took place for the Sławomir Wardzała CSsR, who began his religious formation in his homeland and completed it as a missionary first in Argentina and then in Bolivia.
He was ordained by the auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Tarnów, Msgr Leszek Leszkiewicz, who, in his homily, pointed out that the priesthood is, above all, solidarity with Christ and with others. The Bishop also stressed the role of the priest in the continuation of the work of Redemption, especially as a minister of the sacramental signs of God’s presence in the modern world.
Fr. Janusz Sok, CSsR, Superior of the Warsaw Province of the Redemptorists, expressed his pride and joy at the consecration of a fellow missionary and wished him a fruitful collaboration with God’s grace. Then Fr. Carlos Leoño CSsR, representative of the Bolivian Province, read out a letter from the Bolivian Provincial who expressed his gratitude for the gift of the person and vocation of Fr. Slawomir.
At the end of the celebration, the neopresbyter took the word, who gave thanks for the gift of his Redemptorist vocation to the Lord God, the Bishop, his confreres, his family and all the guests present. He also addressed his friends from Bolivia in Spanish, who joined in via webcast.
In the joy of this special event at the threshold of the new year, and with gratitude for the vocation of our fellow missionary, let us commend him to the unfailing and unceasing care of Our Lady of Tuchow, together with a heartfelt prayer for numerous and holy vocations to our Congregation.
Fr. Maciej Sadowski CSsR,
Rector of the Redemptorist Major Seminary in Tuchów
