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Eight priests achieve senior priest status
We thank them for giving of their lives in service to the Church
Published June 27, 2008
After lifetimes of service as priests for the Archdiocese of Detroit, eight priests have attained senior priest status. For decades, they have celebrated baptisms, marriages and funeral liturgies. They have prayed with and for us, given us our first communion and heard our confessions. When we've been sick, they have anointed us. When we needed someone to help us, they have listened and helped guide us.
These men have given their lives in service to us, the Church, and we thank them. While they will no longer oversee parishes on a daily basis, we are blessed to have them among us continuing to celebrate the sacraments and our lives.
Fr. Julian Chmura
Fr. Julian Chmura, 73, was born in Rudnick, Poland, to Tomasz and Anna Chmura. He attended the Institute of Theology, Krakow, and SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake. He was ordained Feb. 25, 1964, in Krakow as a member of the Michaelite Fathers. He was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1976.
He served as priest in residence at Transfiguration Parish, Detroit (1968-70); associate pastor at St. Florian Parish, Hamtramck (1970-76); associate pastor at SS. Peter & Paul Parish, Detroit (1976-82); associate pastor and then administrator at St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, Madison Heights (1982-84); associate pastor at St. Cletus Parish, Warren (1984-87); and administrator at St. Paul Albanian Parish, Warren (1985-87). His most recent assignment was as pastor of St. Andrew Parish, Detroit, since 1987.
His senior priest status is effective July 1.
Fr. Lawrence H. Kaiser
Fr. Lawrence Kaiser, 66, was born in Dearborn to Herman Joseph and Carolyn (Buettner) Kaiser. He attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit; University of Detroit; and St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township. He was ordained June 6, 1964, at Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. He celebrated his first Mass at St. Clement Parish in Dearborn.
Fr. Kaiser served as associate pastor at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Waterford Township (1964-69); St. Angela Parish in Roseville (1969-71); and St. Mary Parish in Redford Township (1971-73). He was co-pastor at St. Gerard Parish in Detroit (1973-80), then was appointed pastor of the parish from 1980 until 1988. He went on to serve as pastor of St. Albert the Great Parish in Dearborn Heights from 1988 until 1999.
He has served as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Dearborn since 1999.
Fr. Kaiser also was vicar of the Dearborn Vicariate from 1995 until 1998. He received the Cardinal Mooney Award in 1982, for which he studied in Dublin, Ireland, for three months.
He will attain senior priest status July 1.
Fr. Ronald Kurzawa
Fr. Ronald Kurzawa, 65, was born in Detroit, to Sigmund and Helen (Kopas) Kurzawa. He attended St. Mary's College in Orchard Lake, St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township, University of Detroit and the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. He also studied at North American College in Rome in 1990.
He was ordained June 6, 1964, at Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. He celebrated his first Mass at SS. Cyril & Methodius Church in Detroit. Fr. Kurzawa served as associate pastor at St. Cunegunda Parish in Detroit (1964-68) and St. Bartholomew Parish in Detroit (1968-73). He then was pastor of St. Clement of Rome Parish in Romeo (1973-82); Precious Blood Parish in Detroit (1982-92); and St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in St. Clair Shores (1992-2002).
He has been serving as pastor of St. Aidan Parish in Livonia since 2002.
Fr. Kurzawa was vicar of the Northwest Detroit Vicariate from 1985 to 1988. He also has served as chaplain of the Knights of Columbus Gabriel Richard Council No. 2463; as faithful friar for the Rev. Paul M. Onderbeke Assembly No. 1795; and as a member of the Knights of St. Peter Claver.
Fr. Kurzawa has been priest chair for the Archdiocesan Development Fund; a pastoral council representative; speaker and consultant for the Archdiocese of Detroit Worship Department; and a visiting faculty member in liturgical theology for SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake and Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. He was coordinator for Communion for the papal Mass in Pontiac in 1987. He also received the Fr. Farrell Award in the fall of 1990.
He will attain senior priest status July 1.
Fr. Richard Rakoczy
Fr. Richard Rakoczy, 74, was born to Andrew and Sophie (Koziel) Rakoczy in River Rouge. He attended St. Mary's College in Orchard Lake and St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township.
He was ordained June 6, 1959. He celebrated his first Mass at St. John Cantius Parish in Detroit.
Fr. Rakoczy served as assistant pastor at Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Detroit (1959-63), SS. Peter & Paul Parish in Detroit (1963-64) and St. Veronica Parish in Eastpointe (1964-70). He then was made pastor of St. Clement in Dearborn, where he served from 1970 until 1976. During his pastorate at St. Clement, he also served part-time from 1971 until 1976 at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Allen Park. He ministered at the medical center full-time from 1976 until 1984. In 1976, he also served one month as administrator of St. Rita Parish in Holly. In 1984, Fr. Rakoczy was appointed pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Carleton, where he served until 1995.
