My name is Fr Walter Szczesny and I am the Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Buffalo, NY. I have been blessed to be involved in this ministry since August of 2006. I am also the Pastor of Saint George Parish in West Falls, NY and maintain an office at Christ the King Seminary as well. I welcome you to our Vocation Web Site and I hope you find it interesting and informative. The "Call" by God to serve as a Priest does not come in one dramatic event...but is usually a series of small whisperings that lead us to an answer that we are comfortable with. I hope that this Web Site will be one of the many whispers that you hear as God may be reaching out to you to Discover the Plan that God may have for you.
My own call to the Priesthood was certainly a series of many whispers. I grew up in Batavia, NY and went to Catholic grammar and high school. I was one of six children and I remain very close to my parents and my siblings. I studied for one year at Oswego State College and then enrolled at Wadhams Hall Seminary College in Ogdensburg, NY. Upon graduation from there, I entered Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, NY. This was a four-year program, and after my second year of studies I took a "year off for nine years." I sincerely feel that this was part of God's plan for me.
I worked at Saint Madeleine Parish in Pomona, CA for the summer after my Second Year studies at Christ the King. I loved the parish and Southern California so much that I requested permission from the Bishop to remain out there a little longer and to take a leave of absence from my studies. The Bishop consented to this. After several months, I returned to Batavia and began a teaching career at the New York State School for Blind Children in Batavia where I worked with children in the Deaf/Blind Department. I learned sign language and was so happy here that I taught for two years before returning to the Los Angeles area to work at Maryvale Catholic Orphanage in Rosemead, CA where I was a counselor and tutor. I was at Maryvale for one year, and then accepted a position with the US Treasury Office in Los Angeles. I had my own apartment and volunteered on weekends at St. Madeleine Parish again, as well as with the orphanage. I loved California but I missed my family, and after two years I was granted a transfer to Ithaca, NY with the same position. I worked in Ithaca with the government for four more years.
These four years were probably the happiest years of my life. I loved the Ithaca area, was close to my family, and I was advancing in a career that I was most content with. I was "set for life." But there was also something missing. I was yearning and looking for more in my heart. I considered returning to special education or social work. I also thought about Priesthood again and after much thought and prayer decided that was what I wanted to do "with the rest of my life." I consulted several close friends and priests on this big decision, and they all agreed that God was calling me in this direction.
I returned to Christ the King Seminary to resume my studies as a Third Year Theologian, nine years after I had finished Second Year Theology. I had a whole new set of classmates and friends. There was some adjustment in leaving my apartment and a career that I was most happy with...but I really was at peace with my decision. I spent two more years at Christ the King and was ordained a Transitional Deacon in June of 1989. I spent my Deacon Year at Saint Amelia Parish in Tonawanda, NY and was ordained a Priest on July 21, 1990. My first assignment as a Priest was at Immaculate Conception Parish in East Aurora where I ministered for 4 years; then, I was transferred to Saints Peter & Paul Parish in Hamburg for the next 5 years. I was very pleased to find a certain charisma or rhythm to the life of a Diocesan Priest. There was a great variety of ministry with youth, senior citizens, hospital calls, liturgy, social and prayer life. I found myself in a career in which I was putting in the longest hours I ever had before, I was in situations that were the most stressful I had ever encountered...but I was far and away the happiest and felt most rewarded and satisfied then all that I had accomplished in my previous most colorful life and career.
I spent nine years in those two parishes and then I was asked by the Bishop to return to the Seminary to be part of the Seminary Formation Team and to teach Liturgy. I agreed to this reluctantly...not because I did not want to return to the Seminary, but because I loved Parish life so very much. I grew to love being on the seminary staff and after 2 years the Bishop assigned me as pastor of Saint George Parish in West Falls, NY along with my seminary positions. This was the perfect blend of parish life and working with the students in the seminary. I maintained this beautiful balance until the summer of 2006 when Bishop Kmiec asked me to become the Director of Vocations for the Buffalo Diocese.
I find this ministry to be most rewarding. I still tend to my parish family and maintain a presence at the seminary, but I also work at the Vocations Catholic Center office daily. I also travel to parishes, colleges and high schools to speak on vocations and say Mass with students. I love sharing my vocation story with potential candidates for the seminary and I most enjoy hearing the vocation stories of the candidates. I have been most impressed with their dedication and desire to serve God by serving others.
I believe that God is calling many men to come and see what the seminary and priesthood is all about. It is not an easy life...but it is most rewarding. I would be most interested in hearing your story and try to answer any questions that you may have. Please don't hesitate to contact me at either of my 3 offices...the Vocation Office, the Seminary or at Saint George Parish. We can easily set up an appointment to meet. May God continue to bless you and inspire you as you accept the challenge of Discovering God's Plan for your life.
Fr Walter Szczesny
Director of Vocations