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Notables 
This page takes a little longer to open because there are many
beautiful images on this page. 


   
Section 1 - Priests and Brothers (this page)
    Section 2 - Nuns
    Section 3 - Business & Professional
(new!)
  

 
Priests Born in Texas of Silesian Descent


Reverend Edmund S. Dragon  1905 - 1961

bulletSon of Joseph Dragon and Caroline Jaskola
bulletBorn on November 15, 1905, in Panna Maria, Texas
bulletOrdained on March 25, 1930
bulletDied on January 19, 1961; buried in Panna Maria, Texas
 

Image on Front of Card Ordination and First Mass Card Rev. Edmund S. Dragon's
Funeral Card



Reverend Edward Joseph Dworaczyk  1906 - 1965

bulletSon of Julius Dworaczyk and Mary Jarzombek
bulletBorn on October 7, 1906, in Yorktown, Texas
bulletOrdained on March 25, 1930
bulletAuthor of The First Polish Colonies of America in Texas, published in 1936
bulletDied on September 2, 1965; buried in Cestohowa, Texas
 

Ordination and First Mass Card Image on Front of Card Rev. Edward J. Dworaczyk's
Funeral Card



Reverend Julius Valerian Dworzczyk  1919 - 1993
 
bulletSon of Julius Dworaczyk and Mary Jarzombek
bulletBorn on November 28, 1919, in Kosciusko, Texas
bulletOrdained on March 19, 1946 
bulletDied on March 14, 1993; buried in Cestohowa, Texas
 

Ordination and First Mass Card Image on Front of Card Silver Jubilee Card

 

Reverend Jonathan William Felux  

bullet Son of  Wilbert John Felux and Brenda Marie Pawelek
bullet Born in Floresville, Texas
bullet Ordained on May 2, 2009
bullet Photograph from Archdiocese of San Antonio Vocation Office website:  www.savocations.org
 

Image on Front of Card Ordination Card Reverend Jonathan Felux



Reverend Monsignor Peter L. Foegelle 1901 - 1986

bulletSon of Michael Foegelle and Frances Wrobel
bulletBorn on January 12, 1901, in Panna Maria, Texas
bulletOrdained on April 4, 1932
bulletPhotograph from The First Polish Colonies of America in Texas, 1936, page 80
bulletDied on September 26, 1986; buried in Kosciusko, Texas
 

Image on Front of Card

Ordination and First Mass Card

Msgr. Peter L. Foegelle



Reverend Monsignor Teodor (Theodore) Joseph T. Janysek  1905 - 1989

bulletSon of Joseph Janysek and Caroline Reiman
bulletBorn on April 19, 1905, in Panna Maria, Texas
bulletOrdained on March 25, 1930
bulletDied on August 7, 1989; buried in Panna Maria, Texas
 

Image on Front of Card Ordination and First Mass Card Fortieth Jubilee Card

 

Reverend Casimir Jarzombek

bulletSon of Thomas Jarzombek and Elizabeth Wollny
bulletBorn in Falls City, Texas
bulletOrdained on May 26, 1960
bulletPhotograph from Holy Cross Catholic Parish website www.holycrossbaycity.org
 

Ordination Card

Reverend Casimir Jarzombek

Father Casey's 1960 Ordination Certificate,
reprinted in 1989. Click image to view full size.

 

Reverend Monsignor Erwin Alexander Juraschek  1921 - 1993

bulletSon of Alexander Von Juraschek and Mary Helen Pyterek
bulletBorn on August 12, 1921, in San Antonio, Texas
bulletOrdained on March 19, 1946
bulletPhotograph as National Chaplain from American G I Forum: 30th Annual National Convention Message, August 10, 1978
bulletDied on January 26, 1993; buried in St. Mary Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas
 

Msgr. Erwin A. Juraschek

Msgr. Erwin A. Juraschek's
Funeral Card

Image on front of card




Reverend Emmett Benedict Kolodzie  1905 - 1986

bulletSon of Frank Kolodzie and Cecelia Sheehy
bulletBorn on June 20, 1905, in Falls City, Texas
bulletOrdained on May 1, 1933
bulletPhotograph from Diamond Jubilee book:  Archdiocese of San Antonio, 1874 - 1949, page 160
bulletDied on April 30, 1986
 

Reverend Emmett B. Kolodzie

 

Reverend Gregory Thomas Labus 

bulletSon of Emil John Labus and Cecilia Kotzur
bulletBorn in Edinburg, Texas
bulletOrdained on May 27, 2006
 

Reverend Gregory Thomas Labus

Ordination Card

Image on Front of Card

 