Since 1995, he has been pastor of St. Perpetua Parish in Waterford Township.
Fr. Rakoczy also served on the Priest's Senate in the 1980s. After ordination, Fr. Rakoczy also did post-theology graduate work at the University of Detroit and St. John's Provincial Seminary.
He will attain senior priest status July 1.
Fr. James C. Scheick
Fr. James C. Scheick, 71, was born in Monroe to Clarence and Clara Scheick. He attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, and St. John Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township, and was ordained June 1, 1963, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit. He celebrated his first Mass at St. Mary Parish, Monroe.
He served as associate pastor at St. Brigid Parish, Detroit (1963-73), co-pastor at St. Gerard Parish, Detroit (1973-80), and pastor at St. Edith Parish, Livonia (1980-2000). He also served on the presbyteral council. His most recent assignment was as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Grosse Ile, since 2000.
His senior priest status is effective July 1.
Fr. Raymond J. Sayers
Fr. Raymond J. Sayers, 71, was born in Detroit to Harold and Veronica Sayers. He attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit and St. John Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township. He was ordained June 6, 1964, and celebrated his first Mass at St. James Parish, Ferndale.
He served at St. Mary Parish, Wayne, as associate pastor and co-pastor before becoming pastor (1964-75); as pastor at St. Mary Parish, Royal Oak (1975-80); as director of the archdiocesan Vocations Office (1980-82) while assisting at Our Lady of the Woods Parish, Woodhaven, and Sacred Heart Parish, Dearborn; as the director of the office of pre-formation (1981-85); as a faculty member at Sacred Heart Seminary (1984-85); as associate pastor at St. Ephrem Parish, Sterling Heights (1985); and as pastor at St. Jude Parish, Detroit (1986-2003).
He also served as vicar of the former Western Wayne and Detroit-Grosse Pointe vicariates, a Family Life Bureau speaker, on the archdiocesan assignment board, and on the presbyteral council; he also taught at local schools and helped found Northeast Organization Allied for Hope (NOAH), which is now a part of interfaith community organization MOSES. He's a recipient of the Cardinal Dearden Award and received the city of Wayne's Man of the Year award in 1967.
His most recent assignment was serving as pastor of Holy Name Parish, Birmingham, since 2003. His senior priest status took effect June 1.
Fr. William D. Sinatra
Fr. Sinatra, 70, was born in Detroit to Anthony and Pauline (Torre) Sinatra, and attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, and St. John's Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township.
He was ordained June 6, 1964, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit, and celebrated his first Mass at Guardian Angels Parish, Detroit.
He went on to earn a master's degree in pastoral counseling from the University of Detroit, and did further post-graduate work at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and at St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore.
Fr. Sinatra served as an associate pastor at St. David of Wales Parish, Detroit (1964-67); St. Rita Parish, Detroit (1967-69); and St. Henry Parish, Lincoln Park (1969-71). He was associate pastor of St. Aloysius Parish, Detroit (1971-72), and then was made administrator of the parish (1972-74).
In the spring of 1974, he was administrator of St. Agatha Parish, Redford Township. From 1974 until 1975, he was associate pastor of St. Athanasius Parish, Roseville. He was co-pastor of St. Athanasius from 1975 until 1979. Then, he served as pastor of St. Mary of the Snows Parish, Milford (1979-89), and pastor of St. Mary Parish, Royal Oak (1989-96).
In 1996, he was assigned as pastor of St. Ives Parish, Southfield, where he remained until the parish was merged with three other parishes in 2007, also serving as vicar of the Farmington-Southfield Vicariate (2002-05).
Fr. Sinatra's senior priest status takes effect July 1.
Fr. Sylvester J. Taube
Fr. Taube, 70, was born in Detroit to Sylvester and Alice (Klatt) Taube, and attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, and St. John's Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township.
He was ordained June 6, 1964, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit, and celebrated his first Mass at Holy Name of Jesus Church, Detroit.
Fr. Taube served as associate pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, Lapeer (1964-70); and of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Detroit (1970-71). He was pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Monroe (1971-80), also serving as vicar of the Monroe Vicariate (1975-76).
From 1980 until 1986, Fr. Taube had a special assignment as the archbishop's representative to Marriage Encounter Ministry. He was chaplain at Gabriel Richard High School, Riverview, (1981-82).
He was then appointed pastor of Holy Ghost Parish, Detroit (1982-89). He served as associate director of the archdiocesan Office for Youth, Family and Faith Support (1986-2000).
Fr. Taube was appointed pastor of St. Columban Parish, Birmingham (2000-08). His senior priest status, takes effect July 1.
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