Fr. Władysław Karciarz OMI (1983 ~ 1984; 1987 ~ 1995)

Fr. Wladyslaw Karciarz was born on October 22, 1950 in Leszczyny in Podhale province, Poland, the fourth child of Karolina and Jozef Karciarz. At one point in his life, he wanted to be a miner - but his health did not allow him to follow that goal. His greatest childhood memory was of receiving First Holy Communion in 1961 in Bialy Dunajec at the hands - of then Archbishop of Kracow, Karol Wojtyla. After completing studies at the Oblate juniorate in Markowice, Wladyslaw entered the novitiate at Obra. There, in September 1968, he made his first vows and began studies in philosophy and theology, and after making perpetual vows he was sent to Canada in 1973. He finished studies at Newman Theological College in Edmonton, and on January 3, 1976 he was ordained College in Edmonton, and on January 3, 1976 he was ordained to the priesthood. Fr. Wladyslaw began working at St. Casimir’s•parish in Vancouver and by September 1976 he was at St. Casimir’s in Toronto. Afterwards, he worked at Holy Ghost parish in Winnipeg (1979-1983), Holy Rosary parish in Edmonton (1983-1984) and in 1984 the was named pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa parish in Saskatoon. Three years later, Fr. Wladyslaw returned to Edmonton with the assignment of forming a new Polish parish under the name Our Lady Queen of Poland in that city (1987-1995). After completing this mission, Fr. Wladyslaw took a sabbatical year of studies at the Vatican II Institute for Clergy Formation, Menlo Park, CA. He also studied at the Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem and partook in a St. Eugene de Mazenod retreat in Aix-en-Provence, France. After returning to Canada, Fr. Wladyslaw was made pastor of Holy Ghost parish in Winnipeg 1996. Since 1999, he was pastor of St. Casimir’s parish in Vancouver.