Reverend Francis Joseph Ledwig     1889-1947 

bulletSon of Lawrence Ledwig and Louisa Stortz
bulletBorn on March 19, 1889, in Yorktown, Texas
bulletOrdained on July 31, 1913
bulletDied on July 18, 1947; buried in San Fernando Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas
 

Reverend  Francis Joseph Ledwig

 

Reverend Thomas Lyssy  1926 - 1990

bulletSon of William John Lyssy and Regina Wiatrek
bulletBorn on June 5, 1926, in Kosciusko, Texas
bulletOrdained on May 30, 1952
bulletPhotograph of Rev. Thomas Lyssy with his grandmother, Eva Sowa Wiatrek, from The Sowa Family History:  Six Generations of Polish-Texans, published in 1981, page 192
bulletPhotograph on right from the centennial book, Archdiocese of San Antonio 1874 - 1974, page 271
bulletDied on October 28, 1990; buried in Kosciusko, Texas
 

Eva Sowa Wiatrek and Reverend Thomas Lyssy, her grandson

Ordination and First Mass Card

Reverend Thomas Lyssy



Reverend Monsignor Henry I. Moczygemba  1914 - 1995

bulletSon of Frank Moczygemba and Julia Sekula
bulletBorn on April 4, 1914, in Cestohowa, Texas
bulletOrdained on May 28, 1949
bulletPhotograph from the centennial book Archdiocese of San Antonio 1874 - 1974, page 272
bulletDied on March 2, 1995; buried in Cestohowa, Texas
 

Ordination and First Mass
Invitation Card

Msgr. Henry I. Moczygemba

Msgr. Henry I. Moczygemba's
Funeral Card



Reverend Leon (Leo) Vitalis Stanislaus Moczygemba  1894 - 1959

bulletSon of Jacob Moczygemba and Joanna Keller
bulletBorn on April 8, 1894, in Panna Maria, Texas
bulletOrdained on June 9, 1919
bulletPhotograph from Our Polish Pioneers on un-numbered page prior to brief biography on page 32
bulletDied on November 17, 1959; buried in Panna Maria, Texas
 

Reverend Leon S. Moczygemba

First Holy Mass Card

Image on Front of Card

 

Reverend Leopold Moczygemba    1858-1892 

bulletSon of Anton Moczygemba and Philippina Wenz
bulletBorn on May 4, 1858, in San Antonio, Texas
bulletOrdained in 1884 and celebrated his First Solemn Mass in Lemont, Illinois, at Saints Cyril and Methodius Church on June 29, 1884 
bulletNephew of the pastor, Father Leopold Moczygemba, who had thirty years earlier founded Panna Maria
bulletPhotograph from A Century of Search 1876-1976, Immaculate Conception Church, Elmhurst, Illinois, 7th page
bulletDied  on April 14, 1892; buried in Lemont, Illinois
 

Reverend Leopold Moczygemba



Right Reverend Monsignor Thomas Moczygemba 1863-1950

bulletSon of Joseph Moczygemba and Caroline Szyguda
bulletBorn on December 11, 1863, in Panna Maria, Texas
bulletOrdained on January 5, 1890
bulletPhotograph from St. Michael's Catholic Church 1866 - 1966 Centennial, 39th page
bulletDied on June 28, 1950 
   

Image on Front of Card

25th Anniversary Ordination Card

Rt. Rev. Msgr. Thomas Moczygemba

 

Reverend Charles William Neumann, Jr., S.M.  1923 - 1997

bulletSon of Charles William Neumann and Margaret Schulze
bulletBorn on March 21, 1923, in San Antonio, Texas
bulletGrandson of Carl Schulze and Agathe Sobeczek, who was born in Silesia
bulletOrdained on July 20, 1952; Society of Mary
bulletAuthor of The Casper Sobeczek Family in Texas, privately published in 1991
bulletPhotograph from the centennial book, Archdiocese of San Antonio 1874 - 1974, page 272
bulletDied on May 9, 1997; buried in the Marianist Cemetery, St. Mary's University, in San Antonio, Texas

 

Rev. Charles W. Neumann, Jr.

