Menu
Canada trip highlights associate pastor's first months in McCook
The Rev. Harlan Waskowiak, assistant pastor at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, has been busy since his arrival in McCook on June 10.
Waskowiak, who was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 1998, boarded one of two buses July 20 in McCook, traveling with a troupe of pilgrims to see Pope John Paul II at the World Youth Day festivities in Toronto, Canada.
Serving as one of the sponsors, Waskowiak was able to get acquainted with many of the young people in the parish and from surrounding communities.
That summertime activity should serve him well through the school year during his Religion 7-8 classes at St. Patrick's School.
St. Pat's is Waskowiak's third parish. Immediately following his ordination, he served two years at St. John's Catholic Church in Lincoln where he taught at Pius X High School and two years at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Hastings where he taught at St. Cecilia's High School.
His other duties include marriage counseling, performing wedding ceremonies and baptisms.
On Sept. 12, Waskowiak began offering adult instruction classes at the St. Patrick's school library. The class is required for anyone who wants to convert to Catholicism, and is also an excellent resource for anyone wanting to find out more about the Catholic Church, what they believe and why they believe it. It also serves as an excellent refresher course for members of the church.
There is no fee, although participants are asked for a donation to help cover the cost of the instructional material. The classes will continue on a weekly basis through the winter months, concluding during the Easter season.
Waskowiak was born and raised in Ravenna. He graduated from high school there in 1988 and went to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he earned his bachelor of science degree in civil engineering in 1993. It was while he was attending college that he began to question God's will for his life.
"I completed two internships in my course of study in civil engineering," said Waskowiak, "and enjoyed the experiences very much. Nevertheless, I didn't have the sense that this was what i was called to do."
Waskowiak spent many hours in prayer, seeking God's will, asking for a clear understanding of what Christ was calling him to do.
Waskowiak began his training with a year long course in philosophy at St. Philip Neri Oratory in Toronto. The course of study, following five years spent obtaining a civil engineering degree, was a 180 degree turnaround.
"I went from the "concrete world" of engineering to the more abstract world of philosophy," he explained.
Four years of Theology at St. Charles Borromeo in Philadelphia, Penn., followed.
"Seminary is a time of intense study and preparation," Waskowiak explained. "A lot of time is spent in prayer, seeking discernment, so that you know what you're being called to before ordination." Ordination, he continued, is a public acknowledgement of the call from God into the priesthood.
"Being a priest offers a taste of the joy found when you are able to help families as they grow closer to the Lord, helping people on their journey, and being there as they discover Christ's love."