The Catholic Community of Northern Columbia County

Fr. John A Szukalski SVD will be at The  Catholic Community of Northern Columbia County on August 24-25, 2024 to celebrate Masses and speak about the many ministries of his religious community, Divine Word Missionaries. They are an international religious community of missionary priests and Brothers serving in 79 countries helping to build chapels, celebrate the sacraments
and spread the Word of God in remote mission communities.

Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Fr. John professed perpetual vows as a Divine Word Missionary in 1996 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1997. He has ministered in Mexico, Paraguay, and in several Spanish-language pastoral assignments in the United States (Chicago IL, Washington DC, and Yuma AZ). He also served as assistant pastor in a Vietnamese-American parish in St. Louis, MO.
Fr. John holds a Ph.D. in Sacred Scripture from the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. Fr. John has taught sacred scripture and theology at Divine Word College in Iowa since 2012, and since 2017 served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at that same college. Fr. John is a member of the SVD Chicago Province and serves on the provincial council leadership team since 2020.

Nearly 6,000 active Divine Word Missionaries minister in the far corners of the world. They build hospitals to care for the sick and schools to educate the poor. They teach the hungry to farm, and they provide life’s necessities—water, food and shelter—in impoverished communities. These priests and Brothers help those neglected and forgotten by society to build a better future. They also foster vibrant Catholic communities of service and faith around the world.

This mission appeal is part of the Missionary Cooperative Program of our Diocese of Albany. Please be generous with your prayers and contribute to the second collection to help support the missionary work of the Divine Word Missionaries. To meet some of the people Divine Word Missionaries help, please read the stories at https://missionimpact.svdmissions.org/mission-update.