 


Reverend Monsignor Joseph R. Nowak  1925 - 1969

bulletSon of Roman Charles Nowak and Tekla Kolonka
bulletBorn on March 17, 1925, in San Antonio, Texas
bulletOrdained on May 28, 1949
bulletDied on January 18, 1969; buried in San Fernando Cemetery No. 2, San Antonio, Texas
 

Image on Front of Card

Ordination and First Mass Card


 

Brother Emil John Pawelek, S.M.    1909-2001 

bullet Son of Charles Pawelek and Florence Pollock
bullet Born on October 19, 1909, in Wadsworth, Texas
bullet Professed his final vows as a Marianist Brother on July 15, 1939
bullet Died on February 17, 2001; buried in the Marianist Cemetery on the campus of St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas

 


Reverend Edward Bernard Postert, OMI  1900 - 1977

bulletSon of Joseph Postert and Ludvina (Philimina) Mazurek
bulletBorn on October 13, 1900, in Bandera, Texas
bulletGrandson of Thomas Mazurek and Mary Gruszka, who was from Silesia
bulletOrdained on June 3, 1934
bulletPhoto on right from the centennial book, Archdiocese of San Antonio 1874 - 1974, page 273; photo on left from a family scrapbook
bulletDied on March 24, 1977; buried in Oblate Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas
 

Rev. Edward Postert's Ordination Photo

Ordination and First Mass Card

Reverend Edward Postert

 

Reverend Benedict Anthony Pruski  1917 - 1993

bulletSon of Felix Pruski and Cecilia Skloss
bulletBorn on December 24, 1917, in Kosciusko, Texas
bulletOrdained on June 4, 1942
bulletPhotograph from Diamond Jubilee book, Archdiocese of San Antonio 1874 - 1949, page 75
bulletDied on January 20, 1993; buried in Kosciusko, Texas
 

Image on Front of Card

Ordination and First Mass Card

Reverend Benedict A. Pruski

 

Reverend Alton Alois Rudolph  1932 - 1997

bulletSon of Richard G. Rudolph and Agatha Euphrasina Henke
bulletBorn on March 20, 1932, in Karnes City, Texas
bulletOrdained on March 17, 1956
bulletPhotograph from the centennial book, Archdiocese of San Antonio  1874 - 1974, page 274
bulletMarried after 26 years in the priesthood
bulletDied on January 12, 1997; buried in Fashing, Texas
 

Image on Front of Card Ordination and First Mass Card Rev. Alton A. Rudolph

 


Reverend Mark Scheffler, C.Ss.R.

bulletSon of Edmund Lawrence Scheffler and Doris Evelyn Bennett
bulletOrdained on June 20, 1970
bulletCongregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, popularly known as Redemptorists
bulletLatin:  Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris - C.Ss.R.
 

Ordination and First Mass Card

Image on Front of Card

Silver Jubilee Card

 

Father Lawrence Swierc/Swartz, O.C.S.C. 1907-2005 

bulletSon of  Joseph Swierc and Salomea Kyrish
bulletBorn Thomas Joseph Swierc on April 30, 1907, in Falls City, Texas
bulletOrdained a priest on February 24, 1934
bulletChanged his surname from Swierc to Swartz in 1963
bulletSpent 79 years in monastic life as a Trappist monk, longer than anyone else in the USA
bulletPhotograph from Monastery of the Holy Spirit News, October 2005, page 5
bulletDied on September 26, 2005, at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers, Georgia
 

Father Lawrence Swartz

 

Bishop John Walter Yanta

bulletSon of John Andrew Yanta and Mary Magdalen Pollok
bulletBorn in Runge, Texas
bulletOrdained a priest on March 17, 1956
bulletOrdained a bishop on December 30, 1994
bulletInstalled as Seventh Bishop of Amarillo on March 17, 1997
 

Ordination Card

Bishop Yanta's Coat of Arms

Bishop John Walter Yanta

 

Priests Born in Poland Who Have Ministered in Texas
 

Reverend Adolf/Adolph Sixtus Bakanowski     1840-1916 

bulletBorn on March  28, 1840, in Mohylówka, Uszyca County, Podole Region, Poland
bulletSon of Anthony and Olympia Bakanowski
bulletOrdained in May of 1863, in Kamieniec Diocese, Russian Poland
bulletPhotograph from Institute of Texan Cultures at UTSA, 068-1240.  Loaned by John F. Dziuk Family
bulletVicar-General of Polish Missions in Texas from 1866-1870
bulletDied on May 22, 1916, in Krakow, Poland
 

Rev. Adolf Sixtus Bakanowski

 

Reverend Vincent Barzyński, C.R.    1838-1899 

bulletBorn on September 20, 1838, in Sulisławice, Sandomir, Poland
bulletSon of Joseph Barzynski and Mary Sroczynska
bulletOrdained on October 27,1861, in Wyświęcony, Poland
bulletPastoral work in Diocese of San Antonio, Texas, from 1866-1874
bulletPortrait from brochure of  Sanktuarium Matki Boskiej Sulisławskiej
bulletDied on May 2, 1899, in Chicago; buried in Niles, Illinois
 

