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Deacon Joe Muszkiewicz to be ordained to the priesthood
December 20, 2007
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Deacon Joe is one of five children born to Stanley and Phyllis (Turel) Muszkiewicz. He attended St. Isadore Elementary School and secondary school at Catholic Central, both in Grand Rapids, Michigan, graduating in 1972. After receiving degrees from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in the field of natural resources, he worked with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the US Forest Service on some short term projects. In 1982, Deacon Joe received certification from the University of Chicago as a Respiratory Therapist and began serving in the healthcare field in the Grand Rapids area. He spent 16 years as a respiratory therapist and six years as a Polysomnographic Technician (Sleep Technician). Deacon Joe used these skills while serving in active duty during Desert Storm with the Michigan National Guard from 1988-1991.
Deacon Joe is the father of three adult children, two daughters, Rachael and Katherine, and a son named Peter.
He has been involved as a Scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts as well as a Religious Education teacher and Habitat for Humanity Coordinator. Deacon Joe enjoys camping and backpacking as well as bicycling and traveling to areas which have natural science attractions.
He stated he felt a call, “or inkling of one,” while attending Mass during a Habitat for Humanity event and discerned from that point for four years before starting seminary. While visiting Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners in 2001, Fr. Michael Janowski and Fr. Patrick Maher, who were then students there, asked if Deacon Joe had ever considered the Diocese of Gaylord.
“Their question and welcome began my association with the Diocese of Gaylord,” Deacon Joe said. “So whether it’s about a vocation or the diocese, never underestimate the power of asking the question,” he advised.
He credits his family’s openness to and familiarity with priests as family friends as an important influence on him.
“My father and my oldest brother had both been in high school seminary, so the idea of seminary was not foreign to me,” Deacon Joe stated. “My parents welcomed any opportunity to have parish priests over to our house, and I had an aunt who was a religious sister (School Sisters of Notre Dame), so there was a sense of being at ease with clergy and religious life.”
During his preparation, Deacon Joe served three formal assignments with diocesan parishes as well as assisting with several other events and activities. In his 2004 summer assignment at St. Michael, Suttons Bay and St. Gertrude Northport where Fr. Wayne Dziekan was then Pastor, he gained further insight as to how the Church can be involved in social justice issues. He was also introduced to the growing Hispanic presence and influence in the diocese.
From January to August of 2006, Deacon Joe served his pastoral internship at Immaculate Conception Parish in Traverse City under the supervision of Fr. James Hayden who is the current Pastor. This opportunity provided Deacon Joe with the experience of a larger parish in a more urban setting.
Reflecting on the experience Deacon Joe said, “Being with the parish for more of the liturgical year have me the chance to be involved in the Catholic schools, the RCIA process, and other parish functions that are more active than during the summer months. Being close to a major medical center also allowed more opportunities for hospital visitations. Fr. Jim also helped to expand my vision of the scope of social justice issues that a parish should involve itself,” he added.
This past summer, Deacon Joe served the Catholic Community of Manistee which includes St. Mary, St. Joseph and Guardian Angels. He found this assignment “packed with new experiences.” Following the death of Msgr. Gerard Guzikowski and medical leave of absence of Fr. Bill Zwiefka, Fr. James Bearss was appointed to serve as Pastor of Guardian Angels and Temporary Administrator for St. Joseph in addition to his existing assignment as Pastor of St. Mary and chaplain to Manistee Catholic Central Schools. Fr. Rueben Munoz serves as Associate Pastor to the parishes.
“As a seminarian, this assignment brought me face-to-face with a reality that will increasingly affect our diocese – that of the decreasing number of priests to cover our existing parishes,” Deacon Joe noted. “I had the privilege (and luxury) of observing how a group of parishes were able to start a process of working together to address the real and critical needs of their community, with all the challenges, tensions, grieving and yes, opportunities, that accompany change.”
“Another new area of involvement that I experienced while in Manistee was that of prison/jail ministry,” Deacon Joe continued. “Those involved with this important ministry – the volunteers and those incarcerated – give a powerful and humbling witness to the love of Christ.”
Deacon Joe credits all of the Pastors he’s worked with, along with other priests of the diocese, as helping to form him and demonstrating the importance of being available and present to people. His family and friends have been very supportive during his years of formation.
Now in the final stage of preparation, Deacon Joe contemplates celebrating the sacraments as a priest.
“I look forward to sharing these grace filled signs and acts of God’s love with the people I will be serving,” he said. “What an honor to be invited, to be present, to participate in such intimate moments of people’s lives.”
Masses of Thanksgiving by the newly ordained will be celebrated:
- January 6 at 10:00 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Parish, Traverse City
- January 13 at 9:00 a.m. at St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Shrine, Manistee
- January 20 at 9:00 a.m. at St. Michael Parish, Suttons Bay
- January 26 at 5:15 p.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Grand Rapids.
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