Reverend Vincent Barzyński

 

Reverend Ludwig (Louis) Dombrowski 1844 - 1912

bulletBorn on December 26, 1844, in Gustynia, Poland
bulletOrdained on September 21, 1867
bulletPhotograph from St. Michael's Catholic Church 1866 - 1966 Centennial, 39th page
bulletDied on August 9, 1912; buried in St. Michael Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas
 

Image on Front of Card Silver Jubilee Card Rev. Ludwig Dombrowski

 

Very Reverend Canon Bernard Marceli Goebel  1905-2001 

bulletBorn on January 16, 1905, in Brusy, Poland
bulletSon of Jozef Goebel and Marcjanna Knopik
bulletOrdained on December 21, 1929, in Brusy, Poland
bulletImprisoned in Dachau Concentration Camp for five years
bulletIn 1951, began pastoral work in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas
bulletPhotograph from the centennial book Archdiocese of San Antonio  1874-1974, page 268
bulletDied on June 24, 2001; buried in Panna Maria, Texas
 

Very Reverend Canon Bernard Marceli Goebel

Sacerdotal 50th Jubilee Card

Image on Front of Card

 

Reverend Peter Kolton     1910-1981 

bulletBorn on June 29, 1910, in Zalosce, Poland
bulletOrdained on December 16, 1958, in Rome, Italy
bulletIn 1966, to commemorate the millennium of Christianity in Poland, built a museum and shrine to Our Lady of Częstochowa at 138 Beethoven Street in San Antonio, Texas
bulletPhotograph from the centennial book, Archdiocese of San Antonio 1874-1974, page 270
bulletDied on April 26, 1981
 

Reverend Peter Kolton



Reverend Monsignor Franciszek (Frank) Kurzaj

bulletBorn in Sławięcice, Silesia, Poland
bulletSon of Jerzy Kurzaj and Elzbieta Strużyna
bullet

Ordained on May 16, 1976, in Opole, Poland
 

Msgr. Franciszek (Frank) Kurzaj

25th Anniversary Ordination Card

Image on Front of Card

 

Reverend Leopold Moczygemba 1824 - 1892 

bulletBorn on October 18, 1824, in Płużnica Wielka, Silesia, Poland
bulletSon of Leopold Moczygemba and Ewa Krawietz
bulletOrdained on July 25, 1847, in Pesaro, Italy
bulletPhotograph from Polish American Crusaders Museum, San Antonio, Texas.
ITC 070-0009.
bulletDied on February 23, 1891, in Dearborn, Michigan
bulletBuried in Mount Elliot Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan
bulletReinterment on October 13, 1974, Panna Maria, Texas
 

Rev. Leopold Moczygemba
Founder of First Silesian Colony in America

Baptism Record of Leopold Moczygemba in Plużnica Wielka, Silesia, Poland.
Click image to view full size.

 

Reverend Stanislaus Przyborowski 1872 - 1957

bulletBorn on July 6, 1872, in Poland
bulletOrdained on November 20, 1897, in Victoria, Texas
bulletPhotograph from The First Polish Colonies of America in Texas, page 134
bulletCelebrated the Golden Jubilee of his ordination in 1947
bulletDied on September 12, 1957; buried in Cestohowa, Texas

 

Rev. Stanislaus Przyborowski

 

 

Reverend Sigmund Wojciechowski  1915 - 1986

bulletBorn on March 12, 1915, in Inowrocław, District of Poznań, Poland
bulletOrdained on June 28, 1942, in Mogila, District of Kraków, Poland
bulletArrested by the Gestapo on January 5, 1944, and confined to prison and concentration camps until liberation on April 15, 1945
bulletBecame a citizen of the United States on November 23, 1954
bulletIncardinated as a priest of the Archdiocese of San Antonio on April 5, 1966
bulletPhotograph from the centennial book, Archdiocese of San Antonio 1874 - 1974, page 277
bulletDied on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1986; buried in Kosciusko, Texas

 

Reverend Sigmund Wojciechowski



 

Reverend Felix Zwiardowski  1840 - 1895

bulletBorn on December 29, 1840, in Bialystok, Poland
bulletOrdained on April 20, 1867, in Panna Maria, Texas; Congregation of the Resurrection
bulletAppointed Superior of the Polish Missions in Texas on July 15, 1870
bulletPhotograph from St. Michael's Catholic Church 1866- 1966 Centennial, 37th page
bulletDied on August 31, 1895; buried in Panna Maria, Texas

 

Image on Front of Card

Sacerdotal Silver Jubilee Card

Rev. Felix Zwiardowski


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